- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how the hospice workforce is being considered in workforce planning and budgeting, including future discussions on NHS pay and awards.
Answer
The funding and commissioning of specialist and general palliative and end of life care services, including workforce planning and allocating resources for staffing, is a matter for Integration Joint Boards (IJBs). It is the responsibility of IJBs to plan and commission adult palliative and end of life care services for their areas using the integrated budgets under their control.
Scottish Government officials will continue to engage with Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and Scottish hospices in relation to supporting local planning, commissioning and resourcing of independent hospice care.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the licensing of Kaftrio for children with cystic fibrosis aged two to five years old by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, whether it can provide assurances that patients in Scotland who are now eligible will have full permanent access to the treatment now and in the future on the NHS in Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22774 on 21 November 2023. 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.
I welcome the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA’s) recent extension to the licence for Kaftrio ® and Kalydeco ® to include children aged two to five years old which will help address the unmet needs of younger children with cystic fibrosis in Scotland. I can also confirm that, while the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) multiple technology appraisal (MTA) is ongoing, all existing and new patients in Scotland who are on, or who are started on, a CF medicine, including Kaftrio ® , will continue to have access to that CF medicine after NICE and the SMC issue their final recommendations. This will be irrespective of the outcome of the appraisal and will cover any need to subsequently switch to a different CF medicine.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21445 by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023, whether it will provide an update on the development and delivery of the new national strategy for palliative and end of life care, including what was discussed at the Strategy Steering Group meeting on 14 September 2023, and what progress has been made in relation to the Strategy as a result of that meeting.
Answer
As part of work being undertaken to develop the new Palliative Care Strategy, we are gathering and analysing evidence to tell us what actions should be taken to achieve the aim of ensuring that everyone in Scotland receives well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care, care around death, and bereavement support based on their needs and preferences.
We have set up a number of working groups, bringing together stakeholders with expertise in priority areas for action, and these groups are developing recommended actions for inclusion in the strategy for discussion with the Strategy Steering Group (SSG) at its next meeting.
At the September meeting of the SSG there was discussion on the progress of the working groups and work being done to better understand people’s lived experiences of palliative care, as well as the proposed structure and timeline for the Strategy. A minute of the meeting will be available on the SG website, at https://www.gov.scot/groups/palliative-and-end-of-life-care-strategy-steering-group/ , once this has been agreed by the group.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how the new national strategy for palliative and end of life care will specifically support palliative care delivery in rural and remote areas.
Answer
The new Palliative Care Strategy aims to ensure that everyone in Scotland, regardless of location, receives well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care, care around death and bereavement support based on their needs and preferences, including support for families and carers.
We are aware of the importance of ensuring that the Strategy takes account of the differing needs of people living in rural and island areas, and of the particular challenges in these areas. Work is currently being undertaken to understand the lived experiences of users of palliative care services in rural and island settings. We have also asked our working groups, who are feeding into the Strategy, to give particular consideration to the impact that any actions they are recommending may have on rural and island areas.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve the end-of-life experience for those dying in poverty, in light of the finding of Marie Curie that 8,200 people die in poverty in Scotland every year.
Answer
To ensure that people get the financial support that they are entitled to as quickly as possible, adult disability benefit applications from people with a terminal illness in Scotland are fast-tracked. We also ensure that those who are terminally ill automatically receive the highest rates of assistance that they are entitled to, with no award reviews. They are eligible for this support straight away, with no qualifying period.
The new palliative care strategy will seek to understand and respond to the social determinants of people’s experiences towards the end of life, including financial insecurity and housing.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support will be provided to businesses in Argyll and Bute that have been impacted by damage as a result of Storm Babet, in light of reports of around half being unable to reopen and a cumulative financial deficit of nearly £1.3 million.
Answer
We recognise the significant impact on people, businesses and communities in areas affected by storm Babet. The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in helping them through this horrible experience which has destroyed so many people’s property and belongings.
The Storm Babet Ministerial taskforce was established to co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s support of local recovery efforts. Initial focus has been on the worst affected areas; ones that had an exceptionally rare red warning for rain during October’s storm, and especially Angus, which provisionally experienced its wettest day since 1891.
