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What evaluation have your boards made of the impact and effectiveness of the additional winter plan funding that was provided in 2021-22? I will go to Adam Coldwells.

In July 2022, we had the highest number of hospital beds on record being taken up with delayed discharges since the guidance came into place in July 2016. We have heard about measures that will be taken and how much money will be put into delayed discharge, but what measures are being taken now to increase social care capacity before the winter peak happens?

I have been dealing with a constituent who is on dialysis at home for nine hours every night. She needs to pre-heat the room but will not be able to afford the energy bills that she will get. Will there be additional pressure on the NHS if people like my constituent have to come back to hospital for treatment?

Yes.

Good morning, panel. Last week, record numbers turned up every day at Victoria hospital’s A and E. Some people see A and E as an easy pathway when they cannot get other services in the area. How can we quickly assess people and get them to minor ailment services, community pharmacies or whatever is in the area? That would take the pressure off A and E.

Where would you consider that any additional investment could have the most impact on winter pressures?

As well as the rising cost of energy, there is inflation when it comes to medicines and food. Do the witnesses have an estimate of the overall cost of that to the NHS in Scotland?

You mentioned that 1,000 additional staff have been put in place. What evaluation has been done to see how they have helped to reduce bed blocking and helped social care services?

New working practices were brought in because of the Covid pandemic. How do we go about redesigning services? Will there be savings, especially from digital work, community care or care at home? The most important thing is to get the public to buy into all that. You mentioned GP practices. Everyone at this table knows that one of the top complaints that we hear is about the lack of face-to-face contact with GPs.

Good afternoon. The budgets in 2020-21 and 2021-22 had large additional sums for health and social care. Is there a need for continued Covid-19-related spending allocations for health boards?