Seòmar agus comataidhean

Blood cancer patients cover a wide spectrum of risk, some are on monitoring only with minimal additional risk, to those where there is clear evidence that developing COVID-19 can have very severe consequences.

Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, including some people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma have been written to by the Chief Medical Officer and recommended that they follow shielding measures. We have worked with local authorities and key partners to provide a comprehensive package of support to enable people to shield, which includes an SMS system and local phone lines to access free deliveries of food and household items, delivered to people’s doorstep, as well as priority delivery slots from supermarkets and delivery of prescriptions.

Not everyone living with blood cancer is required to shield. Some of those living with blood cancer who aren’t required to shield are still at an increased risk from severe illness from COVID-19 and should be particularly stringent in following physical distancing measures along with hand washing and cough hygiene.

The Scottish Government has worked closely with specialist advisory groups to develop specific guidance around cancer during the pandemic. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.scot/groups/national-covid-19-cancer-treatment-response-group/ .

We have also produced condition specific guidance, including for cancer, available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-tailored-advice-for-those-who-live-with-specific-medical-conditions/ .

Guidance is regularly reviewed as evidence changes and our user research gives us patient feedback and insights into usage.

The development timetable for the new Edinburgh Cancer Centre has not been impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic. We are in regular contact with the centre project team, with officials meeting them on 22 July 2020.

The Initial Agreement for the Re-Provision of the Edinburgh Cancer Centre is currently going through the NHS Lothian governance process. They intend to submit the Initial Agreement to the Scottish Government Capital Investment Group in October 2020.

The shortened midwifery programme was a pilot designed to meet short term workforce shortage in the North of Scotland. This is only one of the education programmes which supplies newly qualified midwives to the North of Scotland. Our latest workforce projections suggest that it is unnecessary to commission a third cohort at this stage and we will continue to monitor the progress of the current two cohorts on the pilot programme. This will be kept under review as we work in partnership with our health and care services and universities to assess midwifery workforce requirements and pre-registration education provision across Scotland in the coming months.

Midwifery is a controlled subject and in December 2019 we announced an increase to student intake of 5% in 20-21 bringing the commissioned number for 20-21 to 270. This is over 65% greater than the commissioned number in 2014, and almost 50% more than in 2016, the year in which students who most recently entered the workforce commenced their studies.

Tradebe Healthcare opened its clinical waste treatment site at Bellshill in December 2019 to support the national clinical waste contract. A small portion of clinical waste will be sent to England or Wales for high temperature treatment that is not available in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29601 on 23 June 2020, this sets out the current position. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Detail of funding for the Lothian parliamentary region is set out in the following table.

The Scottish Government provides a package of support for paramedic students that is worth more than the £5,000 announced by UK Government. We provide free tuition for eligible undergraduate students where paramedic students in England are expected to pay up to £9,250 per year in tuition fees. In addition we provide funding for placement expenses, uniforms, disclosure and health checks.

Scotland’s college and universities remain welcoming and open places for staff and students from across the world. Staff and students will have to comply with guidance for residents or visitors travelling to the UK. Those travelling from a country not yet exempt from quarantine requirements should complete a passenger locator form and self-isolate for 14 days. These provisions will be reviewed on a 3 weekly basis. Students who are travelling to Scotland from overseas should check the Scottish Government website for the latest advice.

We have worked in partnership with universities, trade unions and student representatives to develop guidance (published 29 June) for universities, which sets out the measures institutions can take (including physical distancing) to operate safely. Universities and colleges are playing a vital role in communicating directly with, and supporting international students in relation to this and other matters throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government has not issued any new guidance on the prescribing of opioids for pain relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government’s “Quality Prescribing for Chronic Pain – A Guide for Improvement” covers the period 2018 – 2021 and Scottish Government is in the process of drafting an update, a process which includes discussion with and input from doctors’ representatives, patients and other health organisations.

The Prescribing and Medicines: Dispenser Payments and Prescription Costs Analysis 2019 annual report, published on 23 July 2019 provides general data on opioids prescribed in 2018-19. This can be accessed via https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Prescribing-and-Medicines/Publications/2019-07-23/Prescription_Cost_Analysis_2019.xlsx .

The Scottish Government has convened a Short Life Working Group (SLWG) to look at Prescription Medicine Dependence and Withdrawal. This SLWG is considering the findings of the Public Health England Prescribed Medicines Review in a Scottish context. We expect to report on the SLWG findings in the autumn and the recommendations will centred around the actions required to assists patients who are prescribed drugs known to have dependence effects, including opioid pain medication. Scottish Government is in the process of reviewing its “Quality Prescribing for Chronic Pain – A Guide for Improvement” – this stresses the need to proactively review patients who have been prescribed opioids.