Seòmar agus comataidhean

This information is not centrally collected. When NHS Scotland treats someone who has suffered harm from a non-surgical cosmetic procedure that has gone wrong, NHS Scotland will not necessarily record that this was the result of that procedure as there is no specific code to record this. This means that it is difficult to assess the cost to NHS Scotland of treating harm or complications that may have been caused.

This information is not held by the Scottish Government. While not all of the aesthetics sector is currently regulated, HIS do regulate independent clinics, which would include aesthetics services, provided by a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or dental care professional. You may wish to contact HIS directly for information on registered independent clinics.

The Scottish Government held a meeting with children and young people’s organisations on 19 February to discuss safe and meaningful ways to gather the views of children and young people on relationships and behaviour in schools. Plans are currently being developed for how to take appropriate work forward.

This information is not held centrally. You may wish to contact Trading Standards Scotland directly for this information.

There have been no invitations to myself to visit Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s projects since his appointment. I would be happy to undertake such a visit, subject to diary availability. As part of his 2023 summer tour, I visited Fife including coalfields communities such as Cowdenbeath, supported through CRT’s Community Action Plans.

The report of the Transvaginal Mesh Case Record Review underlined what was already an important agenda for the Scottish Government: to improve care and services for women who are experiencing complications as a result of a transvaginal mesh; and, to ensure that the NHS continually reinforces good practice in confirming and recording patient consent and the treatment offered to patients. Progress continues in a range of connected activities relevant to Professor Brittons’ recommendations.

The recommendations made align with the practice that is embedded in the operation of the Complex Mesh Surgical Service, and through NHS Scotland more generally. We continue to work with NHS colleagues to ensure that women can access the care that they need, are fully supported by their GP and other clinicians, and have access to information they need to make informed decisions about their care.

The Chief Medical Officer wrote to Health Board Medical Directors on 10 October to draw their attention to the report of the Review and to the failings it identified, and to require them to seek assurance through local clinical governance committees that measures are in place locally to prevent a recurrence of the failings identified, and to assure the quality of processes connected to patient consent and record keeping. With regards to more recent patient records she reviewed, Professor Britton herself noted she was encouraged by the improvement in practice, with increasingly robust consent processes in place.

Work continues in other areas including enhancing information available to patients, credentialing of clinicians in mesh removal and improved data gathering.

The Scottish Government therefore considers that it is taking appropriate action to embed the report’s recommendations with regards to healthcare services in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises land is one of our most valuable assets. That is why the Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement articulates the Scottish Government’s vision for the ownership, use and management of land, setting out how we see the balance between the rights of landowners, managers, local communities and society at large.

Moving forwards the legislative requirements, such as those set out in the proposals for the upcoming Land Reform Bill and other voluntary based measure such as the Scottish Land Commission’s Good Practice programme, will all play an important role in meeting our objectives for land reform. Whilst the Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUPs) pilots were established to test and explore locally appropriate approaches to land use, the scope of the pilots was not to consider or challenge matters of land ownership or rights and responsibilities.

The Scottish Government recognises land is one of our most valuable assets. That is why the Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement articulates the Scottish Government’s vision for the ownership, use and management of land, setting out how we see the balance between the rights of landowners, managers, local communities and society at large.

Moving forwards the legislative requirements, such as those set out in the proposals for the upcoming Land Reform Bill and other voluntary based measure such as the Scottish Land Commission’s Good Practice programme, will all play an important role in meeting our objectives for land reform. Whilst the Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUPs) pilots were established to test and explore locally appropriate approaches to land use, the scope of the pilots was not to consider or challenge matters of land ownership or rights and responsibilities.

Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs) pilots have been asked to adopt a natural capital approach to their work. This allows the pilot regions to explore how regional opportunities and priorities for land use can enhance, protect, mitigate and adapt to areas of national importance such as biodiversity and climate change.

The Scottish Government is currently working with the RLUP pilot regions as we seek to understand and evaluate the progress of the pilot programme as a whole.

As set out in answer S6W-25192 on 20 February 2024, the 2024-25 Scottish Budget will provide an uplift of over half a billion, bringing the budget for NHS Boards to over £14.2 billion, of which NES will receive £550.2 million. Health boards are responsible for ensuring best use of available resources to support delivery of services and strategic objectives.

NES plays a critical role in supporting the education, training and wider development of the NHS Scotland workforce, and in particular the medical workforce where target training numbers have already been confirmed for 2024-25. As part of this, the Board is actively contributing to a number of wider policy developments as set out in Programme for Government, the NHS Recovery Plan and the National workforce Strategy. The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering the National Workforce Strategy and achieving the overall vision for “A sustainable, skilled workforce with attractive career choices and fair work where all are respected and valued for the work they do”.

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 .