Questions and answers

Question reference: S6F-04145

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to secure a direct ferry route between Scotland and France.

Question reference: S6F-04160

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is supporting film and TV production in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-04142

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-37726

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS boards to maintain palliative care provision in the context of any wider reported workforce pressures, particularly in remote and rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-37724

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of hours of palliative care that have not been delivered due to staff shortages in the last five years, broken down by (a) year and (b) NHS board.

Referral to specialist palliative care services for people living with serious health conditions and/or those who require specialist palliative care when they are dying is based on individualised needs assessments. As a wide range of specialist and generalist staff in hospitals, care homes, primary care, social care, hospices and the third sector are involved in providing palliative care to individuals and their families, and could all be considered as delivering palliative care, it would be challenging to efficiently and effectively gather this data centrally.

Question reference: S6W-37719

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time has been for access to palliative care services in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

This information is not held centrally.

Referral to specialist palliative care services for people living with serious health conditions and/or those who require specialist palliative care when they are dying is based on individualised needs assessments. As a wide range of specialist and generalist staff in hospitals, care homes, primary care, social care, hospices and the third sector are involved in providing palliative care to individuals and their families, and could all be considered as delivering palliative care, it would be challenging to efficiently and effectively gather this data centrally.

Question reference: S6W-37728

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients died while waiting to access specialist palliative care services in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-37720

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients waited longer than the recommended time for palliative care services to begin in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

This information is not held centrally.

Referral to specialist palliative care services for people living with serious health conditions and/or those who require specialist palliative care when they are dying is based on individualised needs assessments. As a wide range of specialist and generalist staff in hospitals, care homes, primary care, social care, hospices and the third sector are involved in providing palliative care to individuals and their families, and could all be considered as delivering palliative care, it would be challenging to efficiently and effectively gather this data centrally.

Question reference: S6W-37722

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for access to palliative and end-of-life care services across Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone who needs it can access high-quality palliative care that is right for their circumstances.

The Scottish Government published a draft palliative care strategy ‘Palliative care matters for all’ on 02 October 2024 for consultation. The consultation closed on 10 January 2025. The responses have now been analysed, and the final version of the strategy and analysis report are due to be published in the summer. The strategy will be published alongside a delivery plan, which will set out our approach to ensuring that everyone who needs it can access timely palliative care and care around dying. This work has been closely developed on a partnership basis with key partners, including those with lived experience of receiving palliative care and their families.

Question reference: S6W-37721

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time has been for specialist palliative care referrals to be actioned in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

This information is not held centrally.

Referral to specialist palliative care services for people living with serious health conditions and/or those who require specialist palliative care when they are dying is based on individualised needs assessments. As a wide range of specialist and generalist staff in hospitals, care homes, primary care, social care, hospices and the third sector are involved in providing palliative care to individuals and their families, and could all be considered as delivering palliative care, it would be challenging to efficiently and effectively gather this data centrally.

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