- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to reduce ambulance turnaround times at hospitals, in light of figures showing that so far in 2025 more than half of conveyances recorded a turnaround time of longer than 45 minutes.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2025
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take if the £5 million being allocated to hospices is not enough for them to match 2025-26 NHS staff pay levels.
Answer
The Scottish budget for 2025-26 includes £5 million of investment to support independent hospices to provide pay parity with NHS levels. This figure is based on estimates provided by independent hospices. Officials are working with a variety of colleagues across the health directorates to explore mechanisms for providing this funding to hospices, while respecting existing commissioning arrangements with Integration Joint Boards (IJBs).
We expect the £5m for pay parity to significantly help independent hospices in increasing their pay offer for staff. However, as independent hospices are charitable organisations, they are responsible for setting their own staff terms and conditions, including pay arrangements.
The Scottish Government does not undertake financial planning for local services, which is why commissioning and contractual discussions are carried out at a local, operational, level between independent hospices and IJBs.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that hospices do not lose staff as a result of the reported delay in allocating the £5 million of funding to hospices.
Answer
The Scottish Government has already provided reassurances to independent hospices that the funding will be allocated as soon as practically possible, based on the analysis of financial data provided by the hospices.
However, it is important to reflect that it remains the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to commission palliative care services, including independent hospices, to meet the needs of their local populations. As such, we expect Scottish hospices and IJBs to continue to engage on any matters that may impact on the delivery of local palliative care services.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place between the finance and workforce sections of its health directorate regarding the allocation of funding to ensure pay parity for hospice staff.
Answer
The Scottish budget for 2025-26 includes £5 million of investment to support independent hospices to provide pay parity with NHS levels. Officials are working with a variety of colleagues across the health directorates to explore mechanisms for providing this funding to hospices, while respecting existing commissioning arrangements with Integration Joint Boards (IJBs).
Most recently, policy officials have been working closely with health finance officials to ensure that the relevant governance and approval procedures are correctly followed to ensure this funding can be provided as soon as practically possible. We look forward to engaging further with Scottish hospices as we conclude this work.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people with palliative care needs, who do not want to die in hospital, are not admitted to hospital unnecessarily.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone who needs it can access high-quality palliative care that is right for their circumstances.
Through our upcoming palliative care strategy, we will promote person-centred future care planning. Future care planning is important for people of all ages living with long-term conditions, disabilities, frailty in older age or rare conditions, as well as people with life shortening conditions. A future care plan summarises what matters to the individual and has key information for staff providing urgent or emergency care about the person, their health and care. Planning ahead can help people manage or avoid crisis situations and improve experiences of urgent or emergency health and social care, as well as avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions.
The strategy will be published alongside a delivery plan, which will set out our approach to ensuring that everyone who needs it can access timely palliative care and care around dying.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware that Ferguson Marine reportedly undertakes sub-contract work for BAE Systems on the Type 26 frigate programme, and how this sits with its reported policy of not funding munitions.
Answer
The aerospace, defence, and shipbuilding sectors play a vital role in supporting jobs and driving economic growth across Scotland. We are committed to promoting manufacturing and innovation, and Ministers continue to engage with businesses in these sectors as part of that commitment. Ferguson Marine's (FMPG) work for BAE Systems is consistent with the Scottish Government’s policy that public money is not used to support the manufacture of munitions.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the inclusion of a right to palliative care is within the scope of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 27 March 2024 by Liam McArthur MSP (Liberal Democrats). As such, this is a Member's Bill, not a Scottish Government Bill.
As with all Bills, at Stage 2 of the Bill’s passage through Parliament it is for the Convener of the lead Committee to make a decision on the admissibility of any amendment put forward.
At Stage 3, it would be for the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer to make decisions on admissibility.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what medical pathways are available to those experiencing symptoms associated with topical steroid withdrawal.
Answer
The medicines regulatory body, the MHRA, has issued regulatory action on labelling of topical steroids with their potencies, so that prescribers and patients can have informed discussions about the length of treatment of these products and associated risks and benefits.
The Scottish Government encourages individuals to review their treatment plans with their healthcare professionals at least annually, however they can be reviewed more frequently, since reactions can occur within a short timeframe requiring a more urgent review. Specialist dermatology advice and assessment is available through referral by the GP where required.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support people who are reporting topical steroid withdrawal.
Answer
In partnership with NHS Scotland colleagues, the Scottish Government are developing tools to support GP practices to proactively identify people on topical steroids so that their treatment can be reviewed.
We have cascaded the medicines regulatory body’s updated safety alert, new labelling information and revised patient safety leaflet to prescribers through our established clinical networks to further raise awareness.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on improving waiting times for ovarian cancer surgery.
Answer
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have and are continuing to take action to simplify scheduling of these complex cases. Following updates provided by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on 19 February and 9 June, I will be meeting with members of the board and clinicians in September 2025 to seek further clarity in terms of progress made.
