Chamber and committees

The Coronavirus (COVID-19): test, trace, isolate, support strategy was published on 4 May 2020 and sets out plans to help disrupt community transmission of the virus. The strategy is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-test-trace-isolate-support/

In relation to a) Personal Protective Equipment, the orders placed in each month are as follows:

The Scottish Government is working with partners to ensure that all health and social care workers, including doctors, have the support they need when they need it, including access to specialist psychological services.

Risk of deductive disclosure leading to a breach of patient confidentiality means that data about the number of people at the hotel or nearby who tested at that time cannot be released. However, any case that tested positive, whether related to this event or not, has always been included in our daily COVID-19 updates.

An independent, multi-disciplinary, multi-agency group Incident Management Team (IMT) with responsibility for investigating and managing the Nike conference incident was established. The IMT provides a framework, response and resources to enable the NHS board and other statutory agencies to fulfil their remits.

Under this framework, the Health Protection Teams would be using the Health Protection Scotland (HPS) guidance in place at the time, which recommended testing for symptomatic contacts.

The guidance published on the HPS website was developed by experts within HPS and based on advice used across the UK.

Scottish Government was first made aware on 3 March 2020 that there had been a case testing positive for COVID-19, relating to the Nike Conference held in Edinburgh on 27 February. This case was included in the daily total case figures reported to the public on 4 March.

An independent, multi-disciplinary, multi-agency group Incident Management Team (IMT) with responsibility for investigating and managing the Nike conference incident was established. The IMT provides a framework, response and resources to enable the NHS board and other statutory agencies to fulfil their remitsThe IMT can, if it judges that there is a beneficial public health rationale to do so, make the existence of an incidence public knowledge.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.

This information is available in the Scottish Health Service Costs (often referred to as the 'Costs Book'), published annually by Public Health Scotland (previously Information Services Division). Report R025 provides a cost per inpatient week for the 2018-19 total hospital running costs of each NHS Board and the R300 reports provide a breakdown for the main speciality groupings. This information is not held centrally for Integration Joint Board Areas.

Staffing matters are the responsibility of individual colleges and, whilst it is for the institutions themselves to make decisions on future staffing levels, I urge them to be sensitive to such negotiations during the coronavirus pandemic. Decisions on staffing may be based on the financial health of the institution or on the need to implement changes to the delivery of teaching and learning to reflect the changing needs of the local economy and industry skills demands.

We are aware that some colleges have continued to pursue voluntary severance schemes at this point in time and the Scottish Funding Council continues to work closely with the sector to ensure any actions taken are compliant with the Scottish Public Finance Manual and the Scottish Funding Council's Financial Memorandum. However, I am also conscious of the fact that several colleges have paused their voluntary severance scheme and I welcome this development.

Colleges take the mental health of their staff very seriously. Throughout the change process, West Lothian College have encouraged affected staff to take advantage of a wide range of mental health and wellbeing support available to them through the college.

These are exceptional times and we expect employers, unions and workers to agree appropriate arrangements that ensure that workers are treated fairly, in line with Fair Work principles.

Advice on COVID-19 testing for residents in sheltered accommodation is provided by Health Protection Scotland . Health Protection Scotland also provide a control measure tool for the control of incidents and outbreaks in Social or Community Care and Residential Settings, and measures to be taken to ensure shielding in such facilities in order to best protect the most vulnerable.

Local Health Protection Teams are able to advise on the need for testing of residents and staffing in sheltered housing accommodation taking account of the circumstances of the facility and will provide advice on other Infection Prevention and Control measures to help limit further spread of the virus.

Additional to any testing which may be undertaken by the local Health Protection Team, any staff who are symptomatic would also be eligible for testing through the UK Government’s programme in Scotland. Anyone in Scotland, age five or over, who is presenting with symptoms, will be able to book a test at the drive-in or mobile test centres.

The Scottish Government was first informed of a case of COVID-19 in Scotland on Sunday 1 March 2020 by Health Protection Scotland. Ministers were informed and a SGoRR(M) chaired by the First Minister was held that evening.

A news release was published on the Scottish Government website and on social media on 1 March informing the public of the case. The First Minister then gave a press conference the same evening.

https://www.gov.scot/news/coronavirus-covid-19/

Public health messaging at that time focussed on following good hygiene practices, such as washing your hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol hand sanitiser; avoiding direct hand contact with eyes, nose and mouth; and covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. This was accompanied by a “catch it, bin it, kill it” campaign.

Additionally, those who had travelled to affected areas and developed symptoms were advised to go home and phone their GP or NHS 24 out of hours.

Members of the public were then, as now, encouraged to visit the NHS Inform website for the latest advice.

Neither the Scottish Government, any of its agencies or the NHS in Scotland have not contracted with Amazon to deliver and/or collect Covid-19 tests. We are aware that the UK Government has contracted with Amazon in respect of the delivery of home testing kits as part of the UK Testing Programme.