Parliamentary questions
Douglas Lumsden
1,891 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, how it is supporting the expansion of community-based healthcare hubs in rural areas.
Answer · Neil Gray: The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care is working with Health Boards and Health and Social Care partnerships to drive improvements in sustainability, and the capability of remote, rural and island primary and community care services, avoidin…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what agreement it has with the UK Governmentregarding accessing essential data from UK departments that is required fordevolved policy areas; when this was last reviewed, and what plans there are toupdate this.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Whenever personal data is shared, the processing must comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The UK GDPR requires the careful assessment of compliance with the key principles of the legislation on a case by case basis. This means dem…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many times in each of the last five years has a request by it to a UK Government department for data been (a) denied and (b) delayed, broken down by department; what steps were taken to resolve the issue, and what the outcome was, also broken down by data specifically in relation to …
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested centrally. Where data sharing agreements are put in place under certain data sharing powers in Part 5 of the Digital Economy Act 2017, these are recorded on a register of information which can be…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how often healthcare needs assessments are conducted in rural areas, and what changes have been implemented in the last 10 years as a result.
Answer · Maree Todd: It is the responsibility of integration authorities to carry out joint needs assessments as part of their strategic planning process. This information is therefore not held centrally.
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors any inequalities in access to healthcare between rural and urban areas.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government are determined to tackle poverty and reduce health inequalities in Scotland - continuing to take wide ranging action to deliver improved outcomes for families and individuals across the country and to address the root causes of inequal…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32696 by Angela Constance on 13 January 2025, whether it will ask the chief constable of Police Scotland to provide the information that was requested.
Answer · Angela Constance: I can confirm that I have written to the Chief Constable to draw the attention of her and her colleagues to the recent range of questions lodged on the use of e-bikes and e-scooters.
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how often it reviews healthcare service provision in rural areas to ensure that it meets the needs of local communities.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government expects and relies on our Integrated Joint Boards and Health Boards to plan and deliver services to meet the needs of local populations. Local planning is expected to take account of the particular needs of these populations, and decis…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how funding for healthcare services is allocated to rural areas compared with the funding allocated to urban areas.
Answer · Neil Gray: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33541 on 27 January 2025.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-com…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32584 by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm what the average ticket price currently is for passengers on Caledonian Sleeper services, and how this compares with the average subsidy…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32584 on 14 January 2025. 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-committe…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to provide financial support for rural patients requiring regular travel to urban hospitals for treatment.
Answer · Neil Gray: The patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes provide financial assistance for patients and authorised escorts travelling to hospital appointments, according to eligibility criteria and medical requirements.The focus of the schemes is the provision of fin…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is addressing the aging population in rural areas and the potential impact on healthcare services.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government recognises the positive contribution older people make to their communities. We aim to enable better access to services for older people as and when they need them, and to ensure people are financially secure and supported as they age.…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to make emergency surgery accessible to patients in rural areas.
Answer · Neil Gray: Throughout NHS Scotland, patients who require urgent or emergency surgery will always be given clinical priority as determined by the clinicians involved in their treatment and care.In the event that a patient requires transport to an appropriate facility for…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role community hospitals play in delivering healthcare services in rural areas, and whether any have been closed or downgraded in the last five years.
Answer · Neil Gray: Community hospitals are an essential part of the health and social care system, providing a wide range of services. Where possible they should be embedded in local communities and when major service changes are proposed, the Scottish Government seeks assuranc…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specific support is provided to rural pharmacies to ensure access to essential medications and services.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government continue to support all community pharmacy contractors, including rural pharmacies in Scotland by delivering the largest ever increase to funding for two years in a row. This settlement will deliver a total of £422 million in gua…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to expand maternity services in rural areas.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to provide maternity services that are delivered as close to home as practicable and to offer a full range of birth place options within their region. Service planning and delivery is the responsibility of NHS Bo…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to rural NHS boards for the development of innovative healthcare delivery models.
Answer · Neil Gray: The NRAC (resource allocation formula) is an objective measure of the need for health care services across Scotland. The current formula, which was established in 2005, considers the population share of each Board adjusted for the age/sex composition of the p…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what targeted mental health support services are available to rural farmers and agricultural workers.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the challenges facing the agricultural industry in Scotland and we have been working closely with third sector partners to provide a range of mental health supports for farmers and agriculture workers.We have provid…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the implementation of its Digital Health and Care Strategy addresses any challenges in rural communities.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government recognises the opportunities of digital options in health and social care, particularly in rural areas where such services can help to reduce travel and address potential inequality. The Digital Health and Care Strategy’s Deliver…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to improve diagnostic services in rural healthcare facilities.
Answer · Neil Gray: This year we invested £30m which is driving targeted action to address the longest delays. This will see around 24,000 New Outpatient Appointments and Inpatient/ Day-Case procedures as well as over 40,000 diagnostic procedures. The funding has included …
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what provisions are in place for palliative care in rural areas, and how it compares with those in urban settings.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone who needs it can access well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care, care around dying and bereavement support regardless of geographical location.As part of the development of the S…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any financial incentives are offered to healthcare professionals working in remote and rural areas.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has a number of incentives already in place, amongst which is the Scottish Distant Island Allowance (SDIA), an addition to salary which supports staff with the costs of travelling to and from the mainland. NHS staff who work in the maj…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to reduce patient travel times in rural areas for specialist healthcare appointments.
Answer · Neil Gray: In order to provide high quality services to all patients NHS Scotland plans and delivers some services on a national or regional basis. This is particularly the case for highly specialist treatments and those with low numbers of cases.We have convened an NHS…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives are in place to support rural healthcare professionals in accessing training and professional development opportunities.
Answer · Neil Gray: Healthcare support workers in Scotland, by agreement from their employers, can enrol on the HNC in Healthcare Practice at their local college and can then progress to the nursing degree programme currently provided by the Open University, enabling them to rem…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to address any recruitment and retention challenges for dental professionals in rural areas.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government has committed to improving access to NHS dental services with a £65.2 million(14%) funding increase for primary care dental services in the 2025-26 draft budget, bringing the total funding to over £500 million.Recent data f…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it keeps emergency response times in rural areas comparable to emergency response times in urban areas.
Answer · Neil Gray: It is the responsibility of the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure that response times are as quick as possible, regardless of geography.The Scottish Ambulance Service completed a full review of Demand and Capacity across Scotland at the end of 2019 which i…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding is allocated to mental health services in rural areas, and how it compares with urban settings.
Answer · Maree Todd: NHS Boards will allocate funding for local mental health services from the overall funds provided to them by the Scottish Government. Boards have responsibility for working with their partners to ensure local budget decisions deliver local and national priori…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve cancer care services in rural areas to ensure equitable access.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government published our Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 along with an initial three year Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026 in June 2023. Over a 10-year period, our strategic aim is to improve cancer survival and provide ex…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it provides equitable access to healthcare services in rural areas, compared with urban areas.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is committed to developing a sustainable health and social care system that ensures people get the right care, at the right time, in the right place.Our vision is for ‘a Scotland where people live longer, healthy and fulfilling l…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specific challenges have been identified in delivering healthcare in remote and rural areas, and what measures are being taken to address these.
Answer · Neil Gray: Challenges in delivering healthcare vary across Scotland due to population needs, as a result there is not a one-size fits all solution.Work is already underway to progress reforms to ensure long-term sustainability, reduce health inequalities, deliver servic…
16 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GP practices in rural areas have closed in each of the last five years, and what steps are being taken to replace any practices that have closed.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many GP practices in rural areas have closed in each of the last five years. NHS Boards are responsible for managing their contracts with GP practices and determining, with Health & Social Care Part…