Jackie Baillie

23 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that any changes to practice that may be required by NHS boards are undertaken in order that women who wish to be treated by other women, based on biological sex, can be treated in that way.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has set up a short life working group to consider existing policies, guidance and legislation which may be impacted by the recent Supreme Court judgment. This work will position us towards a state of readiness to take all necessary ste…

23 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that hospital wards are single-sex.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has set up a short life working group to consider existing policies, guidance and legislation which may be impacted by the recent Supreme Court judgment, such as existing guidance on mixed sex accommodation in NHS facilities.Since 2005…

23 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued to NHS boards on equality issues in each of the last 10 years, broken down by who issued it and when.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government expects all Boards, to comply with the legislative requirements, and in their role as employers to meet the standards set out in the national workforce policies. All guidance regarding patient health, health care delivery and workforce…

23 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will review and revise guidance to NHS boards on equality issues, in light of the Supreme Court ruling regarding For Women Scotland Ltd vs The Scottish Ministers.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court. Work has already begun on implementation.The Permanent Secretary was asked to stand up a Short Life Working Group to ensure support and consistency across Government.Following publication of t…

23 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on pulmonary rehabilitation in each year since 2021.

Answer · Jenni Minto: We recognise that pulmonary rehabilitation is an important element in managing respiratory disease and it is already a key recommendation for all appropriate patients in NICE clinical guidelines, which we expect all NHS Boards to follow.The Scottish Governmen…

23 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30699 by Jenni Minto on 11 May 2024, how much it has allocated for the Respiratory Care Action Plan in the 2025-26 budget, and what this will deliver.

Answer · Jenni Minto: There is no funding solely allocated to the Respiratory Care Action Plan (RCAP) in 2025-2026. However, a number of the commitments in the Plan are being addressed by work that is part of other Scottish Government strategies– such as the Cleaner Air for …

23 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it is on track to deliver all the recommendations of the Respiratory Care Action Plan before the end of the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government’s Respiratory Care Action Plan (RCAP) sets out our priorities from 2021 to 2026 for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions. A number of areas inc…

23 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30699 by Jenni Minto on 11 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on when it will commission work on the national audit programme for respiratory conditions.

Answer · Jenni Minto: In 2023, the Scottish Government provided Public Health Scotland with funding to undertake a scoping exercise with a view to developing a respiratory audit programme. However, due to current fiscal challenges, it has not yet been possible to progress this wor…

21 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the application form and process for (a) adult and (b) child disability payment in order to (i) simplify the process and (ii) make it more appropriate for young cancer patients.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland’s application forms for disability benefits were designed with disabled people and organisations who support them, to ensure the forms were accessible and inclusive for the people who would be using them.Careful consideration wa…

21 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the current (a) average and (b) longest wait is for (i) an adult and (ii) a child disability payment from application to payment.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland routinely publishes statistics on Adult Disability Payment and Child Disability Payment processing times, which include information on the median average processing times.Latest statistics show that the median average processing time …

21 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason young people with a confirmed diagnosis of cancer must wait at least three months before they can apply for adult or child disability payment.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35937 on 31 March 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-committees…

21 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove the qualifying period for (a) adult and (b) child disability payment for young people diagnosed with cancer.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35938 on 25 April 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-commi…

17 Mar 2025 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason hospitals are reportedly still using MRI scanners, CT scanners and X-ray machines that are decades old, in light of reported warnings by experts that equipment over 10 years old should be replaced.

13 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many mixed-sex hospital wards there are in each NHS board.

Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government and is a matter for individual NHS Boards.

13 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Women's Rights Network Scotland report, How safe are our Scottish hospitals?, and what action it will take in light of the recommendations.

Answer · Neil Gray: The safety of patients and staff is an absolute priority. Assaults on patients or staff are completely unacceptable, and everyone has the right to access healthcare, or their place of work, without the fear of verbal or physical abuse.NHS Boards have reportin…

13 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the consultation on long-term conditions will conclude, and by what date a strategy and action plan will be published.

