Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to answer to question S6W-06660 on 4 March 2022. 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 .

Throughout the pandemic we have refined the COVID-19 and flu appointment scheduling system, working directly with Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to incorporate their feedback and improve processes.

We have increased the number of training sessions with scheduling staff, developed comprehensive online guidance that can be referred to at any time and we continue to work closely with Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships where specific issues arise. A dedicated review process is in place for this and any learning is then disseminated to other Boards as required.

In instances where staff are sick absences may occur at short notice which cannot be foreseen, and bank cover staff are not always available at short notice to replace staff. Every effort is made to ensure there is sufficient vaccinators on site, however, as appointments are created and scheduled weeks in advance therefore local issues may arise.

Greater Glasgow and Clyde has put measures in place to try and reduce wait times and queues at its clinics by ensuring appropriate measures are in place to manage queues safely and effectively. For example, advising members of the public to arrive as close to their scheduled appointment time as possible to avoid queues.

The number of appointments available at clinics are based on the number of staff available on a given date. For example, if there are three vaccinators available at a clinic at 9am on a specific date then 3 appointments would be available to allocate for that time slot.

Audit Scotland’s briefing on PPE in June 2021 told us we need to learn from experience and to address a range of PPE issues for the future, and the Scottish Government was happy to agree to that recommendation.

Work continues to consult on and implement a new approach to pandemic PPE through a joined-up public sector procurement arrangement, led by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). This aims to provide a more resilient supply across Health, Social Care and the wider public sector for the long term, with due priority given to the need for robust supply chains and reductions in environmental impact.

The Scottish Government has already provided funding to run the first phase of a Small Business Research Initiative at NHS Tayside to help develop prototypes of reusable mask solutions. This first phase has provided an opportunity for companies to secure funding to undertake appropriate research and development of their prospective solutions.

The Scottish Government is currently in the process of establishing a Short Life Working Group to be tasked with refreshing the Personal Footcare Guidance for publication in early 2023.

Work is underway on a new approach to pandemic PPE through a joined-up public sector procurement arrangement, led by NHS National Services Scotland. We anticipate that we will transition to these new arrangements over the course of the next financial year.

As independent Scheme Administrator established by businesses, Circularity Scotland Ltd (CSL) is responsible for setting the fees for businesses who wish CSL to administer their DRS obligations on their behalf.

The rationale behind a higher fee for producers who use UK-wide labels instead of Scotland-specific ones is to compensate for any drinks containers purchased elsewhere in the UK where a deposit is not paid, but then returned in Scotland for a deposit.

CSL will actively monitor such returns and adjust the higher fee per individual product to reflect the number of such containers processed through its network that were purchased out with Scotland.

NRS will publish the first census outputs approximately one year after conclusion of the census data collection phases.

NRS will consult with data users over the coming months to ensure that census outputs are accessible and provided in a format which meets the needs of census data users.

To provide patients with some reassurance around the possible length of their wait, the Scottish Government have launched a new online platform, which is available at https://www.nhsinform.scot/waiting-times . Developed in conjunction with NHS 24 and PHS, the platform provides patients with information on planned care waiting times by giving an indication of how long patients typically waited over the last quarter. This includes information on the number of patients admitted for treatment as well as the typical wait experienced by people during this time period.

We recognise the impact that long waiting times can have on a patient’s mental health, so the platform also includes information for patients to keep as fit and healthy as possible while waiting for treatment. In addition, the Healthy living | NHS inform page provides advice and tools which includes information on mental wellbeing.

In an effort to reduce the waiting time for patients awaiting cataract surgery, Health Boards across NHSScotland are undertaking additional cataract surgical sessions and independent sector contractors are providing additional support, within NHS facilities, to increase the number of cataract procedures delivered. This will reduce the overall number of patients waiting for surgery as well as their length of wait.

In tandem with this – and in line with guidance from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists - Scottish Government clinically led peer reviews are taking place across all Health Boards. Supporting teams to adopt more efficient ways of working in order to increase the number of patients that can be treated within each cataract only surgical session forms part of these reviews.

Sequential bilateral cataract surgery is also undertaken by some surgeons, particularly in remote and rural areas and where patients’ ability to work has been affected. This prevents duplication of effort across the patient’s journey, as well as reducing the carbon footprint.

The Scottish Government has also commissioned the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) to support an increase in theatre productivity, including the development of a national Blueprint which will outline how Health Boards can increase efficiency across the cataract surgical journey. This will be disseminated to all Health Boards in the coming weeks.