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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 MSPs 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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6O-00453

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allocate funding in its 2022-23 budget to enable social care workers to be paid at least £15 per hour.

Question reference: S6W-04154

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02621 by Humza Yousaf on 14 September 2021, whether a date has been agreed for the introduction of e-prescribing.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03940 on 2 November 2021.

NHS Scotland already utilises an electronic prescription message between GP practices and community pharmacies which runs in parallel with paper prescriptions. However, the use of paper prescriptions is still a necessity at this stage as a legal requirement.

The Scottish Government has commissioned NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) to take forward a number of digital priorities in response to COVID. This national programme includes investing in development of a new ePrescribing and eDispensing pathway by enabling the use of advanced electronic signatures in primary care and addressing the need for an end-to-end digital solution that will support replacement of the paper prescription from all community settings with a digital solution. The programme recognises that electronic prescribing will help some vulnerable sections of society, but we must also ensure others are not disadvantaged and the solution adopted should address patient needs including digital exclusion. It is difficult to be precise on timescales at present but significant progress on the technical and process models continues at pace and the Scottish Government is committed to deliver a solution through this programme.

Our refreshed Digital Health and Care Strategy includes a clear approach on how we will empower the public to manage their health and wellbeing through digital means. This work will look to give greater access to things like health records and being able to manage prescriptions online.

In addition, patients who have a long-term condition can access the ‘Medicines: Care and Review Service’ at their local community pharmacy. It promotes a partnership approach between the pharmacist, the patient and their GP practice. Patients with stable long-term conditions can receive serial prescriptions for a duration of 24, 48 or 56 weeks which are dispensed in regular intervals by the pharmacy and remove the need to request regular repeat prescriptions.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-03938

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate to dismiss care home staff who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

While the Scottish Government strongly encourage care home staff to take up the vaccine, we have no plans to make vaccination mandatory for social care staff.

Whilst we strongly encourage those eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccination to do so, the decision is one of personal choice, and we have no current plans to introduce mandatory vaccination, or to impose any penalties relating to this.

Employers should be aware that care home staff working in Scotland are not mandated to receive the vaccine. Each employer will need to consider their own specific circumstances and make sure their approach is consistent with their own existing obligations and relevant legislation.

Question reference: S6W-03620

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost is of the NHS Scotland Covid Status App.

The initial contract to develop the NHS Scotland Covid Status App was awarded to Netcompany through fair and open procurement at a cost of £600,000. Netcompany is a Danish firm who have developed the Coronapas App for Denmark and the NHS Covid Pass for England and Wales.

The NHS Scotland Covid Status App continues to be developed, with further features and functions added, we will therefore set out the total cost in due course.

Question reference: S6W-03899

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to applications to study medicine, how many (a) were received and (b) were successful, broken down by each year since 2007.

Data on the number applications and accepted applicants is collected and published by the University and College Admissions Service (UCAS).

To note:

Applicants ’ are able to make up to 5 applications to study at Universities across the UK when applying through UCAS.
An ‘ Accepted Applicant ’ has been made an offer, met the conditions of the offer and accepted a place to study from one of their applications.
Tables include ‘Pre-clinical medicine’ and ‘Others in Medicine & Dentistry’ due to changes in UCAS subject coding in 2017.

The latest End of Cycle data can be found below.

Main Scheme Applications through UCAS to study Medicine at Scottish Providers

Subject Classification	Year of Application Cycle
Subject Classification	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine	8,090	7,695	6,855	9,695	9,710	9,640	9,485
A9 - Others in Medicine and Dentistry	0	0	85	10	240	300	355

Subject Classification
Subject Classification	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine	10,800	9,520	9,305	6,980	9,670	9,200	9,530
A9 - Others in Medicine and Dentistry	510	520	550	2,515	695	800	900

Source: UCAS End of Cycle 2020 Report

UCAS Undergraduate sector-level end of cycle data resources 2020 | Undergraduate | UCAS

Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Accepted Applicants through UCAS to study Medicine at Scottish Providers

Subject Classification	Year of Application Cycle
Subject Classification	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine	960	1,010	990	1,025	1,095	940	960
A9 - Others in Medicine and Dentistry	0	0	10	0	35	35	30

Subject Classification
Subject Classification	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
A1 - Pre-clinical Medicine	975	980	1,015	840	1,065	1,155	1,290
A9 - Others in Medicine and Dentistry	45	60	70	280	135	145	135

Source: UCAS End of Cycle 2020 Report

UCAS Undergraduate sector-level end of cycle data resources 2020 | Undergraduate | UCAS

Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Question reference: S6W-03976

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will complete all flu vaccinations by the start of the flu season and by what date it expects to complete the vaccination programme for each of the eligible groups.

The seasonal flu vaccination programme started on 6 September and will run until March 2022. This year it is the biggest ever flu vaccination programme in Scotland reaching over 4 million people. So far, to the end of week 44, Public Health Scotland has reported that a total of 1,451,857 individuals, among different eligible cohorts, have received the influenza vaccine.

Flu vaccinations have started for those over the age of 70 years, and those at the highest clinical risk from flu. Flu vaccinations have also started for pregnant women, preschool children as well as primary and secondary pupils. Adults aged 60 years to 69 years and those aged 16 years plus with underlying health conditions have started receiving vaccination appointment letters. A portal has been launched for adults aged 50 years to 59 years, unpaid carers 16 years plus and adult (16 years plus) household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals allowing those groups to book flu appointments online ahead of flu season.

Question reference: S6W-03937

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with care home providers regarding the dismissal of care home staff who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Scottish Government have been clear and consistent that whilst we strongly encourage those eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccination to do so, the decision is one of personal choice, and we have no current plans to introduce mandatory vaccination, or to impose any penalties relating to this. It is for each employer to consider their own specific circumstances and make sure their approach is consistent with their own existing obligations and relevant legislation.

We will continue to work together and engage with care home providers, staff and health boards across Scotland, to further encourage acceptance of the coronavirus vaccine to protect staff and residents.

Question reference: S6W-03921

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any hot debrief that was completed by the incident management team that investigated the COVID-19 outbreak at the Nike conference in Edinburgh in February 2020, as required by the Management of Public Health Incidents: Guidance on the Roles and Responsibilities of NHS Led Incident Management Teams.

Public Health Scotland have confirmed that a hot debrief is guidance and not mandatory. The Incident Management Team therefore did not completed a hot debrief relating to the COVID-19 outbreak at the Nike Conference. Public Health Scotland have, however, published the Incident Management Team Report relating to this event. Learning around Covid-19 is a continuous process and findings such as this report inform the wider response to the pandemic in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-03619

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any differences between the NHS Scotland Covid Status App and the England and Wales version of the app, in light of them both being required to meet the same international standard.

Question reference: S6W-03617

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it received the UK Government’s offer to adapt the England and Wales COVID-19 vaccine status app for use in Scotland.