- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the refreshed guidance on mobile phone use in schools will be published, and whether this guidance will follow the approach set out in the UK Government Department for Education February 2024 guidance, Mobile phones in schools, which emphasises that mobile phones should not be used during the school day, including breaks and lunchtimes.
Answer
Updated guidance on the use of mobile phone technologies in schools will be published in the coming weeks. The current guidance to education authorities and schools on this issue remains available from Guidance on Developing Policies to Promote the Safe and Responsible Use of Mobile Technology in Schools (www.gov.scot).
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 23 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of any impact of the expansion of Hospital at Home, announced on 24 October 2023, on reducing the pressures facing the Scottish Ambulance Service, and how much of the £12 million earmarked for the expansion has been allocated to each NHS board.
Answer
From the £12 million earmarked to expand Hospital at Home and provide additional capacity over winter, we have confirmed funding of more than £3.5 million, of which the majority of health Boards will get a share, for delivery of additional capacity in 2023-24.
Work is ongoing with Boards to finalise the conclusions around impact of the enhanced services over winter but NHS Boards have reported patient feedback has been extremely positive for the new services.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with its partners to support farmers in the North East Scotland region who are affected by accumulative heavy rainfall, which is reportedly damaging crops and having a potentially devastating impact on the lambing season.
Answer
We recognise the ongoing impact that adverse weather conditions are having on Scotland’s agricultural industry – conditions that are a direct result of climate change.
The poor weather conditions experienced in the early spring will be presenting challenges to farmers and crofters at the time of peak lambing and calving, and will be impacting the ability to sow crops. The Farm Advisory Service, funded by the Scottish Government, provides resources for farmers and crofters in responding to the wet weather this year.
The Farm Advisory Service is also signposting people towards the charity RSABI. RSABI provide practical, emotional and financial support to all people involved in the Scottish agricultural industry.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, following the changes to the delivery of inoculations in the 2018 Scottish GMS Contract, whether it was anticipated that courses of B12 injections prescribed over a series of days and weeks would be delivered in central vaccination centres by Health and Social Care Partnerships, rather than GP practices, which reportedly often means that patients requiring this treatment frequently have to travel significant distances.
Answer
While the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, legal responsibility for service delivery rests locally with Health Boards and their healthcare professionals. As part of the service redesign under the GP contract, the focus is on reconfiguring a number of services at scale, across the country, including Vaccinations and Community Treatment & Care services. The Scottish Government did not stipulate delivery models; Health Boards, Integration Authorities and Local Medical Committees have been asked to work together to design services which will meet the needs of patients in their areas, including accessibility.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its consultation in 2017 on updating the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967, whether it still plans to update these regulations, and, if so, whether it will provide details of the anticipated timeframe.
Answer
It remains the Scottish Government’s intention to update the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967.
Given the time elapsed between the consultation that took place in 2017-18, we must now consider the updated context that the regulations exist in.
We are now taking this work forward and will re-consult on the Regulations in due course.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment has been made of the Redesign of Urgent Care Programme, which was launched in December 2020.
Answer
Through the Redesign of Urgent Care (RUC), we have bolstered capacity at NHS24, which has seen staffing levels increase by 65% since 2007 and now operates as a 24/7 service, and are providing more hospital alternatives to prevent unnecessary attendances to A&E.
The combination of services has significantly contributed to reduced attendance at Emergency Departments, with self-presentations between February 2023 – January 2024 down by over 90,000 (around 11%) compared to pre-Covid levels.
The Scottish Government works closely with the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) to support delivery of improvement programmes, including the Urgent and Unscheduled Care collaborative, to ensure sustainable ways of delivering services, improving access for patients, and reducing unnecessary demand for services. A Speciality Delivery Group meets regularly to monitor progress and support initiatives which are enhancing the RUC pathway.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported cyber attack that took place on NHS Dumfries and Galloway on 15 March 2024, how it is working with (a) all NHS boards, (b) Police Scotland and (c) the National Cyber Security Centre, to ensure that NHS IT systems are not compromised further by similar attacks.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to support NHS Dumfries and Galloway respond to the cyber-attack through the provision of the Scottish multi-agency cyber incident support arrangements. These arrangements bring national agencies, including the National Cyber Security Centre, law enforcement (including Police Scotland), NHS Cyber Security Centre of Excellence, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government together to support the response and recovery to the incident.
For further information I refer the member to the answer to question S6T-01869 on 19 March 2024 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament .
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decision by Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board to close Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Huntly Minor Injury Units (MIUs) overnight on a permanent basis due to budgetary pressures, what action it will take with NHS boards and local partners to ensure that MIUs continue to deliver urgent and unscheduled care in the North East Scotland region.
Answer
It is important to note that through the Redesign of Urgent Care Programme, NHS 24 is available 24/7 and will be able to assist patients across Scotland, including the North East Scotland region, access the most appropriate healthcare pathway over a 24 hour period.
The decision to close the service overnight is an operational decision for local health boards and integrated joint boards to get the best combination of local and specialist services that meets the needs of their population in line with the National Clinical Strategy. It has been reported by NHS Grampian that this bring this service in line with other services across Moray and Aberdeen City. The Scottish Government do not have a specific policy on the provision of Minor Injury Units in communities.
It is important to stress that these Minor Injury Units will continue to operate during the day and the Board report that there is minimal activity at these units during the out of hours period. These services are only equipped to deal with minor injuries which do not need immediate attention. Those patients that may have attended the MIU during the proposed closure times will either be provided with a scheduled appointment through NHS 24 to attend the next morning, or if an emergency will be directed straight to A&E.
Minor injury services are also available at the majority of the local GP practices.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 16 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Police Scotland to disrupt the (a) supply and (b) distribution of super-strong synthetic opioids in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government and its partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce - which includes Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency - oversee work to address the threats highlighted in the Scottish Multi-Agency Strategic Threat Assessment.
Decisions around the detection and disruption of drug supply are an operational matter for the relevant law enforcement agencies. I thank those bodies for the vital work they do to take drugs off our streets and dismantle organised crime groups.
While the law enforcement response to drug trafficking is essential, it is also crucial that we tackle the market for drugs. This Government's position is that tackling the drugs emergency requires a concerted public health approach to improve and save lives.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 16 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce will publish its recommendations; how many times the taskforce has met since it was established, and when any meetings took place.
Answer
The Taskforce is making good progress with the development of its recommended actions and will continue to work until members have agreed a comprehensive action plan. We anticipate the publication of a report later in 2024. Since the establishment, the Nursing and Midwifery has held four ministerial led meetings in April, July, December 2023 and March 2024. The taskforce has also held two official led meetings in June 2023 and March 2024.The Scottish Government publishes the agreed minutes and actions from each meeting on its website: www.gov.scot/groups/nursing-and-midwifery-taskforce