Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-33970

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessments were undertaken before the transfer of patients from hospitals to care homes, without testing, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6W-33959

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people had received their flu vaccination by the end of November 2024, and how this compares with November (a) 2023 and (b) 2022, broken down by the categories of (i) over-65s, (ii) at risk 18- to 64-year-olds, (c) healthcare workers and (d) care home residents.

The following data has been provided by Public Health Scotland (PHS). It compares how many people had their vaccine by the end of November in winter 2024, 2023 and 2022, broken down by the following groups: the over-65s; the at risk 18 to 64 group; Healthcare workers and residents in care homes for older adults.

PHS data is compiled by ‘week ending’ dates, so the historic data is up to the following dates for each year: 27 November 2022, 26 November 2023 and 24 November 2024.

Group	2022			2023			2024
Group	Eligible Population	Doses Administered	% uptake	Eligible Population	Doses Administered	% uptake	Eligible Population	Doses Administered	% uptake
65 and over	1,139,147	944,171	82.9	1,166,636	806,501	69.1	1,190,559	706,646	59.4
18-64 at risk	807,844	413,233	51.2	891,129	304,056	34.1	871,634	182,918	21.0
Healthcare workers	177,810	90,516	50.9	179,700	67,593	37.6	184,016	48,463	26.3
Residents in care homes for older adults	26,642	23,699	89.0	28,827	24,694	85.7	29,204	23,663	81.0

In 2022 and 2023, during the pandemic and pandemic recovery phases, the shape of the programme was different, with a much larger number of clinics. This meant programmes could be “front loaded” with more people vaccinated at the start and middle of the programme. As we have moved out of the pandemic and COVID has become a routine bi-annual programme, there is less need for large clinic numbers and Boards have started to pace the programme more evenly, as they did for flu pre-pandemic, meaning they continue to vaccinate right into mid-December.

As of 19 January, the uptake in these groups has increased as follows:

Group	24-11-24	19-01-25
65 and over	59.4	73.5
18-64 at risk	21.0	34.1
Healthcare workers	26.3	35.5
Residents in care homes for older adults	81.0	84.4

By filtering by year and searching on the PHS surveillance website, changes in programme delivery shape can be illustrated in graphs, both weekly and cumulatively.

Question reference: S6W-33971

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether risk assessments are currently required before the transfer of any patient to a care home, in the event that they have an infectious disease.

The current guidance in the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CH IPCM) produced by Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland states that before a resident is admitted to a care home it is important to undertake a risk assessment for infection.

At all times a thorough risk assessment should be undertaken prior to discharge to a care home to ensure that the care home is able to provide the care required and for the safety of the resident and others including staff, other residents and visitors. For example, if the individual requires to be isolated, that there is a suitable physical space and staff available for the delivery of care and support to an isolated resident.

The responsibility for carrying out individual risk assessments prior to discharge is between the individual Health Boards, Local Authorities and Integration Authorities.

Question reference: S6W-33963

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients were on waiting lists for cardiology (a) in total and (b) for over a year, in each of the last five years.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes statistics on the length of time patients wait to be seen as a new outpatient or admitted for treatment as an inpatient or day case in the Stage of Treatment (SoT) publication. The latest publication release contains data up to quarter ending 30 September 2024.

Statistics relating to the total number of ongoing waits and the number of waits with a wait length over 52 weeks by specialty from 31 December 2019 can be found in the ‘Waits over 52 weeks’ data table in sheets ‘Table 3.1.1’ for new outpatient appointments, and ‘Table 3.2.1’ for inpatient or day case admissions.

https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/30453/waits_over_52_weeks_nov24.xlsx

Longer trend information can be found in the following tables:

New outpatient appointments (‘1.6 Table’): https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/30080/newop_nov24.xlsx

Inpatient or day case admission (‘2.6 Table’): https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/30452/ipdc_nov24.xlsx

Question reference: S6F-03787

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2025

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to address the reported shortage in clinical radiologists, which is projected to rise to 263 fewer posts than needed by 2028.

Question reference: S6W-33960

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the delivery of its winter vaccination programme was achieved in November 2024, broken down by NHS board area.

The following table shows the breakdown of this winter’s COVID-19 and flu vaccination uptake that was achieved as of 1 December 2024, broken down by Health Board. The table also shows the uptake as a percentage for the whole for Scotland.

This data is publicly accessible via the Public Health Scotland (PHS) Open Source website: Flu & COVID vaccinations - Datasets - Scottish Health and Social Care Open Data

Uptake as of 1 December 2024:

Health Board	Covid Uptake %	Flu Uptake %
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	41	44.9
NHS Borders	50.6	53.4
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	48.8	52.5
NHS Fife	44.3	48.2
NHS Forth Valley	42.9	48.7
NHS Grampian	37.5	41.1
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	33.6	37.7
NHS Highland	41	43.5
NHS Lanarkshire	41	45.5
NHS Lothian	43.3	48
NHS Orkney	50	54.8
NHS Shetland	46	48.6
NHS Tayside	41.9	45
NHS Western Isles	37.8	41.7
Overall uptake for Scotland	40.4	44.4

Question reference: S6W-33965

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have died from heart disease in each of the last five years, and, of these, how many were classed as premature deaths.

Question reference: S6W-33958

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the delivery of the COVID-19 and flu vaccination programme for 2024-25 has been later than the programmes in the previous two years.

It is important to make sure that the start date of the annual flu programme reflects the expected peak of flu circulating to ensure maximum vaccine efficacy.

The 2024 Winter Flu and Covid programme (FVCV) launched on 9 September with the child flu programme. This was the earliest the programme in Scotland could start the child programme, due to vaccine supply deliveries.

Vaccination of adult flu groups began on 16 September, with the main flu and COVID-19 co-administration launching on 23 September. As per previous winter programme, Boards used the first two weeks of the main programme to focus on our most vulnerable citizens, notably residents in care homes for older adults and the housebound. Community appointments then began on 7 October.

These launch dates were based on two factors;

1.Advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination & Immunisation (JCVI): The JCVI advice noted that Health Departments should ideally aim to vaccinate their adult flu population in October and November, in order to vaccinate the eligible population prior to the beginning of the flu season, and to minimise the impact of vaccine waning.

2.Availability of COVID-19 vaccine supply: The vast majority of COVID-19 and flu vaccines are co-administered (currently 95.2% as of 26 January), for maximum convenience for people who are eligible for both. As such we had to wait for COVID-19 vaccine supplies to be available in Scotland to start that main phase of the programme, and 23 September was the earliest possible date.

During planning for its winter programmes, the Scottish Vaccination & Immunisation Programme (SVIP) takes multiple, complex factors into account when arriving at programme dates. These include JCVI advice on programme timings and cohort eligibility, the risk of emerging new COVID-19 variants, flu and COVID-19 vaccine supply availability and clinic capacity within the system.

These factors change annually, meaning that programme start dates will shift and therefore a direct comparison is difficult.

Question reference: S6W-33966

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be an evaluation of its Heart Disease Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-33967

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to develop a new Heart Disease Action Plan.

We are exploring a new long term conditions strategy to better recognise the fact that many people living with long term conditions need the same types of support and care, regardless of their condition. The strategy will focus on ensuring equitable and sustainable access to the services that all people with long term conditions need, while still allowing for targeted action on condition-specific care and support where appropriate.

We will shortly launch a full public consultation on this strategy. We are therefore not yet in a position to confirm the implications of the consultation and ensuing strategy with regard to condition-specific action plans.