Parliamentary questions
Carol Mochan
846 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many allied health professionals (AHPs) have accessed AHP courses through the Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP) in each of the last five years.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Data on the number of Scottish Domiciled entrants to full-time first degree Allied Health Profession (AHP) courses at Scottish providers is collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Scottish Domiciled full-time first degree entrants to alli…
7 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with East Ayrshire Council regarding future upgrades to the Bellfield Interchange in Kilmarnock.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The most recent discussions that Transport Scotland has had with East Ayrshire Council regarding Bellfield Interchange were in 2022. Transport Scotland has engaged with the Council throughout the preparation of the forthcoming second Local Development Plan (L…
7 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage prospective students to consider podiatry as a career.
Answer · Neil Gray: As part of our work to develop a sustainable healthcare workforce, we continue to look for opportunities to increase levels of student attraction to healthcare professions. Careers in NHS Scotland are promoted on the NHS Education Scotland NHS careers website…
7 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration it has given to any impact on care experienced young people who have to travel long distances from their home to the colleges that provide the education and training for their apprenticeships.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26060 on 20 March 2024. 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-committee…
7 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent consideration it has given to any (a) financial and (b) social impact on apprentices who do not live close to the colleges that provide the education and training that they need to complete their course.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Apprentices are employees and can undertake training in a college, and will also undertake a significant amount of work-based learning in their working environment as they progress through their apprenticeship. Funding contributions for Modern Apprentices ar…
7 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to support the provision of training for traditional building apprenticeships locally, as opposed to at regional colleges.
Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-25489 on 9 March 2024. 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…
6 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its National Eating Disorder Network, which it committed to establishing in 2023.
Answer · Maree Todd: Progress has been made in establishing the National Eating Disorder Network which will meet formally for the first time later this Spring. In October 2023, Professor Cathy Richards was appointed to establish and chair the Network and work is underway to appoi…
6 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many non-GP healthcare professionals have completed "Beyond the Symptoms" training to date, to help them to identify patients with eating disorders, broken down by profession.
Answer · Maree Todd: Beat has reported that 249 non-GP healthcare professionals have completed “Beyond the Symptoms” training since 2022. A full breakdown by profession is not available, but the training has been completed by professionals including Community Mental Health Teams,…
6 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs have completed "Beyond the Symptoms" training to date, to help them to identify patients with eating disorders.
Answer · Maree Todd: Beat has reported that 29 GPs have completed “Beyond the Symptoms” training since 2022. Beat continues to promote this training with stakeholders, along with other training resources that are available on their website. Beat has engaged with GP practices acro…
6 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on primary care provision of eating disorder services.
Answer · Maree Todd: We remain committed to improving mental health service provision in primary care settings, including early detection and care for those presenting with an eating disorder. The Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan (2023) sets out our ambition to drive a …
28 Feb 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding an increased windfall tax on the excess profits of large oil and gas companies, in light of reports that the income from any such tax could be used to support households struggling with the cost of living crisis, including in S…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether mental health is routinely covered in NHS antenatal classes, and how antenatal classes contribute to preventing mental health issues among (a) parents and (b) infants.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Within the wider policies set out by the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland is expected to deliver services that provide high-quality care that is safe, effective, accessible and person centred. It is NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally who have re…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which specific funding allocation is being used to reduce orthopaedic waiting lists, which reportedly account for one-third of inpatient/day cases and have the highest number of ongoing waits lasting over 18 months.
Answer · Neil Gray: We remain committed to eradicating long waits to ensure all people receive the treatment they need as soon as possible. We opened two new National Treatment Centres in Fife and Highland in Spring 2023, and NTC-Forth Valley and the second phase expansion of N…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the allocation of the £300 million that it committed to tackle NHS waiting lists, which was to be targeted to reduce waiting lists by an estimated 100,000 patients by 2026.
Answer · Neil Gray: We remain committed to driving down waiting times. We have increased investment in frontline NHS boards by more than half a billion pounds in the draft Budget. We will continue to target resources to reduce waiting times, particularly for those waiting longes…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS boards currently use the system, TrakCare; in which clinical services they use the system, and how many staff are employed to maintain the system.
