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: S5W-32279

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of (a) a surgical type two, (b) an FFP2 and (c) FFP3 face mask, and whether this is a factor in determining whether to distribute this type of equipment to NHS staff.

Decisions on which type of PPE to use in different settings are based on clinical guidance, and as an employer the NHS is, under health and safety law, responsible for the protection of its staff. No price has never ever been used as a factor in deciding what product is to be issued.

The cost of PPE varies according to the negotiated cost of purchase on the market. The current cost of a single map of each type is as follows:

a)Type IIR mask: £0.16 (July 2020 onwards) – £0.70 (March/April 2020)

b)FFP2 mask (these are not used per guidance, and no longer purchased): £0.98 - £3.00 (March 2020)

c)FFP3 respirator masks: £1.85 - £6.00 (March 2020 to July 2020, prices are now near £2.00)

Question reference: S5W-32273

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued to NHS boards regarding the laundering of uniforms that may have been exposed to COVID-19, and what steps have been taken to ensure that staff are not expected to take potentially-infected items home for laundering.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has published guidance on infection control, and this has been included in our . This will continue to be kept under review and necessary changes may be made dependent on new evidence.

Health Facilities Scotland has advised that NHS laundry services have enough capacity to meet current demands. This situation is being monitored and planning has been done to ensure capacity can be increased if needed.

Question reference: S5W-32265

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what type of face masks are provided for healthcare workers who are testing patients for COVID-19.

Question reference: S5W-32260

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what concerns have been raised with Ministers by (a) health professionals and (b) trade unions regarding the surgical type two face masks being used by staff, and what action it has taken to rectify any problems.

1. In Scotland, we use Fluid Resistant Surgical Masks (FRSM), also known as Type IIR masks, which are different from Type II in that they provide protection for the staff member as well as 98% source control.

2. Staff are protected should they be caring for someone who is infectious but not wearing a mask and they are also protecting the person they are looking for if they themselves are isolating either pre or asymptomatically.

3. We are the only nation in the UK who have taken the approach in using FRSMs as part of the extended facemask use guidance for health and social care staff.

4. The Scottish Government holds a regular forum with a range of stakeholders including staff side representation which provides an opportunity for any issues with regard to PPE to be raised. In addition we also respond directly to correspondence received from both individuals and organisations.

Question reference: S5W-32266

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a cough, by definition, produces an aerosol.

1. Both the UK Government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) and Health Protection Scotland (HPS) have given careful consideration to the available evidence and, during the course of the pandemic, have reviewed what should be considered an AGP.

2. Coughing has been reviewed by NERVTAG and is not considered an aerosol generating procedure (AGP).

3. A new UK AGP Panel Chaired by Professor Jacqui Reilly has been convened. Its purpose is to provide practical and scientific advice to the Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on specific high risk AGPs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, by assessing the evidence on aerosol generating procedures, taking into account the potential route of transmission, for complex and unclear cases where there are differing views, and recommend the appropriate classification. This panel will replace the current NERVTAG group.

Question reference: S5W-32261

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether surgical type two face masks protect the wearer from exposure to the COVID-19 virus and, if so, how.

1. The evidence is that COVID-19 is mainly spread via droplets and contact with contaminated hands or environment. The Fluid Resistant (Type IIR) Surgical Mask (FRSM) confers 98% source control against droplet transmission.

2. The principle measures to control the spread of COVID-19 remain as hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene - including extended face mask use - and physical distancing.

3. The FRSM should always be worn when health and social care workers are in close contact with their patients/clients/residents and the fluid resistant nature of the fabric means that the droplet cannot penetrate. It’s imperative that they are applied appropriately, fitted around the nose, under the chin and either tied at the back of the head or kept in place with ear loops.

Question reference: S5F-04449

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 October 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-04422

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-04400

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-30910

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the monthly running costs are of the NHS Louisa Jordan hospital, also broken down by cost category.