- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by role of the total number of whole time equivalent staff joining NHS 24, as committed to in the winter resilience plan, and how many will be in post by 1 December 2022.
Answer
NHS 24 will have recruited an additional 41.81 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) staff by 1 December 2022. These additional posts support the recruitment priorities set out in the Winter Resilience Plan.
The following table shows the breakdown by role of the total number of WTE staff joining NHS 24 through to 1 December 2022. The role of Call Operator was re-created in September 2022 to supplement NHS 24's call handling capacity.
Key Skill set | WTE as at 30 September 2022 | Number of WTE joined in October and November 2022 |
Call Handlers | 498.19 | 28.82 |
Nurse Practitioners/Clinical Supervisors | 138.49 | 9.79 |
Call Operators (including Dental) | 1.92 | 3.2 |
TOTAL | 638.6 | 41.81 |
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that a large number of junior doctors are considering leaving NHS Scotland due to poor pay and conditions, what steps it is taking to avoid any such situation arising.
Answer
Junior Doctors are a valuable part of the NHS Scotland workforce. The Scottish Government has implemented a 4.5% pay uplift this year which is in line with the independent DDRB recommendations. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care is aware of Junior Doctors concerns in relation to this pay award and wishes to ensure fairness across the NHS pay system.
The Scottish Government has been working with BMA and NHS Employers to take forward the Expert Working Group recommendation and key priorities within the BMA Wellbeing report. A Joint Statement on Junior Doctor Health and Wellbeing was agreed between all parties on 1 June 2022 and work is now underway to implement this important work.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the £15.1 million investment for NHS 24, as committed to in the winter resilience plan, will be spent.
Answer
NHS 24 has received £15.1 million to support improvements that lead to sustainable delivery across the Redesign of Urgent Care pathway and contribute to the wider ambition to reduce attendances at acute care.
This funding is largely committed to the recruitment of additional workforce to support the NHS 24 -111 service which includes increasing their call handler and clinical supervisor capacity which will support improvements in call answering times.
Funding will also be used to further develop public information through NHS Inform, develop public messaging about access to services and improve data sharing and digital support to optimise the continuity and co-ordination of care.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the current (a) operating costs, (b) total number of staff and (c) reserves, both earmarked and unearmarked, for (i) NHS Golden Jubilee, (ii) Healthcare Improvement Scotland, (iii) NHS 24, (iv) NHS Education for Scotland, (v) National Services Scotland, (vi) Public Health Scotland, (vii) the Scottish Ambulance Service and (viii) the State Hospitals Board for Scotland.
Answer
Health Board expenditure and staff numbers are set out in Annual Accounts which are available on Board's websites.
With regards to reserves, Health Boards are not permitted to hold reserves.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reported reduction in GP Practice Sustainability Payments will have on primary care.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognised in 2021 that partial implementation of the pharmacotherapy and community treatment and care services, on a national level, meant that general practice was facing a difficult winter without all of the support Scottish Government and the BMA had agreed it should have in 2018.
GP practices will receive £10 million in Sustainability Payments this year in addition to their regular funding (Global Sum and Income & Expenses Guarantees) of £696,549,007, to which an uplift will be applied backdated to April 2022.
We also now have more than 3,220 healthcare professionals recruited to support general practice since 2018 and are committed to investing at least £170 million a year on growing primary care multi-disciplinary teams.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-05371 and S6W-05373 by Humza Yousaf on 10 January 2022, and the reference to a "regular tripartite forum" that has a focus on junior doctors, what progress has been made in addressing the concerns raised in the BMA Scotland report, Supporting Junior Doctor Wellbeing – Now and for the Future.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12117 on 28 November 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
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it has undertaken to help Homeless Project Scotland find premises in Glasgow.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the reported reduction of the budget for COVID-19 measures by £116 million, as part of the reprioritisation of spending within Health and Social Care as announced in the emergency budget review on 2 November 2022, what consideration it gave to any impact on equality and fairness resulting from potentially exposing clinically-vulnerable patients to the disease who may be at a greater risk of infection.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognised the unprecedented nature of the changes required in the Emergency Budget Review and also published analysis of the equality and fairness impacts of the most substantive in-year adjustments. Given the exceptional circumstances and time constraints under which the Review was undertaken, the summary evidence was necessarily presented at a high level and focused on the most substantial changes.
In the case of the £116m reduction in Covid-related spending, this covers a range of actions on vaccinations, test and protect, PPE and additional capacity to drive down additional costs. It is important to note that the spending reduction is a consequence of reduced prevalence and hospitalisation rates resulted in evidence-based easing of infection prevention and control measures.
However, the impact on inequalities continues to be a focus, and includes measures to ensure uptake rates and activity aimed at reducing vaccine inequalities are not negatively affected.
We will continue to develop equality evidence, as well as mitigations wherever possible for negative impacts, including building on the evidence on inequalities in relation to COVID vaccination, testing and surveillance, for example as set out in the equality impact assessment for the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Strategic Framework update (February 2022).
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm whether it plans to reduce COVID-19 testing and the provision of PPE in health and social care settings as a result of the reported reduction of the budget for COVID-19 measures by £116 million, as part of the reprioritisation of spending within Health and Social Care as announced in the emergency budget review on 2 November 2022.
Answer
Reduced prevalence and hospitalisation rates has resulted in an easing of the previous infection and prevention control measures which has contributed, in turn, to a reduction in expenditure levels.
There are no plans to reduce COVID-19 testing in health and social care settings as a result of the Emergency Budget Review. In line with the Test and Protect transition plan, testing remains in place to support patient treatment and care, protect those in highest risk settings, monitor prevalence and the risk of new variants, and respond to outbreaks. Testing policy and protocols are kept under regular clinical review.
Similarly, PPE provision continues to be informed by infection prevention and control guidance. NHS NSS currently hold sufficient pandemic PPE stock to supply NHS Scotland well into 2023-24 based on current usage rates. Social Care PPE provision continues to be available in case of emergency PPE being required and for unpaid carers and personal assistants.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what COVID-19 mitigation measures will continue in health and social care settings until the end of the current financial year, and what the estimated cost is of these.
Answer
Health and Social care settings are expected to follow the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual when caring for individuals who have been diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19.
Guidance on infection control measures across health and social care settings is determined by, and kept under constant review in light of, new and emerging evidence. While reduced prevalence of the virus and hospitalisation rates has resulted in an easing of the previous infection and prevention control (IPC) measures, and a consequent reduction in costs, various mitigations remain in place.
These includeongoing symptomatic testing for staff working in face-to-face roles with patients and service users in health and social care settings and extended use of face masks and face coverings in hospitals, primary care and wider community healthcare. As well as ongoing support measures including the Social Care Staff Support Fund (supporting staff whilst they self-isolate), financial support arrangements relating to testing in care homes and staff vaccinations, and PPE Hubs remaining available in case of emergency PPE being required and for unpaid carers and personal assistants.
The Scottish Government continues to work closely with NHS Boards and Integration Authorities to manage Covid expenditure within the 2022-23 budget and is considering the on-going cost of measures as part of the 2023-24 budget process.
