Chamber and committees

This information is not held centrally.

The Stoma Appliance Service in the Community: Stoma Care Quality and Cost Effectiveness Review 2015 was published on 26 February 2016 as prior to this date it was still in development. The quality audit was conducted across all 14 territorial NHS boards in the first half of 2015. Subsequent tasks included liaison with key stakeholders, validation checks with NHS boards, analysis of all responses and drafting of the report findings and recommendations. The cost effectiveness strand of work took place concurrently.

The Stoma Appliance Service in the Community: Stoma Care Quality and Cost Effectiveness Review 2015 notes that a range of nurses with mixed responsibilities can support patients who have stomas. There are many nurses within differing units and specialities within NHS boards, including in the community, who are able to support stoma patients who do not have the clinical nurse specialist title.

In 2015-16 the government invested over £2.4 million of recurring funding to enhance access to specialist nursing and care, including the appointment of additional specialist nurses. NHS boards are responsible for ensuring that these funds deliver maximum benefit for patient care.

The review highlighted a need to raise awareness of stoma care services and improve information to patients about what services, help and advice are available to them. Recommendations 3, 4 and 16 of the review outline actions for both NHS boards and for stoma appliance contractors specifically on advice, help and contact with healthcare professionals, and on services and information to patients.

The review does not make a recommendation to redefine the roles and responsibilities of care and district nurses. In addition to providing day to day care, district nurses also ensure patients receive specialist care when needed, from clinical nurse specialists. Scotland's Chief Nursing Officer is leading work to review and refocus the role of district nurses; the provision of wound care, including for individuals with stomas, will remain a key element of their role.

The Scottish Government has made provision for nicotine vapour products (NVPs) in the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Bill. NVPs will also be regulated by the EU Tobacco Products Directive. The UK Government is currently transposing provisions of the Directive which will come into force in May 2016. There are no plans for the Scottish Government to develop a specific NVP action plan at this stage. Guidance on the use of NVPs has been issued by both the Scottish Directors of Public Health and NHS Health Scotland, which provides direction on the use of NVPs in NHS stop smoking services. The Scottish Government is also supporting NHS cessation services to explore how they can best help users of NVPs to quit tobacco for good.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting NHS boards, which is why we have put in place record levels of funding and NHS boards have record numbers of staff.

We are currently considering the evidence for the introduction of national guidance.

Funding to local authorities to address homelessness is provided as part of the local government finance settlement for 2016-17. The total funding now amounts to over £10.3 billion.

It is for local authorities to allocate the appropriate funding to address homelessness in their area based on their local housing strategy and local circumstances.

The Scottish Government have announced another £150,000 to the local authority led Housing Options Hubs for 2016-17 to further develop approaches to preventing homelessness and the Scottish Government provides direct funding to third sector organisations to address homelessness in Scotland through funds such as the Housing Voluntary Sector Grant Scheme.

Local authorities are best placed to allocate appropriate resources from the local government finance settlement to addressing homelessness in their area.

Along with strong legislative rights for homeless households, local authorities and their partners have been developing innovative approaches to preventing homelessness in recent years through the housing options approach.

As well as the Scottish Government announcement of another £150,000 to the local authority led Housing Options Hubs for 2016-17, guidance was recently published to help improve delivery of preventative services. A training toolkit around the prevention of homelessness is also due to be produced in 2016-17.

The Scottish Government has not carried out research into local authority funding for temporary and homeless accommodation for 2016-17.

The allocation of appropriate funding for temporary and homeless accommodation for 2016-17 is a matter for local authorities, from their overall financial resources.

The funding shortfall of £25 million was identified through a survey of local authorities in Scotland by local authority practitioners, supported by the Scottish Government.

The Minister for Housing and Welfare shared this information with the previous UK coalition government in 2014 expressing the Scottish Government’s concerns about the potential impact on homeless households, but we have been disappointed at the response.

The Scottish Government will continue to highlight its concerns to the UK Government and work with our local authority partners to minimise the negative impact of UK Government welfare reforms on vulnerable homeless households.