Parliamentary questions

Jackie Baillie

9,379 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

10 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to a recent article published on Healthandcare.scot, which claimed that “Ministers say they will introduce a lung cancer screening programme in adults aged 55-74 with a history of smoking, in line with a recent recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee”…

Answer · Jenni Minto: Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland, supported by the work of an expert advisory group and led by the Director of Screening, is currently developing a business case for implementation of targeted lung screening. This is expected by the end of this wint…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide multi-annual funding for (a) long COVID and (b) myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) services in NHS boards.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The draft budget published on 4 December 2024 includes new investment of £4.5 million to deliver new specialist support across the country for long COVID, ME, Chronic Fatigue, and other similar conditions.The funding commitment is for 2025-26 only at th…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a single clinical pathway in every NHS board for people with long COVID.

Answer · Jenni Minto: There is no single clinical pathway within every territorial NHS board for the management of symptoms relating to long COVID. NHS boards have indicated that a number of clinical pathways are available depending on the presenting needs of the individual patien…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to question S6W-04192 by Maree Todd on 22 November 2021 and S6W-18221 by Jenni Minto on 5 June 2023, what progress has been made on (a) the review by the Scottish Deans Medical Education Group of the online learning module on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fati…

Answer · Jenni Minto: a) The Scottish Deans Medical Education Group, now known as the Leads for Undergraduate Medicine Scotland (LUMES), reviewed the module and found the contents valuable.b) We understand that rather than implementing stand-alone modules, medical schools in Scotl…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs (a) have been trained to date and (b) are currently being trained on how to diagnose, and manage people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in line with the latest NICE guideline.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what long COVID referral pathways are in place for people with long COVID who have symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

Answer · Jenni Minto: We do not hold information on long COVID referral pathways for patients with a dual diagnosis or presentation of both long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome(ME/CFS). This is a matter for territorial NHS boards.

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many paediatricians (a) have been trained to date and (b) are currently being trained on how to diagnose, and manage children and young people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) in line with the latest NICE guideline.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address any (a) outdated professional views on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and (b) issues around capacity to train staff about ME/CFS, as identified in the report, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) services in …

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Health and Social Care Standards set out the expectation that care should be provided by health and social care professionals based on the most relevant evidence, guidance and best practice, as is appropriate to their profession and patient group. In July…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with NHS Scotland to improve the interoperability of health data to support higher quality and more patient-centred cancer care.

Answer · Neil Gray: COSLA and the Scottish Government published our Health and Social Care Data Strategy in February 2023. The strategy which outlines our approach to improving the interoperability of our health and social care data through the adoption and use of common standar…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the adequacy of mental health support provided to cancer patients and their families (a) during the treatment journey and (b) after treatment.

Answer · Neil Gray: Our Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 makes clear that Mental Health Support forms part of an individual’s basic care. Individuals requiring support should have access to this at the point of clinical need.To help understand the demand and capacity…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) increase public awareness of cancer symptoms, including rare cancers, and (b) incorporate education about cancer symptoms into the national school curriculum.

Answer · Neil Gray: Our most recent Detect Cancer Earlier campaign – Be The Early Bird – first launched on March 2023, aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early. Following successful independent evaluation, the campaign re-…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is being provided to support those on low incomes to access cancer treatments and appropriate care.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to keeping our NHS true to its founding principles – publicly-owned, publicly-operated, and free at the point of need.We have increased funding for oncology services to ensure cancer treatments and appropr…

8 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the findings of the Specialist Cancer Charities Group’s Citizens’ Jury, and what steps it plans to take in response.

Answer · Neil Gray: An initial assessment of the Citizens’ Jury report demonstrates clear alignment with the Scottish Government’s cancer strategy and action plan published in June 2023. The four key priorities identified by the Specialist Cancer Charities Group rega…

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to medical negligence claims settled by the NHS in the last five years, whether the cost of a claimant’s legal fees is normally (a) settled as part of the claim and (b) included in the total compensation payment figure, and, on average, what percentage o…

Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government and would require to be obtained from Health Boards.The Annual Reports for the NHS Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS) provide details of the sch…

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much compensation was paid by the NHS to settle medical negligence claims in each of the last five years.

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it and (b) the NHS has spent on legal costs regarding compensation for medical negligence in the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government and would require to be obtained from Health Boards.

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many medical negligence claims have been settled by the NHS in the last five years, and how many cases are still to be concluded.

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what flood prevention schemes were approved, and at what cost, broken down by local authority, in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2024-25.

Answer · Gillian Martin: In 2016, an agreement was reached between Scottish Ministers and COSLA on a new strategic funding plan for flood protection schemes. This agreement ensures that from 2016 to 2026, a minimum of £42 million per annum is allocated for flooding capital gran…

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether all cycle 1 flood prevention schemes have been approved, and in which financial year the resource will be drawn down.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Local authorities are responsible for developing and delivering flood protection schemes and the Scottish Government provides funding to support this.31 cycle one flood protection schemes remain eligible for grant funding as they were notified as required und…

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the planned budget for flood prevention schemes is for 2025-26.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The flood resilience budget sits within the local government settlement and for 2025-26 is £121.5 million. An additional £15 million has been set aside in the draft 2025-2026 Scottish Budget to support the delivery of the new Flood Resilience Stra…

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget has been for flood prevention schemes in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2024-25.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Since 2008, the Scottish Government has made available £42 million per year to local authorities to invest in flood risk management actions – a commitment that is in place until 2026. A further £150million was committed across the course of …

6 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of all cycle 2 flood prevention schemes and when it plans to announce successful projects, and in which financial year the money will be drawn down.

Answer · Gillian Martin: A joint COSLA/Scottish Government Flood Risk Management Funding Working Group, including representatives from Scottish Government, COSLA, SEPA, local authority Directors of Finance and flood officers has been established to discuss reform of funding and gover…

17 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for elective surgeries to less than 18 weeks to improve outcomes for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and reduce avoidable presentations at accident and emergency departments, in light of IBD UK’s latest report,&…

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government welcomes IBD UK’s latest report, Crohn’s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change, and is grateful to the organisation for its work in this area.We are committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with …