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101 inspections have been undertaken by SEPA at hospitals across the country with respect to their on-site waste storage facilities, since the contract with Healthcare Environmental Services Ltd ended.

Inspections of off-site storage areas have also taken place but the associated figures are not held centrally.

SEPA has received 5 allegations of breaches of protocol at hospitals since the contract with Healthcare Environmental Services ended. Some of these referenced waste storage facilities at more than one hospital site.

ISD Scotland routinely publishes data on average available staffed beds in its “Acute Hospital Activity and NHS Beds Information (Annual)” publication. The latest annual publication released on 10 September 2019 gives bed numbers back to 2009-10 and can be found at the following link:

https://beta.isdscotland.org/find-publications-and-data/health-services/hospital-care/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual/

Previous releases of this publication containing bed numbers for 2007-08 and 2008-09 (published 7 November 2017) can be found at the following link:

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Hospital-Care/Publications/index.asp

In line with our participation in the Open Government Partnership, we have worked with the public, Civil Society and Local Government to design two action plans that contain commitments designed to improve the transparency, openness, accountability and citizen participation in Scotland’s governance. The first plan was delivered in 2017 and the second plan is in the implementation phase. There is not a single defined format for all advisory groups, forums, partnerships, boards and task forces, because of their varying nature, however, we actively work to ensure that citizens are integral to the design of our policies.

The National Advisory Group for Chronic Pain (NACCP), and similar groups for other specialties, provide advice to the Scottish Government to inform policy development. The NACCP’s membership includes representation from across the clinical community, third sector, academia, NHS Boards and Integrated Authorities. Minutes of NACCP meetings are published on the Scottish Government website here .

There are currently two vacancies on NACCP for people with lived experience, which has provided an opportunity to re-think how lived experience is represented. We recognise the challenges for one or two individuals to contribute the voices of multiple conditions and circumstances beyond personal experience. We have therefore asked the Health and Social Care Alliance to facilitate the creation of an independent lived experience consultation group for chronic pain that will enable meaningful input across Scottish Government policy areas, including the NACCP. This group met for the first time on 27 February 2020 and development of its terms of reference is based on a co-production approach, which also includes defining its representation on the NACCP.

Since the introduction of PACS Tier Two process in June 2018 there has been one appeal from a clinician in NHS Highland.

From 1 June 2018 when the PACS Tier Two process was introduced up until to 31 March 2019, there was 222 medicine requests accepted, 26 medicine requests not accepted and 10 medicine requests deferred.

From the current year 1 April 2019 to 31 December 2019 there has been 250 medicine requests accepted, 18 medicine requests not accepted and 4 medicine requests deferred.

A full list of members of the Women’s Health Group can be found on the Women’s Health Plan page of the Scottish Government website using the following link: https://www.gov.scot/groups/womens-health-plan-womens-health-group/ Those members who are obstetricians have specific experience and expertise in dealing with pre-eclampsia. Papers including approved minutes of meetings will also be published on the website.

Each NHS Board has an appointed Waste Management Officer or Manager whose responsibilities include promotion of best practice in waste management and recycling. They work closely with clinical and estate colleagues to ensure that the appropriate waste collection infrastructure is in place and that correct use if promoted throughout the Board.

At a national level, NHS National Services Scotland provides a range of professional advice and support to all NHS Boards in relation to waste management and sustainability, including development of national best practice guidance such as the NHSScotland Waste Management Action Plan, training programmes, and procurement advice. These services are provided primarily through Health Facilities Scotland (HFS) via its Energy and Sustainability Team and NHSScotland National Procurement.

In terms of specific actions relating to anaesthetic services, the Health Facilities Scotland Energy and Sustainability Team works with organisations such as the Association of Anaesthetists Great Britain and Northern Ireland to raise awareness of climate change and sustainability issues and to promote sustainable best practice.

The Scottish Ambulance Service has advised they do not hold this information.

The number of places which have been made available to study childcare and adult social care qualifications is not held centrally. The Scottish Social Services Council gathers data on the provision and uptake of Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in Health and Social Care and Children’s Care Learning and Development in Scotland and the latest report can be found at https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-publications/20-svq-reports .