- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to involve private digital technology providers in the handling of GP telephone consultations.
Answer
GP practices are independent contractors and therefore decisions relating to telephony are at their discretion. On top of practices’ core funding allocation, the Scottish Government is making an additional £600,000 funding available this year for the Health Boards to allocate to GP practices for the purpose of upgrading or replacing telephony systems.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many homeless people in each NHS board area have received a GP appointment in each year since 1999.
Answer
Information on the number of homeless people who have received a GP appointment is not held centrally by the Scottish Government as GP practices are responsible for their own patient appointment and consultation arrangements.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it is reportedly recognising COVID-19 vaccinations administered in the USA but not those administered in Canada.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises vaccines approved for use in the UK regardless of where they were administered to determine whether a person has completed their primary dose or whether they require additional doses to be fully vaccinated.
Those who have been vaccinated out-with the Common Travel Area (CTA) should obtain proof of their vaccination status from the country they received their vaccination. For domestic certification purposes, we will accept proof of vaccination from across the UK and Crown Dependencies as well as from members of the EU Digital Covid Certificate Scheme.
For those who have proof of vaccination status from out with the CTA and the EU, domestic certification rules for international visitors will align with current border rules. Visitors from international countries out-with the CTA and EU scheme will require to provide the same proof of vaccination status that is accepted for entry to the UK.
Those who have received a final dose of a UK approved vaccine in Canada at least 14 days before travel are currently recognised as fully vaccinated and can use their proof of vaccination for domestic certification purposes. More information on this can be found at: Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and managed isolation (quarantine) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many nursing training course places have been available in each year since 2007, broken down by institution, and how many were taken up.
Answer
Table 1, a copy of which has been placed in SPICE (bib 62727), highlights data from NHS Education Scotland and Scottish Funding Council showing both the recommended and actual intakes to pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes, broken down by institution from 2007 to 2020. Figures for 2021 have not been published yet.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many outpatient appointments in each month since March 2020 have taken place (a) face to face, (b) over the telephone and (c) virtually, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
Weekly information on the mode of outpatient clinical interactions by NHS Board is published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) as part of the Wider Impacts Dashboard .
Table one shows new and return outpatient face to face appointments by NHS Board of Treatment between 2 March 2020 to 27 December 2020
NHS Board of Treatment | Time Period (2020) |
2 Mar- 29 Mar | 30 Mar- 26 Apr | 27 Apr- 31 May | 1 Jun- 28 Jun | 29Jun– 26 Jul | 27 Jul– 30 Aug | 31 Aug - 27 Sep | 28 Sep -1 Nov | 2 Nov – 29 Nov | 30 Nov- 27 Dec |
National Facility NHS Louisa Jordan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 399 | 572 | 805 | 1,106 | 945 |
National Waiting Times Centre | 1,308 | 326 | 583 | 377 | 454 | 823 | 1,099 | 1,823 | 1,872 | 2,001 |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 16,637 | 4,165 | 5,766 | 5,029 | 5,646 | 8,864 | 8,282 | 11,844 | 10,336 | 10,411 |
NHS Borders | 6,479 | 1,858 | 3,488 | 3,503 | 3,671 | 5,300 | 4,742 | 5,873 | 4,910 | 4,666 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 7,305 | 2,096 | 2,784 | 2,532 | 3,105 | 5,225 | 5,052 | 6,255 | 5,503 | 5,285 |
NHS Fife | 21,301 | 5,586 | 8,581 | 8,011 | 9,759 | 14,580 | 14,434 | 18,852 | 17,025 | 16,124 |
NHS Forth Valley | 15,893 | 7,632 | 12,219 | 11,361 | 11,089 | 13,611 | 12,696 | 15,228 | 12,883 | 11,843 |
NHS Grampian | 20,611 | 4,918 | 5,294 | 5,122 | 6,325 | 12,865 | 11,387 | 13,662 | 13,089 | 12,412 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 73,378 | 28,703 | 41,693 | 43,658 | 41,882 | 59,045 | 55,234 | 64,941 | 59,851 | 56,668 |
