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Changes to the eligibility for flu vaccination were communicated via campaign materials produced by Public Health Scotland (PHS) that can be seen on NHS Inform and social media, as well as being advertised across health and community settings. The Health and Social Care sector were alerted to changes in eligibility via the Chief Medical Officer’s annual flu letter. I wrote to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ on 12 September 2024 to outline the changes to eligibility for flu and COVID-19 vaccination this winter, and the reason for those changes.

The Scottish Government is unaware of any shortages in vaccine availability. While NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) Procurement were made aware of some Community Pharmacies seemingly having issues securing flu vaccine stocks for private vaccination clinics, our national programme supplier confirmed that stock of the vaccine suitable for those under 65 years of age is available for purchase by pharmacies. Information has been shared with Community Pharmacy Scotland so they can signpost pharmacies to where they can purchase further supplies, so that they can meet any demand from citizens seeking vaccination.

PHS ran a targeted campaign, with multiple assets and toolkits that have been promoted widely across the health and social care system and the third sector, ensuring those who were eligible to come forward were notified. The campaign focussed especially on certain groups where uptake is lower.

The Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP), led by PHS, will review the winter vaccination campaign. As part of this we will consider the impact of the communications strategy and what we can improve for next season.

The Draft Scottish Budget on 4 December 2024 announced plans to invest £3m in 2025-26 in Bright Start Breakfasts.

At this stage the Budget remains subject to Parliamentary approval and therefore, more detail about Bright Start Breakfasts will be provided ahead of the fund launching in Spring 2025.

Recent mapping work carried out by the Improvement Service and Assist FM shows that nearly half of all primary and special schools in Scotland are already providing breakfasts at the start of the school day, with a range of delivery models and service providers supporting delivery. Bright Start Breakfasts aims to enhance and expand provision across Scotland, building on this existing local delivery.

The Draft Scottish Budget on 4 December 2024 announced plans to invest £3m in 2025-26 for Bright Start Breakfasts.

At this stage the Budget remains subject to Parliamentary approval and therefore, more detail about Bright Start Breakfasts will be provided ahead of the fund launching in Spring 2025, including eligibility criteria and application processes.

The Draft Scottish Budget on 4 December 2024 announced plans to invest £3m in 2025-26 in Bright Start Breakfasts.

At this stage the Budget remains subject to Parliamentary approval and therefore, more detail about Bright Start Breakfasts will be provided ahead of the fund launching in Spring 2025, including how the scheme will operate.

The Draft Scottish Budget on 4 December 2024 announced plans to invest £3m in 2025-26 in Bright Start Breakfasts.

At this stage the Budget remains subject to Parliamentary approval and therefore, more detail about Bright Start Breakfasts will be provided ahead of the fund launching in Spring 2025.

In order to ensure the efficient and timeous processing of dental payments to contractors all claims require to be submitted for payment within 3 months of the completion date of the claim.

This reflects the period from the closure of the claim for the care and treatment undertaken. As this requirement is widely understood within the sector there are no plans to review this.

Capitation payments are paid monthly per patient to NHS dentists to help ensure that patients remain registered. Where a patient does not attend for examination or treatment for a period of greater than 3 years the monthly payment for that patient falls to 20% of the full rate.

This arrangement incentives dentists to re-engage with patients who have not attended for some time to better manage their oral health. There is no intention to review this arrangement.

To accompany the launch of changes to the dental payment system from November 2023, Scottish Government ran a marketing campaign via commercial radio, social media and surgery posters to highlight the changes to patients and direct them to NHS Inform for more information on a range of oral health matters.

NHS Inform is Scotland’s national health information service and supports people in making informed decisions on all aspects of their health. Information on oral health and dental care includes typical scenarios which patients can expect in attending the dentist, including the importance of regular attendance. In addition to this national resource, each individual dental practice is required to display its policy for late cancellations and non-attendance at scheduled appointments.

There is already existing discretion within NHS arrangements for dentists to charge patients for late cancellations and missed appointments, in accordance with their business need.

As circumstances may vary considerably between practices with respect to demography, registered patient numbers and other key determinants for the viability or necessity of additional charging, it would not be appropriate to implement a national policy on such matters.

There is a range of investment and resources available to support teachers to promote equality and address racism and other forms of discrimination within their school communities.

For example, Education Scotland, our national education improvement body, in partnership with Interfaith Scotland, has developed an Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equalities Professional Learning framework: which includes resources on religious literacy, aimed at supporting teachers’ understanding of the diverse needs, issues and discrimination experienced by different religious communities in the UK, including Jewish communities. Education Scotland also provides guidance on preventing radicalisation and extremism in schools; .

In relation to antisemitism specifically, the Scottish Government provides funding for the Holocaust Educational Trust’s and Vision Schools Scotland’s Holocaust education programme: which aims to promote excellence in Holocaust teaching. While both programmes focus on the Holocaust, they also promote awareness of Jewish people, culture and their contribution to society and address antisemitism in the world today, including through professional learning and resources for teachers.