Monica Lennon

9 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role the NHS Louisa Jordan will play during March and April 2021.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The current licence to operate, between Scottish Government Ministers and the Scottish Exhibition Campus (SEC) for the NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital, established to support Scotland’s response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, is due to end on 31 March 202…

9 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports a moratorium on new incinerators being built.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Our commitment to becoming a net-zero society by 2045 is unwavering. Scottish Ministers are fully committed to ending the practice of sending biodegradable municipal waste to landfill by 2025, in line with recommendations previously made by the Committee on C…

9 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence it has had with (i) Sanjeev Gupta, (ii) the Liberty Group and, (iii) the GFG Alliance in each of the last two years.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the GFG Alliance both at the Lochaber and Dalzell sites, as well as at Group level, mostly via officials. I chair the Lochaber Delivery Group meeting which last met on 23 February 2021.

1 Mar 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on designating foster carers as a priority group for COVID-19 vaccinations, in light of their role in safeguarding the welfare of vulnerable children.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: All of our decisions in response to COVID-19 have been guided by the latest evidence and advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, Health Protection Scotland, our Chief Medical Officer, and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation …

23 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any FFP3 masks that are branded as "Fang Tian" and marked as FT-045, and which the Department of Health has advised should be withdrawn due to safety concerns, are in use in Scotland.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Fang Tian FT-045A FFP3 masks are not used by the public health and social care sector in Scotland, and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) has never made purchases of such masks. Likewise no such masks have been purchased under the Scottish Government’s thir…

18 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates people with asthma will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Some people with asthma will receive the vaccine as part of cohort 6 on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) prioritisation list, if they require continuous or repeated use of systemic steroids or have had previous exacerbations requirin…

18 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether people (a) with blood cancer and (b) at risk of being immunosuppressed and who were not on the shielding list will be prioritised to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government has met our mid-February target to offer the first dose of the vaccine to everyone over 70 and everyone with an extreme clinical vulnerability. Over 1,661,879 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination and 92,550 h…

12 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the Social  Renewal Advisory Board's report, If not now, when? dated January 2021.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government expects to publish a response to the Social Renewal Advisory Board's report by 24 March 2021.  

9 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to allow baby and toddler groups to resume, in light of the evidence it has and decision it made regarding the reopening of early years settings and schools for P1 to P3 pupils on 22 February 2021.

Answer · Maree Todd: The evidence for schools and ELC opening up, largely focussed on transmission rates in children and adults in those environments, and appropriate mitigations to reduce risk. Parent and baby groups continue to be permitted to take place outdoors, in line with …

9 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether individuals will be given a choice as to which COVID-19 vaccine they will receive in circumstances where they have ethical objections to a particular vaccine.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: It is not possible to offer everyone in Scotland a choice of COVID-19 vaccine at this stage. The Scottish Government has been very clear from day one that the pace and rollout of our national vaccine programme is key to tackling the pandemic and we are determ…

3 Feb 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S5W-34611 by Jeane Freeman on 29 January 2021, whether it expects to publish the Junior Doctors 48-hour Expert Working Group report by the end of the current parliamentary session and, if so, by what date.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: No timetable for publication has been agreed at present. The ongoing response to the Covid-19 pandemic is the focus of our activity, and we have agreed with BMA Scotland that the final report and its important recommendations will be released when it has been…

14 Jan 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with (a) cystic fibrosis, (b) severe asthma, (c) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), (d) interstitial lung disease and (e) sarcoidosis are being advised to shield from COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: It is not possible for Public Health Scotland to give precise totals for people with those conditions. However, (a) cystic fibrosis, (b) severe asthma, (c) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), (d) interstitial lung disease and e) sarcoidosis all fall…

13 Jan 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29681 by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 June 2020, when the NHS Information Services Division will report on the prevalence of ME in the Scottish population; whether the NHS will in future record each new case of ME; when Public Health Scotland’s review of t…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: As we have indicated previously, the Neurological Care and Support Framework for Scotland 2020-25 is in place to improve support for people living with neurological conditions. This includes ensuring they are partners in their own care, improving co-ordinated…

13 Jan 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-29337 and S5W-29660 by Jeane Freeman on 3 June and 10 July 2020 respectively and S5W-28900 by Joe FitzPatrick on 15 May 2020, what measures to monitor post-viral symptoms in COVID-19 patients are now in place; what treatments are being provided to…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: SIGN Guideline 161 – ‘Managing the long-term effects of COVID-19’ provides healthcare professionals with recommendations on the monitoring of people with ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 syndrome. The approach to monitoring will be tailored to e…

