Seòmar agus comataidhean

a) There is no specific workforce data collected for neuropsychiatrists in Scotland or the rest of the UK. This is not a specialty or sub-specialty of psychiatry and would usually be a special interest of doctors trained in Old Age or General Adult Psychiatry. As part of higher psychiatry training programmes resident doctors can undertake additional training in this area such as a masters degree and placements in liaison psychiatry.

b) WTE Applied Psychologists working in Neuropsychology in NHS Scotland as of 31st December 2024*:

Our Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy lays out our vision for improving mental health so anyone who needs help can get the right help, in the right place, at the right time for any aspect of their mental health. We expect that mental health care and treatment will be delivered in a person-centred manner to meet each individual’s needs. This includes people whose mental health has been affected as a result of Parkinson’s disease.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-22819 on 23 November 2023. 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

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water measures the performance of its partner organisations through a structured framework that ensures alignment with its standards for safety, health and wellbeing, cost management, efficiency, and service excellence. Executive Director led Strategic Boards, and Senior Manager led Operational Boards are in place to review performance, and set direction for future strategic improvements.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water (Regulated) Contractor P&L expenditure for 2024-25 was £31.7m against a Budget of £30.7m. The actual costs include £4.0m unbudgeted proactive leakage recovery costs so therefore the underlying variance is favourable.

We recognise that pulmonary rehabilitation is an important element in managing respiratory disease and it is already a key recommendation for all appropriate patients in NICE clinical guidelines, which we expect all NHS Boards to follow.

The Scottish Government has not provided any specific funding to NHS Boards for pulmonary rehabilitation. We provide NHS Boards with baseline funding, and it is for each individual NHS Board to determine how they utilise the resources provided by the Scottish Government to best meet the needs of their local populations.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water’s in-house capital project delivery team was asked to deliver a project to provide capacity for growth at Oldmeldrum Wastewater Treatment Works. The project involved cleaning of an existing aeration ditch, replacement of its mechanical rotors and installation of an innovative secondary treatment unit. The renewal of the aeration ditch was delivered successfully, but the innovative element of the project was found not to be suitable in combination with the existing treatment process at the site. The forecast cost of the project was £3.3 million and the final cost was £3.9 million.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-22818 on 23 November 2023. 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

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold the information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water framework contractors are permitted to sub-contract work if they require additional resources/capability to deliver the works or if specific expertise is required.

The Scottish Government’s Respiratory Care Action Plan (RCAP) sets out our priorities from 2021 to 2026 for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions. A number of areas included in the RCAP are broad priorities requiring continuous work rather than finite commitments that can be completed.

We have undertaken action against every area of the Plan.

To give just some examples, significant steps have been taken on preventing respiratory disease with the launch of the Cleaner Air for Scotland Strategy, Warmer Homes Strategy and the refreshed Tobacco Action Plan that have their own specific recommendations and targets, and all of which embed respiratory prevention into wider Scottish Government policy.

In 2024, we published the Quality Prescribing Strategy for Respiratory: A Guide for Improvement 2024-2027 that sets out our ambitions for better access to respiratory care. This can be found here --https://www.gov.scot/publications/quality-prescribing-strategy-respiratory-guide-improvement-2024-2027

The Centre for Sustainable Delivery based at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital is developing national patient pathways for respiratory conditions including severe asthma, COPD and sleep apnoea. This work aligns closely with the commitments in the RCAP.