Answer · Jenni Minto: We are exploring a new long term conditions strategy to better recognise the fact that many people living with long term conditions need the same types of support and care, regardless of their condition.A public consultation will launch soon and will be open …

13 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that specialist chronic pain services are retained.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living in Scotland is able to access the best possible care and support. We will continue to ensure specialist services are retained by engaging with boards, in particular service managers, includ…

13 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to measure waiting times for follow-up appointments for chronic pain services, and whether it will publish any such data.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Waiting times for first clinician led chronic pain appointments are currently reported every quarter on the PHS website, Publications - Public Health Scotland. The Pain Management Service Delivery Framework Implementation Plan contains a specific action to wo…

13 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce chronic pain waiting time lists.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is committed to improving care for people with chronic pain, by delivering the actions in the Pain Management Service Delivery Framework Implementation Plan at pace.The Implementation Plan outlines actions to expand skills and knowledg…

6 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what future capital funding will be allocated to the clinical waste disposal site at Hassockrigg Eco Park.

Answer · Maree Todd: NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) was allocated £6.9m of capital funding for the purchase of the Hassockrigg Eco Park and equipment, to increase the resilience of the system for disposing of NHS clinical waste and to secure its long-term future.Ongoi…

6 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly not carried out an environmental impact assessment into the procurement of clinical waste disposal contracts.

Answer · Neil Gray: It is the responsibility of NHS National Services Scotland to assess the need for an environmental impact assessment.The NP805/19 Healthcare Waste Services framework, implemented in 2019, requires NHSScotland clinical waste suppliers to follow SEPA regulation…

6 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly not sought to develop a high temperature incineration plant in Scotland to dispose of NHS Scotland clinical waste.

Answer · Neil Gray: The national contract, which is the responsibility of NHS National Services Scotland, requires suppliers to treat high temperature incineration (HTI) waste, but it did not require a specific solution to create the capability in Scotland. HTI waste constitutes…

4 Mar 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on NHS pay negotiations for 2025-26.

3 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of unaddressed adult hearing loss on (a) keeping people in work, (b) health and social care services and (c) the economy.

Answer · Jenni Minto: About 1 million people in Scotland live with hearing loss and an estimated 70% are over 70 years old. Unaddressed hearing loss can cause distress due to cognitive decline and reduced social interaction, communication and education. Hearing loss is often accom…

3 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what the potential impact on hospital audiology and ear, nose and throat (ENT) services waiting lists would be, if all eligible adults with age-related hearing loss were treated in primary care audiology instead

Answer · Jenni Minto: Audiology is considered as a clinical priority area and the Scottish Government remains committed to its vision for an integrated and community-based hearing service in Scotland.Whilst our response to the Independent Review of Audiology in Scotland is impleme…

18 Feb 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for Dumbarton Castle.

16 Feb 2025 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, in light of reports by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine that the number of people waiting in A&E for over 12 hours is almost 100 times higher than in 2011.

13 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make marine litter that is collected by communities cleaning up shorelines exempt from Scottish Landfill Tax.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Landfill Tax is a cornerstone of Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan, encouraging the prevention, reuse and recycling of waste and helping keep valuable resources circulating in the Scottish economy. Exemptions are available in several circumstances…

13 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided to tackle marine litter in each of the last five years, and what funding is planned in the draft Budget 2025-26.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Since 2021 the Scottish Government has made funding available to projects relevant to the issue of marine litter through Marine Fund Scotland Marine and fisheries grants - gov.scot Information on the funding provided each year for such projects is publicly av…

13 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle marine litter in (a) Scotland and (b) Loch Long, Arrochar.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is tackling marine litter with actions detailed in our Marine Litter Strategy, which aims to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, to achieve ecological, economic and social benefits. Our Strategy and action pla…