Alex Cole-Hamilton

20 Dec 2021 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

14 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of people with cystic fibrosis in Scotland who are currently on the waiting list for a lung transplant, and what steps it will take to improve outcomes for such people.

Answer · Maree Todd: At the present time there are 20 patients from Scotland who are awaiting a lung transplant. Due to the very small numbers of patients who have an underlying diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis who meet the criteria for listing for transplantation, to prevent inadver…

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress the nine research projects on long COVID, which it committed £2.5 million funding to, have made.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The lead investigators on the 9 projects funded through the long term effects of COVID-19 infection call were notified on 22nd December 2020 that their projects had been successful in obtaining funding. Provisional funding letters were issued in January 2021…

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the £2.5 million that it committed to in the publication, Scotland's Long COVID Service, to support nine research projects relating to long COVID, has been allocated.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Details (including individual project funding allocations) of the 9 research projects funded through the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) long-term effects of COVID-19 infection call are available from the CSO website Long Covid Call – Chief Scientist Office (sc…

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to support NHS boards in (a) creating and (b) delivering a care co-ordination service model that would allow (i) primary, (ii) secondary and (iii) community care services to help those living with long COVID.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-05094 on 5 January 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committe…

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in implementing a Once For Scotland rehabilitation plan for long COVID patients.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Following the publication of the Framework for supporting people through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 , the rehabilitation programme has undertaken a significant scoping exercise through a self-assessment tool to understand the …

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what professional roles in primary care have been expanded through the Primary Care Improvement Fund in order to help people with long COVID.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In 2021-22 our investment in support of General Practice of £155 million (through the Primary Care Improvement Fund) demonstrates the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to the development of multi-disciplinary teams to support general practice. This inv…

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the expert group to identify the capacity needs of NHS boards and staff that it committed to establishing in Scotland's Long Covid Service has been created, and, if so, what work it has carried out.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has commissioned National Services Division (NSD) to undertake a programme of activity to assist in identifying the capacity needs of NHS Boards and staff in delivering safe, effective and person-centred support for people with long CO…

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £10 million Long COVID Support Fund has been spent since September 2021.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04072 on 22 November 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the £10 million Long COVID Support Fund has been allocated since September 2021.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Identifying and ensuring that the £10m long COVID Support Fund is targeted at areas where this additional resource is most needed will make the biggest impact for those people with long COVID. That is why a Strategic Network is being set up to support the del…

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it has raised awareness of Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland’s long COVID support service since its creation in February 2021.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We have invested more than £460,000 to enable Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland to deliver its long COVID Support Service. We have raised awareness of the service through:The Implementation Support Note which we have developed for clinicians supporting people w…

10 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the £40,000 that it committed to delivering a targeted marketing campaign relating to long COVID, in conjunction with community pharmacies, has been allocated.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is committed to providing clear information and support for people with long COVID. To help raise awareness of symptoms and signpost people to appropriate support, a marketing campaign ran in October and November 2021. The campaign bud…

2 Dec 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance community choirs should follow when meeting for rehearsals.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: People who participate in performing arts, including community choirs should follow general Covid-19 guidance ( Coronavirus in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . This encourages people to get vaccinated, take regular lateral flow tests, wear face covering…

29 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and adolescents have (a) waited longer than the 18-week target to begin treatment within child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and (b) received treatment within CAMHS in each year since the target was introduced.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Table 1 shows the total number of patients seen for first treatment following referral to CAMH Services, and the number of patients seen who waited more than 18 weeks between referral and first treatment appointment in CAMH Services for each year between Janu…

29 Nov 2021 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

26 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce Down syndrome legislation, similar to that introduced in the UK Parliament.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government wants to improve opportunities, outcomes and support for people with learning disabilities including Down’s Syndrome. To this end, we have committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill as part of the Pr…

25 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to recycle old fire alarms once legislation on interlinked fire alarms comes into force in February 2022.

Answer · Shona Robison: All alarms have a limited lifespan of around ten years due to deterioration of the sensors over time. Where alarms are expired, or no longer fit for purpose, it is recommended they are disposed of appropriately either by returning to the retailer or taken to …

25 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been diagnosed with (a) malnutrition and (b) conditions associated with malnutrition in the last year.

