Parliamentary questions

Richard Leonard

963 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

4 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether all staff who work within community pharmacies will be prioritised for a COVID-19 vaccination.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Some key workers, such as pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, are included in the top priority groups, and already eligible for a vaccine, but other pharmacy staff including drivers and medical home care delivery drivers who deliver medication and equipment…

4 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether pharmacy support workers such as delivery drivers will be prioritised for a COVID-19 vaccination.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: To save lives it is essential that vaccination be given to the first priority groups as set by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), these being residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, people over the age of 80, and f…

4 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether community pharmacists will be included in the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Key workers including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, are included in the JCVI priority groups, and are already eligible for a vaccine under cohort 2. The full JCVI priority list is currently: • residents in a care home for older adults and their care…

3 Dec 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

3 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional (a) NHS staff, (b) social care staff and (c) non-medical personnel it estimates will be required in order to successfully mass vaccinate the population against COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-S5W-33989 on 29 January 2021. 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/parliamentarybus…

3 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to lowering the age that a person becomes eligible to receive a flu vaccination from 55 to 50.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: In light of the COVID pandemic and following the advice from the JCVI, we felt it was necessary to extend the eligibility of the flu vaccination to vulnerable groups and all those aged 55 and over, and those aged 50-54 if vaccine supplies allows.

3 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) NHS staff, (b) social care staff and (c) non-medical personnel will be required for the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We will continue to use the c.900 WTE experienced vaccinators involved in the extended seasonal flu programme to deliver the initial phase of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. In addition, training and recruitment is already underway to expand the vaccinati…

3 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the current level of uptake is of the flu vaccination in 2020, and what the uptake was in each of the three previous years.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government has procured vaccine to meet our aim of vaccinating 2.4 million people and if demand for the vaccine is a lot higher than we predicted, then we will prioritise those at the greatest clinical risk. The data has been placed in the Parli…

3 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what investment it has made in the infrastructure required to implement the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government began its roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine on 8 December, following approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by the MHRA. Initial doses will be administered within existing estate and therefore there have been no additional costs to inf…

3 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recruitment plans it has in place to increase the number of people able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As part of our work to support delivery of this national programme we have modelled vaccination workforce requirements and shared this information alongside a workforce modelling tool to assist Health Boards with local delivery. Arrangements have been made t…

3 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of the flu vaccination programme in 2020, and what the cost was in each of the previous three years.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: While our aim is to provide information wherever possible, the Scottish Government does not hold this information, which is individually held by Health Boards, and may be available upon direct request.

26 Nov 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

19 Nov 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in the Chamber.

12 Nov 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in the Chamber.

5 Nov 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

29 Oct 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

22 Oct 2020 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many PPE items have had their expiry date changed since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, broken down by the (a) type of product and (b) (i) original and (ii) revised expiry date.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Details are as follows: Product Manufacturer Original expiry date Revised expiry date Approx. Quantity FFP3 respirators 3M 2016 March 2021 1,772,189 FFP3 respirators Alpha Solway 2012 March 2021 106,776 Source: NHS NSS Two groups of FFP3 r…

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many PPE products have been withdrawn from use since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak due to safety issues after they had been used by NHS staff, broken down by the (a) type of product and (b) specific safety issue.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Since the beginning of March 2020, National Services Scotland National Procurement has issued six alerts to Health Boards requiring PPE to be withdrawn from use. In one case, additional testing proved the product fit for use, in the other five cases, products…

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what concerns have been raised with Ministers by (a) health professionals and (b) trade unions regarding the surgical type two face masks being used by staff, and what action it has taken to rectify any problems.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: 1. In Scotland, we use Fluid Resistant Surgical Masks (FRSM), also known as Type IIR masks, which are different from Type II in that they provide protection for the staff member as well as 98% source control. 2. Staff are protected should they be caring for …

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a cough, by definition, produces an aerosol.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: 1. Both the UK Government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) and Health Protection Scotland (HPS) have given careful consideration to the available evidence and, during the course of the pandemic, have reviewed what should b…

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the absence rate has been for health workers who have been wearing government-approved PPE while treating people who have been (a) suspected as having and (b) diagnosed with COVID-19 in each week since 23 March 2020.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has collected, monitored and published data on NHS staff absences since the outbreak of this pandemic. Data is continually collated from Health Boards on overall absences in the NHS workforce, as well as on the number and rate of absen…

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what level of protection surgical type two face masks provide nurses and other healthcare workers when treating diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 patients who are actively coughing into the environment.

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued to NHS boards regarding the laundering of uniforms that may have been exposed to COVID-19, and what steps have been taken to ensure that staff are not expected to take potentially-infected items home for laundering.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has published guidance on infection control, and this has been included in our updated uniforms and home laundering guidance . This will continue to be kept under review and necessary changes may be made dependent on new evi…

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of surgical type two face masks not being sealed respirator masks, on what basis these have been directed to be distributed as PPE for nurses to wear when treating diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 patients in isolated rooms.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: COVID-19 is predominantly spread by the droplet and contact route. Fluid Resistant (Type IIR) Surgical Mask (FRSM) offer the correct level of respiratory protection for staff when caring for a patient who is suspected or confirmed COVID-19 positive. In Scotl…

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what type of face masks are provided for healthcare workers who are testing patients for COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-32260 on 23 October 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/parliamentarybusines…

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of (a) a surgical type two, (b) an FFP2 and (c) FFP3 face mask, and whether this is a factor in determining whether to distribute this type of equipment to NHS staff.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Decisions on which type of PPE to use in different settings are based on clinical guidance, and as an employer the NHS is, under health and safety law, responsible for the protection of its staff. No price has never ever been used as a factor in deciding what…

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many healthcare workers who have carried out testing for COVID-19 have tested positive for the virus.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Health Boards have been routinely testing healthcare workers in key areas (oncology, long stay elderly care and mental health wards where the length of stay is over three months) since 08 July. The way in which the test is administered will be determined loc…

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the absence rate has been for NHS staff who have been wearing (a) a surgical type two, (b) an FFP2 and (c) FFP3 face mask when treating people with COVID-19.

2 Oct 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the World Health Organization's position on the use of surgical type two face masks when dealing with COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: 1 The evidence to date indicates the route of transmission for COVID-19 to be droplet and contact and both the UK and WHO guidance recommends droplet and contact precautions. In the UK, this includes the use of a fluid resistant surgical face mask (FRSM). Thi…