- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether any of the £4.5million announced for long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and other similar conditions has been allocated, and how much has been provided to individual NHS boards.
Answer
Supporting people with ME/CFS, long COVID and similar conditions is a priority for this government and this commitment is reiterated within the recent Programme for Government.
Funding has not yet been allocated to individual NHS health boards. We want this money to have maximum impact and are working closely and carefully with boards across Scotland to allocate it as quickly and effectively as possible.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 19 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported increase in the number of people having to access private healthcare as a result of lengthy waiting lists is consistent with its pledge of maintaining an NHS that is free at the point of need.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s policy could not be clearer, our National Health Service must be maintained on its founding principles – publicly owned, publicly operated, and free at the point of need. As we have previously said, the provision of health services must always be based on the individual needs of a patient.
The 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21.7 billion for Health and Social Care, including almost £200 million to reduce waiting lists and improve flow through hospitals.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of all the court actions (a) initiated and (b) defended by the Scottish Ministers since 2007, and, for each, what the (i) total cost, broken down by (A) internal staff costs and (B) external legal fees and (ii) outcome was.
Answer
This information is not held centrally. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 15 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that any changes to practice that may be required by NHS boards are undertaken in order that women who wish to be treated by other women, based on biological sex, can be treated in that way.
Answer
The Scottish Government has set up a short life working group to consider existing policies, guidance and legislation which may be impacted by the recent Supreme Court judgment. This work will position us towards a state of readiness to take all necessary steps when the EHRC’s revised Statutory Code of Practice on services, public functions and associations and updated guidance are published.
All public bodies must comply with the law.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 14 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that hospital wards are single-sex.
Answer
The Scottish Government has set up a short life working group to consider existing policies, guidance and legislation which may be impacted by the recent Supreme Court judgment, such as existing guidance on mixed sex accommodation in NHS facilities.
Since 2005, we have expected NHS Boards to ensure that all of their facilities comply with the guidelines and recommendations on the elimination of mixed sex accommodation, including a presumption of 100% single rooms in all new hospital developments. There are limited exceptions for areas such as Intensive Care Units.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued to NHS boards on equality issues in each of the last 10 years, broken down by who issued it and when.
Answer
The Scottish Government expects all Boards, to comply with the legislative requirements, and in their role as employers to meet the standards set out in the national workforce policies. All guidance regarding patient health, health care delivery and workforce policies and updates, are communicated to key stakeholders in Boards for dissemination.
These are all published publicly on the NHS Scotland Publications website.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when it will review and revise guidance to NHS boards on equality issues, in light of the Supreme Court ruling regarding For Women Scotland Ltd vs The Scottish Ministers.
Answer
The Scottish Government accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court. Work has already begun on implementation.
The Permanent Secretary was asked to stand up a Short Life Working Group to ensure support and consistency across Government.
Following publication of the EHRC’s update, we wrote to the EHRC to confirm that no public body, service provider or other association should issue specific guidance before the EHRC Code of Practice and guidance is finalised.
As the enforcer and regulator of the Equality Act all organisations must consider and comply with the EHRC revised Code of Practice and guidance to ensure there is a consistent and clear understanding of the correct application of the law for all involved in this complex area.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that specialist consultants can prescribe clozapine for those people with Parkinson’s disease who experience the most severe and distressing hallucinations, wherever they live in Scotland.
Answer
Clozapine is available to NHS Health Boards in Scotland to prescribe as appropriate to patients with Parkinson’s Disease.
It is for Health Boards to implement treatments within services, and the decision to prescribe Clozapine would be a clinical one based on an individual patient’s symptoms and condition.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with Parkinson’s UK Scotland to ensure that people with Parkinson’s disease who experience mental health symptoms can access support that meets their needs.
Answer
The Scottish Government has worked closely with Parkinson’s UK Scotland over a number of years, including awarding £174,184 over three years to fund the development of Parkinson’s Connect in Scotland. This refers people to tailored advice and support, including mental health and wellbeing for people with Parkinson’s and their families. We will continue to work with Parkinson’s UK Scotland to ensure the best outcomes for people with Parkinson’s.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many people with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease have been admitted to hospital because of mental health symptoms in each of the last three years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.