Chamber and committees

Options appraisals have been completed by architects and capital planners, to consider what adaptations and physical environment changes are required. The National Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit already admits children with intellectual disabilities and mental health disorders utilising its existing expertise and available capacity.

NHS National Services Scotland has indicated that the national pathway of the child element of the national Learning Disability service can open prior to the adolescent facility.

All illicit drug use is dangerous, and I would strongly urge all people, and particularly young people, to seriously consider the risks that are involved.

We are and will continue to work closely with a range of partners and stakeholders, including Police Scotland, to ensure we have an up to date overview of any arising challenges or concerns. I fully recognise the importance of ensuring we are aware of trends and patterns of use, and we are taking forward work with Public Health Scotland to use and develop our public health surveillance data to better understand drug trends. This will enable us to develop effective approaches to meeting the needs of different groups, including young people, who are at risk at the earliest possible stage.

Evidence tells us that the vast majority of children and young people in Scotland have not used drugs, with numbers generally decreasing since 2002. However we cannot be complacent and our alcohol and drug strategy is clear in its commitments to achieve an outcome which will ensure that fewer people develop problem drug use. In order to help achieve this, we have committed to revise and improve the programme of substance use education in schools to ensure it is good quality, impactful and in line with best practice.

We acknowledge the outstanding contribution of Scotland’s faith communities, including our Christian Communities, and recognise the difficulty in being unable to come together or attend places of worship during this challenging time. However, we know faith communities understand that these restrictions are vital to protect our NHS workers and carers, and to save lives.

On 21 May, the First Minister outlined Scotland's route map through and out of the COVID-19 crisis, which is available on the Scottish Government website. This takes an evidence-led approach to easing restrictions and sets out a phased approach towards reopening places of worship.

Current guidance remains to stay at home and only travel where it is essential to do so. For this reason, places of worship are currently only able to open for very limited purposes; for funerals, to broadcast an act of worship and to provide essential voluntary services. However, it is anticipated that restrictions around places of worship may begin to ease at phase 2 of the route map, at which time they may be able to open for individual prayer and at phase 3, when we anticipate they may be able to open to extended groups for services. Opening at each of these phases would be subject to physical distancing and hygiene safeguards.

We will continue to engage in discussion with our faith communities as we work towards developing guidance to assist them to reopen places of worship in line with the phases I have outlined, including how this can be done as safely as possible.

The Scottish Government has published information on the number of calls to the NHS Scotland confidential alert line since the service was established on 2 April 2013. This along with further information on the service, as well as detailed reports available from August 2014, can be accessed at www.gov.scot/collections/nhs-confidential-alert-line/ .

During the COVID-19 outbreak all cancer screening lab staff have continued to work on a variety of activities, including ongoing processing of tests which were returned prior to the pause of the screening programmes and assisting with testing for COVID-19.

There is ongoing work to prepare for the resumption of screening which includes lab staff preparing to start work on new tests as soon as they are received.

The Scottish Government continues to consider evidence and recommendations including from The Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE).” . Our guidance on face coverings also makes clear one of the most effective measures to reduce transmission is to stay 2 metres away from other people, apart from members of your household. That remains our instruction to those who are exercising.

The Scottish Government is working with NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on an application for a new Managed Clinical Network (MCN) for National Child and Adolescent Learning Disability Services. The responsibilities of the Network will include developing standards and pathways for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Learning Disability community services.

An Incident Management Team (IMT) was established to investigate and manage the incident at the Nike conference. The IMT is an independent, multi-disciplinary and multi-agency group, which provides a framework, response and resources to enable the NHS board(s) and other statutory agencies to fulfil their remits.

It is part of the IMT’s remit to consider what actions are required following any incident. Each incident is judged individually. On the Nike Conference incident, as all contacts had been identified and contacted, the risk to the public was deemed by the IMT to be low.

Research from the University of Glasgow published on 8 June on viral lineages of the disease concluded that the actions taken to manage the Nike outbreak were successful in containing spread from that incident. This led to the eradication of this particular viral lineage, with no evidence of any wider outbreak associated with it in Scotland since that time.

The IMT will produce its report in due course and within the agreed timescales of within three to six months of the debrief.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

NHS Health Boards are responsible for the treatment and care of those with mental conditions in Scotland’s prisons, this includes those who may have a bipolar disorder. SPS are working with partners, including NHS, to support those in custody during this time.

If any person in custody wishes access to a member of the Mental Health Team, then they are able to self-refer. A Healthcare Professional will conduct an assessment within 7 to 14 days of a self-referral being submitted.

SPS staff are experienced in dealing with and supporting people who have mental health conditions. Where SPS staff have any immediate concerns regarding an individual’s mental health or risk of suicide, they can request an urgent assessment by the Mental Health Team. Where someone is identified as at risk of self-harm or suicide, SPS staff will initiate a concern form and interview the individual concerned. Those at risk of suicide are managed under SPS’ suicide prevention process, ‘Talk to Me’.

Self-help support leaflets, designed by SPS Psychologists, have been issued to everyone in custody and these provide information and tools which can be used to maintain a sense of wellbeing during the current pandemic.

All prisons continue to have Chaplains on site and they are available to talk to individuals who request pastoral support.