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We remain committed to reducing harm for individuals from the use of unsafe paraphernalia and will continue collaborating with stakeholders and harm reduction services on this matter.

We know that there are links between smoking illicit drugs and some respiratory conditions. For example, smoking cannabis can lead to chronic bronchitis and clinicians sometimes see destructive emphysema in younger people.

To prevent harm in future generations, we are taking forward education work on substance abuse in our schools through the Curriculum for Excellence. Through educating young people about substance use and the impact it can have on their life and health, this will prevent them making unhealthy choices.

As part of our cross-government response to the final Drug Deaths Taskforce Report, we are investing £1.5 million in piloting Planet Youth in up to 35 schools across eight areas in 2025. Planet Youth is a universal approach to prevention that empowers communities to take action that will work for their specific circumstances to support young people to reduce the risk of substance use and its harms.

We are committed to ensuring that anyone living with a respiratory condition in Scotland receives the best possible care and treatment and will continue to ensure this takes account of areas of particular concern relating to drugs.

It is the responsibility of local authorities, health boards and health and social care partnerships to manage and provide appropriate services in their area, and to engage with their communities on how this is provided.

The Thistle facility in Glasgow acknowledges the challenges posed by external factors, such as the potential for organised crime groups to exploit vulnerable individuals. To address this Glasgow HSCP are working closely with Police Scotland who are dedicated to disrupting organized crime groups and ensuring a hostile environment for their operations.

Police Scotland maintain operational independence to police the facility and surrounding areas, safeguarding the wider community, facility operators and users.

In addition, local policing teams will act on reports of drug use or supply by deploying community police and response officers to patrol identified areas, deterring criminality and enhancing public safety. Police Scotland will also continue patrols to address illegal acts around the facility. Public support around this facility is vital and Police Scotland would encourage the reporting of any concerns to them or Crimestoppers to help address any issues.

We know that people who inject drugs are at higher risk of contracting blood borne viruses (BBVs), bacterial infections and injection site wounds.

The Scottish Government has committed to effectively eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health threat in Scotland and to driving improvement through focusing on intensifying case finding and treatment initiation, and ensuring that people who inject drugs have access to, and take up, i) optimal harm reduction services and ii) if deemed clinically ready, antiviral therapy to prevent the onward transmission of infection.

The Scottish Governments ‘Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan’ also aims for everyone in Scotland to have good sexual health and wellbeing, with high quality, innovative, sexual health and BBV prevention, care and support available to those who need it, in a timely manner and irrespective of age, sex, gender, sexual identity or location. We have allocated multi-year funding to a range of projects alongside the action plan which will drive improvement in the areas identified.

In addition, the ‘HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan’ sets out prioritised actions towards achieving our goal of zero people contracting HIV within Scotland by 2030. This aligns with wider global strategic aims, including UNAIDS’ goal “to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.” Alongside the plan we have funded a National Coordinator post to oversee coordination of this Delivery Plan and to work with locally identified HIVTE Champions at NHS Board level towards delivery of actions to support elimination.

Specifically in Glasgow, The WAND (Wound management, Assessment of injecting risk, Naloxone supply and Dry blood-spot test for BBV) model has been implemented in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. WAND has proved effective in engaging with people who inject drugs and who are not in contact with traditional services, reflecting the requirement of MAT Standard 4, and providing them with a unique level of support to address these issues. Other areas are also trailing the model.

Scottish Government has committed to making up to £2.3 million available per annum (from 2024-25 – 2026-27) to Glasgow HSCP for the development, set up and running of the SDCF in Glasgow from 2024-25. A total of £1,277,000 will be provided by Scottish Government for the financial year 2024-25.

Data generated from the day-to-day running of the Thistle Service will be recorded and collated by Glasgow HSCP alongside a range of routine data from other Health and Social Care services to enable a comprehensive evaluation. This includes data to assess:

1.Extent to which people use the service,

2.Interventions provided within the service (such as reviews of injecting practice, peer support and referrals into drug treatment); and

3.Public Health outcomes such as incidence of drug overdose, Accident and Emergency attendances and drug deaths, uptake of testing for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C and engagement in addictions treatment and care.

