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: S5W-28616

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many vulnerable people received personal care from a worker not wearing a protective mask before the four nations personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance in response to the COVID-19 outbreak was updated on 2 April 2020 to allow individual self-assessment of risk.

This information is not collated at a national level. Prior to the national PPE guidance being issued on 2 April, guidance on the use of PPE was included in the Health Protection Scotland infection control guidance for Social or Community Care and Residential Settings, this was first published in March, and in Scottish Government clinical and practice guidance first published on 13 March and updated on 26 March and 15 May.

Question reference: S5W-28613

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has made of the ability of care workers to wear protective masks on the basis of self-assessed risk if this is not supported by their line managers.

We have not specifically evaluated this. I expect all employers to support their staff to follow the updated PPE guidance that was published on 2 April 2020, which includes the ability for staff to do an individual risk assessment of whether PPE is needed when they are providing direct care to someone who isn’t a possible or confirmed COVID-19 case.

I would also expect both public and private social care providers to ensure that all care workers are empowered and enabled to wear a mask alongside other PPE if they feel this is necessary, as was stated in the joint statement I made on 9 April with COSLA and the Trades Unions. The statement emphasises that social care workers can wear a Fluid-Resistant Surgical Mask along with other appropriate PPE where the person they are visiting or otherwise attending to is neither confirmed nor suspected of having COVID-19, if they consider doing so necessary to their own and the individual's safety.

If an employer disagrees with a care worker’s risk assessment, I would expect them to provide a clear explanation for this to the worker, and discuss this further with them.

Ultimately, the guidance states that where staff consider there is a risk to themselves or the individuals they are caring for they should wear a fluid repellent surgical mask with or without eye protection, as determined by the individual staff member for the episode of care or single session.

Question reference: S5W-28610

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding what proportion of care workers have chosen to (a) wear and (b) not wear a protective mask in response to the COVID-19 outbreak on the basis of their own risk assessment since the four nations personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance was issued on 2 April 2020.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. However, all employers should be supporting their staff to follow the updated PPE guidance that was published on 2 April 2020, which includes the ability for individuals to risk assess whether they require PPE when providing direct care to someone who isn’t a possible or confirmed COVID-19 case.

I reiterated this expectation in the joint statement on 9 April with COSLA and the Trades Unions which emphasised that social care workers can wear a Fluid-Resistant Surgical Mask along with other appropriate PPE, if they consider doing so is necessary to their own and the individual's safety.

Question reference: S5W-28617

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many vulnerable people receiving personal care might have contracted COVID-19 from a care worker not wearing a protective mask.

We do not collect this information. It would also be almost impossible to determine whether the single factor in someone contracting COVID-19 is because a care worker didn’t wear a protective mask.

Our national PPE guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe is very clear that all care workers who are providing direct care to, or visit, any individuals in the extremely vulnerable group, or where a member of the household is within the extremely vulnerable group undergoing shielding, should wear a face mask. This was also agreed in the joint statement between COSLA, SJC Unions and I on 9 April that this guidance makes clear that social and home carer workers can wear a fluid resistant face mask along with other appropriate PPE, if they consider this necessary to protect themselves and those they are caring for.

The recognised sustained transmission of COVID-19, table 4 of the PPE guidance also enables the risk assessment of use of PPE - including aprons, gowns, face masks and eye protection - when providing direct care and support to anyone who is not currently a possible nor confirmed COVID-19 case.

Question reference: S5W-28612

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it agrees with table two of the four nations personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, which was issued on 2 April 2020, which says that health and social care workers in the community need only wear a protective face mask if treating a person who has COVID-19 symptoms or is on the shielded list.

It is clear in my joint statement with COSLA and Trades Unions on 9 April 2020 that social and home care workers can wear a fluid resistant face mask along with other appropriate PPE where the person they are visiting or otherwise attending to is neither confirmed nor suspected of having COVID19, if they consider doing so necessary for their own and the individual's safety. They are professionals and we trust their professional judgement.

The PPE guidance that was published on 2 April 2020 recommends the safest level of PPE to protect health and social care workers and specifies the type of PPE that should be worn in the various healthcare and social care settings where patients or residents could be cared for.

The guidance contains 4 separate tables.

Given the recognised sustained transmission of COVID-19, table 4 of the guidance includes detailed advice around risk assessing use of PPE, including aprons, gowns, Fluid-Resistant Surgical Masks and eye protection, when health and social care workers are providing care and support to people who are not possible or confirmed cases of COVID-19. The guidance also asks that organisations themselves undertake risk assessments to ensure that they provide the correct PPE for the safety of their staff.

Importantly, in terms of shielding the extremely vulnerable in our society, the guidance advises that secondary, primary and community care workers should wear a surgical mask when providing care to any individuals in the extremely vulnerable group undergoing shielding; regardless if they have possible or confirmed COVID-19 or not.

Question reference: S5O-04343

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is helping colleges and their students deal with the COVID-19 outbreak and prepare for economic recovery.

Question reference: S5W-28609

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to international evidence, including from the World Health Organization, which suggest that protective face masks can help prevent the wearer from spreading COVID-19.

Question reference: S5W-28622

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the testing it has announced for workers and residents in care homes will apply to all residential settings.

The approach to testing for Health and Social Care staff also applies to staff working in the community and other residential settings. For those in community care and residents in residential settings other than care homes, the previous approach on testing, based on clinical assessment, remains appropriate. See the full guidance available on Health Protection Scotland here: https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/information-and-guidance-for-social-or-community-care-and-residential-settings/ .

Question reference: S5W-28623

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the testing it has announced for workers and residents in care homes will apply to (a) people receiving care in the community, including at home, and (b) disabled and other vulnerable people in supported accommodation.

The approach to testing for Health and Social Care staff applies to staff working in the community and other residential settings too. For those in community care and residents in residential settings other than care homes, the previous approach on testing, based on clinical assessment, remains appropriate. See the full guidance available on Health Protection Scotland here: https://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/information-and-guidance-for-social-or-community-care-and-residential-settings/ .

Question reference: S5W-28620

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 April 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis a care worker can self-assess that they do not need to wear a protective mask while administering care to a vulnerable person during the COVID-19 outbreak (a) given the reported rate of false negative test results and (b) if they have not been tested for the virus.