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Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) an update on the work of the breast screening modernisation programme, particularly in relation to addressing health inequalities in screening programmes and (b) further details of the work being undertaken on a national Equity in Screening Strategy, including when it is expected to be published.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises that work is required to reduce inequalities and improve access for all to the screening programmes.
The Breast Screening Modernisation Programme was established in April 2022 to take forward the recommendations of the Breast Screening Review. The Programme has had four meetings over this period, and has agreed its vision and priority areas. Three projects are now underway, focussing on workforce, call/recall of screening participants and data. The Breast Screening Modernisation Programme is linking in closely with the development of the Equity in Screening Strategy to reduce inequalities in the screening programme – for example by improving access and modernising digital capabilities.
The Equity in Screening Strategy has been developed over the past 12 months, through a collaborative process that has involved professionals from all parts of the screening system, third sector representatives and academia. The main aim of the strategy is to improve understanding of where inequalities exist in the screening pathway, and for which population groups. The Strategy is expected to be published in June, with an associated Action Plan being published shortly thereafter.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much money from its Budget has been spent on primary care in each of the last five years.
Answer
This information is available in the Scottish Health Service Costs (often referred to as the 'Costs Book'), published annually by Public Health Scotland (previously Information Services Division).
The 2021-22 Costs Book was published in February 2023 and provides a high-level summary of health service costs, including the costs of delivering family health services. The 2022-23 Costs Book will be published in 2024.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many students (a) applied for and (b) were awarded the paramedic bursary in its first year of operation.
Answer
In the 2021-22 academic year, the Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary eligibility criteria was expanded to incorporate paramedic science students studying in Scotland and renamed the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary (PNMSB).
In the 2021-22 academic year, there were 700 funding applications from students studying a paramedic science course with 670 being awarded the bursary.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its assessment of current supplies of hormone replacement therapy medication.
Answer
The Scottish Government are aware that there have been continuing shortages across the UK due to a number of factors. The supply of medicines, including HRT products and the associated legislation, is a reserved matter for the UK Government. We continue to engage with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to seek a lasting solution.
A series of UK-wide Serious Shortage Protocols (SSPs) have been issued by DHSC, after consultation with the Scottish Government and other UK administrations, allowing community pharmacists to supply specific alternatives without needing to seek agreement from the prescribing doctor. An SSP is an additional tool to manage and mitigate medication shortages. This gives individuals the option to receive substitute products in a safe and effective way to ensure medication continues to be available to all.
There are over 70 HRT products available in the UK and supply issues are affecting only a small number of them.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many places have been available on the National Clinical Skills for Pharmacists Programme in each year since it was established.
Answer
Time period covered | Clinical skills places offered |
November 2020 – October 2021 | 551 places |
November 2021 – December 2021 | 126 places |
January 2022 – December 2022 | 1457 places |
January 2023 – March 2023 | 433 places |
April 2023 – December 2023 | 1364 places to be offered |
From November 2020 to October 2021 a total of 551 delegate places of clinical skills training for pharmacists were delivered. 126 delegate places of clinical skills training for pharmacists were delivered from November 2021 to end of December 2021 and a further 1457 delegate places of clinical skills training for pharmacists were delivered between January and December 2022.
For January – March 2023, 433 clinical skills training places have been offered with a further 1364 places to be offered up to 31 December 2023.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many of its employees have been offered mental health first aid training in each of the last five years.
Answer
The following table illustrating the number of staff trained to become qualified in delivering support for Mental Health First Aid and the year this was completed.
Year | Number mental health first aiders trained |
2022 | 2 |
2021 | 2 |
2020 | 1 |
2019 | 31 |
2018 | 109 |
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made along with NHS Grampian of the potential for further slippage in the delivery of The Baird Family Hospital and The ANCHOR Centre Project regarding any redesign that is needed following the issues raised in the latest Key Stage Assurance Review.
Answer
The Scottish Government work closely with NHS Grampian and NHS Scotland Assure on all capital investment projects. The priority is ensuring that a safe, high quality healthcare facility is delivered and the Key Stage Assurance Review (KSAR) process has been recently introduced to ensure that happens. NHS Grampian are preparing an action plan to address the issues identified in the KSAR and we will review timelines once that exercise has been completed.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the findings of the literature review, The development of cognitive and emotional maturity in adolescents and its relevance in judicial contexts, which was submitted to the Scottish Sentencing Council in January 2020, in relation to policy areas that engage the wellbeing and welfare of young people, including (a) education, (b) health and (c) equalities.
Answer
The literature review 'The development of cognitive and emotional maturity in adolescents and its relevance in judicial contexts' was commissioned by the independent Scottish Sentencing Council to inform its work in developing a sentencing guideline on young people. Its conclusions specifically relate to those aspects of adolescents and young people's cognitive and emotional development and maturity which are relevant to judicial decision-making with a particular focus on its relevance to decisions about the sentencing of young people convicted of criminal offences.
As the report focuses specifically on how evidence about the development of cognitive and emotional maturity in adolescents and young adults is relevant to decision making in judicial contexts, the Scottish Government has not undertaken a formal assessment of its findings' relevance in other policy areas.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the delays to the two new hospital buildings in Aberdeen that have resulted in an increase in the overall budget costs for these projects, how much additional capital it has had to provide in total to NHS infrastructure projects, due to delays to the operational date, in each of the past five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government publishes an update on progress on all major capital investment projects every 6 months in its Infrastructure Investment Plan and includes information on the following the projects:
- NHS Grampian - Aberdeen Baird Family Hospital and ANCHOR Centre
- National Waiting Times Centre Board - Hospital Expansion Programme - Phase 2
- NHS Lothian - National Treatment Centre
- NHS Highland – National Treatment Centre
- NHS Forth Valley - National Treatment Centre
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde - North East Hub
- NHS Ayrshire & Arran - Foxgrove (National Secure Adolescent Inpatient Service)
- NHS Tayside - Ninewells Electrical Infrastructure Zone 3
- NHS Ayrshire & Arran - National Treatment Centre - Ayrshire & Arran
The full report is published here: