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COVID-19 vaccines are recommended in pregnancy. Vaccination is the best way to protect against the known risks of COVID-19 in pregnancy for both women and babies.

NHS inform have a dedicated page for pregnancy and the COVID-19 vaccine. Details on how pregnant people book their COVID-19 vaccines/booster can be found here www.nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccinepregnancy

The Scottish Government Marketing Team are continuing to promote vaccine uptake in pregnancy and if planning a pregnancy through a targeted marketing campaign. The COVID-19 vaccine explainer video also covers pregnancy and is available in a range of different community languages. More information can also be found in the above link.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-09460 on 13 July 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 Heart Disease Action Plan (2021), sets out a strategic vision to ensure that everyone with suspected heart disease in Scotland has equitable access to timely and evidence-based diagnosis, treatment and care. Priority 2 in the plan contains a focus on improving access to diagnostics, including imaging.

There are no Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines for takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The decision to create, update and/or replace any SIGN guideline is made independently by the Evidence Directorate Work Programme Committee in Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). Any group or individual can propose a guideline topic to SIGN. Guideline topics are selected on the basis of burden of disease, the existence of variation in practice, and the potential to improve outcomes.

Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is not currently directly funding research into Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, though there is an active programme of research into this condition led by the University of Aberdeen. This research has taken place with Scotland-wide recruitment of participants with the support of NHS Research and Development which is funded by CSO.

The following table shows the number of properties purchased in the last 5 years in each category under the Open Market Shared Equity scheme. This information is voluntarily provided by the purchaser and in some cases, purchasers may fall into more than one category.

COVID-19 vaccines are recommended in pregnancy. Vaccination is the best way to protect against the known risks of COVID-19 in pregnancy for both women and babies.

Public Health Scotland have created animations for minority ethnic audiences which include information on vaccinations and pregnancy. These videos, information and other assets are shared routinely with partners representing minority ethnic communities in Scotland for cascading.

Our COVID-19 vaccine explainer video also covers pregnancy and is available in a range of different community languages.

COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinics have been held in maternity clinics in a number of health boards. This allows people to get vaccinated in a safe and trusted space, after having any concerns or questions answered by an expert health practitioner.

The Scottish Government Marketing Team are continuing to promote vaccine uptake in pregnancy and if planning a pregnancy through a targeted marketing campaign. To find out more visit www.nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccinepregnancy

The information requested is not yet publically available.

Scotland’s first three Early Cancer Diagnostic Centres (ECDC) are pilots to help inform wider roll-out of an optimal model for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer.

All three Centres are using a nationally agreed minimum data-set, capturing patient identifiable data locally. A sub-section of this data will be published by the three Boards later this Summer to mark one-year since the early adopter sites were established.

Meanwhile, work is underway with Public Health Scotland to scope and progress the national data collection of ECDCs as more sites are expected to come on-stream.

Through the ClimateXChange centre of expertise the Scottish Government has received expert advice on the use of animal feed additives which have the potential to reduce methane emissions. This advice has suggested that more data are needed to assess the full potential of feed additives and feed materials in reducing methane emissions from livestock.

FSS and FSA are responsible for assessing animal feed safety in GB. Any new innovative feed material would be considered through the feed risk analysis process. For feed additives these are products that require to be authorised by the GB regulated product process before they can be sold and used in animal feed in GB and may only be used for the purpose stated in the authorisation. The FSA and FSS carry out the risk analysis process for regulated products such as feed additives and provide advice to Ministers who decide whether the product can be placed on the market in England, Wales and Scotland. Feed additives intended to reduce methane production in ruminants are new and highly innovative feed additives and within the GB regulated products application process are being categorised and risk assessed as; zootechnical feed additives under the functional group ‘as substances which favourably affect the environment’.

Work is currently underway to deliver our 2021-22 Programme for Government commitment that “by 2026, every GP Practice will have access to a mental health and wellbeing service, funding 1,000 additional dedicated staff who can help grow community mental health resilience and direct social prescribing”.

While each area has the flexibility to develop services to meet the needs of their own local communities, the Scottish Government has been clear on the need for multi-disciplinary teams who will provide assessment, advice, support and some levels of treatment for people who have mental health, distress or wellbeing needs.

These teams could include Occupational Therapists, Mental Health Nurses, Psychologists, Enhanced Practitioners, Peer Support Workers as well as linking to others such as those providing financial advice, exercise coaches, family support networks. Every service should ensure that it provides access to a link worker to support wellbeing.

This commitment builds on the significant progress that has already been made through Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-27, where 356.1 WTE posts have been recruited to GP settings; and the Primary Care Improvement Fund, which at March 2022 has seen a total of 260 recruited.

The Scottish Government published the Learning/Intellectual Disabilities and Autism: Towards Transformation Plan in March 2021. The plan looks at the actions needed to shape supports, services and attitudes to ensure that the human rights of autistic people and people with learning disabilities are respected and protected and that they are empowered to live their lives, the same as everyone else.

In the plan we have committed to work with Inspiring Scotland 'Support in the Right Direction' and other partners to ensure that more people with learning disabilities access their rights under the Social Work (Self Directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 to direct their own support. With the aim of providing as much freedom and choice in directing that support as they want in order to achieve their own outcomes.

We are also working with strategic partners such as Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) who have been commissioned to gather and provide insights into different approaches to the redesign of learning disability day services and recognition of the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has created for service users, their families and service providers, including where there are changes to delivery models away from building-based services.

Fair Start Scotland Service Providers offer specialist support for people with learning disabilities and those who are neuro-diverse, as well as the opportunity to access Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and Supported Employment where this would be of benefit to the individual.

IPS (Individual Placement and Support) and Supported Employment are integral parts of the Scottish employability support landscape. Independent reviews of each model within Fair Start Scotland were commissioned by the Scottish Government and are due to be published by autumn 2022. These reviews will allow us to build on success factors, whilst identifying areas for improvement to ensure the continuation of this vital element of support for individuals as they move towards and into work.

The Scottish Government is currently carrying out a review of PDR in Scotland. This is being taken forward in phases, with each phase focussing on new/extended PDR for specific development types. We have committed to consider updated PDR for renewable energy apparatus – including non-domestic solar – as part of the review programme and we will consult on proposals for change in due course.