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SCTS is independent of Scottish Government and therefore entrusted to make determinations of what an efficient system for them looks like and what a normal volume of scheduled criminal trials would be.

The Scottish Government has not identified any funds returned from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) for penalties. The member may wish to contact the SFC for further details.

The transfer and repatriation of mother and babies is a normal component of neonatal care provision in Scotland, ensuring babies receive the best care in the right place at the right time.

The RSM report, published on 29 May 2024, New Model of Neonatal Care – RSM UK Consulting - Report, modelled demand and capacity requirements for the new model of neonatal care. The report was compiled based on data collected from each of the eight neonatal intensive care units, as well as information from Public Health Scotland (PHS) and, Scottish Specialist Transport and Retrieval (ScotSTAR) / Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS). The RSM report included a section covering the impact on transfers. The Regional Planning Directors continue to work closely with ScotSTAR and the Scottish Perinatal Network to consider the ongoing impacts as the implementation work continues.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone who needs it can access seamless, timely and high quality palliative care.

That is why later this summer we will publish our new palliative care strategy, Palliative Care Matters for All. The strategy will set out a series of aims and outcomes designed to help to improve palliative care services across Scotland.

The strategy will be accompanied by a delivery plan which will set out how the actions will be delivered through collaboration with a variety of service providers such as Integration Joint Boards, Health Boards, third sector organisations (including independent hospices) and other independent service providers such as care homes.

The stated aim of the Flanders-Scotland Memorandum of Understanding is further cooperation between the Scottish Government and Government of Flanders. The Joint Working Action Plan sets out specific areas for further cooperation. This will therefore be progressed by existing teams within our Directorate for External Affairs and EU Directorate and policy areas related to the themes of the Plan - responsible for strengthening Scotland’s energy, research, tourism, culture and other vital links with European partners.

The number of babies who have been recorded in the Scottish Birth Record (SBR) as admitted to Wishaw Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in (a) 2024 was 504 and (b) for the period 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025 was 131.

Of these babies the number who were recorded as having an NHS board other than NHS Lanarkshire was (a) in 2024, 31 and (b) for 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025, 21.

The NHS boards of residence for these babies included; NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Fife, NHS Forth Valley, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Highland, NHS Lothian, NHS Shetland and NHS Tayside.

The Annual Participation Measure is published by Skills Development Scotland and uses the following classifications:

Regional Chief Executives have worked with NHS Board teams and strategic planning leads to undertake modelling and capacity work to develop local implementation plans, including plans for staffing levels. It’s important that the whole multidisciplinary team are involved in developing local plans, including obstetric and maternity staff. We expect that staffing resources in the neonatal units will be reflective of the workforce required to deliver care under the new model.

Local Government have the statutory responsibility for education so this information is not held centrally.

The decision to move to three Neonatal Intensive Care Units has been firmly based on clinical evidence that the most premature and sickest babies do best when they are cared for in larger specialist neonatal units with higher numbers of these babies, and with specialist staff and services (for example neonatal surgery) available on site to give them the very best care.

Local neonatal units across Scotland, including Wishaw, will continue to offer care to babies who need it, including a level of neonatal intensive care.

We have considered the data and evidence in relation to the proposals and have taken advice from clinical advisors, and are assured about the validity of the evidence base, the process and the conclusions reached.

We have consulted families on the changes to inform implementation of the new model. We have shared the outputs of that consultation with Regional Chief Executives and are taking forward Scotland-level actions required.