Parliamentary questions
Alex Cole-Hamilton
2,700 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce noise and dust reduction screens on motorways such as the M90, in light of reports of people living near sections of the motorway experiencing issues with excessive noise and dust coverage.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government recognises the concerns raised by residents living near major transport corridors, including the M90, regarding environmental impacts such as excessive noise and dust.We recognise transport noise is a concern, can be distressing, and h…
18 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce an NHS mobile app, similar to the NHS England app, to allow patients to, for example, arrange appointments and repeat prescriptions.
Answer · Neil Gray: I can confirm that the initial release of an online app for Health and Social Care will be in December 2025. This is set out in our Operational Improvement Plan, as well as in the answer to question S6W-38145 on 11 June 2025.Secure login using a unique ID thr…
18 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many patients who died in former psychiatric hospitals were buried in unmarked graves.
Answer · Tom Arthur: There is no centralised public record that provides the exact number of people buried in unmarked graves in Scotland. National Records Scotland (NRS) collects data on all deaths in Scotland, but it does not publish statistics specifically on unmarked graves.
18 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial assistance is available to volunteers and researchers who wish to access the records of patients who died while being treated at former psychiatric hospitals.
Answer · Tom Arthur: National Records of Scotland (NRS) collects, preserves and produces information about Scotland's people and history, and makes it available to inform current and future generations. The majority of NRS records are free to access for all. Most records are orig…
18 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to remember any former patients of historic asylums who were buried in unmarked graves.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans in place to remember former patients of historic asylums who were buried in unmarked graves. Details of any burial carried out in a burial ground by a burial authority are recorded in the statutory bur…
18 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for a routine colposcopy, in light of reports that this can be up to 45 weeks in NHS Lothian.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government is acutely aware that many women are experiencing long waits for gynaecological appointments and procedures, including colposcopy, and this is not good enough.As the first country in the UK to publish a Women’s Health Plan we are…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of cataract surgeries was delivered within the Treatment Time Guarantee in each of the last five years.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.Public Health Scotland (PHS) uses the national waiting times data mart to collect electronic patient records covering the waits that patients experience waiting for treatment as an inpatient or day case u…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been made about long waits for cataract surgery.
Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The reason for this is that to locate and retrieve that information we would need to conduct a search of all correspondence received by the Scottish Government.
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with delivering a replacement Edinburgh Eye Pavilion, and by what date the replacement will be opened.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has confirmed that the replacement of the Edinburgh eye pavilion is a strategic priority, and the 2025-26 Budget provides the necessary funding to allow the development of the business case.NHS Lothian has been asked to progress the bu…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when (a) the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and (b) its officials last met the (i) Royal College of Ophthalmologists and (ii) College of Optometrists.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Minister for Public Health last met with Royal College of Ophthalmologists in July last year.Scottish Government officials meet the College of Optometrists both bilaterally and as part of other groups/forums as and when required for policy development and…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has met NHS boards regarding reported long waits for cataract surgery.
Answer · Neil Gray: I have met with all NHS Boards to discuss long waits across all planned care specialities including ophthalmology.
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many ophthalmology trainees are currently in the NHS Scotland system, and how this compares with 2015.
Answer · Neil Gray: The number of ophthalmology trainees recorded as of July 28, 2025, and from 2015 has been provided in the following table. 2015 in post2025 in postMedical Ophthalmology11Ophthalmology6774
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have lost their sight while waiting for cataract surgery in each year since 2019.
Answer · Neil Gray: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many people have sought private cataract surgery due to reported long NHS waiting times in each year since 2019.
Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested is not collected by the Scottish Government.
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what targets it has set for reducing cataract surgery waiting times.
Answer · Neil Gray: Under the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011, an eligible patient is to start to receive agreed treatment within the 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG). Health Boards must take all reasonable steps to ensure they comply with this legislative guarantee.How…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has conducted on future demand for cataract surgery, and how it plans to meet this demand.
