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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-42322

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the alleged lack of crucial detail in the UK Warm Homes Plan and the impact on the Scottish Government's plans to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill, what discussions it has had with UK Government ministers on this matter, and whether it will publish any related correspondence.

Question reference: S6W-42338

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the safety risks associated with patients being treated in corridors and other non-clinical areas in hospitals.

The Scottish Government expects all healthcare to be safe, effective and person-centred. On the occasions where non-standard care areas have to be used, it is the NHS Boards who are responsible for ensuring that effective and documented risk assessments, that detail the mitigating measures, are in place to support staff who are required to deliver care to patients in these areas.

The use of non-standard areas of care is scrutinised by Healthcare Improvement Scotland as part of their inspection process. HIS has encouraged NHS Boards to implement strategies to enhance patient flow and eliminate the routine use of non-standard care areas for patient care.

Question reference: S6W-42340

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS boards record and publish corridor care data consistently.

Question reference: S6W-42345

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase patient capacity in community and social care settings in order to reduce hospital overcrowding.

We have a clear plan to reduce delayed discharge and are investing more than £200 million to tackle waiting list backlogs, improve capacity and remove blockages that are keeping some patients in hospital longer than they need to be. Improving patient flow is a top priority and a key commitment that we’ve successfully delivered across all NHS boards is our frailty service which provides specialist, multidisciplinary assessment and care for older patients to accelerate early discharge, reduce delays, and shorten hospital stays. We are seeing reductions in delayed discharge in some Health and Social Partnerships in recent months and are working closely with all health boards and local authorities to drive forward improvements. We are confident that we can build on this learning, to deliver better outcomes for patients so that they are cared for in the right setting and hospital beds are there for those who need them.

We also continue to grow our capacity through the expansion of Hospital at Home services. By providing care in this way we’re enabling more people to receive treatment in the comfort of their own home rather than on an acute ward, relieving pressure on frontline services in traditional hospital settings.

H@H services prevented almost 16,000 people spending time in hospital during April 2024 to March 2025, a 10% increase compared to the same period last year, relieving pressure from A&E and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Question reference: S6W-42342

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Royal College of Nursing's findings in its report, On the frontline of the UK's corridor care crisis, regarding staff providing daily care in unsuitable settings.

We accept that caring for patients in non-standard patient areas is sub-optimal and we are clear that no patient should be treated in a space not fit for clinical care.

We recognise the need to improve the acute care experience for patients and work has been underway over the course of 2025 to develop enhanced frailty services through the Healthcare Improvement Scotland - Frailty at the Front door standard. As a result, all NHS Health Boards have a frailty service which includes Multi-Disciplinary teams which support our front doors.

The Hospital and Community Services for Older People Living with Frailty in Scotland HIS report shows that Scotland has made significant progress in ensuring older and vulnerable patients receive timely, specialised care from the moment they arrive.

Question reference: S6W-42337

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to mandatory national reporting on corridor care in hospitals.

We are in active discussions with PHS regarding the feasibility of a national data collection however, our absolute focus is on addressing the cause of the conditions which lead to care in non-standard areas.

That is why through our NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan we are investing £200 million to address high hospital occupancy and improve patient flow.

Key to this work is addressing the capacity challenges which lead to care in nonstandard areas by: increasing focus on discharge planning to ensure that patients leave hospital as soon as they are medically fit; strengthening Same Day Emergency Care services to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions where appropriate; and increasing acute capacity by expanding Hospital at Home services to 2,000 beds by the end of 2026.

Question reference: S6W-42343

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that patients have access to suitable equipment and facilities when they are treated outside standard hospital wards.

This year the Scottish Government published our Operational Improvement Plan and we continue to work with local system leaders to support their health and social care improvement reforms to improve access to treatment and shift the balance of care from acute hospital services to the community, and to ensure people receive the right care in the right place.

Our commitment to expand Hospital at Home is supported by a share of over £200 million, announced as part of the 2025-26 budget. This funding will support Hospital at Home services to continue providing time-limited acute inpatient care in the comfort of the patient's home. This helps to reduce waiting times and delayed discharges by shifting the balance of care from acute, to community as well as having multiple benefits to the patient including reducing disruption to their existing care and support arrangements.

As part of this, the Scottish Government is also committed to delivering a more equitable and accessible approach to the provision of equipment. Following an assessment, individuals, regardless of where they are being treated, should experience a seamless journey through the pathway of care, which ensures they receive the right intervention at the right time. Scottish Government produced revised guidance in 2023 on the Provision of Equipment and Adaptations which underscores the importance of this.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor the implementation of this guidance and the delivery and provision of equipment via the National Network for Equipment and Adaptations.

Question reference: S6W-42341

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate any reported incidents of harm, including cardiac arrests, linked to corridor care in hospitals, in the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-42339

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of patients treated in unsuitable settings due to hospital overcrowding in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-42360

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the reported rise in attempted murders perpetrated by children.