Chamber and committees

The digitisation of records is managed operationally by individual Health Boards and GP practices, information on implementation of digitisation projects within each Health Board is not held centrally.

As part of an annual update on Primary Care Improvement Plans (PCIP), the Scottish Government (SG) publishes information on workforce numbers for the General Practice Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), which support delivery of the 2018 GP contract. Community Link Workers (CLWs) are a key part of the MDT and detailed information on their workforce numbers can be accessed at: Primary care improvement plans: implementation progress reports - gov.scot. Please see the below table for a breakdown of WTE CLWs in post from 2017 to 2026.

The Scottish Government last year consulted on potential new permitted development rights for the installation (and subsequent repair and maintenance) of underground pipework and associated apparatus for the purposes of connecting individual buildings to a heat network. The Scottish Government decided not to make changes to permitted development rights at that time. We have recently committed to further explore improving permitted development rights, including for small-scale renewable energy production.

Social care reform and the implementation of the Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 are a central focus for this Government. In our first 100 days, we are prioritising action to improve key areas within social care. This includes support for unpaid carers, work force conditions and access to services.

We are investing over £2.3 billion in social care and integration in 2026-27. This investment includes an uplift to adult social care pay as well as providing support to deliver improvements to wider terms and conditions for workers, such as maternity and paternity pay and also to help with payment of PVG checks for workers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00791 on 12 June 2026. 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.

The Scottish Government supports the development of a paediatric palliative care suite in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. We want to ensure that children and young people receive high quality palliative care and that their families and carers have flexible support, based on their individual needs, in a location that suits them.

‘Molly’s suite’ will build on the work done by young cancer patient Molly Cuddihy to ensure children and young people at the end of their life are properly supported and treated with dignity. Work to develop it is being led by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), working in partnership with Children’s Hospices across Scotland (CHAS).

My officials have asked the Board for an update on progress, which I will share with the Member in due course.

The Scottish Government and COSLA published the Coming Home Action Plan in March 2026. The action plan is backed by Scottish Government funding of up to £20m to support implementation. The majority of this funding will be distributed via the Independent Living Fund (ILF) Scotland through the creation of a new Coming Home fund.

No timeline has been set on releasing hospital beds through this new fund. In line with a person-centred approach and to ensure safe and supportive transitions, all moves from hospital to the community will progress at the pace appropriate for each person to ensure their individual needs are met.

The National Treatment Centres are currently delivering one cataract every 30 minutes as per the Royal College of Ophthalmologists’ guidelines.