NHS Highland | 10,490 | 2,653 | 3,976 | 3,706 | 4,499 | 6,873 | 6,651 | 8,832 | 8,236 | 8,010 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 23,286 | 8,187 | 12,725 | 14,042 | 12,814 | 18,520 | 16,207 | 21,114 | 18,666 | 18,263 |
NHS Lothian | 45,675 | 23,217 | 32,796 | 28,642 | 26,889 | 37,537 | 34,308 | 44,658 | 39,281 | 35,816 |
NHS Orkney | 750 | 189 | 342 | 267 | 236 | 452 | 393 | 579 | 434 | 487 |
NHS Shetland | 678 | 231 | 322 | 423 | 490 | 691 | 779 | 964 | 877 | 767 |
NHS Tayside | 23,482 | 5,454 | 6,088 | 5,807 | 5,820 | 8,339 | 9,441 | 12,697 | 12,799 | 12,337 |
NHS Western Isles | 1,222 | 167 | 307 | 440 | 543 | 922 | 850 | 1,051 | 948 | 789 |
Non-NHS Provider | 222 | 51 | 129 | 288 | 194 | 214 | 224 | 132 | 115 | 70 |
Other | 854 | 1,685 | 3,753 | 4,444 | 4,877 | 6,130 | 5,216 | 5,340 | 4,400 | 3,595 |
Table two shows new and return outpatient telephone appointments by NHS Board of Treatment between 2 March 2020 to 27 December 2020
NHS Board of Treatment | Time Period (2020) |
2 Mar- 29 Mar | 30 Mar- 26 Apr | 27 Apr- 31 May | 1 Jun- 28 Jun | 29Jun– 26 Jul | 27 Jul– 30 Aug | 31 Aug - 27 Sep | 28 Sep -1 Nov | 2 Nov – 29 Nov | 30 Nov- 27 Dec |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 604 | 2,363 | 4,809 | 6,200 | 5,151 | 6,546 | 5,113 | 5,468 | 5,245 | 4,555 |
NHS Borders | 433 | 1,478 | 2,627 | 2,334 | 1,748 | 1,715 | 1,412 | 1,698 | 1,491 | 1,376 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 362 | 844 | 2,116 | 1,498 | 1,508 | 1,255 | 826 | 1,268 | 1,130 | 1,043 |
NHS Fife | 797 | 2,653 | 4,534 | 3,681 | 3,423 | 3,807 | 3,082 | 3,276 | 3,027 | 2,674 |
NHS Forth Valley | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1,082 | 2,360 | 4,082 | 4,197 | 4,967 | 4,600 | 4,190 |
NHS Grampian | 423 | 3,117 | 8,674 | 7,326 | 6,025 | 4,231 | 4,904 | 5,925 | 5,482 | 5,787 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 509 | 3,079 | 6,520 | 7,510 | 6,514 | 11,336 | 10,854 | 12,651 | 11,604 | 11,200 |
NHS Highland | 767 | 2,944 | 5,868 | 4,603 | 3,583 | 4,182 | 3,245 | 3,498 | 3,241 | 2,982 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 211 | 1,150 | 2,334 | 1,894 | 2,750 | 3,533 | 3,616 | 4,779 | 5,130 | 5,262 |
NHS Lothian | 15 | 20 | 2,576 | 3,958 | 5,073 | 6,982 | 5,294 | 6,123 | 5,770 | 5,801 |
NHS Orkney | 0 | 54 | 152 | 50 | 97 | 5 | 15 | 64 | 72 | 5 |
NHS Shetland | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 34 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 29 | 32 |
NHS Tayside | 270 | 3,276 | 8,468 | 8,012 | 7,100 | 8,350 | 6,982 | 7,257 | 6,717 | 5,944 |
NHS Western Isles | 37 | 66 | 284 | 172 | 145 | 190 | 106 | 178 | 98 | 92 |
Non-NHS Provider | 15 | 31 | 25 | 41 | 55 | 25 | 10 | 20 | 10 | 5 |
Other | 379 | 1,243 | 1,591 | 1,198 | 1,095 | 1,193 | 836 | 1,097 | 970 | 853 |
Table three shows new and return outpatient video link appointments by NHS Board of Treatment between 2 March 2020 to 27 December 2020
NHS Board of Treatment | Time Period (2020) |
2 Mar- 29 Mar | 30 Mar- 26 Apr | 27 Apr- 31 May | 1 Jun- 28 Jun | 29Jun– 26 Jul | 27 Jul– 30 Aug | 31 Aug - 27 Sep | 28 Sep -1 Nov | 2 Nov – 29 Nov | 30 Nov- 27 Dec |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 0 | 0 | 5 | 44 | 105 | 199 | 149 | 159 | 156 | 114 |
NHS Borders | 0 | 0 | 5 | 161 | 361 | 332 | 242 | 337 | 311 | 237 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 13 | 134 | 869 | 797 | 748 | 790 | 467 | 694 | 693 | 570 |
NHS Fife | 550 | 476 | 1,340 | 1,653 | 1,844 | 2,229 | 1,990 | 2,070 | 2,021 | 1,678 |
NHS Forth Valley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 380 | 467 | 741 | 758 | 863 | 927 | 817 |
NHS Grampian | 314 | 890 | 2,149 | 2,286 | 2,235 | 2,648 | 2,369 | 2,702 | 2,413 | 2,356 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 501 | 297 | 1,388 | 1,990 | 2,118 | 3,277 | 3,203 | 3,450 | 3,419 | 2,975 |
NHS Highland | 201 | 460 | 1,258 | 1,584 | 1,701 | 1,955 | 1,722 | 2,024 | 1,876 | 1,668 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 0 | 80 | 368 | 483 | 658 | 751 | 939 | 975 | 1,013 | 915 |
NHS Lothian | 0 | 36 | 454 | 958 | 732 | 906 | 751 | 990 | 764 | 587 |
NHS Orkney | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 29 | 20 | 90 | 23 |
NHS Shetland | 0 | 33 | 70 | 53 | 108 | 52 | 25 | 71 | 36 | 106 |
NHS Tayside | 30 | 241 | 731 | 1,061 | 1,112 | 1,523 | 1,677 | 1,916 | 2,011 | 1,655 |
NHS Western Isles | 72 | 59 | 165 | 179 | 164 | 107 | 72 | 96 | 74 | 30 |
Non-NHS Provider | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Other | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 10 |
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many paramedics have taken early retirement in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland and (e) Grampian in each year since 2007.
