Miles Briggs

14 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how regularly it is updating (a) local authorities, (b) GPs and (c) NHS boards regarding people in their area being added to the list of those requiring shielding from the COVID-19 outbreak, and how many updates have been issued so far.

Answer · John Swinney: Local Authorities and NHS Boards receive an update of people on the shielding list in their area weekly. As of 24 April four extracts have been sent to each of these organisations. GPs receive an update of people on the shielding list in their area approxima…

14 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what types of support and assistance local resilience partnerships offer to people shielding from the COVID-19 outbreak; whether the partnerships provide contact details, and how regularly it communicates with each partnership.

Answer · John Swinney: The Local Resilience Partnerships (LRPs) bring together a range of strategic local partners and, working with local community groups, provide support to people who are shielding including organising food deliveries, for example for people who do not have mobi…

14 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people shielding from the COVID-19 outbreak in each local authority have (a) requested and (b) started receiving prescription deliveries, and by what date it expects this to be available through its text-messaging service.

Answer · John Swinney: The national SMS service first started signposting people who are shielding and need support for deliveries of medication to their Local Authorities on 21 April. Collection of data for performance monitoring purposes of this service is underway, but data are …

14 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, whether it will reconsider the closure of any NHS laundry facilities.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has made no decision on NHS laundry services and will not make a decision until we have addressed the current Covid-19 situation.  

14 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it used to include people with asthma on the list of those who it advised should be shielded during the COVID-19 outbreak, and what its response is to reported concerns that fewer people with asthma have been included on the list in Scotland compared with the equivalent lis…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The four UK nations’ Chief Medical Officers have identified six categories of people at highest risk of severe illness from Covid-19. This includes people with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe COPD and, peo…

14 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that the letter sent to people who it advised should be shielded during the COVID-19 outbreak was too lengthy and complex.

Answer · John Swinney: The letter issued by the Chief Medical Officer to those who are recommended to shield contains important information advising how people in this group should keep themselves safe, what support is available to them, a range of references to sources of further …

14 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its action to extend death-in-service benefits for all people working in the NHS.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: 18 May 2020 (Holding Reply Issued 13 May 2020) I recognise how important the death in service benefit is to NHS staff and that is why it has been agreed with the principal health service unions, including the BMA, RCN and Unison, that all staff affected by C…

9 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 1,000 ventilators that have been ordered in response to the COVID-19 outbreak have been delivered.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer given to S5W-28179 on 8 June 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877…

9 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made by the working group that is being chaired by the Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which is seeking to mobilise the manufacturing base to support the NHS in dealing with any shortages of key products.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The working group established under direct Ministerial control has helped to mobilise business support for NHS Scotland and co-ordinate supply chains through a cross-government team including the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, NHS Scotland and the …

9 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting the mental health and wellbeing of NHS and social care staff dealing with COVID-19 outbreak, and what use it makes of social media to promote this support.

Answer · Clare Haughey: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28198 on 27 April 2020. I am leading work to ensure a range of mental health and wellbeing support is in place for NHS and social care staff, complementing the work being taken forward by NHS Boards and Health…

9 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many requests for personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the COVID-19 outbreak have been sent to its dedicated PPE email address.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As of 3 May 2020 there were 1991 registered enquiries into the [email protected] mailbox.  

8 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many volunteers have registered through the Ready Scotland website in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, also broken down by how many will be deployed to assist (a) the NHS and (b) other public services.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: As at the week ending 1 May, there were 77,057 sign-ups to the Ready Scotland website, the breakdown is provided in the following table:-   Date NHS Health & Social Care British Red Cross Volunteer Scotland Total 17-04-20 23,101 18,695 35,261 77,05…

7 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its efforts to procure additional ventilators for the NHS in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and when it expects this equipment to be available.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The international standard for an appropriate pandemic response is to double ICU capacity. NHS Scotland has more than trebled its adult ICU capacity, from a base of 173 beds to a surge capacity of 585. These beds will be brought into use as needs dictate, on …

2 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that its mental health legislation complies with Article 25(d) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which requires "health professionals to provide care of the same quality to persons with disabilities as to others, including on the basis of free a…

Answer · Clare Haughey: Mental health law in Scotland is based on rights and principles and offers patients significant safeguards where compulsory treatment is necessary. Anyone carrying out functions under the Act must have regard to certain principles, including having regard to …

2 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that its mental health legislation complies with Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which, according to the Guide to the Human Rights Act, says that it must "take positive steps to protect life in all kinds of situations", and how it monitors the effecti…

