Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not hold information regarding clinical outcomes in relation to delays in receiving hyperacute stroke care. We remain committed to implementing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service that is available across Scotland whenever people need it.

Scottish Government officials and NHS planners are working at pace on developing a plan for the next steps for service expansion.

The information requested is not held centrally. This is a matter for Public Health Scotland.

The information requested is not held centrally. Thrombolysis is available 24/7 across Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not currently have an estimated cost for the provision of a 24/7 thrombectomy service.

The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service that is available across Scotland whenever people need it.

Scottish Government officials and NHS planners have been asked to work at pace on developing a plan for the next steps for service expansion.

While there is not a specific date for publication, we expect the next steps for service expansion to reflect work to align the governance and delivery of thrombectomy with similar national programmes. This alignment with wider health service planning aims to support oversight of thrombectomy planning for the NHS Chief Executive Group and encourage greater collaboration between NHS Boards in delivering this vital service. This work will include developing costings for further service expansion.

The number of credit unions in Scotland is publicly available through the Bank of England’s annual statistics, which are published online.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with the credit union sector in Scotland. At the most recent meeting of the Financial Services Growth and Development Board (FISGAD)in June, representatives of the sector confirmed they are working with Scottish Financial Enterprise (SFE) to establish a Scottish specific group that will bring all of the credit unions and industry bodies in Scotland together for the first time. This will enable a more unified approach to engagement and support for the sector going forward.

The Scottish Government welcomes the insight provided by the British Society for Haematology in this report and recognises the challenges facing haematology services and our overall workforce.

The Scottish Government is responsible for setting the strategic policy direction for NHS Scotland and its workforce. Operational matters, including the staffing of individual services, are the responsibility of each NHS Scotland Health Board.

At a local level, the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 places duties on Health Boards to ensure that at all times suitably qualified and competent individuals are working in such numbers as are appropriate for the health, wellbeing and safety of patients, the provision of high-quality care and the wellbeing of staff.

We are working with NHS Scotland to address staffing as a matter of urgency, working closely with NHS Boards and clinical leaders from across the country to address pressures in a sustainable way. This includes retaining staff in specialist roles and prioritising staff wellbeing, as evidence shows that positive wellbeing enhances staff retention and engagement, which in turn raises standards of patient safety and quality of care.

I also refer the member to the answers to questions for S6W-39724 and S6W-39726 on 14 August and S6W-39725 on 20 August. 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.

Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, responsibility for operational matters - including the staffing of individual services – rests with individual health boards based on national, regional and local priorities.

Should health boards require direct support with attraction and recruitment activities they can contact Centre for Workforce Supply, hosted by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) who can provide bespoke, direct support, guidance and advice on such matters.

Following work with stakeholders to review the number of medical specialty training places needed to meet anticipated future service demand and consultant need, since 2014 the Scottish Government has funded the creation of hundreds of additional specialty training places in Scotland across multiple different specialties, including in haematology.

Looking ahead, the Scottish Government recognises the need for a medical workforce plan to account for what patients and the public want and need from their health service, and to ensure the attractiveness of medical careers. To that end we have committed to taking forward the ‘Future Medical Workforce’ project which will report on the extensive planned dialogue with doctors and analysis of workforce demand and supply by the end of 2025.

Following work with stakeholders to review the number of specialty training places needed to meet anticipated future service demand and consultant need, since 2014 the Scottish Government has funded the creation of hundreds of additional specialty training places in Scotland across multiple different specialties, including in haematology.

Specialty training expansion has been done in line with recommendations made by the Scottish Shape of Training Transition Group, largely based on workforce modelling taking into account consultant retirals data to support future annual consultant/GP growth of 1% to meet anticipated increases in service demand.

The Scottish Government undertakes annual reviews of the number of specialty training places needed in order to meet anticipated future service demand and consultant need. Since 2014, the Scottish Government has funded the creation of hundreds of additional specialty training places in Scotland across multiple different specialties, including in specific cancer specialities and haematology.

These specialty training places have been created in response to recommendations made by a stakeholder group which includes NHS Education for Scotland, the British Medical Association, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, and various Health Board representatives including regional workforce planners.