The Taskforce has developed a package of support to assist Scotland’s Councils deal with the immediate recovery as well as consider longer term issues such as repairing infrastructure. This package includes initiating the Bellwin Scheme to help all Councils cover eligible expenditure for urgent repairs; grants for farmers affected by severe flooding in parts of Scotland to help repair man-made flood banks; and Flood Recovery Grants to be administered by eligible Local Authorities to assist people whose homes and businesses have been flooded.
This support is in addition to Scotland’s longer-term investment in flood resilience, where we have committed £150m over the course of this Parliament to deliver improved flood resilience, in addition to the £42m provided annually to councils for flood resilience through the general capital grant.
This flood response sits alongside our ongoing work to support Scotland’s businesses. The Scottish Government has committed up to £25 million to develop the Argyll and Bute economy over the next 10 years through the regional growth deal. Projects supported through the deal will support the development of skills, infrastructure and innovation in key industry sectors like marine tourism and aquaculture to create skilled jobs and attract investment’. Local authorities also have wide-ranging powers to create rates relief schemes to reflect local needs.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include Argyll and Bute Council in the Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce.
Answer
We recognise the significant impact on people, businesses and communities in areas affected by storm Babet. The Scottish Government is committed to playing its part in helping them through this horrible experience which has destroyed so many people’s property and belongings.
The Storm Babet Ministerial Taskforce was established to co-ordinate the Scottish Government’s support of local recovery efforts. It will consider both the immediate recovery response and longer-term issues such as repairing infrastructure.
The Taskforce has developed a package of support to assist Scotland’s Councils deal with the immediate recovery as well as consider longer term issues such as repairing infrastructure. This package includes initiating the Bellwin Scheme to help all Councils cover eligible expenditure for urgent repairs; grants for farmers affected by severe flooding in parts of Scotland to help repair man-made flood banks; and Flood Recovery Grants to be administered by eligible Local Authorities to assist people whose homes and businesses have been flooded.
This support is in addition to Scotland’s longer-term investment in flood resilience, where we have committed £150m over the course of this Parliament to deliver improved flood resilience, in addition to the £42m provided annually to councils for flood resilience through the general capital grant.
The initial focus of the Task Force has been on the worst affected areas; ones that had an exceptionally rare red warning for rain during October’s storm, and especially Angus, which provisionally experienced its wettest day since 1891.We have therefore invited the Chief Executive of Angus Council to attend the Taskforce in her capacity as Chair of the Tayside Storm Babet Recovery Group. While we will continue to review membership of the group, there are no plans to extend membership at this time.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set up a committee to examine the reported rising excess death rate in Scotland, in light of data from the National Records of Scotland showing that 3,255 excess deaths have taken place in 2023 so far.
Answer
A Mortality Special Interest Group (SIG) currently exists with a remit to monitor and analyse mortality trends in Scotland. This is a collaborative group chaired by Public Health Scotland (PHS) and includes representation from key organisations including the Scottish Government, National Records of Scotland and representation from Directors of Public Health.
More information on the Mortality SIG can be found on the PHS website .
There are currently no plans for the Scottish Government to set up any further committees or groups on excess deaths.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the reported growing demand for more intensive palliative care interventions.
Answer
As part of work being undertaken to develop the new palliative care strategy, we are working with Public Health Scotland to get a better understanding of population-level palliative care needs now and in the future, both nationally and locally.
We are working with local health and social care partnerships to identify how best we can support a local population based approach to palliative care, so that everyone can access specialist and general palliative care as needed by each person, whatever their illness or condition.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding by Marie Curie that, by 2040, 60,000 people will be estimated to die with palliative care needs in Scotland.
Answer
We are developing a new palliative care strategy to achieve the very highest standards of care right up to the end of life, and to ensure high-quality palliative care wherever and whenever it is needed.
As part of work being undertaken to develop the strategy, we are working with Public Health Scotland to get a better understanding of population-level palliative care needs, now and in the future. This includes consideration of the research that has been carried out by Marie Curie.
