Tess White

23 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report in The Scotsman on 2 July 2024, which stated that the Scotland director of the Royal College of Nursing Scotland had said that they are experiencing a "stress and anxiety crisis", what action it is taking to support the mental health of health and social care work…

Answer · Maree Todd: Scottish Government funding of over £2.5m has been committed to support the mental health and wellbeing of health and care staff in 2024-25. These resources include a 24/7 compassionate listening service, confidential mental health treatment through the Workf…

23 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with NHS boards to improve the stability and reliability of IT services, including the GP Vision system, in light of reports that some GPs are experiencing performance issues with this.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the care and wellbeing of people through the best use of digital technologies. We work closely with NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), who manage the rollout of the new national GP IT System, ‘Vision’ …

17 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the pause on providing gender-affirming hormones for under-18s, what discussions it has had with (a) the Chief Medical Officer and (b) NHS clinicians regarding reports that there has been a significant rise in the number of testosterone prescriptions for women.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Decisions on prescribing medicines are a matter of clinical judgement for the prescribing clinician in consultation with their patient. These should be based on individual clinical need, informed by relevant advice such as that issued by the General Medical C…

17 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many certificates of exemption for XL Bully dogs have been issued each month.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: As set out in The Dangerous Dogs (Compensation and Exemption Schemes) (Scotland) Order 2024 , from 1 August 2024 it is illegal to own an XL Bully dog in Scotland without a certificate of exemption, or without having applied for a certificate of exemption wh…

17 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the findings of the research that it commissioned into the long-term health outcomes of people accessing gender identity healthcare, which is being administered by the University of Glasgow, will be published.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government grant to the University of Glasgow for this purpose funds one PhD studentship and a number of small projects. The projects are currently at different stages, outputs from some of the projects are expected before the end of the year and…

17 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date Healthcare Improvement Scotland will publish the national healthcare standards.

Answer · Neil Gray: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is the national health and social care improvement organisation for Scotland which develops standards and indicators to support health and social care organisations improve the quality of care and support they deliver. T…

17 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported rise in cases of pertussis (whooping cough) from four in 2021 to more than 5,000 in 2024 so far.

Answer · Jenni Minto: In response to the increasing number of laboratory-confirmed cases of pertussis that have been reported in Scotland as well as other parts of the UK and Europe, the Scottish Government is working closely with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and NHS Maternity Ser…

19 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported increase in COVID-19 cases between May and June 2024, and what its position is on whether the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations during the winter vaccination programme was sufficient.

Answer · Jenni Minto: As part of the 2023- 24 COVID-19 and flu winter vaccination programme NHS Scotland delivered over 3.57 million winter vaccines, including 1,387,766 COVID-19 vaccines. Uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines dropped across all groups, but remained strong in the highes…

19 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on student finance for nursing and midwifery students, in light of reported concerns by both the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwifery in Scotland regarding the viability of these courses.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government understands the financial challenges faced by all students, including nursing and midwifery students, and recognise that this has been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. The Scottish Government package of support for Scottish s…

4 Jun 2024 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will review the process for admitting visitors to the public gallery in the chamber.

3 Jun 2024 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will prevent further GP practice closures, in light of reports that the number of surgeries has declined in every NHS board since 2015.

29 May 2024 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 since it came into force on 1 April 2024.

20 May 2024 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that no NHS board has implemented placental growth factor-based testing for pre-eclampsia, in light of it having been recommended in March 2023 by the Scottish Health Technologies Group.

13 May 2024 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent BMA Scotland survey, which found that 30 GP practices consider their position to be "precarious" following the pausing of the GP Sustainability Loan Scheme.

9 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards implementing the Women's Health Plan since the Second Annual Report on Progress was published in January 2024.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Women’s Health Plan sets out the Scottish Government’s ambition for Women’s Health which is that ‘women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives’ - this ambition is not limited to the lifespan of the current Plan. The current it…

9 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any recent assessment with clinicians of the effectiveness of BMI as an indicator of health, especially in relation to the diagnosis of eating disorders.

