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Significant Adverse Event Reviews are conducted at a local level within each NHS Health Board and the learning and improvement actions that are identified as part of that review process are considered within the Health Board to reduce the risk of the same event recuring in the future. When relevant this will include actions to ensure that findings inform related professional development or training plans and delivery. The Scottish Government is clear that this learning should be shared nationally to enable other Health Boards consider if their processes can be improved as a result.

The Scottish Government has funded the Joint Commission for Safety, Openness and Learning – delivered by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) – which has developed Compassionate Communication Skills training to support staff in having difficult conversations after adverse events, reinforcing a commitment to learning and patient-centred care. NES has developed professional development and training resources, such as Human Factors/Ergonomics (Safety Science for Patient Safety), which can be accessed by all NHS Scotland staff.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting everyone to live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives. That is why, the Scottish Government and COSLA recently jointly published a 10-year Population Health Framework. This Framework sets out a whole system, cross-government and cross-sector approach to improve population health and reduce inequalities with a strong focus on prevention.

The Framework aims to improve Scottish life expectancy whilst reducing the gap between the most deprived 20% of local areas and the national average by 2035. It seeks to complement and build upon ongoing and planned action recognising the need to address structural barriers that limit access to services and support, targeting action to those most in need. The Framework identifies 30 initial actions to be implemented in the first two years, all designed to strengthen the key building blocks of health – the social, economic and environmental factors – which combined have a greater effect on health than individual behaviours and health services alone.

One of these 30 actions, already underway, is the introduction of Marmot Places through the Collaboration for Health Equity in Scotland. Under this initiative, local councils and health boards in Aberdeen City, North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire are receiving expert advice and practical support from Public Health Scotland and the Institute for Health Equity over a two-year period. This work is designed to embed long-term, whole-system approaches locally to improve health equity. Insights from these areas will be shared via a national learning system to inform and accelerate health equity initiatives across Scotland, supporting local action and contributing to measurable improvements in population health.

The National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) Strategic Group held an extraordinary meeting on 15 July to consider the Casey Audit. The minutes of the Group’s meetings are published on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/groups/national-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-strategic-group/.

It was noted that Police Scotland is undertaking a number of activities in relation to the Casey Audit including an initial assessment of the current child sexual abuse investigative landscape across Scotland, an analytical review looking at previous group based offending investigations and are carrying out a mapping of CSAE policy, process, practice and investigations. An update on this work will be provided at the Group’s next meeting in October at which there will be further discussion of the Audit findings, alongside other key inquiries and practice reviews including the Independent Inquiry into Child Abuse (IICSA) to inform next steps in its ambition to enhance our shared response to child sexual abuse and exploitation in Scotland.

Scotland’s National Child Protection Data Group also discussed the Audit’s data findings and recommendations in July and officials are taking forward work to explore opportunities to improve data and intelligence on this issue.

Scottish Government officials continue to engage with the UK Government’s response to the Casey Audit to understand implications for Scotland and opportunities to work together and share learning.

How the recommendations are taken forward will be determined following consultation with stakeholders, including NHS Boards and OSCR. Consultation will ensure no unintended consequences as well as appropriate consideration of capacity, as significant work will be involved for both for the Scottish Government and for Health Boards. The timing of that consultation has yet to be determined.

In the meantime, funds remain available to be directed in accordance with the charities’ purpose, and taking account any restricted funds.

It is also important to note that neither OSCR's inquiry nor the Independent Review indicated that there are widespread issues in the decisions being made about the use of NHS Endowments’ charitable funds.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37406 on 19 May 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

We recognise the challenges facing Scotland’s health and social care system. That is why we have already taken significant steps to set out clear, short and longer term actions to improve access to treatment, shift the balance of care, harness digital innovation, and strengthen prevention.

We recently published the, Foreword - NHS Scotland operational improvement plan - gov.scot the Scotland's Population Health Framework - gov.scot and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework - gov.scot in which we outline our shared vision for reforming and renewing health and social care services to ensure they are more sustainable, preventative, and equitable.

We remain committed to engaging with leaders across health and social care, including clinical leaders, to design and deliver the change needed in our NHS.

With regard to charging for services, the Scottish Government’s policy could not be clearer: our National Health Service must be maintained on its founding principles – publicly owned, publicly operated, and free at the point of need. As we have previously said, the provision of health services must always be based on the individual needs of a patient.

The Scottish Government has a strong track record in the investment in and delivery of affordable homes. Since 2007 we have supported the delivery of more than 139,000 affordable homes, with 99,000 of these being made available for social rent. This has resulted in the delivery of affordable homes in Scotland being 47% more per head of population than in England, and 73% more than in Wales. However, prevailing economic conditions across the United Kingdom in recent years, driven by EU-exit, Covid-19 and wider global pressures, has made delivery in recent years more challenging. For example, construction inflation reached 24% in the summer of 2022.

Despite these headwinds we remain absolutely committed to our longstanding affordable home ambitions. We are investing £808 million in 2025-26 alone, and remain focused on delivering at least 70% of homes for social rent towards our 110,000 affordable homes target. This investment includes a doubling of our acquisition fund from £40 million to £80 million in 2025-26 helping to deliver homes more quickly, the majority of which will be for social rent. Of the 28,537 affordable homes delivered to end March 2025 against our target, 77% are for social rent.

We have announced plans to invest up to £4.9 billion over the next four years in a multi-annual, multi-billion pound affordable housebuilding project and continue to work with partners to maximise delivery in Scotland.

The number of Newly Qualified Paramedics (NQPs) who have joined the Scottish Ambulance Service in the North Region since 2023 are as follows:

2023-24 - 35

2024-25 - 48

2025-26 to date - 36

All wholetime fire stations have some form of segregated washing facilities for staff and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) estates strategy ensures all premises are risk assessed and that suitable alternative washing facility arrangements and mitigations are implemented. SFRS recognises the need for investment in dignified facilities and for contaminant control measures and prioritises its budget accordingly, for example as part of ongoing work. SFRS has recently upgraded facilities at Galashiels, Newcraighall, McDonald Road, Edinburgh and Inverness.