Alex Cole-Hamilton

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS 24 111 telephone calls resulted in patients being referred to (a)  A&E, (b) a GP and (c) other urgent care pathways in each of the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out on the impact of delayed NHS 24 callbacks on patient outcomes.

Answer · Neil Gray: NHS 24 have robust practices in place to ensure patient safety is paramount and that the appropriate procedures are in place for assessing risk.Scottish Government monitor the performance of NHS 24 and regularly engage with the service to discuss performance …

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of NHS 24 111 callbacks were completed within target times in each of the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance (a) NHS 24 and (b) other NHS boards follow to ensure that repeat callers seeking medical care receive timely support.

Answer · Neil Gray: NHS 24 operate under clear, evidence-based clinical protocols that are designed to safeguard patient safety and ensure timely access to care. These include a structured triage system, clinical decision support tools, and escalation pathways for urgent or comp…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce callback waiting times for the NHS 24 111 service. 

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government continues to invest in and support NHS 24 as a vital part of Scotland’s health and care system. Over the past two financial years, NHS 24 has received more than £26.9 million in additional funding to increase its capacity a…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients were assessed through the NHS 24 111 service and subsequently not referred for further clinical care in each of the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether the number of repeat calls to NHS 24 has increased since 2020.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not collect or hold data on the number of patients who make multiple calls to the NHS 24 111 service. The service operates as a clinical triage and advice service, and repeat contacts can occur for a range of legitimate reasons. T…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the NHS 24 111 triage processes to reduce the number of patients that have been denied onward referral.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is confident that NHS 24 operates a robust triage system that prioritises patient safety.NHS 24 will always refer patients on to other areas of the healthcare system when appropriate to do so and in the best interests of the patients c…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of NHS 24 111 calls resulted in no further medical action being taken in each of the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects data on the number of callers who report being unable to access care after multiple attempts to contact NHS 24 or other health services.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of callers who report being unable to access care after multiple attempts to contact NHS 24.The Scottish Government continues to support NHS 24, including revising performance indicators to better re…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have spent more than (a) four, (b) eight, and (c) 12 hours on a trolley while waiting for (i) treatment and (ii) admission in each of the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this data.Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes regular statistics relating to waiting times in A&E.The latest publication can be found here: Accident and emergency - Urgent and unscheduled care - Healthcare system -…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest recorded time for an NHS 24 111 callback was in each of the last five years. 

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that callers rejected via the NHS 24 111 service receive appropriate advice and follow-up support.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is confident that NHS 24 adheres to robust clinical protocols, including regular clinical audits and staff training, to ensure that patients requiring care beyond the 111 service receive appropriate advice and follow-up support. The Sc…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what is the longest recorded time a patient has spent on a trolley in a hospital corridor or emergency department in each of the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this data.Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes regular statistics relating to waiting times in A&E.The latest publication can be found here: Accident and emergency - Urgent and unscheduled care - Healthcare system -…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding The City of Edinburgh Council is receiving to address pothole repairs, and how this compares with investment levels in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently and therefore does not provide funding specifically for pothole repairs. The vast majority of funding…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to address the reported shortage of care workers in rural communities in the South of Scotland, and what impact it considers that this is having on hospital discharge times.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Whilst the Scottish Government is not a social care provider or employer, we work closely with partners across the sector to provide support that employers can access, that will allow them to attract and retain staff within the social care sector.The Scottish…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients in Argyll & Bute have had to travel outside their own NHS board for treatment in each of the last three years, and what the longest distance has been for a patient to travel. 

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Argyll & Bute will get a walk-in GP centre. 

Answer · Neil Gray: Improving access to primary care is a key priority for this Government. We recognise the vital role that GPs, community nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other members of the primary care team play as the foundation of healthcare in our communities.We are com…

18 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that health services in Argyll & Bute have been relocated to Glasgow.

Answer · Neil Gray: There is an existing and established Orthopaedic pathway in place for patients in Argyll & Bute to receive treatment in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. This has been the position for some time and we understand from Health Boards that patient feedback on…

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how schools are expected to deliver financial literacy to pupilsas part of the curriculum.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Financial Education in equipping learners with key life skills. Financial literacy is embedded in the curriculum in Scotland through numeracy and maths, business studies and personal and social education cl…

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand the provision of financial literacy as part of the school curriculum.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41944 on 1 December 2025, Education Scotland are currently reviewing the curriculum in line with the Curriculum Improvement Cycle programme. As part of this review, work is taking place to review the place of f…

17 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent literacy in the use of AI is included in the current curriculum in schools.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We are committed to ensuring that children and young people are equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding to successfully navigate a world where AI permeates all aspects of society.The current curriculum includes digital literacy which allows teac…

6 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints Healthcare Improvement Scotland has received about maternity care provided by maternity units in each year since 2020-21, broken down by maternity unit.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Please see the following table with details of the complaints HIS has received about maternity care provided by maternity units in each year since 2020-21, broken down by maternity unit.The information held by HIS relates to concerns raised through its Respon…

6 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that every maternity ward properly records serious birth tears and the number of women who experience significant blood loss while giving birth.

Answer · Jenni Minto: We expect all women who experience pelvic floor trauma and post-partum haemorrhage (PPH) will have this recorded within the electronic maternity record. Rates of third- and fourth-degree tears for each Board are available on the Scottish Pregnancy, Births and…

6 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it took to support NHS Lothian following the NHS board’s whistleblowing investigation into maternity care at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in December 2024.

Answer · Neil Gray: I was first made aware of issues with maternity services in NHS Lothian in December 2024. At that time Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) had already started an investigation following whistleblower reports. I met with Lothian Chief Executive and Chair, an…

6 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care last met the Royal College of Midwives; whether the organisation raised any concerns about staffing, and, if so, what action has been taken as a result.

Answer · Neil Gray: I last met with representatives from the Royal College of Midwives on the 11 September 2025.Concerns about staffing was not the focus of discussion. Staff skill mix was raised, however it is the responsibility of Health Boards to ensure the appropriate staff …

6 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many inspections Healthcare Improvement Scotland has made of maternity units in each year since 2020-21, broken down by (a) maternity unit and (b) whether these were announced or unannounced visits.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) commenced their safe delivery of care inspection of all 18 obstetric maternity units in January this year. HIS publishes its methodology for the maternity inspection programme on its website: Safe delivery of care in mate…

6 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many new midwives and nurses have been recruited at maternity units in each year since 2020-21.

Answer · Neil Gray: The requested information on how many new midwives and nurses have been recruited at maternity units in each year since 2020-21 is not held centrally.Information on the number of nurses and midwives employed by each NHS board, as well as the numbers joining t…

6 Nov 2025 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

30 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged (a) 65 to 74, (b) 75 to 84, (c) 85 to 94 and (d) over 95 have waited at A&E for 12 hours or more in each month since January 2025.

Answer · Neil Gray: This is a matter for Public Health Scotland who collate and manage this data.