Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-34320

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the 2025 Education Improvement Plan, which was referenced to in the 2025 National Improvement Framework (NIF) that was published in December 2024.

I am pleased to confirm that the 2025 Education Improvement Plan was published today: www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836911227.

The Improvement Plan sets out the actions that will be taken to deliver the seven key educational outcomes set out in the National Improvement Framework, the evidence to support those actions and how we will measure progress against them.

In addition, the Scottish Government also published an update on actions from the 2024 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan setting out progress on existing actions from across the education and skills landscape: www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836911234.

Question reference: S6W-31817

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 9 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the (a) value of the role of physician associate, (b) function that physician associates have in supporting GPs and (c) contribution that physician associates make to patients and the NHS.

Physician associates are valued and welcome members of the NHS Scotland workforce, and will continue to contribute to the Scottish Government's priority of developing a sustainable system that ensures people get the right care, at the right time, and in the right place. Work is being taken forward through our national Medical Associate Professionals Programme Board to identify how the Physician Associate profession can be utilised to best effect going forward.

GP practices, as independent contractors, are responsible for determining their own staff mixes and it is up to individual practices to decide whether or not they wish to employ Physician Associates or any other type of clinician. The work to expand the Multidisciplinary Teams supporting GP practices through the Primary Care Improvement Fund is based on transferring services from GP delivery to delivery by health board employed staff. It is up to health boards to decide how to staff these services, although they must work closely with local communities and stakeholders to ensure that specific local challenges and population need are taken into account.

Question reference: S6W-31815

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reportedly more controlled expansion of physician associates in Scotland has led to a safer and more efficient deployment of these healthcare professionals in comparison with other parts of the UK.

The NHS England Long-Term Workforce Plan, published under the previous UK Government in June 2023, committed to an expansion of Physician Associate (PA) training places with a view to establishing a workforce of 10,000 PAs by 2036-37. No such target for expansion has been set by Scottish Ministers who are clear that any growth of the profession must be gradual and evidence-based. While high profile examples of harm involving physician associates did not take place in Scotland and there is no empirical comparative data between countries on adverse events involving PAs, the Scottish Government’s approach to this role is being informed by a national Programme Board tasked with considering issues including Scope of Practice and supervision. Statutory regulation of the professions by the General Medical Council is due to commence in 13 December, introducing consistent UK-wide standards for education, training and practice with individual professional accountability and meaningful consequences when these are not met.

Question reference: S6W-31816

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many physician associates (a) have lost and (b) are losing their roles; what the surrounding circumstances were or are, and what assessment it has made of the potential welfare risks that this may cause to individuals.

Work is ongoing to improve the availability of data regarding the number and distribution of Physician Associates (PAs) across NHS Scotland. It is expected that these improvements will allow for the more effective analysis of workforce trends for this profession from the beginning of the 2025-26 financial year.

Individual decisions about the employment and deployment of PAs are a matter for Health Boards, many of whom will have considerable experience of utilising this role to good effect. The profession is a valued, long-standing part of the NHS Scotland workforce and it is important that discussions about the role are taken forward in a respectful and supportive manner.

Question reference: S6T-02208

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on fuel poverty in Scotland, what its response is to the reported announcement that the energy price cap will increase by 1.2% for the period covering January to March 2025.

Question reference: S6T-02067

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test

Question reference: S6F-03477

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2024

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has undertaken of the impact of the UK Government Budget on Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-03693

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-03823

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 August 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2028

To ask the Scottish Government test

Question reference: S6O-03767

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 July 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test test

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