Answer · Maree Todd: Information on the number of people diagnosed with malnutrition and associated conditions is not held centrally.

18 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff there are in its (a) COVID-19 and (b) flu vaccination centres, broken down by category.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The flu vaccination and covid vaccination is a joint programme in Scotland, eligible citizens are offered both vaccinations at a single appointment. Staff can therefore not be delineated by vaccination type. Management information indicates that during the pe…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its commitment to provide 1,000 additional staff members in primary care mental health services, including (a) which roles it expects to provide, (b) by what date recruitment for the roles is expected to begin and (c) by what date all 1,000 additional s…

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government will hold a debate in the Scottish Parliament before the end of the year to set out its plan to deliver this commitment. The plan will detail how every General Practice across Scotland will have access to a Mental Health and Wellbeing…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its commitment to increase the GP workforce by 800 by 2026 will amount to 800 additional whole-time equivalent posts.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The commitment to recruit 800 additional GPs is based on GP headcount and we remain on track to meet that commitment by 2027 as originally set out. We have taken a number of actions to fulfil this commitment, including increasing the number of medical places…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will have recruited 500 advanced nurse practitioners, in line with its commitment in the Programme for Government, and whether the number of staff recruited will amount to 500 whole-time equivalent posts.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government’s commitment to train 500 Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) by 2021 was met by August 2021. As of September 2021, 536 nurses had completed their Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Nursing Practice (PG Dip ANP).

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its plans to recruit 320 additional staff in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) over the next five years, and how many additional staff members it expects to have recruited in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23, (c) 2023-24, (d) 2024-25 and (e) 2…

Answer · Kevin Stewart: In our NHS Recovery Plan we have committed to provide sufficient funding for around 320 additional staff in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) over the next 5 years. Since May 2021, we have allocated approximately £40m to NHS Boards to suppo…

11 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the average number of Test and Protect primary contacts per case has reduced from six in May 2021 to 1.8 in October 2021, while restrictions have eased and socialising has increased.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Test and Protect’s contact tracing service can only identify close contacts based on the information provided by people who have tested positive, and we are grateful to everyone that reports all their contacts when engaging with the contact tracing system. We…

10 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether someone who is operating a business from their home can legally refuse to allow a customer who is not wearing a face covering to enter their home.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: We have published Coronavirus (COVID-19): face covering and masks guidance which includes information on wearing face covering and masks including exemptions. It is the responsibility of each individual business to apply the guidance to their own circumstan…

8 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase either free or affordable access to sign language interpreters for people with hearing loss in order to access legal representation.

Answer · Ash Regan: Under current legal aid provision, BSL interpreting costs can be paid as an outlay where legal aid or advice and assistance is in place. When a person requires such support to access legal services, the Legal Aid Fund will meet these costs. The Scottish Legal…

8 Nov 2021 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

4 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Roman Catholic priests may deliver the last rites to an individual at a location that has been designated as a crime scene.

Answer · Keith Brown: The preservation of a crime scene is for the purposes of protecting the integrity of forensic evidence. A decision to allow a priest to enter an area designated as a crime scene is therefore an operational matter for Police Scotland.

4 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS Scotland COVID Status App shares information with (a) NetCompany, (b) Service Now, (c) Jumio, (d) iProov, (e) Albasoft, (f) Amazon Web Services, (g) CFH Docmail, (h) Microsoft Azure, (i) Gov.uk Notify Service and (j) Royal Mail, and, if so, for what reason.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The list of companies set out in the privacy notice relate to the Vaccine Programme and the Covid Certification service as a whole, and not just the Covid Status App. So for example, Royal Mail are involved in posting printed certificates to individuals – the…

4 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the privacy information on the NHS Scotland COVID Status App, which states that personal data of users will be shared with NetCompany, Service Now, Jumio, iProov, Albasoft, Amazon Web Services, CFH Docmail, Microsoft Azure, Gov.uk Notify Service and Royal Mail, relates to as yet …

Answer · Humza Yousaf: No. If, and when, any additional functions are added to the NHS Scotland Covid Status App then the privacy information will be updated accordingly. For more detail on the current privacy information, I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-04212 and…