The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S7W-03855

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Recommendation 1 of the Thirlwall Inquiry, whether it will introduce baby monitoring systems, including in-cot cameras with livestreaming capability for parents, for all cots and incubators in neonatal units across Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-03856

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the provision of in-cot baby monitoring systems with livestreaming capability for parents across neonatal units in Scotland, including the number of cots and incubators currently fitted with such systems.

Question reference: S7W-03868

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Recommendation 12 of the Thirlwall Inquiry, how many full-time equivalent paediatric and perinatal pathologists are currently employed by NHS Scotland, what assessment it has made of whether current staffing levels are sufficient to meet demand, and what action it is taking to address any workforce shortfall.

Question reference: S7W-03887

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding speech and language therapy, whether it has any plans to review current treatment approaches, and what understanding it has of the benefits of one-to-one block therapy sessions delivered in Canada.

Question reference: S7W-03867

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of Recommendation 11 of the Thirlwall Inquiry regarding the scrutiny of neonatal deaths, and whether it will review the equivalent arrangements in Scotland to ensure that possible harm and safeguarding concerns are explicitly considered following every neonatal death.

Question reference: S7W-03861

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the interoperability of IT systems used across neonatal services in NHS Scotland, and what action it will take in response to Recommendation 5 of the Thirlwall Inquiry regarding the harmonisation of digital systems.

Question reference: S7W-03432

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether, under NHS Circular PCS(DD) 2025/1 Addendum 2, NHS boards should be permitted to apply administrative arrangements that financially disadvantage resident doctors whose progression does not align with the standard August progression timetable.

NHS Scotland Boards have implemented the NHS Circular PCS(DD) 2025/1 Addendum 2 in accordance with the pay agreement.

The 2-year pay agreement was accepted by the BMA Scottish Resident Doctors Committee following a successful ballot of its membership.

The agreement included specific implementation dates for pay uplifts and contractual investment. These implementation arrangements have been applied by NHS Scotland Boards as set out in the agreement.

Question reference: S7W-03232

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to no compulsory redundancies, what arrangements will apply to staff whose posts will no longer be required following the replacement of the 14 territorial NHS boards with two strategic boards.

On the 1 September, as part of the Programme for Government, the First Minister announced the Scottish Government’s intention to simplify the NHS by replacing the current 14 territorial Health Boards with two Strategic Health Boards and build on planned reforms to further reduce the number of special Health Boards.

This work will be done with the workforce, not to the workforce. We remain fully committed to partnership working and will work closely with trade unions throughout this process.

For NHS staff the principal change will, in due course, be the transfer of their employment from their current Board to one of the new NHS Boards.

Staff in NHS Scotland continue to receive the best reward package in the UK, and pay, terms and conditions will remain the same, all underpinned by the Scottish Government’s Fair Work principles, and our ongoing commitment to no compulsory redundancies.

Any future workforce changes will be done in full partnership with NHS Trade Unions in a structured and managed way, in line with existing NHS Scotland policies which have been agreed in partnership with trade unions.

Question reference: S7W-03239

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to extending the powers of local authorities to scrutinise the planning and delivery of health and social care services as part of its proposed reforms.

Local communities will continue to play an important role in helping to shape services. Engagement with patients, service users, communities, elected representatives and local partners will remain central to decision-making, supported by appropriate governance, participation and locality arrangements.

The reforms are not intended to create a one-size-fits-all system. Planning across larger populations will enable greater sharing of workforce, expertise and capacity, while continuing to support tailored approaches that reflect local circumstances, including the unique needs of rural and island communities.

Over the next three months, we will undertake an intensive programme of engagement with local government and partners to consider how health, social care and wider public services can work more effectively together, make best use of public investment and improve outcomes for people and communities. Partnership working across local government, health, social care and community planning organisations will remain essential. Detailed arrangements will be developed as part of wider public service reform.

Question reference: S7W-03236

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, other than the island communities, whether the Single Authority Model referred to in the Programme for Government is being considered for other areas, including remote and rural mainland areas and the Highlands.

On the 1 September, as part of the Programme for Government, the First Minister announced the Scottish Government’s intention to simplify the NHS by replacing the current 14 territorial Health Boards with two Strategic Health Boards and build on planned reforms to further reduce the number of special Health Boards.

The First Minister also announced an intensive programme of engagement with local government and partners to consider how health, social care and wider public services can work more effectively together, make best use of public investment and improve outcomes for people and communities. Detailed arrangements will be developed as part of wider public service reform.

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Question reference: S7W-03855

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