Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-21432

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Prison Service is responding to reported concerns from independent prison monitors that an estate-wide issue regarding the capacity of GEOAmey to transport prisoners, including those at HMP and YOI Grampian, has meant that prisoners have been unable to attend hospital appointments on multiple occasions.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

It is clear the Geo Amey contract, which SPS leads on behalf of justice partners, is not working as it should and causing disruption. The SPS with justice partners and Scottish Government is working to resolve the issues.

SPS are determined to ensure that the care, welfare, and service delivery on non-court elements of the contract are supported and delivered with equal priority as the management of court operations and the secure escorting of those in custody.

The National Prison Care Network has also written to NHS Board Medical Directors requesting that patients are not removed or reprioritised on waiting lists if failure to attend an appointment has been the result of any transport cancellation.

Question reference: S6O-02607

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on cladding remediation in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-21415

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by Epilepsy Consortium Scotland, Specialist Epilepsy Appointments, which emphasises the importance of face-to-face care, but found that 40% of patients had only attended their specialist epilepsy appointments by telephone since March 2020.

Delivering person-centred care is a priority for both NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government. As far as possible services should be organised around people’s needs, enabling them to be involved in their care in a way that is meaningful and tailored to their personal preference.

In December 2021 we published practical guidance for NHS clinicians on undertaking virtual consultations with people affected by neurological conditions: Digital Consulting in Neurology | TEC Scotland

The guidance considers when virtual consultations may be an appropriate option to offer. It states clearly that patients should be given the opportunity to decide how they wish to be seen. It is for NHS boards to decide how specialist epilepsy appointments are arranged in their area.

Question reference: S6O-02576

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking ahead of the festive period to support poultry farms, in light of the potential threat of avian flu.

Question reference: S6W-20948

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to develop a National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Social Care.

Question reference: S6O-02521

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its international offices.

Question reference: S6W-20348

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last received an update from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on its work to expand and strengthen the national Community Asset Register on behalf of Scotland's resilience community, and when a new digital platform for the register is expected to become operational.

The Scottish Government last received an update from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) on the national Community Asset Register (CAR) at a meeting in early June 2023. SFRS confirmed that a CAR ‘action plan’ has been developed, to monitor progress of the actions required to improve the CAR, and SFRS will keep SG officials updated as progress is made. Before the end of 2023, SFRS plans to carry out further promotion of the CAR internally, and to review the Service Level Agreement between SFRS and the other emergency responders. SFRS also reiterated its intention to continue to further develop the digital platform currently being used for the CAR but has stated, however, that the planned Information & Communication Technology (ICT) improvements could not be delivered in the current financial year due to existing demands within the current SFRS ICT work plan. The necessary improvements are to be tabled for discussion as a priority for inclusion in the 2024-2025 ICT work plan.

Question reference: S6W-20354

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reformed payment system for NHS dentistry in tackling oral health inequality across Scotland.

It is not possible to make a precise assessment of the payment reform changes and their impact on future oral health inequality patterns at this stage.

The Government has for some time been working apace on payment reform for NHS dentistry, and on the 27 July this was communicated to the sector, with implementation scheduled for 1 November 2023. The new model seeks to improve and protect patients’ oral health by focussing on more patient-centred care such as preventative periodontal – gum disease – treatments.

This is a complex, far reaching change with longer-term implications. Payment reform will provide a range of data that will enable the Government to assess the impact on dental activity and longer-term oral health inequality patterns. The enhanced payments to practices for the treatment of patients in Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 1 areas has also been retained.

Payment reform should also be seen in the context of well-established and proven programmes such as Childsmile which specifically targets child oral health inequalities by providing fluoride varnish treatment to nursery and early years schoolchildren from SIMD 1 areas. Tackling oral health inequalities requires a multi-faceted approach, not necessarily confined to the patient-dentist relationship, and a recognition that intervention in the early years is critical to the establishment of good oral health habits.

Question reference: S6W-20349

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Storm Arwen review recommendations update: October 2022, whether it will provide an update on its work regarding the enhanced engagement programme between the Scottish Government, resilience partnerships, and key national organisations, which ran from October 2022 to March 2023, and was due to be evaluated in April 2023.

In response to the recommendations of the Storm Arwen review report, the Scottish Government undertook a programme of enhanced engagement with key resilience organisations which included a series of Winter Preparedness Meetings. Following the conclusion of the programme of engagement, a review was conducted which found the Winter Preparedness Meetings to have been useful, met the Terms of Reference, and recommended that The Scottish Government considers continuing to undertake season based resilience meetings. This summer, Summer Resilience Meetings have been hosted in relation to summer resilience issues.

In addition to this, the established multi-agency Resilience structures in Scotland,attended by SG officials, all considered the Storm Arwen report and recommendations for their collective and organisational preparedness.

Question reference: S6W-20345

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the GP IT programme that is outlined in Care in the Digital Age: Delivery Plan 2022-23, whether all NHS boards are on schedule to have selected an accredited system by the end of January 2024, ahead of roll out to GP practices by June 2026.

The rollout of the new National GP IT system is being delivered by the national ‘GP IT’ re-provisioning programme and is now fully underway with the first 4 NHS Health Boards(NHS Tayside, Lanarkshire, Lothian and Grampian). To date there are 110 GP practices currently live with the new system. We expect all Health Boards to enter into agreements with the Supplier by mid-2024, and full rollout completed by 2026. More information is available in our refreshed delivery plan of the Digital Strategy: Care in the Digital Age: Delivery Plan 2023-24 (www.gov.scot)

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