Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-39674

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessments have been carried out on the possible effects on patients if there is any further removal of NHS specialist treatments for chronic pain services.

Question reference: S6W-39673

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government who has been appointed to the Evidence Review on Chronic Pain, which is being handled by the Pain Management Task Force; what the remit of the review is, and when the findings will be published.

Question reference: S6W-39380

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when GP vaccination services will be fully restored to GPs in NHS Highland; whether it anticipates that this will happen by the end of 2025, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

In January of this year, Scottish Minsters agreed to Highland HSCP putting in place a mixed-model for vaccinations. GP delivery is likely to be key in some aspects of this model, however, the aim is to take a collaborative approach to delivering vaccinations.

Since 2022, Health Boards have been responsible for delivering vaccination programmes. However, the Scottish Government recognises the need for flexibility to account of specific, local circumstances that might negatively affect vaccine uptake, which is why Ministers agreed to the development and implementation of a mixed model.

The Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland continue to engage with Highland HSCP to support a flexible and responsive immunisation service.

Question reference: S6W-39386

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event of any deaths as a result of any failures in relation to vaccinations, what its position is on whether it would have any legal liability regarding the families affected.

Question reference: S6W-39384

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Highland informed it that it could not share data on vaccinations with it prior to the board taking over responsibility for vaccinations from GPs, and whether it will publish any documentation on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-39387

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event of any deaths as a result of vaccinations not being administered in NHS Highland prior to the service being shared with GPs as planned, what its position is on whether (a) it and (b) NHS Highland would be responsible for any deaths.

Question reference: S6W-39385

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Highland was aware that its system could not share data on vaccinations with GPs prior to the board taking over responsibility for vaccinations from GPs.

Question reference: S6W-39389

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an estimate of any potential savings that could result from NHS Highland restoring the vaccination services to GPs that were previously administered by them prior to 2023, and, if so, what any such estimate is.

Highland HSCP are putting in place a mixed-model for vaccinations. GP delivery is expected to be key in some aspects of this model, but the plan is for a collaborative approach rather than one that relies solely on GP delivery.

Oversight of how the mixed model is developed and deployed to deliver local and accessible vaccination and immunisation services in a cost effective way will ultimately remain the responsibility of Highland HSCP.

Health boards are funded to offer vaccination in a way that best suits the needs of their communities, supported by national frameworks, such as Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) 5-year Vaccination and Immunisation Framework and Delivery Plan. This plan specifically sets out that boards should “ensure availability of a range of flexible, responsive, and good-quality immunisation services that meet the needs of all communities, including our rural and island communities”.

Question reference: S6W-39388

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will propose a ministerial statement for after the summer recess 2025 on vaccination policy and any need for action to prevent deaths in relation to this matter.

There are currently no plans for a Ministerial statement on vaccination.

The was published in November 2024. This lays out our vision, mission, goals and priorities for the Programme, with a key goal being to reduce morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable diseases in the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Vaccination policy on our free NHS Programmes is also communicated regularly, and as required through the dissemination of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) letters.

Question reference: S6W-39383

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the provision of a centralised vaccination service, such as that in NHS Highland, is safe, in light of reports that NHS Highland is not able to share data with GPs on the vaccinations being provided.

Since April 2022, Health Boards have been responsible for delivering vaccines. The vast majority of adult vaccinations, including flu, Covid, RSV, shingles and pneumococcal are visible to GPs via their GP-IT system.

Currently, childhood and non-routine vaccinations do not automatically flow into GP-IT from the separate systems that record them, but this pre-dates the move from GP to Health Board delivery.

Any associated patient risk is mitigated by Health Boards providing GPs with a list of childhood and non-routine vaccinations they have administered. The Scottish Government funds GPs to manually input these into their GP systems.