11 Jan 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS agency staff will be offered COVID-19 vaccinations on the same basis as directly-employed staff.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Agency staff who work in the NHS are included in the JCVI priority list, cohort 2. For agency and bank staff, the priority is for staff who are active in taking shifts. Staff who have not worked through agency contract in the NHS in the past 6 months would no…

11 Jan 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that nurses are considering strike action due to low pay, understaffing and their treatment at work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We are hugely grateful to the efforts of dedicated NHS staff as they continue to respond to the pandemic. On 30 November 2020, as a thank you for the outstanding efforts of NHS staff in these most challenging times, the First Minister announced a one-off pro-…

11 Jan 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what PPE guidance there is for health and care staff who wear garments for religious or cultural reasons, and whether disposable hijabs are made available.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Scotland does not supply staff with disposable hijabs, but staff are allowed to wear religious garments including hijabs, provided patient safety is not compromised. These must be washed and/or changed between each shift or immediately if contaminated an…

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has (a) for a new palliative and end of life care strategy and (b) to appoint a new national clinical lead for palliative and end of life care.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that people get the palliative and end of life care that is right for their unique circumstances. Over the coming months, we will be working with key stakeholders to reflect on our experiences during the …

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making toward its ambition that everyone who needs a Key Information Summary will have one, as set out in the Health and Social Care Delivery Plan.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Research work undertaken by the University of Edinburgh and Marie Curie in 2019 found that on average 69% of people had a KIS in place at time of death. The study reported that this was an encouraging improvement on previous years but that more work was neede…

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of National Records of Scotland data that reportedly shows that there have been 4,000 more deaths at home in 2020 than in "normal" years as a result of the pandemic, what plans it has to explore end of life experiences in community settings in this year.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We want people to be able to receive high quality end of life care in the setting that is most comfortable for them. For most people this will be at home or in a homely setting. However, there are significant challenges associated with gathering views from t…

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the Palliative Care Research Forum, established under the Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Palliative Care Research Forum has been unable to meet in 2020 due to the challenges associated with the Covid -19 pandemic. The Scottish Government remains supportive of the Forum and will work with Forum leads over the coming months to learn from our ex…

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people who died in each of the last five years had a Key Information Summary on death, also broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not collected centrally. The Key Information Summary (KIS) is a collection of information, extracted from a patient’s general practice record, that may be helpful to attending medical professionals in providing treatment. As this informat…

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent research by the University of Edinburgh, funded by Marie Curie and the Chief Scientist Office for Scotland, Unscheduled and out-of-hours care for people in their last year of life: a retrospective cohort analysis of national datasets, and further research by Marie Cur…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We want people to get the high quality palliative and end of life care and support that is right for them. For most people this will be at home or in a homely setting. Due to the challenges associated with the pandemic, we are seeing more people being cared …

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the PPE requirements for health and care staff, in light of the transmissibility of the new variant of COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The advice from Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) experts in Scotland and the UK IPC cell is that the evidence does not currently support a change to the type of PPE we currently use in response to this new strain. The Scottish Government continues to r…

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new variant of COVID-19 has been identified in any nosocomial infections in Scotland, and how many such infections have been identified. 

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The epidemiology for the new variant of COVID-19 is being monitored by the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland service for new confirmed variant cases and is being assessed for hospital onset status. As the validated …

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has received on the suitability of Type IIR masks as protection for health and care staff, in light of the transmissibility of the new variant of COVID-19.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The advice from Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) experts in Scotland and the UK IPC cell is that the current evidence does not support a change to the existing PPE requirements. Evidence has shown that COVID-19 is predominantly transmitted via droplets…

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken since 23 March 2020 to develop its ability to meet the duties imposed on it by the Health and Care (Staffing) Scotland Act 2019.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The actions that the Scottish Government has taken to develop its duties which correspond to the Health and Care (Staffing) Scotland Act 2019 (the Act) have, as with most aspects of health and social care policy, been significantly affected by our need to res…

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its timetable is for (a) commencement and (b) implementation of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019; whether that timetable includes any pilot schemes; in which NHS board area any such pilot would take place; when any such pilot scheme would begin, and what the durati…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: My officials previously proposed a phased commencement of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 (the Act) and this remains the Government’s intention. Commencement of the Act will also require regulations to be made and there is very limited parl…

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made since 23 March 2020 in drafting the necessary guidance in relation to the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The development of the guidance was divided into 13 work streams representing the 13 guidance chapters, each with an associated working group of external stakeholders and an initial draft document provided to each group. Thus far drafts of guidance have been …

22 Dec 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken since 23 March 2020 to develop any (a) staffing level and (b) professional judgement tools, and associated methodologies for use in health and care services.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34257 on 20 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/parliamentarybusines…