Seòmar agus comataidhean

The 2021-22 season has seen the UK’s largest outbreak of avian influenza to date, which has affected commercial flocks of poultry and other captive birds as well as wild birds. While maintaining high levels of biosecurity among domestic flocks helps protect against disease, addressing the disease among wild birds, including our internationally important seabird colonies, can pose significant challenges.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with a range of partner organisations to monitor and respond to the situation where action can be taken, recognising the importance of communication and coordination in preparedness and responses.

Avian influenza is a highly infectious disease, and while there is little that can be done to limit the spread within seabird colonies, action can be taken to reduce the risk of onward transmission from infected colonies to other locations, and to minimise additional stress on potentially infected birds. To that end, NatureScot has suspended all ringing research activities within seabird colonies for the remainder of the breeding season to mitigate these risks. Surveys of some seabird colonies are also ongoing to monitor bird numbers, and any mortality events.

Furthermore, the Scottish Government has published advice for local authorities, landowners, wildlife rescue centres and members of the public regarding reporting, collection and safe disposal of dead wild birds. We will keep our guidance under continuous review as the situation develops.

It is too soon to determine with any certainty the impact of the current outbreak on seabird populations. NatureScot, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, RSPB Scotland and BTO Scotland are working towards collating colony level data and identifying how these data can be analysed to offer information on population level impacts. However, some internationally important seabird colonies have clearly been affected by the current outbreak. Therefore, the developing Scottish Seabird Conservation Strategy is critical in ensuring that any actions identified are timely and effective to help optimise the conservation prospects of seabirds in Scotland from existing and emerging threats, including disease threats such as avian influenza.

The Scottish Government is developing a new Disability Equality Strategy, working in collaboration with Disabled People’s Organisations. The development process provides the opportunity to consider the priority issues affecting disabled people in Scotland, including accessibility.

Everyone should have access to the toilet facilities they need. Under the Equality Act 2010, individual businesses and organisations are responsible for ensuring that they make reasonable adjustments to meet the needs of disabled people. Responsibility for oversight of compliance with the 2010 Act rests with the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

In 2019 we revised Scottish building standards and introduced a requirement for Changing Places Toilets (CPTs) to be installed in certain types of large new non-domestic buildings (for example large retail buildings; secondary schools providing community facilities; hospitals; and passenger stations for air, rail, road, or sea travel). CPTs are facilities suitable for use by people whose care needs are more complex. In addition to standard facilities, they provide additional space for assistants, an adult-sized changing bench, and a hoist.

The Scottish Government committed in our 2021-2022 Programme for Government to invest £10 million in Changing Places Toilets over this parliamentary term. This will increase the number of Changing Places Toilets across the country, and support mobile changing places to allow people easier access to events and outdoor venues around the country.

These facilities will make a real difference to disabled people and their families. The first phase of this work is underway to establish the application and assessment criteria, to ensure the Changing Places Toilets which are delivered are fit for purpose.

Four authors, who are subject matter experts in peace processes and international law, are undertaking the necessary research to inform the thinking on Scotland’s Peace Institute. The research commission was put out to competitive tender at the start of the year and following assessment of the bids received we awarded the contract to the successful consortium of researchers. The total cost of the contract is £30,000.

Good governance and regulation is not captured by a single number. We will work with public bodies leaders and other stakeholders in the coming months, to agree the optimal public body landscape for achieving improved outcomes, good governance and regulation. The spending review provides a platform for engagement ahead of the next budget. We do not intend to take the same approach as set out by the UK Government, but we do need to reshape and refocus. We will work together across the public sector to look creatively at reform in order to become more efficient and deliver better outcomes.

The National Treatment Centre (NTC) Programme will deliver the single biggest increase in protected planned care capacity ever created in NHSScotland. The network of 10 NTCs will deliver capacity for over 40,000 additional planned procedures and diagnostic care across 12 specialties.

Within the next 18 months, NTCs will open in NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Highland and at NHS Golden Jubilee specialising in orthopaedic surgery. On 13 April, we also announced £1.8m of funding to purchase a private hospital in Ayrshire (Carrick Glen) to be developed into a new National Treatment Centre specialising in orthopaedics.

As well as significant investment in new infrastructure, the new NHSScotland Centre for Sustainable Delivery is also leading work to explore new and innovative ideas to reduce In Patient / Day Case and Outpatient waiting times. Examples include:

• The rollout of Active Clinical Referral Triage, to provide patients with information about non-surgical interventions and self-management options;
• Patient Initiated Reviews, enabling patients to be escalated if their condition deteriorates and reduces routine appointments while supporting patients in a safe and clinically appropriate manner; and
• Enhanced Recovery after Surgery pathways, designed to support patients achieve faster recovery after surgery.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08953 on 24 June 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 .

To date 10 patients have requested referral to either Dr Veronikis or Professor Hashim. It is possible, however, that this number will increase once the contract arrangements with Dr Veronikis have been finalised and the formal referral pathways are in place.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme was allocated £134 million in Financial Transactions in 2022-23 and we have recently agreed that £60 million will be made available for the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme and £74 million for the Charitable Bond demand led programmes in 2022-23. A further £92 million in Financial Transactions was allocated to the wider housing budget for 2022-23, with £12 million of this earmarked for historic carry forward commitments. All options are being actively considered to maximise the use of the remaining Financial Transactions to support the delivery of homes.

For complex mesh removal surgery, case review by a specialist multi-disciplinary team (MDT) is seen as pivotal in ensuring that all clinical considerations are taken into account in the planning of surgery which meets the needs of the patients. With the agreement of the independent providers, prior to referral, patients will be discussed by the MDT in Glasgow to ensure that they are fit for surgery and that all relevant diagnostic investigations have been undertaken. If, after careful consideration by both the MDT and the patient, it is agreed that surgery is appropriate and the patient wishes to be referred to either Dr Veronikis or Professor Hashim, the team in Glasgow will facilitate this in conjunction with their local specialist within their local Health Board who will then share in the ongoing care of the women following their surgery.

Anyone who wishes to be referred to either Dr Veronikis or Professor Hashim should firstly discuss their case with their GP who will refer them to the local specialist within their Health Board. If considered appropriate they would then be referred to the Complex Mesh Surgery Service for consideration by a full multi-disciplinary team (MDT). The MDT will undertake an appropriate clinical assessment and ensure that all relevant investigations are undertaken to support shared decision making. If, after careful consideration by both the MDT and the patient, it is agreed that surgery is appropriate and the patient wishes to be referred to either Dr Veronikis or Professor Hashim, the team in Glasgow will facilitate this in conjunction with their local specialist within their local Health Board.