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The Scottish Government does not hold national data for infectious diseases screening, antenatal haemoglobinopathies screening, or foetal anomaly ultrasound examinations within the pregnancy screening programme. These can be requested directly from individual NHS boards.

The following table shows the number of trisomy screens taken between January 2019 and June 2021.

It is important to note that the data provided below is management information and has not been subject to the necessary quality checks carried out for an official publication.

The following table shows the number of people screened for diabetic retinopathy in each month between January 2019 and July 2021. The Diabetic Eye Screening (DES) programme was paused between 30 March 2020 and 6 July 2020. When screening resumed, those at high risk of developing diabetic retinopathy were prioritised and invited first.

It is important to note that the following data is management information and has not been subject to the necessary quality checks carried out for an official publication.

The NHS Scotland COVID Status app is being developed for release to the public by the end of September with vaccination information initially. We are developing our app to meet the EU requirements so we expect this to be compatible with the IATA Travel Pass. We are engaging with international stakeholders and UK Government to ensure the app is compatible with the other countries requirements of entry.

PDF downloads of vaccination status and 2D barcodes (known as QR codes) were made available for international travel from 3 September to facilitate international travel.

I would refer the Member to the fact as previously answered in S6W–02319 on 21 September 2021, prison staff are under no obligation to tell their employer of their Vaccination status, as it is not mandatory to be vaccinated. Although staff are paid away from work to attend a vaccination appointment and are offered paid leave if symptoms deliver, as part of employee support arrangements.

We are guided on the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme by the Covid Vaccine Deployment Plan which was last updated in July 2021.

We are actively monitoring and evaluating the vaccination status for prisoners and young offenders. NHS bodies and public health agencies, are working collectively with The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to ensure we are constantly striving to make progress, on these matters, to ensure best practice is maintained. Each prison establishment has a Local Coronavirus Response Group to assist with planning locally.

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 expects everyone to be treated with consideration, dignity and respect when accessing and using NHS services. NHS staff will make every effort to ensure that the privacy and dignity of all patients are maintained in Scottish hospitals.

All patients should routinely be cared for in wards or bays which are for single sex occupancy. The Scottish Government provided guidelines and recommendations on the elimination of mixed sex accommodation in 1999 and 2000. Further guidance and direction regarding the provision of clinically appropriate single room accommodation in all planned new buildings and major refurbishments was provided in 2008 and 2010.

The Scottish Government works closely with all stakeholders including Trade Unions, to deliver the vital communication messages across the Prison Estate and the Member will appreciate that staff as part of the wider community, can be vaccinated and it is not mandatory for staff to report their vaccination status, to their employer. The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) throughout the Prison Estate is effectively ensuring that we are progressing vaccinations against COVID-19 in conjunction with health professionals from Public Health Scotland (PHS), as well as other health agencies .

We realise that through our work with public health agencies in conjunction with SPS, that we have a job to engage with the prison population. In many ways it mirrors the issues found in wider society and we are dealing with the hardest to reach. Tailored communications are delivered to those in a prison setting. The National Clinical Director attended HMP Barlinnie for a Q&A session with prisoners which was made available via prison radio and TV. Posters with the same national ‘roll up your sleeves’ messaging and appropriate photography were distributed to prisons to be displayed.

The Scottish Government has been working in collaboration with Public Health Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service to improve data on COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Scottish prisons.

New prison vaccination data was been published by Public Health Scotland on 15 September and the link is attached for convenience for the Member. https://publichealthscotland.scot/our-areas-of-work/covid-19/covid-19-data-and-intelligence/covid-19-weekly-report-for-scotland/

Prison vaccination data will now be reported on a regular basis and will assist in considering possible courses of action to improve the vaccination uptake amongst the prison population, including for individuals who have not received their second dose prior to being released from prison.

Advice from clinicians is to continue to use PCR testing for international travel, which is more accurate than other forms of testing. In addition, positive results should be genomically sequenced, which is harder to do using other types of test. We will, however, consider the use of lateral flow testing as technology improves and more data is available. Regardless of any testing regime, individuals should be following the protocols set out to minimise transmission.

Changes in patterns of mixing, adherence to restrictions, levels of asymptomatic infections and school holidays all impact on cases numbers and will influence the recent drop in positive cases. Waste-water Covid-19 levels continue to exceed case rates. However, relative to the peak reported at the start of July, levels have declined nationally. We will continue to monitor wastewater Covid closely and report the trend weekly in the modelling the epidemic/pandemic publication.

On 3 September 2021 we introduced QR codes to vaccination status records. People can either download or request a paper copy of their vaccination status from NHS Inform or call the Freephone Helpline 0808 196 8565.