- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS boards and (b) National Services Scotland regarding action to reduce and eliminate the purchasing of single-use textiles, including workwear, bedding, patient wear and miscellaneous items.
Answer
The Scottish Government, Health Boards and National Services Scotland (NSS) maintain regular contact on reducing single-use items in healthcare settings through the Sustainable Procurement Steering Group, which supports Boards transition to more circular supply practices.
A programme of work has been established to review the use of reusable alternatives and reduce the amount of single use Personal Protective Equipment used by Health Boards. This work looks at existing stock within NSS warehouses, current decontamination guidance and the capability of Health Board infrastructure to process reusable products. Where the use of reusable products is not possible, we aim to increase the number items that can be recycled at the end of their use.
National uniforms, bedding and textiles are all reusable and are laundered in house through NHS Scotland laundries, or in the case of uniforms and workwear, staff may launder at home.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-01844 by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 February 2023, whether it will outline its plans for public and stakeholder engagement with regard to the proposals and policies to be included in the next iteration of the Climate Change Plan.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to providing opportunities to participate in shaping inclusive policies that promote mitigation of climate change in line with our Public Engagement Strategy for Climate Change. We are aiming to engage with stakeholders and members of the public during 2023 to inform the development of the next Climate Change Plan. This is in advance of a public consultation which will commence when the draft Climate Change Plan is laid in Parliament later in 2023 for a period of at least 120 days of scrutiny.
We are engaging on the next Climate Change Plan with stakeholders through a variety of means including the Climate Change Plan Advisory Group (CCPAG) and the Climate Policy Engagement Network. The CCPAG includes representatives of academia, NGOs, business and industry and trade unions, and meetings are planned to take place up to October 2023. The Climate Policy Engagement Network will consist of representatives of key sectors of interest, organisations and relevant experts to enable meaningful participation in delivery of climate change policy. Additionally as the draft Climate Change Plan continues to be developed, we will continue engagement at a sectoral level with stakeholder representatives and we are exploring other opportunities to engage with other relevant interests.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to recruit more inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) nurse specialists, in light of Crohn’s and Colitis UK’s recommended standard of 2.5 IBD nurse specialists per 250,000 patient population.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in Scotland are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.
Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for workforce development with the NHS, it is up for individual health boards on how best to undertake recruitment planning.
Through the NHS Recovery Plan Scottish Government have committed to £1 billion of targeted investment for the recovery and renewal of Scotland’s health service and £600 million of investment support Health Boards and their staff through winter pressures. This includes £8 million to support the recruitment of 750 nurses, midwives and allied health professionals from overseas.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many children currently living in temporary accommodation have been referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Answer
The Scottish Government does not collect this information centrally. However, I can advise that anyone who is a resident in temporary accommodation can be treated as a temporary patient at a General Practice for the first 3 months, maintaining access to healthcare and therefore CAMHS referrals. After this time, they are able to register as a patient. Accommodation type does not affect eligibility to access care.
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether the full value of the Destination Net Zero Vehicle Charge Point Tourism Recovery Fund has been spent, and, if not, how much has been spent in total.
Answer
The Destination Net Zero Vehicle Charge Point Tourism Recovery Fund was administered by Energy Saving Trust on behalf of VisitScotland and the Scottish Government. The full value of the Destination Net Zero Vehicle Charge Point Tourism Recovery fund has not yet been spent, however VisitScotland anticipate that it will be. A total of £227,733.47 has been paid to 79 businesses to date.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that doctors working in hospitals are provided with suitable, healthy and affordable food options, in light of a recent British Medical Association (BMA) survey, which found that many junior doctors are experiencing fatigue due to a poor diet at work.
Answer
We are working closely with NHS Boards to support a range of local initiatives designed to meet the basic and practical needs of junior doctors, and their teams. This includes access to quiet spaces to support health and wellbeing, the installation of lockers and further support to facilitate out of hours catering.
The Scottish Government is determined to deliver the recommendations of the Expert Working Group’s report on junior doctor wellbeing and have begun introducing further improvements to working conditions. We have met the key recommendation of limiting consecutive days of long shifts, with 100% compliance achieved in December 2022. We will continue to work with NHS Boards and employers to monitor and ensure this continues in the long-term.
In February 2023 we invited Boards to consider the purchase of small hot food appliances for all Doctors in Training in Secondary Care. We encouraged Boards to liaise with their local BMA rep around the specifics of the ask and are currently in the process of allocating budget to cover the purchase of appliances.
- Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent Prostate Cancer UK report into regional inequalities in diagnoses of prostate cancer, what its response is to the reported possibility that, in the course of diagnosis, pre-biopsy MRIs are not being routinely undertaken and assessed by a radiologist, thereby omitting the grading of tumours and undercutting the risk management of slow-growing, non-harmful prostate cancers, and whether it has investigated if any such practices have occurred.
Answer
We have noted this Prostate Cancer UK research and are discussing it with various clinicians and experts in the NHS. Currently, pre-biopsy MRIs are not mandated in Scotland. However the National Cancer Quality Steering Group utilise ‘Patients with prostate cancer who undergo biopsy should be evaluated initially with a pre-biopsy biparametric MRI (bpMRI) or multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and reported using a PI-RADS/Likert system of gradings’ as a Quality Improvement Indicator.
In addition to this the Scottish Government is due to undertake a survey of health boards to determine the practises in this area throughout the country.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many children currently living in temporary accommodation are not registered with a GP.
Answer
Scottish Government does not hold this data. Anyone not registered with a GP and resident in temporary accommodation, can be treated as a temporary patient at a General Practice for the first 3 months, maintaining access to healthcare. After this time they are able to register as a patient. Accommodation type does not affect eligibility to access Primary Medical Care.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings its ministers have had with the University of Glasgow management regarding the future of the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab.
Answer
The Glasgow Lighthouse Lab is contracted by the UK Government until March 2023 to undertake processing of PCR tests as part of the COVID-19 Infection survey (CIS). The CIS is outwith the control of the Scottish Government but officials are engaging with the UK Government and other devolved nations on its future. While no direct discussions have recently taken place between Scottish Ministers and representatives of the Lighthouse Lab, Scottish Government officials have been in contact with the University of Glasgow and also met with representatives of UNITE on 10 January to discuss recent developments.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact will be on NHS Scotland laboratory transformation of the 19.4% reduction in genomics funding, as set out in the draft Budget 2023-24.
Answer
Following the 22-23 Emergency Budget Review genomics was allocated a revised budget of £5 million; this provided a £2.6 million increase on 22-21 funding. Therefore, the £5million budget allocation for genomics in 2023-24 represents a sustained investment in genomics.
Through the funding allocated so far in 2022-23, we have established the Scottish Strategic Network for Genomic Medicine and funded a genomics transformation team within NHS National Services Division, led by a Consultant Clinical Scientist and supported by Clinical Leads for rare disease and cancer.
The fiscal position remains challenging; however the development of our transformation plans for the NHS Genetic Laboratories and Genomics Strategy is ongoing.
To support this, the Transformation Team are developing an action plan in response to the NSS Major Services Review of Genetic services . The Strategic Network will be accountable for overseeing the delivery of that plan.