Answer
The requested information is not centrally held. NHS Education for Scotland publish annual data on joiners/leavers, but this information is not available by reason or destination.
Information on joiners/leavers by staff group for each financial year can be found on the following link:
https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/media/tnvdmmwd/turnover_m2021_updated.xlsx
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 1 December 2017, 800 more GPs for Scotland, whether it will confirm how many additional GPs (a) have subsequently been recruited each year and (b) it expects to recruit in each of the next six years.
Answer
We remain on track to increase the number of GPs working in Scotland by at least 800 by 2027. We have taken a number of actions, including increasing the number of medical places at universities, and taking steps to encourage medical graduates to choose general practice. To that end, between 2015-16 and 2021-22 the Scottish Government will have increased the annual intake of medical places in Scottish universities from 848 to 1117 (269 places, a 32% increase). The majority of these new places are focused on general practice.
By increasing the amount of undergraduate curriculum that is delivered in general practice to 25%. We are confident increased exposure to general practice will encourage more students to train as GPs. With an increase of 89 GPs in 2019/20 we are now confident we are starting to see the positive impact of these actions.
Number of GPs working in Scotland since 2017
| | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
All GPs | 4,918 | 4,987 | 5,045 | 5,134 |
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether its plans for certification of COVID-19 vaccination status for international travel include exemptions for people who cannot receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available.
Answer
We are working closely across the four nations and international partners on restarting international travel safely. Our discussions are still ongoing with the UK Government and international partners on exemptions for people who cannot receive COVID-19 vaccinations. In the meantime, people intending to travel should check that vaccination status is a requirement of the country they are visiting on the GOV.UK foreign travel advice pages, as PCR testing is also widely accepted.
The number of people for whom vaccination cannot be safely completed with the right support will be very small. Reasons for exemptions would be medical contraindications that might include severe anaphylactic reaction across the range of vaccines and those receiving end of life care. We would encourage people to take a vaccine where they can do so safely and they can contact our national helpline on 0808 196 8565 for support in arranging this.
- Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 October 2021
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 15 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support mental health and wellbeing in local communities.
Answer
I have today announced a £15 million Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund. This is in recognition of the important role that small, grass roots, community groups play in supporting adult mental health and wellbeing and aims to build on the excellent examples of good practice we have seen emerge throughout the pandemic.
It also reflects the importance that the Scottish Government places on promoting good mental health and early intervention for those in distress, ensuring that individuals can access a range of different types of support to match their needs.
- Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 October 2021
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 October 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adjust to the decision to end Scottish Government overseas trade support and promotion activities solely focused on fossil fuel goods and services.
Answer
The Scottish Government has been discussing with businesses and other stakeholders the detailed plans for implementing the previously-announced policy to end overseas trade support and promotion activities focused solely on fossil fuel goods and services by the time of COP26. Under this policy, trade support and promotion will be refocused to support the Scottish Government’s objective of a Just Transition.
In the light of those discussions, and in recognition of the need for SMEs to have sufficient time to adjust, when this policy enters into force on 1 November 2021 it will include an exemption for SMEs until 31 March 2022. This matches the timing of the equivalent policy of the UK government, bearing in mind that in many cases the companies affected work with and receive support from both governments. Detailed guidance on the implementation of the policy, including this and other exemptions, will be published on the Scottish Government website at 2pm Friday 15 October at this link - https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781802014662 .