Answer · Neil Gray: TrakCare is used as the main patient management system by 13 Health Boards:NHS Ayrshire and Arran;NHS Borders;NHS Fife;NHS Forth Valley;NHS Great Glasgow and Clyde;NHS Grampian;Golden Jubilee National Hospital;NHS Highland;NHS Lanarkshire;NHS Lothian;NHS Orkn…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of women who experience faecal incontinence following childbirth.
Answer · Jenni Minto: We are clear in our expectations that all women, at all times, receive high-quality and person-centred maternity care tailored to their needs, with quality and safety for mothers and babies central to decision-making. To understand the quality and safety of m…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many full continence assessments have been undertaken within NHS Scotland in the last 12 months.
Answer · Jenni Minto: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Ayrshire and Arran regarding the future use of Carrick Glen Hospital, in light of work on the National Treatment Centre having been paused.
Answer · Neil Gray: The UK Government did not inflation-proof its capital budget which has resulted in nearly a 10% real-terms cut in the Scottish Government’s capital funding over the medium-term between 2023-24 and 2027-28. The result of this cut is that new health capital pro…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact its Budget will have on funding for NHS Education for Scotland.
Answer · Neil Gray: As set out in answer S6W-25192 on 20 February 2024, the 2024-25 Scottish Budget will provide an uplift of over half a billion, bringing the budget for NHS Boards to over £14.2 billion, of which NES will receive £550.2 million. Health boards are responsible fo…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the short-term outcomes in the document, Allied Health Professions Education and Workforce Policy Review Recommendations, published on 24 February 2023, have been met.
Answer · Neil Gray: Following the completion of the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review, an advisory group has been established to oversee the effective implementation of the recommendations. The group held its second meeting on 4 March 2024 whe…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to local authorities that report that they may have to reduce speech and language therapy provision.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government is providing record funding of over £14 billion to local authorities in 2024-25, including £600.6 million of additional revenue funding for day to day services. Subject to the outcome of the UK Government Spring Budget, the Scottish G…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the availability and choice of contraception for women to manage their reproductive health.
Answer · Jenni Minto: There has been no national formal assessment of contraceptive availability and choice however the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people across Scotland have timely access to contraception, and to information which allows them to make inform…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates the announcements in its Budget will have on digital investment within health services.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government continues to protect investment in digital within health services, as shown in the published budget. Planning remains underway to fully assess the impact on planned activity for 2024-25 that takes into account the considerable financia…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which projects that have received funding from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust the Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning has visited since his appointment.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: There have been no invitations to myself to visit Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s projects since his appointment. I would be happy to undertake such a visit, subject to diary availability. As part of his 2023 summer tour, I visited Fife including coalfields c…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning will next meet representatives from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I am not currently scheduled to meet with representatives from Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT). However, officials are in ongoing dialogue with CRT on all aspects of its programme and keep me fully updated. I will be happy to meet with CRT officials in th…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Local Government Empowerment and Planning last met representatives from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I last met with representatives of Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) on 14 September 2023 to discuss its funding level for 2023-24. Regeneration officials met with CRT on 27 November to build on discussions from that meeting and are in ongoing discussion wi…
27 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the value of the work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government’s Regeneration programmes work together to support resilient and sustainable communities, with communities directly involved in decisions on the future of their places. The Scottish Government values Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s (CR…
26 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS boards to increase awareness among staff of the risks of stress incontinence to mothers following childbirth.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to continuous improvement in maternity safety across Scotland, in partnership with NHS Boards and clinicians and service users, to deliver the best and safest person-centred care for mothers and babies. We are aware of the…
26 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it (a) has made and (b) will make to understand any difference in the return rates for bowel screening kits between the least deprived and most deprived communities.
Answer · Jenni Minto: A report recently published by Public Health Scotland provides details of the most recent statistics for the bowel screening programme, which includes the uptake differences between areas of different socioeconomic status. The overall uptake continues to ex…
26 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to improve the uptake and successful return of bowel screening kits.
Answer · Jenni Minto: A report recently published by Public Health Scotland on 5 May confirmed that uptake for bowel screening continues to exceed the Healthcare Improvement Scotland standard of 60%. The Scottish Government is aware that continued work is required to improve upta…