Questions and answers

Question reference: S6F-03787

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2025

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to address the reported shortage in clinical radiologists, which is projected to rise to 263 fewer posts than needed by 2028.

Question reference: S6W-33325

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the funding for thrombectomy services set out in its draft Budget 2025-26 was calculated, and how this level of funding will assist in meeting the objective of a national round-the-clock thrombectomy service, as set out in priority 3 of the Stroke Improvement Plan 2023.

The Scottish Government draft budget 2025-26 has been informed by planning forecasts provided by the Thrombectomy Advisory Group (TAG). Clinicians and third sector organisations, as well as NHS planning colleagues, are represented on the TAG and the information provided by them helps to inform decisions taken by the National Thrombectomy Programme Board.

Work is ongoing to establish how the £16 million funding announced in the Scottish budget, subject to parliamentary scrutiny, will be best used to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from thrombectomy.

Question reference: S6W-33329

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that any of the £4.5 million budget for the actions in the Neurological Care and Support in Scotland: A Framework for Action 2020 – 2025 will not have been spent by March 2025; if so, how much of the budget it anticipates will have been spent by this date, and for what reason the full £4.5 million will not have been distributed within this timescale, in light of its commitment to do so.

It is forecast that £3.185m will have been spent by the end of March 2025 for activity related to the aims in the Neurological Care and Support in Scotland: A Framework for Action 2020 – 2025.

The Framework was published in 2019 and despite the extensive disruption to health and social care services during the pandemic, and accompanying pressure on Scottish Government and health board priorities, we sustained our focus and efforts to deliver the commitments of the Framework.

Actions will continue in the financial year 2025-26 for which the budget is still to be passed. We are asking Parliament to unite behind the Budget to ensure this funding reaches the people who need it.

Question reference: S6W-33326

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £16 million allocated to stroke thrombectomy services in the draft Budget 2025-26.

Work is ongoing to establish how the £16 million funding announced in the draft Scottish budget will be best used to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from thrombectomy.

The new Scottish Budget was presented to Parliament on 4 December 2024 with £16 million allocated to the further development of the thrombectomy service and stroke policy. This details Scottish Ministers spend proposals for the year ahead and the Scottish Parliament will then scrutinise this information through the Scottish Budget Bill. Further details on the Scottish Budget and the Health and Social Care portfolio budget Finance can be found at; Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026.

Question reference: S6W-33338

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to advance professional expertise in the training of neurologists in (a) immunology and (b) virology, and what action it is taking to improve the integration of neurological practice with these specialities.

Neurology trainees are provided with training in immunology and virology. The curriculum for neurology training, published by the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Training Board, includes Capabilities in Practice (CiPs) on managing inflammatory and infectious disorders.

These CiPs make clear expectations upon neurology trainees regarding:

understanding of the underlying anatomy and pathophysiology of inflammatory and infectious diseases of the nervous system, including the treatments and their side effects
ability to select, request and interpret relevant investigations including serology, genetic testing, imaging of the brain and spine, neurophysiology, tissue culture and histology in order to diagnose and manage such disorders
ability to work with other relevant clinicians both in treating and monitoring patients and in referring them to other disciplines as appropriate.

There is robust educational Governance through NHS Education Scotland (NES) for neurology training in Scotland. NES does not consider it necessary to require neurologists to be experts in either immunology or virology, but to be able to clinically assess, investigate and manage people with neuroimmunological conditions and neuroinfectious disease using an evidence-based approach.

Question reference: S6W-33337

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) neuropsychologists and (b) trainee neuropsychologists there are, broken down by NHS board.

The latest data received by the Scottish Government from NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is as follows:

a) WTE Applied Psychologists working in Neuropsychology in NHS Scotland as of 30 September 2024:

NHS Board	WTE Applied Psychologists working in Neuropsychology
NHS Scotland	53.1
NHS Ayrshire & Arran	5.9
NHS Borders	0.0
NHS Dumfries & Galloway	0.8
NHS Fife	2.3
NHS Forth Valley	2.4
NHS Grampian	8.6
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	14.8
NHS Highland	3.1
NHS Lanarkshire	3.6
NHS Lothian	8.3
NHS Orkney	0.0
NHS Shetland	0.0
NHS Tayside	3.4
NHS Western Isles	0.0
State Hospital	0.0
Golden Jubilee National Hospital	0.0
NHS Education for Scotland	0.0

b) NHS Education for Scotland (NES) does not hold this information centrally.

Question reference: S6W-33324

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has had with stroke clinicians and third sector organisations in relation to thrombectomy funding in its draft Budget 2025-26.

The Scottish Government draft budget 2025-26 has been informed by planning forecasts provided by the Thrombectomy Advisory Group (TAG). Clinicians and third sector organisations, as well as NHS planning colleagues, are represented on the TAG and the information provided by them helps to inform decisions taken by the National Thrombectomy Programme Board.

Work is ongoing to establish how the £16 million funding announced in the Scottish budget, subject to parliamentary scrutiny, will be best used to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from thrombectomy.

Question reference: S6W-33243

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Screening Committee will next meet, and whether lung cancer screening will be an item on the agenda.

As set out in the answer to question S6W-33241 on 24 January 2025, Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland are developing a business case for the implementation of a targeted lung screening programme, which is expected by the end of February 2025.

Following receipt, the Scottish Screening Committee will be convened to discuss its findings and consider next steps.

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-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-33970

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessments were undertaken before the transfer of patients from hospitals to care homes, without testing, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6W-33966

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be an evaluation of its Heart Disease Action Plan.

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