Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-34311

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 10 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is raising awareness and understanding of uterine cancer as the most common gynaecological cancer.

Our most recent Detect Cancer Earlier campaign – Be The Early Bird – first launched on March 2023, aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early. Following successful independent evaluation, the campaign re-ran in September 2023 and August 2024 to prompt health-seeking behaviour.

In parallel, a Detect Cancer Earlier roadshow visited communities across Scotland in March and September 2024 to reinforce key messages, with further activity planned for March 2025.

We continue to work with NHS Scotland to ensure that the NHS Inform website provides cancer information that best meets patient needs, including symptoms and treatments for uterine cancer.

Question reference: S6O-04291

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it will do to address any difficulties with recruitment and retention in local government due to the reported declining value of pay.

Question reference: S6W-33247

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30182 by Jenni Minto on 8 October 2024, whether its draft Budget 2025-26 will impact on the National Thrombectomy Planning Board's plans for a phased approach to expanding thrombectomy services.

The Scottish Government remains committed to expanding the national thrombectomy service, and ensuring access to this treatment is as equitable as possible.

Through the National Thrombectomy Programme Board, and Thrombectomy Advisory Group, work is being undertaken to drive expansion of the thrombectomy service.

Planning is ongoing to establish how the £16 million funding announced in the Scottish budget, once scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament, will be best used to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from thrombectomy.

Question reference: S6W-33392

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported poultry and wild bird avian influenza cases in Scotland and England, whether an assessment has been made of any risk posed by continuing to allow gatherings of poultry and other species of bird, including fairs, shows, markets, sales and other gatherings.

The Scottish Government gathers evidence regularly from a range of sources including experts and through surveillance such as the avian influenza dead wild bird surveillance scheme to continually monitor the risks presented by bird gatherings. Any changes in risk may result in amendments or the temporary removal of the licence permitting birds to be collected together at any fair, market, show, exhibition or other gathering.

Question reference: S6W-33391

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing an avian influenza prevention zone, in light of the reported outbreak of avian influenza in Kingoldrum.

A Scotland wide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone was introduced covering the whole of Scotland at 12:00 hrs on 25 January 2025. The Scottish Government takes account of information provided though surveillance and the latest advice from a broad range of relevant experts and is ready to respond immediately and appropriately to any change in risk from avian influenza that may impact Scottish bird keepers.

Question reference: S6W-33390

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has (a) the capacity and (b) any plans to regulate the release of non-native gamebirds in situations where they might impact native wildlife through disease transmission, habitat degradation or predation.

The release of common pheasant and red-legged partridge is permitted under sub-section 14 (2A) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in Scotland. Currently the Scottish Government and NatureScot have no evidence that the release of non-native gamebirds are impacting on native wildlife through habitat degradation or predation. If there is evidence that non-native gamebirds are causing an impact, the Scottish Government will consider any evidence and take any action required.

The Scottish Government monitors the risk in wild and kept birds carefully and implements disease control measures such as restrictions, conditions or prohibitions in the pheasant sector as well as other sectors of commercial and non-commercial poultry industry, following changes in risk, in accordance with the legislation already in place.

Under the Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (Scotland) Order 2006, during an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza or low pathogenic avian influenza the release of game birds is prohibited where a Protection, Surveillance Zone or a Restricted Zone is in place.

Further to this, NatureScot regulates the release of gamebirds on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and European Sites using powers under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. Where release of gamebirds may adversely affect the natural features of a SSSI, the owners or the occupiers of the site must apply for consent. NatureScot can give consent with or without conditions, refuse, modify or withdraw a consent as appropriate.

Where there are no other means to protect the natural features of specific areas of land from damage, Scottish Ministers can issue a Nature Conservation Order. Nature Conservation Orders can apply to land within or contiguous with a SSSI or European Site, or other land that Scottish Ministers deem of special interest for its natural features.

Question reference: S6W-33389

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress the Scottish Ambulance Service has made on commissioning a new pre-hospital service to cover the east and south east of Scotland, to replace Medic One.

Following the withdrawal of medic 1 by NHS Lothian the Scottish Ambulance Service, working with other Health Boards, has put in place contingency arrangements to provide a prehospital Emergency Critical Care response across the east of Scotland.

Working through the National Trauma Network the Scottish Ambulance Service has agreed to take the lead in writing the business case for this replacement service. This work is ongoing recognising this is a complex undertaking with multiple stakeholders involved and there is a requirement to ensure that options within the business case are evidenced based, sustainable and meet the needs of patients in the East of Scotland and our population as whole.

The current project plan is working to have this business case completed by summer 2025. This will then need to be presented and reviewed through the appropriate governance processes.

Question reference: S6W-32901

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the number of homeless people who are hospitalised each year and who are subsequently discharged, including their average length of stay, and what support is provided to them on discharge, including with (a) improving their welfare, (b) finding accommodation, (c) finding employment, (d) accessing education, (e) accessing drug, alcohol and/or other recovery services, (f) accessing NHS services and (g) improving their health outcomes.

The number of discharges from Scottish acute inpatient hospitals is presented in the following table. These figures do not include mental health facilities. These discharge figures have been produced using the Public Health Scotland SMR01 dataset which does not hold details of support provided on discharge.

Details of discharges from Scottish acute hospitals where the patient was recorded as having no fixed abode at hospital admission.

Financial Year	Count of discharges	Average Length of Stay (days)	Median Length of Stay (days)
2014-2015	237	4.2	1
2015-2016	296	3.5	1
2016-2017	312	4.5	1
2017-2018	347	4.7	1
2018-2019	206	5	1
2019-2020	230	6.1	1
2020-2021	183	2.4	1
2021-2022	103	3.4	1
2022-2023	62	3.6	1
2023-2024	91	12.8	1

*Note: The average length of stay for the period 2023/24 is affected by the presence of a small number of stays with long lengths of stays.

Question reference: S6W-32902

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the number of homeless people who are hospitalised each year who (a) die while receiving treatment and (b) are unable to be discharged due to concerns regarding their welfare.

The number of discharges from Scottish acute inpatient hospitals is presented in the following table. These figures do not include mental health facilities. These discharge figures have been produced using the Public Health Scotland SMR01 dataset which does not hold details on discharges delayed due to concerns regarding welfare.

Table 1: Discharges from Scottish acute hospitals where the patient was recorded as having no fixed abode at hospital admission.

Financial Year	Count of discharges	Count where patient died before discharge
2014-2015	237	1
2015-2016	296	1
2016-2017	312	2
2017-2018	347	6
2018-2019	206	1
2019-2020	230	1
2020-2021	183	3
2021-2022	103	2
2022-2023	62	0
2023-2024	91	0

Question reference: S6O-04267

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed plans to reduce corridor care and the use of temporary escalation spaces with NHS boards.

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