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The Water Industry Commission for Scotland is committed to conducting its activities in a sustainable way. The Commission currently offsets its carbon footprint by contributing to woodland being planted in Scotland. In the context of the global climate emergency and Scotland’s ambition to reach net-zero emissions, WICS will continue to seek out ways to reduce the impact of its activities, whilst delivering on its duties as effectively as possible.

Scottish Government does not hold information on how many agency workers are employed in the care sector, which as the member knows is delivered by a mix of private, independent and local authority providers.

Guidance has been developed to ensure that all staff deployed to care homes for adults and older people from staffing agencies are tested for COVID-19 prior to deployment. Agencies who provide staff to these care homes should utilise the UK Government employee referral portal to proactively ensure that a cohort of staff have been tested who can then be deployed in to care homes at short notice as required.

Agency staff who work in care homes on longer term contracts should be tested in the same way as substantive staff are tested in the care home, every 7 days, regardless of whether there has been a confirmed Covid-19 case in the care home or not.

Symptomatic agency care workers, not working in a care homes, can access key worker testing. More information on testing is available on the Scottish Government website -

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30555 on 30 July 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30555 on 30 July 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at .

Upper respiratory tract infections may result in viral conjunctivitis and this is also the case with COVID-19. A meta-analysis published in April found the overall rate of conjunctivitis in COVID-19 reported cases was 1.1% ranging from 3% in severe cases to 0.7% in non-severe cases.

Advice from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the College of Optometrists recognise that it is unlikely that a patient would present with viral conjunctivitis secondary to COVID-19 without other symptoms as conjunctivitis seems to be a late feature where it has occurred.

It is important to note that there is no evidence to suggest that conjunctivitis can cause COVID-19 or that you are at higher risk of developing COVID-19 if you have conjunctivitis.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30555 on 30 July 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at .

Regional Wheelchair and Seating Services Centres had to limit or temporarily pause some out-patient services during the lockdown period. Some staff were redeployed to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic response, and are now returning to their roles. The centres have used video-conferencing, telephone reviews and home delivery services where possible.

All other equipment stores have remained operational during the pandemic. All emergency work, including hospital discharges, care home admissions and end of life care, continued throughout the pandemic.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30767 on 11 August 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30767 on 11 August 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at

Throughout our response to the pandemic, where an urgent clinical need has existed Essential Musculoskeletal services, which includes first contact practitioners, have continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic using telephone, Near me and in person if required.

On 31 May we published the “Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design: the framework for NHS Scotland” that supports Health Boards to plan the phased restoration of postponed NHS services. A Mobilisation Recovery Group, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, has been established to advise Government.

Initial plans for the period ending July 2020 have been received and a was published on 19 June. This shows the safe and phased re-start of many hospital elective and primary care services (in line with the above Framework, clinical guidance and according to local circumstances).

The next iteration of plans for the period ending March 2021 have been requested and these will be analysed in early August. Any issues with plans are being addressed directly with Health Boards as part of the iterative planning process.

Most Health Boards have provided urgent orthopaedic/ rheumatology care during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and are resuming outpatient clinics utilising virtual or telephone consultations where it is clinically appropriate.

Nationally we have worked with third sector organisations such as Versus Arthritis to publish tailored advice and guidance about specific long term conditions and COVID-19, to signpost people to resources and different ways to access support to self-manage their condition.