- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the median gender pay gap was for its employees in each of the last five years.
Answer
The mean and median gender pay gaps in Core Scottish Government is detailed in the following table:
Date | Median Pay Gap | Mean Pay Gap |
1 April 2022 | 0.0% | 1.5% |
1 April 2021 | 2.8% | 1.4% |
1 April 2020 | 8.8% | 2.6% |
1 April 2019 | 0.0% | 2.2% |
1 April 2018 | 0.0% | 3.7% |
As set out in the regularly published Scottish Government Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report, our preferred method of reporting on the gender pay gap is to use the mean pay gap data. That is because the calculation of the mean pay gap is comprised of all salaries and ensures that all staff are represented in the statistical analysis. Whereas, the median is the value below which 50% of observations fall and is less affected by a relatively small number of higher earners and / or any skewed distribution of earnings.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the delays to the two new hospital buildings in Aberdeen that have resulted in an increase in the overall budget costs for these projects, how much additional capital it has had to provide in total to NHS infrastructure projects, due to delays to the operational date, in each of the past five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government publishes an update on progress on all major capital investment projects every 6 months in its Infrastructure Investment Plan and includes information on the following the projects:
- NHS Grampian - Aberdeen Baird Family Hospital and ANCHOR Centre
- National Waiting Times Centre Board - Hospital Expansion Programme - Phase 2
- NHS Lothian - National Treatment Centre
- NHS Highland – National Treatment Centre
- NHS Forth Valley - National Treatment Centre
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde - North East Hub
- NHS Ayrshire & Arran - Foxgrove (National Secure Adolescent Inpatient Service)
- NHS Tayside - Ninewells Electrical Infrastructure Zone 3
- NHS Ayrshire & Arran - National Treatment Centre - Ayrshire & Arran
The full report is published here:
Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Major capital projects progress update (September 2022) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the funding made available to subsidise coach education through sportscotland in each of the last five years, including the number of coaches who have received support.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.
sport scotland will write directly to Tess White MSP to provide the information requested.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with suppliers to address the reported shortage of radionuclide that is causing delays to scans for prostate patients in NHS boards, including NHS Tayside.
Answer
The Scottish Government has received no reports of shortages or problems with production of radionuclide leading to delays in scans for prostate patients.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Elena Whitham on 2 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a full breakdown of the implementation of Medication Assistant Treatment (MAT) standards since their introduction, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The Scottish Government has committed to providing a full breakdown of the implementation of Medication Assistant Treatment (MAT) standards in June 2023.
The Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy will update Parliament on progress in June and this will coincide with the publication of the 2022-2023 implementation update which will be produced by Public Health Scotland. The data published will be broken down by each local authority implementation area, detailing the progress each area has made on all MAT standards since the 2021-22 Benchmarking Report on Implementation which was published in June 2022.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many hours per week the Women's Health Champion is contracted to work in her role, and when her tenure is expected to end.
Answer
Professor Anna Glasier OBE was appointed as the first Women’s Health Champion for Scotland on 26 January 2023.
Professor Glasier has been contracted to work four days a month, with her tenure coming to an end in June 2024.
Professor Glasier recently published her first Women’s Health Champion update blog which can be found here: Health and Social Care My first update as Women's Health Champion - Health and Social Care (blogs.gov.scot)
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to support women at risk of osteoporosis around the time of menopause.
Answer
The Women’s Health Plan includes a medium-term action to “ensure women are properly supported around the time of menopause to assess their future risk of osteoporosis and fractures and given appropriate lifestyle advice” and action is being taken to progress this work.
On 5 th April, Professor Anna Glasier, the Women’s Health Champion, met with the Royal Osteoporosis Society to discuss the higher risk of osteoporosis for women and the impact that this has on their health outcomes in later life.
In addition, accessible information has been made available to women via the menopause resource on the NHS Inform Women’s Health Platform. The resource highlights that women who have been through menopause are at an increased risk of developing osteoporosis as a result of the lower level of oestrogen in the body and provides advice on what women can do to reduce their chances of developing osteoporosis. Information is included on lifestyle changes like exercise and nutrition to improve bone health as well as advice on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
The Scottish Government has also commissioned NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to create a bespoke training package and framework focussed on menopause and menstrual health for GPs and others working in Primary Care. This package will take a life course approach, including ensuring healthcare professionals are able to support women in being aware of the risk of osteoporosis around the time of menopause – and what can help.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 28 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to (a) Inverurie Medical Practice and (b) Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership, to ensure that the population of Inverurie will continue to receive primary care services, following the decision of the GP practice partners to end their contract with NHS Grampian.
Answer
The Scottish Government provides an annual allocation to Health Boards to meet the costs of providing general medical services either through contracting with GP practices or directly by Health Boards. NHS Grampian will continue to receive an appropriate level of funding based on the practice’s registered patients.
Aberdeenshire Health & Social Care Partnership and NHS Grampian are keeping my officials abreast of developments.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment in the Women's Health Plan 2021-24 to improve access to "speedy diagnosis" for endometriosis, in light of reports that the current average diagnosis time is eight and a half years from the onset of symptoms.
Answer
We are committed to delivering on the priority in the Women's Health Plan (WHP) to improve access for women to appropriate support, speedy diagnosis and best treatment for endometriosis.
There has been substantial progress since the publication of the Women’s Health Plan and our first report on progress, published on 26 January 2023, sets this out in more detail.
We will support the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme to raise awareness of the Endometriosis Pathway for Scotland. The pathway was approved in January 2023 and will be distributed to all NHS Boards for implementation. It provides a streamlined, integrated pathway across primary, secondary and tertiary care that aims to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms.
We will also continue to work with our Endometriosis Advisory Group and Lived Experience Forum to support and inform our policy actions to deliver on the priorities within the plan.
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking alongside NHS Scotland to address the reported delay in issuing cervical screening results from both of the laboratories located in Scotland, and whether it will provide a breakdown of the current backlog of cervical cancer screenings in each NHS board.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of delays in issuing cervical screening results. Currently 75% of individuals are receiving their screening results within the recommended 14 days from the date that the sample was taken; however, we recognise that some individuals are experiencing delays of up to eight weeks as a result of ongoing staffing pressures faced by both cervical screening laboratories.
The Scottish cervical screening programme is working on a number of measures to address this. This includes a review of internal processes to ensure all staff who can report cervical cytology spend the maximum time possible at the microscope. In addition, digital technologies are being explored to increase overall reporting capacity.
The Scottish Government does not hold information on individual health board backlogs.
