Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-01295

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what level of grant per property will be made available to assist homeowners to achieve an EPC rating of band C or better by 2025.

Question reference: S6W-08990

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS National Services Scotland has spent on the purchase of (a) PPE items and (b) lateral flow tests that were provided to unpaid carers in each month since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, also broken down by financial year.

Question reference: S6W-09002

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital beds there have been in NHS Fife in each of the last 10 years.

A set of data tables for the most recent and historical hospital bed numbers for each board is available in the annual PHS publication, which was released on 28 September 2021, which be found at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual-annual-year-ending-31-march-2021/

Data is available from financial year 2011-12 to financial year 2020-21. Hospital beds data is presented in the Table 4 – beds data file, and the measure of interest is Average Available Staffed Beds for All Specialties.

A set of data tables for the most recent and historical hospital bed numbers for each board is available in the annual PHS publication, which was released on 28 September 2021, which be found at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual/acute-hospital-activity-and-nhs-beds-information-annual-annual-year-ending-31-march-2021/

Data is available from financial year 2011-12 to financial year 2020-21. Hospital beds data is presented in the Table 4 – beds data file, and the measure of interest is Average Available Staffed Beds for All Specialties.

Question reference: S6W-09006

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the #LiveableNHSBursary campaign led by medical students, which includes calls for access to full maintenance loans for medical students in line with other professional healthcare courses, access to the NHS Learning Support Fund for medical students and a review of Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses, in light of the cost of living crisis.

The #LiveableNHSBursary campaign is focused on the situation faced by latter years medical students studying in England which is something we are unable to comment on. Scottish domiciled medical students are eligible for the standard student support package which is comprised of tuition fees and living cost support throughout all 5 or 6 years of their medical degree. Furthermore in February 2002 a £350 loan uplift for 2022-23 for higher education students was announced. This means that the most disadvantaged students can access £8,100 per year through bursary and loan and the Scottish Government remains committed that the total student support package reaches the equivalent of the Living Wage over the next three years.

In Scotland medical ACT is currently used to fund Travel and Subsistence for students in all regions and this is monitored in light of the changing economic climate and impact of locus of student placements in remote/rural settings.

Question reference: S6W-09082

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what scope there is for NHS boards to accept the results of tests carried out privately at the request of a patient.

If a patient chooses to purchase a test from a private provider, we recommend that they discuss the test’s suitability and their approach with their clinician. It would ultimately be the decision of their clinician whether to accept the result, based on the available evidence and their knowledge of the patient’s clinical history.

Specifically in relation to COVID-19 testing, as set out in our Test and Protect transition plan for any purpose which COVID-19 testing continues to be advised we will ensure that these tests remain available free of charge. This includes testing that is advised as part of a patient’s clinical care and to protect higher risk settings such as hospitals.

Question reference: S6W-09041

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported shortage, what action it is taking to recruit more gastroenterology clinicians.

In March 2022 we published, in partnership with CoSLA, the National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care. The Strategy outlines our shared vision for the workforce, a sustainable, skilled workforce with attractive career choices where all are respected and valued for the work they do. This vision supports our tripartite ambition of Recovery, Growth and Transformation.

As part of this additional training places have been created in Gastroenterology through the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group. One extra post was created in 2014, with a further 10 having been established in 2022. All additional places have filled successfully.

The Scottish Government is also investing £11 million over the next 5 years in new national and international recruitment campaigns. As part of that investment, a new national Centre for Workforce Supply has been established which will support the development and implementation of resource strategies and services across the system.

To ensure all Health Boards have sufficient capacity, planning guidance has been issued to support the production of new Three Year Workforce Plans, supported by local systems’ workforce data.

As part of this all Health Boards must consider local population health needs and projected service demand, using that information to assess current staffing capacity and any relevant staffing gaps in all specialties including gastroenterology.

At national level, we will use this intelligence to inform new staffing projections for health and social care, which will be published in the coming year as part of the National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care.

Question reference: S6W-09027

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that every person being treated for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia has equal access to a clinical nurse specialist from the point of diagnosis so that they have the tailored support that they require.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia are able access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

The Transforming Cancer Care Programme (TCC), where the Scottish Government is working in partnership with Macmillan, aims to ensure that every cancer patient in Scotland has access to a specialist key support worker, who can provide emotional, financial and practical support to those who need it most.

This service will also benefit clinicians, by freeing up time that may have been spent providing this support, and means they will have more time to offer direct medical and clinical support to patients.

Question reference: S6W-09080

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps NHS Grampian is taking to clear waiting lists for oncology patients to ensure that treatment can always begin within recommended guidelines.

NHS Grampian, like all boards, continues to see an increasing number of eligible cancer referrals and our priority is to ensure these patients receive cancer diagnosis and treatments safely and based on their clinical urgency.

We’re investing £40m over 5 years to support cancer services and improve cancer waiting times, with a focus on clearing any long waits and on the most challenged cancer pathways including urology, colorectal and breast.

Question reference: S6W-09045

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for implementation of the decarbonised railway line between Stranraer and Girvan; what work has been carried out on this, and what progress has been made.

Question reference: S6W-09039

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the average weekly cost per person is of (a) a hospital stay, (b) residential care home provision and (c) providing care at their own home.

While the average weekly cost per person per week in each of these settings is not directly comparable, published data is available as follows;

The average weekly costs per person of (a) a hospital stay for inpatients across all specialities and all hospitals in 2019-20, the latest year for which data is available, can be found in table R105. Data files - Finance - Data & intelligence from PHS (isdscotland.org)

The average weekly costs per person of (b) residential care home provision in 2021 is contained in the 'funding and charges section' of Care home census for adults in Scotland Statistics for 2011 to 2021 Dashboard - Care home census for adults in Scotland - Statistics for 2011 to 2021 (full release) - Care home census for adults in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland

The average weekly cost per person of (c) providing care at their own home is not held centrally.

Seòmar agus comataidhean