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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-15061

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average length of time is for which agreed interim care placements are in place, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-15081

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment has been carried out to examine the potential impact on NHS Scotland laboratory transformation of the 19.4% reduction in genomics funding, as set out in the draft Budget 2023-24.

As a result of the 22-23 Emergency Budget Review genomics was allocated a revised budget of £5 million, which has been sustained for 23-24.

Neither the Scottish Government nor the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine has carried out any specific impact assessments in relation to genomics. However the draft budget was published alongside an equalities impact assessment, high level carbon assessment and an analytical report on the Impact the Cost of Living Crisis is having in Scotland. All of this material can be found online via the following link.

Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The fiscal position remains challenging; however, the development of our transformation plans for the NHS Genetic Laboratories and Genomics Strategy is ongoing.

Question reference: S6W-15175

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how NHS boards monitor any instances of patient misdiagnosis.

NHS Health Boards are responsible for delivering safe, effective and person-centred care at a local level, which includes identifying and monitoring instances of patient misdiagnosis. This will be through a number of processes such as Adverse Event reviews, the NHS Model Complaints Handling Procedure, Organisational Duty of Candour and Scottish Public Services Ombudsman investigation reports, amongst others.

The Scottish Government and NHS Health Boards work closely together to ensure local policy and processes are implemented and improved in line with national policy and frameworks.

Question reference: S6W-15108

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment NHS Scotland has made of the estimated costs of running hospital equipment at home.

Question reference: S6W-15117

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been employed in cancer diagnostic and treatment services in each NHS board in each year since 1999.

The information requested on how many people have been employed in cancer diagnostic and treatment services in each NHS board in each year since 1999 is not held by the Scottish Government. Healthcare professionals involved in diagnostics and treatment are not always exclusively dedicated to one disease group such as cancer.

Information on staff in post from 2012 onwards, broken down by NHS Board, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHSScotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence

Question reference: S6W-15049

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding was allocated to the National Wellbeing Hub in the financial year (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-15087

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what specific support it is providing to staff employed by the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab who are at risk of redundancy.

Scottish Government Officials have had contact with representatives of the University of Glasgow and met with representatives of UNITE on 10 January to discuss recent developments in respect of the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab which is contracted by the UK Government until March 2023 to undertake processing of PCR tests as part of the COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS). The CIS is outwith the control of the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government has provided support to affected University of Glasgow staff through its Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative and will continue to provide such support to any impacted staff as may be required.

Question reference: S6W-15080

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact will be on NHS Scotland laboratory transformation of the 19.4% reduction in genomics funding, as set out in the draft Budget 2023-24.

Following the 22-23 Emergency Budget Review genomics was allocated a revised budget of £5 million; this provided a £2.6 million increase on 22-21 funding. Therefore, the £5million budget allocation for genomics in 2023-24 represents a sustained investment in genomics.

Through the funding allocated so far in 2022-23, we have established the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine and funded a genomics transformation team within NHS National Services Division, led by a Consultant Clinical Scientist and supported by Clinical Leads for rare disease and cancer.

The fiscal position remains challenging; however the development of our transformation plans for the NHS Genetic Laboratories and Genomics Strategy is ongoing.

To support this, the Transformation Team are developing an action plan in response to the NSS Major Services Review of Genetic services . The Strategic Network will be accountable for overseeing the delivery of that plan.

Question reference: S6W-14810

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding the impact in Scotland, to the Cancer Research (a) UK report, Cancer in the UK: Overview 2023 and (b) Scotland-specific overview, Cancer in the UK: Deprivation and cancer inequalities in Scotland.

In regards to the Scotland-specific overview, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13419 on 23 January 2023.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government recognises that while more people are being diagnosed with cancer, more people are also being cured and living longer with the illness, thanks to the many new and established treatments now available. The increasing numbers of cases is also a simple reflection of the fact that people are, overall, living longer. Clearly our NHS remains under pressure, but more patients are being treated on cancer pathways than was the case prior to the pandemic.

The Scottish Government is developing a new 10 year cancer strategy to launch in Spring this year, which will take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways, from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care. This will be supported by an initial 3-year action plan.

The strategy will include a new earlier diagnosis vision for Scotland as well as a robust workforce strategy and ambitions aimed at strengthening research and innovation and eradicating inequalities.

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

Question reference: S6W-15017

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS boards and (b) National Services Scotland regarding action to reduce and eliminate the purchasing of single-use textiles, including workwear, bedding, patient wear and miscellaneous items.

The Scottish Government, Health Boards and National Services Scotland (NSS) maintain regular contact on reducing single-use items in healthcare settings through the Sustainable Procurement Steering Group, which supports Boards transition to more circular supply practices.

A programme of work has been established to review the use of reusable alternatives and reduce the amount of single use Personal Protective Equipment used by Health Boards. This work looks at existing stock within NSS warehouses, current decontamination guidance and the capability of Health Board infrastructure to process reusable products. Where the use of reusable products is not possible, we aim to increase the number items that can be recycled at the end of their use.

National uniforms, bedding and textiles are all reusable and are laundered in house through NHS Scotland laundries, or in the case of uniforms and workwear, staff may launder at home.