Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06217 on 16 February 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

The current guidance can be found on the Central Alerting System (CAS). In the largest clinical trial (RECOVERY RS) CPAP reduced the risk of death or intubation (need to go on a ventilator). CPAP can be delivered via a tight fitting facemask, helmet or hood. Smaller clinical trials of helmet/hood CPAP have suggested that it may have equivalent benefit to facemask CPAP but more data analysis is planned. High flow nasal oxygen is a form of non-invasive respiratory support which can be used to facilitate breaks from CPAP and is better tolerated (more comfortable) than CPAP, but doesn’t improve outcome on its own. Whether facemasks, helmets or hoods are used in clinical practice is a decision left to individual boards and units, however they can be ordered if needed and many boards stock them routinely.

The Scottish Government recognises the severe impact the necessary measures to protect public health during this pandemic has had on businesses, particularly those in the travel sector.

The easing of some international travel restrictions has renewed confidence in international travel and we continue to work with the industry on what further steps the Government can take to further support the recovery of the sector.

On 10 February 2022, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy announced £3.5 million for outbound travel agents as part of a package of further support for businesses impacted by the measures introduced to control the spread of Omicron.

As Covid-19 case numbers fall, the Scottish Government is fully focused on supporting the remobilisation of orthopaedic services impacted by the challenges of the pandemic. We understand how difficult it is for those waiting for treatment. Orthopaedic services are recommencing, with NHS Boards undertaking clinically-prioritised urgent cases at present.

The National Treatment Centre Programme, which represents an investment of over £400 million in a network of new, elective and diagnostic treatment centres, will add extra capacity for hip and knee replacements across Scotland and support the recovery and resilience of orthopaedic services in the future.

The member is referred to the answers to S6W-05473 on 24 January 2022 and S6W-06312 on 21 February 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

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government or by Public Health Scotland, however confirmed cervical cancer patients being treated on the 31 day or 62 day pathway, with their waiting times, can be found at:

Cancer waiting times - 1 July to 30 September 2021 - Cancer waiting times - Publications - Public Health Scotland

The exact data requested is not held. The Cancer Waiting Times data does not report on average waits, however median waits are reported. The information below is for urological cancers and is provided both for 62-day and 31-day standard. The 62-day standard refers to ‘urgent’ referrals only and waiting times are from ‘urgent’ referral to the start of their first treatment for a newly diagnosed cancer. The 31-day standard is for ‘all’ referrals and waiting times are from the decision to treat to the start of their first treatment for a newly diagnosed cancer. Please note: the waiting times for 62-day and 31-day standards are not comparable as both standards refer to different cohorts of patients.

The Median length of wait between referral to first treatment (62-day standard) for urology cancers in 2017 was 49 days, 47 days in 2018, 45 days in 2019, 39 days in 2020 and 44 days in 2021.

The Median length of wait between decision to treat and first treatment (31-day standard) for urology cancers in 2017 was 12 days, 13 days in 2018, 11 days in 2019, 8 days in 2020 and 11 in 2021.

To note the median values for the year 2021 are based on the data that has already been published i.e. data for the months of January- September 2021.

The consultation report and response to last year’s consultation on changes to energy standards and associated topics will be published in March 2022. This will report on the standards for new buildings to be implemented later this year.

The Scottish Government is committed to developing and implementing within this parliamentary term a revised contracting framework for community pharmacy NHS pharmaceutical services, underpinned by a review of existing Control of Entry, funding arrangement and introduction of a Performers List for the Pharmacy profession, as outlined in Achieving excellence in pharmaceutical care: a strategy for Scotland strategy.

Any future amendments to the regulations will uphold the necessity for successful applications to be granted around set criteria. These include neighbourhood requirements, the adequacy of existing pharmaceutical services in an area (from registered pharmacy premises), and the necessity or desirability of to secure adequate pharmaceutical services in an area.

Information on the number of diagnostic procedures performed in NHS Scotland is available on the Public Health Scotland website and can be found in the Acute Hospitals and Finance Cost Books . However, the activity data published for radiology in the Finance Cost Books is reported with elective and emergency totals combined, which does not allow us to report on elective diagnostics activity disaggregated. Further, the Acute Hospitals publication only publishes activity data on particular endoscopy tests, therefore it cannot give us a complete picture for endoscopy activity. Data on the ongoing waits of diagnostic procedures can be found in the PHS Diagnostics publication .

We have provided £29 million to support an increase in diagnostic procedures by 78,000 during the current year and expect diagnostic capacity to increase by at least 90,000 procedures per year by the end of the NHS Recovery Plan in 2025/26. This equates to 29,000 additional CT scans, 24,000 MRI scans and 25,000 additional endoscopy procedures by the end of the Plan.