Answer · Jenni Minto: NHS Scotland uses the internationally accepted categories for BMI to categorise people’s weight in relation to their health. BMI should not be used as a single defining measurement but as part of a holistic assessment alongside other criteria to help inform b…

9 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards publishing Scotland's first Flood Resilience Strategy in 2024.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government launched a public consultation on the Flood Resilience Strategy on Tuesday 21 May. The consultation will run for 12 weeks and seeks views on our approach to improving flood resilience and what actions are needed in the long term to mak…

9 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce has met in 2024, and what was discussed.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce has met twice in 2024, on 17 January and on 13 March, and three times in 2023, on 16 November, 29 November, and 13 December. Taskforce members discussed flood recovery actions undertaken by the Scottish Government and by …

9 May 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held discussions with (a) local authorities and (b) COSLA regarding updating the Supporting transgender young people in schools guidance, in light of the findings of the final report of the Cass Review, which was published in April 2024.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the Supporting Transgender Young People in School guidance remains up to date and fit for purpose. As with any significant legal or policy developments, we will consider whether the guidance requires to be upda…

11 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS boards to introduce tests to detect nitazenes in patients attending hospital with an overdose.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: There are standard procedures in place in hospitals across Scotland for treating patients who present with an overdose, regardless of the substance involved. Scottish Government has supported the introduction of a new surveillance study, operating from the a…

11 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with its partners to support farmers in the North East Scotland region who are affected by accumulative heavy rainfall, which is reportedly damaging crops and having a potentially devastating impact on the lambing season.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: We recognise the ongoing impact that adverse weather conditions are having on Scotland’s agricultural industry – conditions that are a direct result of climate change. The poor weather conditions experienced in the early spring will be presenting challenges …

3 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the refreshed guidance on mobile phone use in schools will be published, and whether this guidance will follow the approach set out in the UK Government Department for Education February 2024 guidance, Mobile phones in schools, which emphasises t…

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Updated guidance on the use of mobile phone technologies in schools will be published in the coming weeks. The current guidance to education authorities and schools on this issue remains available from Guidance on Developing Policies to Promote the Safe and …

3 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting (a) NHS Grampian and (b) other NHS boards to increase theatre capacity, in light of reports that this has been cited as a significant factor in not achieving the target of providing first treatment within 62 days of an urgent suspected cancer referral.

Answer · Neil Gray: Cancer remains a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland, with urgent suspicion of cancer referrals continuing to be prioritised. NHS Grampian provided a 62 day performance improvement plan with an associated £973,764 funding…

2 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme, including whether, as part of this programme, any decisions have been taken in relation to changes to the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.

Answer · Maree Todd: We will shortly be publishing an initial delivery plan for work being taken forward under the Mental Health and Capacity Reform Programme. The plan will set out a range of actions that are either underway or planned in the period up to April 2025, against the…

2 Apr 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of NHS weight management services in preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes, in light of the reportedly significant increase in referrals since 2019.

Answer · Jenni Minto: At present, no assessment has been made of the effectiveness of NHS weight management services in preventing and reversing type 2 diabetes. However, it is encouraging that increases in referrals to weight management services has been reported in the latest st…

21 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of any impact of the expansion of Hospital at Home, announced on 24 October 2023, on reducing the pressures facing the Scottish Ambulance Service, and how much of the £12 million earmarked for the expansion has been allocated to each NHS board.

Answer · Neil Gray: From the £12 million earmarked to expand Hospital at Home and provide additional capacity over winter, we have confirmed funding of more than £3.5 million, of which the majority of health Boards will get a share, for delivery of additional capacity in 2023-24…

21 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the waiting time for a colonoscopy once a patient is notified that further investigation is required after returning a bowel screening test.

Answer · Neil Gray: Our priority is to ensure those people referred for suspected cancer or via screening programmes receive the appropriate diagnosis and treatment safely, based on their clinical urgency. To specifically support scope-based diagnostics, we have published a £70m…

21 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported cyber attack that took place on NHS Dumfries and Galloway on 15 March 2024, how it is working with (a) all NHS boards, (b) Police Scotland and (c) the National Cyber Security Centre, to ensure that NHS IT systems are not compromised further by similar attacks.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government continues to support NHS Dumfries and Galloway respond to the cyber-attack through the provision of the Scottish multi-agency cyber incident support arrangements. These arrangements bring national agencies, including the National Cyber…

21 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, following the changes to the delivery of inoculations in the 2018 Scottish GMS Contract, whether it was anticipated that courses of B12 injections prescribed over a series of days and weeks would be delivered in central vaccination centres by Health and Social Care Partnerships, rather …

Answer · Jenni Minto: While the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, legal responsibility for service delivery rests locally with Health Boards and their healthcare professionals. As part of the service redesign under the GP contract, the focus is…

21 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Police Scotland to disrupt the (a) supply and (b) distribution of super-strong synthetic opioids in Scotland.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government and its partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce - which includes Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency - oversee work to address the threats highlighted in the Scottish Multi-Agency Strategic Threat Assessment. Decis…