Territorial Health Boards are responsible for assessing and planning for the workforce required to deliver their programme locally. Scotland’s winter vaccination programme for Covid-19 and flu is delivered as part of the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP), which is a partnership between Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland and Health Boards. This supports appropriate workforce planning for operational delivery.

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) Procurement is responsible for the management and logistics in relation to the Scotland’s vaccine stocks. COVID-19 and childhood flu LAIV vaccine supplies are procured on a 4 nations basis by UKHSA on our behalf, and adult flu vaccine supplies are procured on a Scotland-only basis by NSS. An SVIP Expert Advisory Group is convened, as necessary, to consider stock amounts required each year to meet need and uptake level.

There are sufficient vaccine supplies for the flu and COVID programme this winter and all supplies were made available prior to programme launch.

Health Boards do not receive their entire stock in one delivery. Instead, they draw down stock based on demand in order to minimise wastage and optimise on-site capacity.

COVID-19 vaccines have been available for Boards to order since 8 September, for the COVID-19 programme start date of 29 September. Adult flu vaccine stock has been available for Boards to order since 26 August and child flu vaccine stock has been available for Boards to order since 1 September.

COVID-19 stock will be available until the conclusion of that programme on 31 January 2026 and all necessary flu vaccines will be available until the conclusion of that campaign on 29 March 2026.

There are no issues with the supply of any of the winter flu and COVID-19 vaccines and we have procured adequate supply for the duration of the programmes.

Health Boards will ensure that all eligible adults are given the opportunity to receive their COVID-19 and flu vaccinations by Sunday 7 December 2025. This is to ensure that as many eligible individuals as possible are vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to the beginning of the festive travel period (weekend of 20 & 21 December) and in advance of the peak of the flu season.

We recognise that not everyone will be able to be vaccinated by that point, and the COVID-19 vaccination programme will run until 31 January 2026 and the flu vaccination programme will run until 29 March 2026.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of timely access to psychological support, including psychological therapies for bereaved parents. One of the main ways this is provided is through Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services. For most parents who have suffered a pregnancy loss, bereavement and grief support provided by their Health Board or third sector organisations will meet their needs and they will not require specialist mental health services.

The Scottish Government funds the baby loss charity Sands to develop, and support NHS Boards to implement, the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) for pregnancy and baby loss in Scotland. The NBCP includes bereavement care for those who have experienced miscarriage and the sudden death of an infant. All 14 NHS Boards now officially signed up to the NBCP have appointed a NBCP Lead and are at different stages of implementation.

Our Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland, published on 6 February 2025, details work that will map out existing mental health services available following a pregnancy and baby loss to ensure that women can access appropriate mental health support, should they require it.

In 2025-26 the Scottish Government provided third sector organisations with £262,747 funding to support women and families who experience a pregnancy or baby loss.

A small number of parents experience more complicated grief and may benefit from engagement with specialist mental health services. If a parent is identified as requiring Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services in Scotland after the loss of their baby, they would typically be referred by their midwife, GP or other healthcare professional.

Since 2019, our continued investment has resulted in a substantial increase in MNPI services across Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.

The loss of a baby, no matter at what stage of pregnancy, is a traumatic event that can have a profound impact on families. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that families who have experienced a pregnancy or baby loss receive the right information, care and support tailored to their individual circumstances. This includes high quality, sensitive bereavement care and support.

For most parents who have suffered a pregnancy loss, bereavement and grief support provided by their Health Board or third sector organisations will meet their needs and they will not require specialist mental health services.

A small number of parents experience more complicated grief and may benefit from engagement with specialist mental health services. If a parent is identified as requiring Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services in Scotland after the loss of their baby, they would typically be referred by their midwife, GP or other healthcare professional.

The way in which MNPI services are provided will differ across Boards, depending on population size and birth rate but we expect those who need the services to be able to access them in all areas of Scotland. All NHS Boards now provide these services either from a dedicated local team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger Boards that host the maternity hospitals where the patient is receiving inpatient care.

In 2025-26, the Scottish Government committed £975,000 to the National AI Adoption Programme, reflecting its ongoing support for the responsible and inclusive uptake of AI across Scotland’s business community.

Of this total, £290,000 will be delivered as direct grant support to businesses. This includes £200,000 for AI Transformation Grants, which are aimed at helping SMEs discover, explore and implement AI solutions that can drive significant change within their organisations. An additional £90,000 will fund AI Exploration Vouchers, designed to support businesses at the early stages of their AI journey by enabling them to test and explore potential use cases.

No funding has been allocated to loans within the 2025-26 programme. The remainder of the budget will be used to deliver a range of complementary support activities — including expert advice, engagement events and targeted outreach — to help build confidence, capability and awareness around AI adoption across the wider economy.

We know that the earlier cancer is diagnosed the easier it is to treat, and that early diagnosis is particularly crucial for people with pancreatic cancer due to known poor outcomes for this devastating disease. This is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme. Detect Cancer Earlier’s ‘Be The Early Bird’ campaign aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early. This re-ran in September 2025 to prompt health-seeking behaviour.

We published clinically refreshed Scottish Referral Guidelines (SRGs) for Suspected Cancer, including pancreatic, on 6 August 2025. These support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms suspicious of cancer and identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist. This will ensure that people are on the right pathway at the right time. Furthermore, I joined the First Minister at a roundtable held with key stakeholders , including Sir Chris Hoy and Lady Sarra Hoy, in August to discuss what more needs to be done in Scotland, specifically to ensure those groups of men most at risk can access the diagnosis and support they need.

We have also launched six Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDSs) across Scotland. These are ruling cancer in or out faster for those with non-specific symptoms, supporting our Earlier Cancer Diagnosis Vision. Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) cancers, including pancreatic cancer, are among the most common cancers found through the RCDSs. Independent evaluation in 2024 found that HPB cancers made up 17% of the cancers found.

Further to this, we have committed in the Cancer Action Plan 2023-2026 to invest in improving the pathways of less survivable cancers, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic cancer, aiming to shorten the time to staging and agreeing treatment options.

To that end, the Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Network (SHPBN) to develop standardised pathways that improve outcomes for people with HPB cancers, working with NHS Boards, third sector organisations and patients where most appropriate.

I will continue to keep Parliament updated as this work progresses.

Between winter 2023-24 and winter 2024-25 uptake across all adult groups for both flu and COVID-19 decreased, with flu uptake dropping back in line with pre-pandemic levels.

Each year, the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) reviews the performance of the previous winter programme to improve delivery and implement new initiatives with the aim of improving uptake. In addition, SVIP holds regular winter task and finish groups throughout the winter programme, led by PHS and attended by immunisation teams from the 14 territorial Health Boards, as well as the national Boards and Scottish Government policy teams. This helps the programme to respond in real time to any unexpected drops in uptake, including sharing best practice.

There are a wide range of steps being taken to encourage uptake through how people are invited for vaccination. People eligible due to age and/or health condition will receive a direct communication by letter, email or text with details about their appointment or information on how to book one. In winter 2023-24, all those with a digital preference who self-booked via the online booking portal or national vaccination helpline received a digital reminder 24 to 48 hours before their appointment. This winter, we have expanded those reminders to 100% of those with a booking who have a digital preference, which now includes all those who have been automatically scheduled by the national programme. For those who are sent an appointment via SMS or email, a new process launched in spring 2025, whereby if an email address is undeliverable, or the mobile number is no longer in use, a letter is sent to inform the individual and encourage them to log in or ring the helpline to update their details and book an appointment.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) has developed a new communications campaign (For some, flu hits harder) focused on raising awareness and encouraging uptake of the flu vaccine. Communications and marketing activity is running nationally across radio, social media, out of home, paid display and pay per click advertising from 15 September to 7 December. This activity is highly targeted at lower uptake groups including those aged 18-64 years of age with an eligible health condition, pregnant women and health and social care workers, as well as in areas with lower SIMD and with ethnic minority communities.

New resources including posters and social media toolkits have been shared with over 1,300 key stakeholders. The social media toolkit includes resources for both the flu and COVID-19 vaccines and includes a range of videos, statics, case studies, website, newsletter and intranet copy.

Updated information is available on NHS Inform and significant activity is being undertaken by PHS to reach particular people. PHS currently share health information resources such as leaflets, posters and social media toolkits with a wide range of partners who represent Scotland’s diverse population. As standard, core resources are produced in five primary languages (English, Arabic, Chinese Traditional (Cantonese), Chinese Simplified (Mandarin) and Polish) and four other formats: Audio, British Sign Language, Easy Read and Large Print, with additional formats and languages available on request.

PHS have also been working closely with a range of third sector partners to help design and disseminate programme materials for particular stakeholder groups. This includes members of the Alliance, the British Islamic Medical Association, Age Scotland and Asthma and Lung UK.

Scotland’s spring and winter vaccination programmes for flu and COVID-19 are implemented as part of the Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP) - a collaborative effort involving the Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, and Health Boards.

In recognition of Scotland’s changing demographics and the ageing population, territorial Health Boards assess and plan their workforce needs to effectively implement their respective programs each season.

For each programme, SVIP conducts precise assessments of the eligible population - based on criteria established by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation - recognising that these numbers may vary annually, and planning is accordingly adjusted to ensure effective implementation.

The Scottish Government has no plans to consider making flu vaccination mandatory for any eligible groups, including public-facing NHS staff.

There is evidence that mandatory vaccination damages confidence in vaccination and provokes a negative reaction in those for whom it is mandated. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the UK Government briefly made COVID-19 vaccination a mandatory condition of employment for frontline health and social care workers and staff in care homes, but quickly rescinded it due to significant opposition from the staff group. Although never mandated by Scottish Government, some private Scottish health and social care employers did require COVID-19 vaccination, and some health and social staff conflated their employers’ position, and that of the UK Government, with that of the Scottish Government. Some workers still have residual objections in regards to this, which impacts their views on workplace vaccination. Our policy is therefore to provide evidence-based, scientific rationale that encourages the workforce forward for vaccination on a voluntary basis.

Taking up the offer of the flu vaccine is the best way for people to protect themselves and those around them from getting ill; however it must be an individual's choice to get vaccinated. The Scottish Government ensures that accurate and trusted information is available to the public to help them to make an informed decision.

We continue to encourage all eligible individuals, including NHS staff, to take up the offer of the flu vaccine.