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On 3 April a joint letter from Mr Swinney, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, and myself was sent to Local Authorities, Health and Social Care Partnerships, Chief Social Work Officers, Social Work Scotland, COSLA, and the Care Inspectorate, about commencement of Regulations in the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020.

On 14 April I attended a meeting with the Care Inspectorate about their enhanced response to Covid-19 and care homes.

On 29 April I wrote to the Care Inspectorate to ask about inspection activity undertaken in response to the emergency. A reply was received on 1 May.

Since 9th April Mr FitzPatrick has had weekly meetings with the special boards. These meetings are Covid-19 focussed. The Care Inspectorate also participate in these meetings. The Minister has not had any other discussions or correspondence with the Care Inspectorate in 2020.

On 26 February Ms Haughey had introductory meetings with Rona Fraser and Paul Gray who were successfully appointed as new members to the Care Inspectorate Board.

On 26 March Ms Haughey wrote to NHS Boards, Local Authorities, Integrated Joint Boards, Scottish Social Services Council, and the Care Inspectorate about mental health and wellbeing support during the Covid-19 emergency.

Tiger Eye goggles and frames were part of the standing pre Covid-19 national pandemic stockpile. The UK Department for Health and Social Care contacted us on Saturday 9th May advising that there was an issue with the Tiger Eye protective glasses. This product has been distributed to us from the 2009 UK pandemic stockpile.

NHS National Services Scotland has received a total of approximately 3.6 million complete sets of Tiger eye protection as part of the UK stockpile. Approximately 3 million have been distributed with remaining balance still being held in stock.

The Health and Safety Executive requested that the British Standards Institute test Tiger Eye Protectors against current Covid-19 Infection Prevention and Control Guidance. The tests showed the product does not meet the standard for splash protection. NSS has issued an alert to all health and social care organisations in Scotland informing them of the withdrawal of this product.

NSS has also cancelled with immediate effect any further deliveries of this product to health and social care providers in Scotland. NSS has confirmed that there are adequate supplies of alternative products that meet relevant Covid-19 standards in stock and on order. NHS England and Wales have recalled the items and confirmed they were never certificated against relevant EN166 standards. NSS have confirmed that they are still holding the remaining warehouse stock within NSS and that, in parallel health boards have been asked to dispose of all remaining local stock.

The Scottish Government is committed to keeping staff across the NHS and emergency services safe, including ensuring continued access to appropriate personal protective equipment.

NHS National Services Scotland are keeping the position with NHS supplies under constant review as the coronavirus pandemic develops and we are working with them to ensure stocks are maintained so we can continue to protect those who need it. Health Boards also have means to notify NHS National Procurement of any supply issues, in order that they can quickly be rectified.

We are distributing PPE to all social care providers and to GP Practices. This includes stocks of facemasks, aprons, gloves and eye protection, in line with Health Protection Scotland guidance. The Scottish Government also remains in close liaison with the emergency services and through them, their suppliers, to ensure they remain adequately protected in performing their vital roles.

Public Health Scotland provides the Scottish Government with numbers of residents and staff tested in care homes, but it is not possible to disaggregate this further to provide a breakdown of the numbers of care home residents who were tested for COVID-19 during the delay phase. The move from the containment to the delay phase happened on 16 March and these data are only available from 20 April.

Principal responsibility for collecting data on deaths in hospital belongs to Public Health Scotland. However, the Mental Welfare Commission must be notified by Health Boards of deaths of people who are subject to detention in hospital or treatment in the community under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Commission to provide you with the figures requested.

Clinical advice and available evidence suggests it is too early to determine exactly what the post-viral, long-term physical and mental health impacts will be for those who have had COVID-19. We are aware that some people suffer from post-viral syndrome following any viral infection and present with chronic fatigue and general malaise. We are also aware of the wider effects on mental health resulting from long-term isolation, reduced contact with family or friends and economic adversity. However the scientific evidence on post-viral physical and mental health impacts of COVID-19 specifically is still in its early days.

Access to pulmonary rehabilitation is already a key recommendation in national clinical guidelines which we expect NHS Boards to follow, that is why it will form an important part of the final Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, currently out for consultation until 3 July 2020.

Once the final Plan is published, we will work with stakeholders to understand what clinical audits are needed for respiratory to support decision making both clinically and at a policy level in Scotland.

The Scottish Government on behalf of the NHS and other stakeholders have been working with Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) since November 2018 to try and identify a way forward that will support Scotland’s continued participation in the National Asthma and COPD Audit Programme, specifically a mutually agreeable legal basis to support the financial payment for that participation.

So far we have not been able to identify one, although Scotland will continue to participate in NACAP until the end of this current contract, which is 28 February 2021.

We are continuing to work on how we collect auditing data of respiratory conditions going forward to ensure that any data collected meets Scotland’s needs, and supports decision making both clinically and at a policy level, including the implications of Covid-19. Options will include considering what the benefits of NACAP have been in terms of service improvement in Scotland and the possibility of contracting directly with the audit providers, rather than through a third party such as HQIP.

We continue to work in close partnership with the BMA and other representative bodies, to ensure that we maintain the highest health and safety standards, and promote the health and wellbeing of NHS Scotland staff.

The Minister for Mental Health is working closely with partners across the health and social care sector, including NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships and local employers, to ensure a range of psychological and wellbeing support is in place for the workforce.

The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to pilot a 4-day working week for its employees. We are scheduled to meet the recognised trade unions (PCS, Prospect, and FDA) later in the year for regular discussions on pay, and terms and conditions.