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-32262

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether a surgical type two face mask protects the wearer from breathing in infected droplets/aerosols or pathogens in the air.

1. In Scotland, all health and social care staff involved in direct patient/client care are required to wear a Fluid Resistant (Type IIR) Surgical Mask (FRSM) throughout their shift. This includes both care homes and care at home.

2. COVID-19 is primarily transmitted through droplets and only aerosolised during certain procedures called aerosol generating procedures (AGPs). When staff are dealing with patients who are either suspected, positive or where their status is not known (person not tested) staff engaged in AGPs must wear a single-use fluid filtering face piece (FFP3) mask, long-sleeved gown, gloves and a visor in line with the UK IPC Remobilisation Guidance.

Question reference: S5W-32264

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of surgical type two face masks not being sealed respirator masks, on what basis these have been directed to be distributed as PPE for nurses to wear when treating diagnosed or suspected COVID-19 patients in isolated rooms.

COVID-19 is predominantly spread by the droplet and contact route. Fluid Resistant (Type IIR) Surgical Mask (FRSM) offer the correct level of respiratory protection for staff when caring for a patient who is suspected or confirmed COVID-19 positive.

In Scotland, we use Fluid Resistant Surgical Masks (FRSM), also known as Type IIR masks, which are different from Type II in that they provide protection for the staff member as well as 98% source control.

We are the only nation in the UK who have taken the approach in using FRSMs as part of the extended facemask use guidance for health and social care staff.

The Scottish Government holds a regular forum with a range of stakeholders including staff side representation which provides an opportunity for any issues with regard to PPE to be raised. In addition we also respond directly to correspondence received from both individuals and organisations.

Question reference: S5W-32273

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued to NHS boards regarding the laundering of uniforms that may have been exposed to COVID-19, and what steps have been taken to ensure that staff are not expected to take potentially-infected items home for laundering.

Health Protection Scotland (HPS) has published guidance on infection control, and this has been included in our updated uniforms and home laundering guidance . This will continue to be kept under review and necessary changes may be made dependent on new evidence.

Health Facilities Scotland has advised that NHS laundry services have enough capacity to meet current demands. This situation is being monitored and planning has been done to ensure capacity can be increased if needed.

Question reference: S5W-32268

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the absence rate has been for health workers who have been wearing government-approved PPE while treating people who have been (a) suspected as having and (b) diagnosed with COVID-19 in each week since 23 March 2020.

The Scottish Government has collected, monitored and published data on NHS staff absences since the outbreak of this pandemic. Data is continually collated from Health Boards on overall absences in the NHS workforce, as well as on the number and rate of absences associated with Covid-19. Covid-19-related absences are recorded on staff displaying symptoms, self-isolating, confirmed to have Covid-19, Covid-19-related caring responsibilities and those contacted by tracers and told to isolate for 14 days.

For the week 30 September – 6 October 2020, a daily average of 1.0% of the workforce were recorded absent for reasons related to Covid-19. The rate of Covid-19 related absence has been steady and decreasing in recent months, with a rate below 2% since late July and below 4% since early May. We will continue to pay close attention to staff absence data in the coming months.

This data does not include whether NHS staff have been wearing government approved PPE or not.

Question reference: S5F-04449

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 October 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-04422

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 October 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-04400

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-30910

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the monthly running costs are of the NHS Louisa Jordan hospital, also broken down by cost category.

Question reference: S5F-04377

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-31301

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions NHS Information Services Division (ISD) has had with the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce and its sub-groups since July 2019.

Information services division ((ISD) became part of Public Health Scotland (PHS) from 1 April 2020. A range of officials from PHS have been actively involved in the work of the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce and its sub-groups since its first meeting in September 2019.

As well as being represented on the main Taskforce, a PHS representative is leading the work of the Public Health Surveillance sub-group, whilst a representative sits on the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) sub-group. PHS is also supporting engagement on implementation of the MAT Standards with a range of partners as part of the MAT sub-groups work.

PHS further support the Taskforce and its sub-groups by providing briefings on a range of issues, including; data governance, timescales for delivery of statistical reports and other PHS projects, advice on the feasibility of research; and the impact of COVID-19 on people who use drugs.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

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