Answer · Neil Gray: Established in 2014, the National Eyecare Workstream was set up to influence and embed change in the way that eyecare services are delivered in Scotland. The workstream focuses on using capacity and capabilities differently within and across Primary and Secon…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how long patients should expect to wait for cataract surgery.
Answer · Neil Gray: Under the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 (legislation.gov.uk), an eligible patient is to start to receive agreed treatment within the 12-week Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG). Health Boards must take all reasonable steps to ensure they comply with this legi…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many facilities in Scotland can perform cataract surgery.
Answer · Neil Gray: The exact number of facilities in Scotland that can perform cataract surgery is not centrally held. Table 1 lists NHS hospitals in Scotland where cataract procedures were performed in 2024, as recorded in either the inpatient or outpatient datasets.Please not…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Governmentfor what reason people are reportedly facing long waits for cataract surgery.
Answer · Neil Gray: Cataract surgery remains one of the most frequently performed surgical interventions across NHS Scotland. However, our health service has experienced unprecedented pressures over the past few years including the long-term impacts of the pandemic, seasonal and…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of delayed cataract surgery on patient safety and quality of life.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government recognises that long waits can have an impact on health and wellbeing. Waiting well | NHS inform on NHS Inform provides patients with information to support their health and wellbeing while waiting for health and social care services. …
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to reduce cataract surgery backlogs in each of the last five years.
Answer · Neil Gray: The role of the Scottish Government is to provide policies, frameworks and resources to NHS Boards in order that they can deliver services that meet the needs of their local population. NHS Boards are responsible for deciding the distribution of funding that …
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many staff it has qualified to deliver cataract surgery in 2025, and how this compares with 2015.
Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested on how many staff it has qualified to deliver cataract surgery in 2025, and how this compares with 2015 is not held centrally.Information requested on how many Ophthalmology consultants are employed from 2015 to 2025 can be found on …
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the longest a patient in NHS Grampian has waited for cataract surgery was 1,253 days.
Answer · Neil Gray: We recognise long waits are unacceptable and I apologise to all patients waiting too long for treatment. We are determined do more and our Budget which will provide a record £21.7 billion for health and social care, with more than £110 million all…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients are on a waiting list for cataract surgery, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.Public Health Scotland (PHS) uses the national waiting times data mart to collect electronic patient records covering the waits that patients experience waiting for treatment as an inpatient or day case u…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cataract surgeries have been (a) cancelled and (b) rescheduled in each of the last five years.
Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. More detailed information on cancellations and rescheduled appointments will be held locally by NHS boards.
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to recruit and retain cataract (a) surgeons and (b) theatre staff.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is responsible for setting the strategic policy direction for NHS Scotland and its workforce. Operational matters, including the staffing of individual services, are the responsibility of each NHS Scotland Health Board.At a local level…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ recent warnings about cataract surgery capacity.
Answer · Neil Gray: I understand that the Royal College of Ophthalmologists has recently written to Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Care, calling for a review into the use and oversight of independent sector providers for NHS-funded cataract surgery in NHS England.NHS …
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether people face a so-called "postcode lottery" in accessing cataract surgery, and what action it is taking to address any such situation.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government commissioned Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) is working with NHS Boards to ensure that they are able to continually identify new ways to increase capacity, and to respond to demand through service innovation and redesign.In Janu…
17 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its elective care strategy, in light of reported long waits for cataract procedures.
Answer · Neil Gray: There is an extensive programme of work already in progress to support NHS Boards to reduce waiting times for all planned care procedures, including cataract surgeries.This year, we have allocated more than £110 million to health boards to help tackle t…
4 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what plans it has to increase funding for early years childcare provision to increase the number of childcare hours for those under the age of three, in light of the UK Government's plans to increase provision in England.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Supporting families through access to high quality, affordable and accessible childcare is critical to the First Minister’s mission of eradicating child poverty. That is why, since 2021, the Scottish Government has prioritised investment of £1 bil…