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We are committed to taking action to support those experiencing the longer physical and mental health impacts of COVID-19, including those that have developed long-term respiratory problems as a result of contracting the virus.

Work to develop the final Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland is underway and it will play a key role in responding to the implications and consequences for many aspects of respiratory care going forward, including pulmonary rehabilitation.

We are prioritising the implementation of the Framework for Supporting people through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Framework is available to read on the Scottish Government’s website. https://www.gov.scot/publications/framework-supporting-people-through-recovery-rehabilitation-during-covid-19-pandemic/ .

In addition to the Framework we are prioritising the clinical guidelines and funding research into the long-term effects of COVID-19.

We are committed to ensuring that people living with respiratory conditions in Scotland can access clinically appropriate, safe, effective and person-centred care treatment and support.

That is why, this year’s Programme for Government has committed to delivering a Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, which will contain a set of commitments to drive improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions in Scotland.

The provision of free NHS dental treatment for children and young people under 18 years of age; people under 19 years of age and in qualifying full-time education; and expectant mothers or people who have borne a child in the previous 12 months is fixed by primary legislation as set out in the National Health Services (Scotland) Act 1978.

People with urgent dental problems have been able to receive care and treatment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and as we have suppressed the virus we have been able to reintroduce more services. From 1 November dentists will be able to provide the full range of NHS care and treatment to patients.

The following guidance has been issued to workplaces for them to share with their employees. Guidance on how to use the app is accessible via the app on the Protect Scotland website.

All app users should therefore keep their phone on and with them whenever possible, with the app active on their phone at all times except in a small number of circumstances:

• If the user is a health or social care worker in a clinical setting, wearing medical grade PPE. This includes ambulance personnel
• If the user is protected by a fixed physical barrier from customers and colleagues such as a Perspex screen for most of the working day. This doesn’t apply for those who constantly move around (e.g. café workers behind tills with a screen who also move around the café)
• If the user keeps their phone in a locker or equivalent facility at work and not on their person

In these circumstances, ideally individuals should turn off their phone as that means the app will automatically continue to work when the phone is turned back on again. Alternatively users can pause the app for a nominal period of time after which the app will turn back on.

The app should NOT be switched off in the following scenarios:

• Where PPE, including visors and face coverings, is used in non-clinical settings (e.g. building sites, café’s, transport, by fire and police personnel etc.)
• In the home or vehicles (signals from adjoining properties or vehicles are unlikely to result in a contact alert)

Further supporting material for employers can be found at https://protect.scot/stakeholder-and-partners .

Menstrual health and wellbeing education is a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. RSHP education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence. Learning about RSHP education begins early on in primary school and continues right up to S4-S6. RSHP education is delivered in an age and stage appropriate manner and is intended to enable children and young people to build positive relationships as they grow older. Schools will equip young people with information on a wide range of issues, including menstrual health and wellbeing, depending on their age and stage of learning. Learning should present facts in an objective, balanced and sensitive manner within a framework of sound values and an awareness of the law.

An online RSHP teaching resource, ( www.rshp.scot) published last year, provides 133 age and stage appropriate learning activities on RSHP education for use in all education settings and is aligned to Curriculum for Excellence. This resource includes learning activities on menstruation from second level (P5 to P7) , with endometriosis introduced at third/fourth level (S1 to S3) .

The Scottish Government has not held any specific discussions with NHS Lanarkshire regarding ambulance waiting times in the area.

We receive daily and weekly updates on ambulance service performance across the country, broken down by Board area and if any major concerns are identified these would be picked up with the ambulance service directly.

The Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS Lanarkshire work very closely together on any issues identified with regular engagement taking place to ensure SAS continue to deliver the best possible care for patients.

(a) UK Governments Department of Health and Social Care are responsible for the delivery of the UK Covid 19 testing programme, and as part of this, the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab.

(b) These three large NHS labs will, go live over November and December, and provide at least 22,000 tests per day for the NHS and will be under our direct control. Initially, the regional hubs will focus on processing care home staff tests and will offer vital resilience to health boards as we head into winter. The labs will be located in space previously occupied by Scottish Blood Transfusion Service. This includes sites at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow, Lauriston Place in Edinburgh, and Foresterhill in Aberdeen.

The total cost in 2020-21 of the pay uplift is estimated to be in the region of £36 million.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32584 on 9 November 2020. 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 .

The three hubs will be based in NHS Grampian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian with sites at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow, Lauriston Place in Edinburgh, and Foresterhill in Aberdeen. The Health Boards in which each hub is located will be funded to meet the costs involved.

The associated costs are indicative at this stage and will be finalised as preparations for go-live are complete. They include the cost of equipment, robotics, construction and fit-out, with ongoing running costs to be confirmed when the laboratories are operational. The indicative costs are:

Glasgow: £9.5 million

Lothian: £4.1 million

Grampian: £3.1 million

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring information on the Covid-19 epidemic in Scotland is available to the public. On this occasion, The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested, officials continue to work with Public Health Scotland to understand what information could be made available.