Answer · Clare Haughey: Mental health legislation in Scotland provides for rigorous safeguards in respect of individuals’ human rights which include that any function should be carried out for the maximum benefit of the patient, with the minimum necessary restriction on the freedom …

2 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to research that suggests the use of antipsychotic drugs in older people with dementia can shorten the lives of some.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Clinical research in any area which may potentially have implications for clinical practice is considered by The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network as part of their regular processes for reviewing the need for and updating clinical guidelines for NHS…

2 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that the list of aerosol generating procedures requiring full personal protection equipment (PPE) in healthcare settings that is contained in existing guidance in response to the COVID-19 outbreak is not treated as an exclusive list, so that procedures carried out …

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government takes the health and safety of all our staff very seriously. The guidance published by the Department of Health and Social Care, Health Protection Scotland (HPS), Public Health Wales, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, Public Healt…

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that COVID-19 guidance is underpinned by appropriate psychological knowledge, and how it ensures that its decisions on such matters are clearly communicated to the public.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Guidance is based on reviewing the available published evidence and informed by expert opinion drawn from a wide range of sources, including from behavioural sciences. Guidance and advice for the public is available through NHS Inform, a substantive media cam…

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it has implemented to ensure the (a) psychological and (b) physical welfare of NHS staff working in temporary hospitals.

Answer · Clare Haughey: In relation to (a) psychological initiatives: I refer the member to my response to S5W-28198 on 27 April 2020. Staff working in temporary hospitals will be included in these initiatives. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Pa…

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to deploying psychological professionals within the NHS to support the wellbeing of staff.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Psychologists and psychological therapists are being deployed across NHS Scotland to support the mental health and wellbeing of staff.

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to ensuring that the education and training of psychological professionals continues during the COVID-19 outbreak, and what action it is taking to respond to any additional need for psychological support as a result of the outbreak.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The education and training of psychological professionals will continue through the work of NHS Education for Scotland (NES), with adaptations to take account of current circumstances. Training numbers are being expanded. NES is also delivering a programme of…

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has commissioned any modelling of how the need for psychological interventions may increase as a result of COVID-19, and how the psychological professions workforce will be expanded to meet any increase.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Boards during the pandemic to monitor the impact of Covid-19 on demand and capacity and is responding where required. On 25th March the Chief Scientist Office also launched the Rapid Research in Covid-19 (R…

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to digital or telephone delivery of psychological therapies in relation to (a) accessibility and equity and (b) safety and confidentiality during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Clare Haughey: In terms of accessibility, digital services such as computerised Cognitive Behaviour Therapies (cCBT) are developed with a maximum reading age of 10, with the option of subtitles for those users with hearing difficulties. cCBT and internet enabled CBT are del…

31 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it has implemented to ensure the psychological (a) welfare and (b) resilience of NHS staff during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Clare Haughey: I am leading work to support the psychological welfare and resilience of NHS staff during the COVID-19 outbreak. I have written to Health Boards about the importance of support for workforce wellbeing, highlighting key messages and approaches, and this was in…

23 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in full.

Answer · Christina McKelvie: Yes. The Scottish Government remains fully committed to meeting its UNCRPD obligations. The Scottish Government’s commitment to the principles of the UNCRPD is set out in its disability action plan which was published in December 2016. Disabled people are al…

23 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27878 by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 March 2020, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding which of its advisory groups, forums, partnerships, boards and task forces meet in private without media and public access and, in light …

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Across the Scottish Government there are numerous advisory groups, forums, partnerships, boards and task forces. We do not hold a central record of these and they will each be subject to local governance arrangements. As part of implementing open government p…

23 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27878 by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 March 2020, what its response is to the call at a meeting on 27 February 2020 that was arranged by the Health and Social Care Alliance for there to more than two places on the NACCP for people with lived experience of …

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Due to the current unprecedented circumstances the work of National Advisory Committees is being paused to enable health and social care professionals to focus on providing care, support and treatment to people in connection to COVID-19.

20 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it gave to the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018 and (e) 2019 (i) for staffing and premises, (ii) in core funding and (iii) to distribute to other organisations.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has funded the Health and Social Care Alliance (The ALLIANCE) for their work on a wide ranging number of projects in the years set out in the question (2015-2019). This work has crossed a number of Scottish Government policy areas incl…

13 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much hospital waste has been stored at sites across the country in each month since the contract with Healthcare Environmental Services ended, also broken down by how much it has cost each NHS board to pay for additional storage cost at hospitals.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: No clinical waste has been stored at hospital sites under contingency. No additional hospital storage costs have been incurred.

13 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cleaners have been employed by each NHS board in each year since 2007.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The requested information is not held centrally as ISD do not collect job type data on support staff, including hospital cleaners.