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The Deputy National Clinical Director and Scottish Government officials met with the clinical leads for ovarian cancer in the West of Scotland Cancer Network on 3 November.

The ongoing improvement work, board management oversight, and any potential support required from the Scottish Government were discussed. I refer the member to the response to question S6W-23824 on 9 January 2024 for further detail.

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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23817 on 8 January 2024. 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

Scottish Government officials regularly meet all Health Boards including NHS Western Isles to discuss any challenges impacting services and to provide any necessary support.

Funding provided to NHS Boards is aligned to their NRAC shares of funding, which considers the population share of each Board adjusted for the demography including the relative health needs due to morbidity and life circumstances, and the excess cost of delivering healthcare to rural and remote areas.

The Scottish Government works closely with NatureScot on its development of corporate and annual operating plans and Ministers meet regularly to discuss progress. This assessment process is therefore continual and NatureScot is ultimately accountable to the Scottish Parliament.

We continue to work with all of our public bodies to drive out efficiencies, finding new and better ways of working, creating best value for the Scottish taxpayer.

NatureScot, along with other environment bodies, has taken a leading role in recent years in leading Scotland’s response to the nature and climate emergencies. As a result, the organisation has managed significant additional project funding for peatlands, nature restoration, visitor management and more.

The budget settlement for 2024-25 announced on 19 December recognises the increasing level and quality of work being delivered by NatureScot which is why despite such challenging financial circumstances, NatureScot will benefit from an 8% uplift to its core funding, bringing its core budget to £63.2m in 2024-25.

More information on the budget announcement can be found here: Scottish Budget: 2024 to 2025 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Table 1 provides the number of attended outpatient appointments in consultant-led clinics at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion by financial year from 2004/05. It is not possible to provide figures for 1999-2003, as prior to 2004 activity at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion was recorded under the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh along with activity from other facilities on the Lauriston Place site.

Table 1: Outpatient attendances at the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, 2004-05 to 2022-23

The Scottish Government is aware of instances of women who have faced significant delays in accessing ovarian cancer surgery in the west of Scotland. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the surgery for ovarian cancer, scheduling can be challenging for health boards. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) has advised that action is being taken to simplify scheduling of these cases and thus reduce delays.

Actions taken have included increasing dedicated theatre capacity and improving joint working across surgical teams. The health board is working to increase dedicated time for surgeons from the colorectal, urology, plastic and hepato-pancreatic biliary teams to operate jointly with gynaecology oncology. The surgical team is now bigger, with further training in hand. There has been an increase in weekly operating lists and planning continues to improve around increased access to other surgical specialties.

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery is leading improvement work and pathway redesign via their clinically led specialty delivery group (SDG) for gynaecology. This includes in-depth peer review meetings involving all Boards in NHS Scotland to ensure gynaecology patients are on the right pathway at the right time, supporting improvements in waiting times and patient outcomes.

The Scottish Cancer Network will be establishing a new National Ovarian Cancer Clinical Network, which will work to ensure equity of access to treatment for all women with ovarian cancer in Scotland.

I refer the member to the response to question S6W-23824 on 9 January 2024. Improvement action has also been progressed in other areas of Scotland.

Any arrangements for NHS patients to be treated at an Independent Sector hospital would need to be made between the patient, NHS Board and their clinical team.

While a patient has the right, at any time, to exercise choice and seek private treatment, there can never be the expectation that the NHS will pay for it. The reimbursement of any costs incurred when a patient opts for private treatment is a matter for consideration by the local Health Board.

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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23817 on 8 January 2024. 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

The Scottish Government did not provide any funding to Hayfield Limited in 2022.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23955 on 9 January 2024. 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 .