Data collated for evaluation will be published in due course in aggregate form. The format and timeline for these publications has not been set but likely to consist a full evaluation report which will be published in a few years’ time as well as an interim report which will be produced in the nearer term.

We are working in partnership with other stakeholders, including Police Scotland, to reduce the presence of public injecting and other antisocial behaviour (eg drug house or location) across Scotland including Glasgow, by offering safer alternatives, combined with strong law enforcement measures. This includes harm reduction initiatives, community engagement and enforcement actions by Police Scotland to ensure safer communities. We are committed to tackling all antisocial behaviour and want everyone to be, and feel, safe in their homes and communities.

As of 5 January, over 2.89 million winter vaccines have been delivered, with more than 1.27 million adult flu and over 523,000 child flu vaccines administered, as well as over 1.09 million Covid-19 vaccines administered.

Working with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Health Boards, those eligible for vaccination have been encouraged through a number of mechanisms this winter, such as:

• Appointment or prompts to book via letters, emails or texts for all eligible citizens, depending on their communication preference, with the flexibility to book an appointment at any clinic in Scotland.
• Clear, updated information on NHS Inform, with particular prominence given to flu.
• Updated flu and Covid information leaflets for eligible citizens, with new content based on insight work and feedback on how previous leaflets could be improved.
• Dedicated updated resources for Health and Social Care Workers, based on insight work and feedback on how they can be improved.
• Public Health Scotland (PHS) has developed a range of tailored resources and promotional materials that have been disseminated through trusted partners, including local NHS Boards and the third sector, that can be used to inform and encourage uptake for all those eligible.

With cases of flu increasing over the Christmas holidays, the Scottish Government, PHS and territorial Health Boards put out a range of communications highlighting the seriousness of flu and advertising how eligible people could access vaccination immediately and easily, notably through drop-in clinics. Boards increased clinic capacity at this time and as a result, between 15 December and 5 January, delivered over 68,000 flu vaccinations, compared to 39,000 over the same three week festive window in 2023-24. Public Health Scotland surveillance information is available here.

The Scottish Government is continuing to work with PHS and territorial Boards on strategies to bring more people forward for their flu vaccine in the coming weeks. Since 26 December, the First Minister has chaired a number of meetings with senior leaders from across the health system in Scotland to support a cohesive and focussed effort to improve vaccine uptake and ensure the system as a whole is able to manage the increased demand typically seen in winter.

The winter Covid vaccine programme closes on 31 January, and PHS are planning additional communications to encourage eligible people to take up their vaccination before the programme ends. Flu vaccination will remain available until 31 March, and continued efforts will be made to encourage those eligible to come forward for their vaccination.

The Scottish Government has been working with Public Health Scotland and Health Boards to ensure that those who are eligible this winter are easily able to access vaccination.

Citizens were appointed to their nearest available clinic, with flexibility to reschedule into any clinic in Scotland, via the online booking portal or the national vaccination helpline, should their original appointment be unsuitable.

This gives citizens flexibility to get their winter vaccinations outside their own area, should it be easier for them to receive vaccination nearer their place of work or somewhere they visit regularly.

Boards maintain lists of those requiring home visits, and there are clear instructions on appointment letters on how to seek a home visit, if not already on a local list.

The Scottish Ambulance Service mobile vaccination service was deployed over the winter programme, offering accessible vaccination to those in rural and island areas, as well as underserved urban communities, identified by Boards.

Additionally, Boards have run dedicated clinics and drop-ins for health and social care staff, including offering vaccination at their place of work for NHS and care home staff.

On top of routine scheduling, when clinic capacity allowed, most Boards opened drop-in clinics in December, allowing those eligible to turn up and receive vaccination without having to book. These have been heavily promoted via Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, NHS Inform and by Boards.

The primary and secondary school child flu school is delivered directly in schools.

The Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP), led by PHS, reviews every winter vaccination campaign. SVIP will evaluate what went well and what can be improved for future campaigns, including what can be done to improve access. Ministers will be informed of the outcomes and will engage with key delivery partners to consider and implement improvements.