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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.

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Question reference: S6W-14334

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Chief Dental Officer (CDO) advisory group, what work the group has undertaken, what the outcomes have been of this work, and whether the group has made any recommendations to the Scottish Government in relation to NHS Dental Services.

The CDO Advisory Group have met on four occasions from October 2022 to December 2022. The minutes from the Advisory Group workshops, and copies of all papers provided to the group, are publicly available and can be viewed online at: Updated 17/01 – CDO Advisory Group – Meeting Papers | Scottish Dental .

A working draft of a revised Determination I of the Statement of Dental Remuneration (NHS care and treatment items), which has been developed by the Scottish Government following the advice of Advisory Group members, is also available online at: Reform of NHS Dental Services – Determination I Working Draft | Scottish Dental .

Question reference: S6W-14250

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the training places for nurses, midwives and doctors that it committed to support in its National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care are currently available; how many applications there have been for them, and how many places have been taken up.

The Scottish Government set an intake target of 4,837 fully funded places on nursing and midwifery programmes for the academic year 2022-23. For academic year 2022-23 4,368 students have enrolled on pre-registration programmes.

We have also increased the intake target for Scotland’s medical school programmes to 1,317 in academic year (AY) 2022-23, an increase of 279 places since AY 2020-21. Management data provided by universities show that 1296 of the 1317 places were filled. The difference between the actual intake and the target intake is a result of minor under recruitment by Universities, however this is within expected tolerances.

The rise in places continues the expansion funded by the Scottish Government that has taken place since 2016. In total, the medical intake has increased from 848 in 2015-16 to 1,296 in 2022-23, representing a 53% increase. A further 100 places will be added in the academic year 2023-24, progressing our Programme for Government (PfG) commitment to increase medical undergraduate places by 500 places,

As students can apply for up to five different programmes through UCAS, data on the number of individual applicants to nursing, midwifery or medical programmes is unavailable.

Question reference: S6W-14289

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the stroke care guidelines were last updated.

I refer the member to the answers to question S6W-06004 on 10 February 2022, and question S6W-06005 on 8 February 2022. 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 .

The Royal College of Physicians Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party (ICSWP) is leading development of the 6th edition of the National Clinical Guideline for Stroke. The next edition of the guideline is expected to be published in April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-14184

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that 1,300 charities are facing closure within the next 12 months due to the cost of living crisis, and whether it will provide details of any support it plans to offer such charities.

The Scottish Government values the important role of Scotland’s third sector in working across communities to tackle tough social issues at source.

We recognise the impact of rising operating costs across society, including on charities and voluntary organisations in the third sector. We continue to invest widely in the third sector and have committed to increasing multiyear funding wherever possible.

Under Fairer Funding principles, multiyear arrangements for third sector organisations are preferred where appropriate, and we are committed to multiyear grants being the default position. This will allow us to work in partnership to design and deliver the kind of transformation our communities need to be fit for the future, whilst ensuring public services are sustainable.

We know from the longitudinal survey we support through the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations that 92% of those surveyed are confident that they will still be operating in 12 months’ time.

Question reference: S6F-01775

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6W-13882

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13242 by Humza Yousaf on 11 January 2022, whether it has any plans to produce the cost information related to delayed discharge for the NHS again in the future.

Question reference: S6W-13936

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many psychiatrists undertook specialist training to work with children and young people in (a) 2013 and (b) 2017.

Question reference: S6W-13939

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many inpatient beds there are for children and adolescents with mental health problems, broken down by hospital.

There are currently 54 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) inpatient beds across Scotland for children and adolescents.

Forty eight of these beds are commissioned on a regional basis. These are split across:

NHS Tayside at Dudhope Young People’s Inpatient Unit - 12 beds;
NHS Lothian at Melville Young People’s Mental Health Unit - 12 beds;
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde at Skye House Adolescent Inpatient Unit - 24 beds.

These units admit children and young people from Health Boards in that region, with the flexibility to admit from other regions if the unit closest to a child or young person is full.

Additionally, the National Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit in the Glasgow Royal Hospital for Children has 6 beds for children under 12 years and admits children from across Scotland, based on clinical need.

Question reference: S6W-13935

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many psychiatrists are currently in specialist training to work with children and young people.

Question reference: S6W-13940

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it is taking to provide additional provision, including more inpatient beds, for children and young people who require support for a mental health issue.

In February 2020, Scottish Government published the National Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Service Specification which outlines provisions young people and their families can expect from the NHS.

Following recommendations made in Mental Welfare Commission reports, Scottish Government commissioned a national review of existing provision for young people under 18 years who had needs and risks that required intensive psychiatric care. This review published its findings in June 2021 and recommended purpose-built regional units adjacent to existing inpatient services.

As a follow-up, Scottish Government is supporting the development of three regional Intensive Psychiatric Care Units (IPCUs) to be hosted within NHS Lothian, Tayside and Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The provision of intensive psychiatric care beds will expand the inpatient estate and also ease pressures on existing adolescent inpatient services, as these will ensure young people are accessing the appropriate care and treatment when required.

Scottish Government has also commissioned Foxgrove, the new CAMHS National Secure Adolescent Inpatient Service for Scotland (NSAIS) which is currently under construction. The Unit will be on the Ayrshire Central Hospital campus in Irvine, North Ayrshire and will provide secure mental health care for young people from across Scotland.

Similarly, Scottish Government is in the process of commissioning a CAMHS national inpatient service for children and young people with learning disabilities.

This work sits alongside our investment in prevention and early intervention support for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. For example, local authorities report that over 38,000 children, young people and parents/carers benefitted from our £15 million per annum investment in community supports and services in the first six months of 2022 alone; and young people now have access to a school counsellor in every secondary school in Scotland.