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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6F-01528

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6F-01522

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government anticipates the impact will be on Scotland of today’s Autumn Statement.

Question reference: S6F-01518

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01519

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-11639

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many women have requested that they want to have mesh surgery carried out by (a) Dr Veronikis and (b) Professor Hashim.

Question reference: S6W-11637

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons has it reportedly allowed mesh survivors to be referred to the same doctors that first denied their experiences with mesh.

The Scottish Government designated the Complex Pelvic Mesh Removal Service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC). This service assesses needs and, where appropriate and subject to shared decision making and informed consent, performs mesh removal surgery.

The Scottish Government fully understands that women feel that they have been let down by clinicians in the past. When establishing the service, NHS GGC has kept this in mind and, as such, there are a number of consultants, including one who has joined the service from NHS England. This gives women choice over who is involved in their care. All patients who are being considered for surgery are reviewed by a multi-disciplinary team that includes mental health, physiotherapy and pain management specialists. The service also employs specialist nurses who help direct women through the service and help to ensure that they are comfortable and reassured during their visit.

More information is available online: National Complex Mesh Surgical Service Webpage .

Question reference: S6W-11295

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to the Member of 7 July 2022, whether it has taken forward discussions with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) officials to ascertain whether there are any concerns in relation to the regulation of private first aid companies which provide medical cover at events across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-11482

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10866 by Humza Yousaf on 4 October 2022, whether it will clarify when National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group (NCMAG)-recommended cancer medicines will cease to be available to NHS boards, and when cancer services will have been deemed to be recovered following the impact of COVID-19 on waiting times.

I refer the member to the answer to S6W-11396 on 1 November 2022. 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 .

Cancer services do not sit in silo, they cross-cut numerous specialties and teams which have been greatly affected by the pandemic, including diagnostics. While those referred as an urgent suspicion of cancer (USC) continue to be prioritised and more patients were treated on a 62-day pathway in the latest published quarter (Q2 2022) compared to pre-COVID, clearly recovery will take time. This is why we published our NHS Recovery Plan in August 2021. It reinforces our commitment to continue to invest in cancer pathways - £10 million was released to Boards in August 2022 – and our ambition to maintain the 31-day standard and achieve the 62-day standard on a sustainable basis.

Our National Cancer Plan set out to recover and redesign cancer services, with 68 individual actions across the patient pathway to improve patients’ experience of care, and roll-out innovative treatments. The plan adopts a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach to cancer services and ensures that access to care and treatment is equitable across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-11635

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time is for mesh surgery organised by the Complex Mesh Surgical Service in Glasgow.

Public Health Scotland does not publish data at the level of detail requested. However, statistics relating to the waits patients experience for inpatient or day case treatment at specialty level are published up to 31 March 2022 and can be found here: Stage of treatment waiting times - Inpatients, day cases and new outpatients 30 June 2022 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland

Both the Scottish Government and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are aware, and regret, that patients are experiencing longer than normal delays in accessing NHS care, including at the mesh removal service in Glasgow. Patients are, however, being seen, surgeries carried out, and concerted efforts are being made to reduce waiting times.

Question reference: S6W-11632

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what formal referral pathways are in place for women seeking mesh removal surgery.

The Complex Pelvic Mesh Service provided by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) offers holistic care for women experiencing mesh complications. There are a number of consultants operating in the service allowing women a choice over who is involved in their care. Complementing this, and to allow women more choice, individuals can also opt to be referred to NHS England services for surgery, or can choose to travel to Spire Hospital in Bristol, or to Dr Veronikis in the USA.

Any woman seeking referral to the mesh service in Glasgow, NHS England, Spire Hospital or Dr Veronikis should initially discuss her case with clinicians within her own Health Board. If considered appropriate at that stage, she will then be referred to the specialist service in NHS GGC for consideration by a full multi-disciplinary team (MDT). If, after careful consideration by both the MDT and the patient, it is agreed that surgery is appropriate, she will then be given the option of receiving treatment through the Glasgow centre, or referral to an NHS England Specialist Centre, the Spire in Bristol, or Dr Veronikis, depending on her wishes.

Regardless of the treatment option chosen, initial assessment in the specialist service in Glasgow is extremely important as it ensures that the patient receives the proper consideration of a full MDT, and will receive care that is fully integrated with any pre- and post-operative care provided locally.