Access to a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccination is dependent on success in at least one of over 170 vaccine trials underway worldwide in terms of both development and manufacture. Vaccine availability in Scotland, and considerations about delivery and prioritisation, will depend in part on which vaccine candidates are successful.

While there is no guarantee of success in any of the trials, it is prudent that we plan on the basis of a vaccine becoming available. In Scotland we already deliver nearly 2 million doses of vaccine routinely every year and we have a comprehensive vaccine delivery infrastructure in place which includes delivery in island, remote and rural areas. Under existing vaccination programme arrangements, all islands Health Boards have effective arrangements in place for ordering and receiving centrally procured vaccines from holding centres and can receive deliveries on a weekly basis.

We are currently working on a plan to upscale these existing arrangements in order to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine in the event that a safe and effective vaccine does become available, and this will include careful consideration of the particular needs of Scotland’s island, remote and rural communities .

Scottish Government sector guidance for tourism and hospitality, published on 18 June, has been developed in partnership with industry, unions and regulatory bodies. Businesses should refer to the ‘assessing risk’ section of the guidance for advice on managing risk and how to comply with health and safety requirements. We also published advice and guidance on ‘customer and public toilets’, with infection protection control advice, for a wide range of circumstances. This was published on 27 June. Taken together, these two key sources of guidance will provide essential advice to enable Scotland’s accommodation providers to re-open safely.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-tourism-and-hospitality-sector-guidance/pages/operational-guide-and-checklist/#premises

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-public-and-customer-toilets-guidance/

If a guest develops symptoms, they should book a test through NHS inform. People with symptoms must self-isolate along with everyone in their household. If the test is negative, everyone can end isolation. If positive, isolation should continue. If guests who are isolating can travel home safely to isolate, they should do so, avoiding the use of public transport. Where this is not possible, they should discuss the safest option with the NHS Test and Protect team. There are no plans at present to compensate businesses in the case of imposed self-isolation within premises.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-tourism-and-hospitality-sector-guidance/pages/operational-guide-and-checklist/#premises

As the member will already be aware, from our previous interactions, it has not yet been possible to introduce RET on Northern Isles Ferry Services routes as planned for June 2018, due to an official State aid complaint made, by a commercial operator, to the European Commission.

However, despite this, several fare reductions have been implemented on Aberdeen – Lerwick – Kirkwall services since then where it has been possible to take action. These are:

• a 20% reduction in passenger and car fares on Aberdeen – Lerwick and Kirkwall – Lerwick services from 30 June 2018.
• a 20% reduction in cabin fares for islanders on Aberdeen – Kirkwall – Lerwick services from 1 January 2020.
• a 3 year freeze on passenger, car and cabin fares for islanders on Aberdeen – Kirkwall – Lerwick routes from 1 January 2020.

The Scottish Government and NHS colleagues have been working hard to ensure that patients in, and who enter hospital for non-covid related treatment, remain as safe as possible.

By utilising private sector capacity we ensuring that urgent cancer procedures are being carried out in a COVID free environment. In addition to the work carried out in our own NHS facilities the Private Hospitals (staffed by NHS Surgeons and Anaesthetists) have treated (as of w/e 07 June) 1520 urgent surgical cancer procedures had been undertaken, and 2090 outpatient appointments, which has provided support to 9 NHS Boards.

Alongside this, we are working on a hot and cold model, where hospitals with capacity to do so, would be separated into safe treatment areas for both Covid and non-Covid related treatment. It would not be feasible to have a cancer specific site, as Scotland covers a large geography and cancer is not just one disease, there is a huge range of specialisms and treatments for different diseases and these need to be available across the country.

In order to provide these COVID free spaces, the Scottish Government’s approach is focused on saving lives and protecting the vulnerable, rolling out Test and Protect to interrupt chains of transmission in the community, and continuing the vital surveillance work to support our understanding of the disease in Scotland. We are prioritising testing NHS and key workers, including those in the care sector. Since the start of the outbreak we have significantly increased our testing capacity- with total daily weekday capacity of more than 25,000 tests.

A framework has been developed to provide clear guiding principles for Health Boards when carrying out cancer surgery and builds on the initial guidance that has been issued to Health Boards since the beginning of this pandemic. This national framework means that patients requiring treatment will receive it at the earliest opportunity.

To ensure the focus remains on the prioritisation of cancer services the National Cancer Recovery Group has been established to provide strategic national end to end oversight of clinical services and was convened on 05 June.

This work will be supported by a National Cancer Treatment group who will agree and monitor prioritisation of cancer treatment.

The Scottish Government takes the Data Protection rights of the people of Scotland seriously and is working closely with the Information Commissioners Office to ensure that our Test and Protect implementation meets privacy standards. We have published a privacy statement which is intended to both inform and reassure people that their information is being shared appropriately within the NHS in Scotland and with our partner organisations.

https://www.informationgovernance.scot.nhs.uk/covid-19-privacy-statement/

We are undertaking data protection impact assessments for each element of the Test and Protect strategy. Due to the fast pace of the programme, we have designed a fast assessment template (https://www.informationgovernance.scot.nhs.uk/covid-19-rapid-data-protection-assessment/ ), to be followed by full Data Protection Impact Assessments, detailed privacy notices and Data Sharing Agreements as needed.

These assessments identify risks and mitigation actions. Contract tracing, however, is not a new activity for the NHS in Scotland. Public Health teams have existing protocols in place for tracing individuals at risk or suspected to have a transmittable disease. Public Health Scotland, working in partnership with the NHS National Services Scotland and the Health Boards, have extended the capacity of their teams, in order to deal with COVID-19, this means that further training to staff and revised scripts have been developed to ensure contract tracers provide adequate information, as well as search for consent to share some limited information with other contacts. This option is entirety voluntary, therefore for people who don’t want to be identified with their contacts, this information will be kept confidential.

As the Test and Protect programme of work progresses, new Data Protection Impact Assessments, privacy notices and information sharing agreements are developed, including the use of digital technologies such as Apps and websites for checking symptoms, booking tests, contact tracing and for providing advice on isolation and other relevant actions.

Privacy information is regularly updated through the NHSScotland Information Governance website https://www.informationgovernance.scot.nhs.uk/covid-19-privacy-statement/ , NHS Inform, Public Health Scotland, NHS National Services Scotland and the specific websites of each regional NHS Health Board.

The appointment of a consultant to take forward development of the island impact assessment is a matter for HIAL. HIAL sought an economist who was familiar with the Islands and selected an individual who has worked for Orkney Islands Council, Shetland Islands Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar on a variety of projects since the 1990’s. He has also undertaken work for Hitrans, Zetrans and HIAL.

The Island Impact Assessment process that HIAL has engaged in thus far has been open and transparent and it is HIAL’s intention that this continues. This will extend to publishing all submissions and all relevant correspondence on the HIAL web site.