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We work with NHS Boards and other partners through the Digital Health and Care Strategy’s Delivery Plan 2024-25 to develop and deliver those initiatives that will empower people, free up clinician capacity, and address issues such as waiting times.

We continue to invest in the important infrastructure required to ensure services can utilise new innovation. This includes investment in our Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS), used for storing and accessing digital images such as MRI, and X-Rays, that will allow for use of new technologies like Artificial Intelligence to improve diagnosis and early intervention.

The vCreate Asynchronous Video (video clips) service has significantly improved patient outcomes by reducing stress and anxiety for families, accelerating diagnosis and treatment, and more widely by easing pressures on healthcare resources. Paediatric clinicians noted a shorter time to diagnosis in 76% of cases, and a faster time to treatment in 73%, significantly improving patient care timelines.

As an example I can refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13957 on 31 January 2023 regarding formal evaluations undertaken on the NHS Near Me platform to date. Learning from Near Me in particular showed the need to ensure choice in how people access services. The evaluation highlighted that it would not be appropriate for all situations or circumstances, whilst still recognising benefits for rural communities when offered routinely. Within the priorities of the Digital Health and Care Delivery Plan and its supporting governance and reporting structures, we work with our delivery partners on an ongoing basis to ensure that we can develop services further as they grow and learn from their impact.

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

c = value suppressed to protect against the risk of disclosure of personal information.

Note that information on pupils recorded with a part-time timetable code was not collected centrally by the Scottish Government before the 2018-19 school year. Two new absence codes – part-time timetable (health related) and part-time timetable (exclusion related) – were available for schools to use from the 2018-19 school year. As with any new coding, variation in the use and application of these new absence codes was identified during the quality assurance of the 2018-19 attendance and absence data. There is evidence to suggest that this is still happening, although to a lesser extent.

These part-time timetable absences are part of the ‘other authorised absence’ category for the purposes of reporting in the 2018-19 statistics onwards. The number of absences reported using these new part-time timetable codes was very small so the inclusion of them as ‘other authorised absence’ does not have a large impact on the size or quality of this category.

Furthermore, prior to 2022-23, statistics on school pupil attendance and absence were collected and published biennially. The table above sets out the number of pupils that have been recorded with a part-time timetable absence code for 1 or more openings (i.e. half day) in each school, local authority and school year. However, due to pupils moving schools’ part-way through the school year, some pupils may be double-counted within and across local authorities.

An example of this is the rollout of Digital Therapy services which has been successfully completed with 35 evidenced digital treatments available in all areas of Scotland, including all rural and remote areas. Across digital therapy services a range of technologies have been integrated into clinical service delivery to ensure that services can be accessed in a variety of ways to meet the circumstances of the individual. Over 74,000 referrals and self-referrals were received into digital therapy services in 2023-24.

Data provided by local services indicates high levels of usage of digital therapy services across remote and rural areas, with good clinical outcomes and showing much greater levels of treatment, accessibility and availability in these areas. NHS Shetland, NHS Orkney and NHS Western Isles are some of the biggest users of digital therapies when adjusted for population.

Near Me video consulting for groups continues to show positive impact in areas such as travel miles saved. However, enabled choice is driving greater uptake and engagement with 81% of people completing Near Me group courses over just 75% attending in person. The average weight loss is 3.2kg for Near Me group sessions for weight management groups, nearly twice the average weight loss (1.7kg) for an in-person session. Further information is published here - near-me-groups-report-march-2023_0.pdf

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

Communication to specific audiences via social media is an integral part of every Scottish Government marketing campaign and incorporates e.g. videos, paid advertisements, website and social content and influencer marketing. Scottish Government marketing content and campaigns run across multiple social media platforms (in either paid-for or organic form) as part of integrated marketing and communications campaigns. All social media activity is developed to support defined policy outcomes and in line with key Scottish Government priorities.

Scottish Government marketing and advertising spend is published each year can be found at https://www.gov.scot/collections/marketing-spend/ including a breakdown by discipline and media type. As the 2024-25 financial year is not yet complete the information is not included.