Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17929 on 30 May 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/questions-and-answers .

Extending digital connectivity is vital to communities, businesses and public services. That is why the Scottish Government strategy, A changing nation: how Scotland will thrive in a digital world , sets out a series of measures to ensure that Scotland will fulfil its potential in a constantly evolving digital world.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/a-changing-nation-how-scotland-will-thrive-in-a-digital-world/pages/foreword/

As part of this there is work to improve and extend Scotland's broadband and mobile networks as enabling citizens, including care home residents, to access and use digital services is a national priority with established principles.

Health and Social Care Standards

The Health and Social Care Standards, which set out what people should expect when using health, social care or social work services in Scotland, includes a range of standards about ensuring that people remain connected. This includes standard 5.10:

“If I experience 24 hour care, I am connected, including access to a telephone, radio, TV and the internet.”

The Standards are taken into account by the Care Inspectorate in relation to inspections, and registration, of social care services.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-social-care-standards-support-life

To support good practice, the Care Inspectorate have published quality illustrations statements in this area for adult care homes:

“People have easy access to the internet and a telephone and are routinely and actively supported to make best use of these. This includes space to have private conversations.”

“People are unable to stay connected as providers have not taken steps to minimise the impact of poor access to technology or areas where there is limited Wi-Fi or phone signal.”

“While there may be access to telephone and the internet, people are not routinely or actively supported to use these or cannot do so in private.”

“People benefit from options to keep connected using technology such as radio, phone, TV and the internet.”

Care Home design guide

The Care Inspectorate have published “Care Homes for Adults – The Design Guide” which provides advice on the design, planning and construction considerations for new or converted care homes for adults. This sets out expectations around internet access in care homes:

“Internet access must be sufficient to enable residents to retain contact with friends and relatives, as well as for recreational use such as music and video streaming or watching live events. It is also a necessary area for contact with professionals such as GPs through Near Me consultations, and for staff to maintain digital records”.

https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/publications-statistics/30-professionals-registration/professionals-guidance/6583-care-homes-for-adults-the-design-guide

Technology good practice guide

From a technology enabled care perspective, the Care Inspectorate’s recent publication “Using technology and digital devices to make a positive impact on health and wellbeing for people experiencing care” highlights how access to digital connection is becoming essential for everyone’s health and wellbeing. This publication supports improvement through quality illustrations, case studies and a toolkit of resources. The guide can be accessed at:

https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/publications-statistics/76-professionals-registration/resources

During the pandemic

As part of the Digital Approaches in Care Homes programme launched during the pandemic, in November 2020, Scottish Government offered all care homes in Scotland digital devices for use by and with residents, as well as MiFi devices (internet connectivity dongles) with free data for up to two years for those homes with no, or partial, Wi-Fi coverage. 1034 (75%) of care homes accepted the offer of devices, and 45% the offer of MiFi devices (9% had no Wi-Fi, 36% partial only). All care homes were contacted by email and telephone to ensure the offer was received. Of the 25% of care homes that rejected the offer, the majority stated that they had both the devices and connectivity required at the time.

A recent survey by SCVO (March 2023) has established that 76 MiFi connections are still in use by 54 care homes, and remains their primary internet connection for residents. The Digital Social Care Portfolio Board has endorsed the extension of the initial offer of free data to December 2023 to allow the care homes the time to migrate to more sustainable internet connection solutions. The MiFi devices offer the fastest possible connection available via mobile telephony (3G/4G/5G) depending on the reception available in the area.

Reaching 100% (R100) programme

Through the Reaching 100% (R100) programme the Scottish Government is ensuring that all homes and businesses can access superfast broadband. This is delivered through three strands of activity – the £600 million R100 contracts, the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) and continued commercial coverage. Property owners and residents can see what the R100 programme will mean for them by visiting www.scotlandsuperfast.com .

The R100 contracts are proceeding at pace and have connected over 22,400 premises with a further 5,700 connected as a consequence of contractual overspill and at no extra cost to the Scottish Government. Over 3,100 premises have also been connected through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme.

In 2018, a new national evidence-based pathway for coeliac disease was launched across four health boards (NHS Lothian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Tayside). It was funded by Scottish Government’s Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) and co-produced in partnership with key stakeholders including Coeliac UK, and people living with coeliac disease and clinicians.

We recognise that more needs to be done and we expect all Health Boards to fully implement the pathway in order to improve services and ensure that, with dietetic person-centred support, people with coeliac disease take control of their condition and manage its impact on their health and quality of life.

We continue to support NHS Boards on the adoption of the pathway through our representation on the Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Elective Care Group (EUDECG) which includes representation from all key stakeholders to support delivery, including NHS Boards and Endoscopy units across the country, in line with our Once for Scotland approach.

In 2018, a new national evidence-based pathway for coeliac disease was launched across four health boards (NHS Lothian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Tayside). It was funded by Scottish Government’s Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) and co-produced in partnership with key stakeholders including Coeliac UK, and people living with coeliac disease and clinicians.

Recently, Maree Todd MSP, the then Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health & Sport attended ‘Coeliac Disease: The Challenge of Underdiagnosis’ in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 9 March 2023. The event was supported by Coeliac UK and included a presentation from a patient representative.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17800 on 18 May 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

We know the pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing structural inequalities within our society, putting some communities and groups within the population disproportionately at risk for more adverse impacts on their mental health. That is why we have committed to making the mental health of these groups a priority.

We have established an Equality and Human Rights Forum to help influence and deliver measurably improved outcomes for minority ethnic groups. The forum will set out actions to address racialised mental health inequalities in the upcoming Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Delivery Plan and will build on our existing work.

We are also considering the report from the Scottish Mental Health Law Review which included recommendations to improve monitoring and address ethnicity in rates of detention and compulsory treatment. We intend to set out our initial response to the report, including priority actions, by summer 2023.

There are 17 owned buildings on the Scottish Government Core Estate. 11 have EPC ratings lower than C.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17798 on 17 May 2023 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

Responsibility for the management of the (a) police estate is for Police Scotland, which is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority; and (b) the fire estate is for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Meeting health and safety requirements across their estates continues to be a high priority for both Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17748 on 18 May 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers