Chamber and committees

Data published by Public Health Scotland shows that at 31 March 2021, the number of patients waiting for treatment as an inpatient or day case was 94,781. The number of patients waiting over 12 weeks at 31 March 2021 was 61,901 (65.3%).

Further breakdown of this data can be accessed on page 28 of the full report at NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Quarter ending 31 March 2021 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland

Data showing the number of patients waiting to be admitted for treatment as an inpatient or day case at 30 June 2021 will be published by Public Health Scotland on 24 August 2021.

At present, we only collect Detect Cancer Early data for breast, colorectal and lung cancers. Information on patients diagnosed with breast, colorectal or lung cancer during the two-year period 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019 by cancer stage is available in the Detect Cancer Early Staging publication at

https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/detect-cancer-early-staging-data/detect-cancer-early-staging-data-year-8-1-january-2018-to-31-december-2019/

Information for the two-year period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020 is due to be released on 19 October 2021. This information will be broken down by quarter.

Public Health Scotland are currently developing a dashboard to include provisional monthly and quarterly data for 2020 compared with both 2019 and the average of 2017-2019 for the three cancer sites (breast, colorectal and lung). It is expected that this will be released over August as part of the Covid-19 wider impacts dashboard .

Causes of death are categorised using the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10 th Revision (ICD-10). A link to this classification is available here:CD-10 Version:2019 (who.int)

Influenza and pneumonia fall under chapter X “Diseases of the respiratory system” in ICD-10 rather than chapter I “Certain infectious and parasitic diseases”. Deaths from ‘Diseases of the respiratory system’ are shown in the following table .

For a full breakdown of all causes of death categorised within ICD-10, please refer to chapter 6 of the Vital Events Reference Tables published by National Records of Scotland.

List of Data Tables | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk)

Table 1. Deaths from diseases of the respiratory system

Causes of death are categorised using the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10 th Revision (ICD-10). A link to this classification is available here: ICD-10 Version:2019 (who.int)

For more detail on what is mean by “certain infectious and parasitic diseases” please refer to the following page of the online ICD-10 manual.

ICD-10 Version:2019 (who.int)

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Tayside have concluded agreements to buyout the PFI car park contracts for the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, respectively. As a result, these car parks have now come under the direct control of the NHS and the Scottish Government’s policy of free hospital car parking for patients, staff and visitors will continue to apply.

Negotiations for NHS Lothian to buyout the PFI car park contract for the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh are at an advanced stage with an agreement expected to be reached in the coming months. Car parking charges there remain suspended as a result of an arrangement reached with the PFI operator in March 2020 and the Scottish Government does not expect them to be reintroduced.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Tayside have concluded agreements to buyout the PFI car park contracts for the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, respectively. As a result, these car parks have now come under the direct control of the NHS and the Scottish Government’s policy of free hospital car parking for patients, staff and visitors will continue to apply.

Negotiations for NHS Lothian to buyout the PFI car park contract for the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh are at an advanced stage with an agreement expected to be reached in the coming months. Car parking charges there remain suspended as a result of an arrangement reached with the PFI operator in March 2020 and the Scottish Government does not expect them to be reintroduced.

As the member will be aware, capital investment is funded from the Scottish Government’s capital budget and its limited borrowing powers.

The annual Medium Term Financial Strategy which was last published alongside the Scottish Budget on 28 January, details the Scottish Government’s borrowing policies, including the source of capital borrowing. The National Loans Fund is the preferred source of capital borrowing because it remains the most cost effective approach to maximising the limitations of the fiscal framework restrictions.

If the Scottish Government had the same borrowing powers as local authorities, alternative sources of borrowing, including bonds, would become a more attractive option.

The Contingency Plus Fund offered additional funding to Travel Agents, Breweries and Indoor Football Centres in recognition of the specific challenges that businesses operating in these sectors experienced as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and regulations. This fund closed on 31 March 2021 and as at 25 June 2021, £3,670,000 had been paid to 223 Travel Agent businesses who met the eligibility criteria for the scheme. Travel agents may also have been eligible for other funding such as the Strategic Framework Business Fund and associated hospitality retail and leisure top ups and Restart Grants.

For all covid business support funds, the level of funding paid out was determined by the level of eligible applicants, which may have been lower or higher than the original estimated budget. Where underspends have occurred in relation to specific funds these have been recycled into other business support schemes.

The Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit Programme (BEAR) Phases 1, 2 & 3 has made available £12.2 million funding to support the costs of retrofitting of 762 mid-life buses and coaches to Euro 6 standard in Scottish Air Quality Management Areas from 2018 to 2021. A further £5.7 million is being made available in Phase 4 of the scheme. This launched on the 31 st of July and closes for applications on the 26th of August 2021.

(a) NHS Lothian recently submitted an updated Outline Business Case for the development of eye care services. This will be reviewed by Scottish Government’s NHS Capital Investment Group at their next meeting.

(b) The Scottish Government provided a progress update on major capital projects, including NHS infrastructure projects, to the Public Audit Committee by letter dated 23 June 2021 which can be accessed here:

Infrastructure Investment Major Capital Projects Progress Update 23 June 202 | Scottish Parliament Website .