Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government has had very constructive discussions with AstraZeneca on Evusheld ® for the preventative treatments for COVID-19. However, throughout the pandemic, a UK-wide approach to the procurement of therapeutics has been taken and has proven vital to allow the UK to have the buying power to secure significant numbers of therapeutics in a competitive global market. A UK-wide approach has also been taken on the development and implementation of clinical prescribing policies for COVID-19 therapeutics. This has ensured patients across the UK have had equal access to safe and effective medicines for COVID-19.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) is a partner in a UK-wide multi-agency RAPID C-19 initiative, which is a collaborative partnership between the SMC and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Building on this work, the SMC is exploring the potential for collaboration with NICE on a single technology assessment (STA) of tixagevimab–cilgavimab (Evusheld ® ) for the prevention of COVID-19.

The Scottish Government is committed to the recruitment of a minimum of 1,500 additional staff to support the operation of Scotland’s National Treatment Centres (NTCs) and is supporting a range of activity to achieve this.

The recruitment data we collate is management information and not suitable for publication. NTC Recruitment is the responsibility of each NHS Board. It is therefore for NHS Golden Jubilee to provide detail regarding their recruitment.

The following table provides a breakdown of the core activity undertaken at the National Eye Centre at NHS Golden Jubilee, by month, since it opened in November 2020 up to the end of June 2022.

This does not include activity undertaken in main theatres at the NHS Golden Jubilee University National Hospital in 2020-21 prior to the National Eye Centre opening, nor any activity carried out in the National Eye Centre as part of the current independent sector contracts.

As part of the Scottish Medicines Consortium’s (SMC) continuing role in the UK-wide multi-agency RAPID C-19 initiative, the collaborative partnership between the SMC and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will extend to the multiple technology assessment (MTA) of the range of therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19; therefore, a separate assessment of these medicines by the SMC will not be required.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10433 on 20 September 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

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10433 on 20 September 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

My intention is to update Parliament with our Winter Resilience plans and publish our Winter Resilience Overview, covering both the NHS and Social Care, early next month, subject to discussions at Parliamentary Bureau. Caroline Lamb, CEO of NHS Scotland has also already written to NHS Boards and Integration Authorities regarding winter resilience plans at a national level and setting out clear expectations for local resilience and response.

Three Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS), formerly known as Early Cancer Diagnostic Centres (ECDC), have been established in NHS Scotland, and we are committed to ensuring equitable access across the country.

RCDS’s provide primary care with a new referral route for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer (i.e. weight loss, fatigue, nausea), which can often be a sign of blood cancer. The Clinical Leads for two of the Services are Haematologists, reflecting the role that this new model can play in diagnosing blood cancers earlier.

Our NHS Recovery Plan commits to providing greater public awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer, with a new national campaign in development and website being re-designed.

The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with primary care clinicians, including the Scottish Primary Care Cancer Group, to identify possible symptoms as early as possible and support appropriate referral via the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer.

Our vision is for everyone with rehabilitation needs to be able to access the care and support they need to live well, on their own terms.

Defined performance markers such as access to acute therapy, access to inpatient stroke therapy, access to community stroke therapy and six-month reviews are being included in the refreshed Stroke Improvement Plan, and annual board reviews carried out by the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Team, led by the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme Lead, will assess rehabilitation performance against these targets.