Chamber and committees

NHS National Services Scotland provides national logistics services to all Health Boards. Currently the KPIs record the availability of product, as well as the on-time delivery of product. It does not differentiate between patient groups as the delivery is to wards, departments and other endpoints.

National Procurement’s delivery statistics show that they are achieving over 99% of deliveries made on time and in full. Products in the community and care homes are purchased directly from suppliers, and managed, by Health Boards.

The Scottish Government is aware how crucial equipment is in supporting a patient to be cared for and to live safely within their home environment and is committed to delivering a more equitable and accessible approach to the provision of equipment. All individuals, regardless of diagnosis or where they are being treated, should experience a seamless journey through the pathway of care, which ensures they receive the right intervention at the right time. Our national guidance, Supporting documents - Equipment and adaptations: guidance on provision - gov.scot published in 2023, emphasises the importance of this however, once an individual is assessed as requiring support, including any equipment, then it is the responsibility of the Health and Social Care Partnerships to deliver it at the earliest opportunity. Similarly discharge planning is a joint exercise between the Health Board and should begin as soon as a patient is admitted.

Products listed in the current National Procurement framework meet the ISO11948-1 Rothwell Absorption Capacity for Incontinence Pads.

Products to acute settings are fulfilled via the NSS National Distribution Service as a delivered price. This is 5% higher than products supplied directly by the supplier to community and care home settings. However, the supplier charges and invoices Health Boards for delivery.

Products fulfilled via the National Distribution Service do not differentiate between patient groups as the delivery is to wards, departments and other end points. National Procurement conducts a quarterly meeting with the framework provider, Ontex Healthcare and any local KPIs are managed by individual health boards.

If a patient or carer has concerns about NHS supplied home care products, these can be addressed at a local level through the NHS complaints handling procedure. The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 provides a specific right for people to make complaints, raise concerns, make comments and give feedback about NHS care and services and places a duty on NHS Boards to thoroughly investigate and respond to any complaints made.

Anyone can make a complaint and do so in writing, in person, by telephone, by email or online, or by having someone complain on their behalf. The NHS complaints handling procedure has a sharp focus on early resolution and speaking to a member of NHS staff can often be the best way to resolve a complaint quickly.

NHS Boards are expected to provide helpful advice and information tailored to everyone’s circumstances at the point of discharge. As such, our Palliative Care Strategy does not contain an action specifically related to providing physical information packs, or their contents.

There were 10,524 bed days attributed to delay reason 25E (Awaiting completion of care arrangements in order to live in their own home – awaiting procurement/delivery of equipment/adaptations fitted) during the past 12 months (Dec 2024 – Nov 2025). There were 705,865 delayed discharge bed days during this time. This represents 1.5% of the total occupied bed days associated with a delayed discharge.

Please note, a discharge may be delayed for multiple reasons, and the reason for delay reflects only:

• the principal reason for delay recorded at the discharge date for delay episodes with a discharge date, or
• the principal reason for delay recorded as at the date the monthly data extract is taken, for delay episodes without a discharge date.

Products are supplied via the NHS National Services National Procurement Framework NP57123. The framework provides a range of products for the bladder and bowel and is not a limiting factor to local health board formularies/availability.

Clinical leads can review when assessing patients’ needs and are able to prescribe the appropriate product based on clinical need, and subject to local health board governance.

Health Boards have published their own guidance material on bladder and bowel health, which provides detail on how these arrangements can be managed.

It is the statutory responsibility of the Health and Social Care Partnerships and NHS Health Boards to meet the need of any individual assessed as needing home adaptations and therefore, the Scottish Government do not hold this information. Information collected from Public Health Scotland does not include diagnostic related information on the patients experiencing a delay to their discharge, so it is not possible to specifically identify cancer patients experiencing a delay from the delayed discharges dataset.

With regards to introducing a fast-track adaptation scheme please note that as set out in our Housing to 2040 strategy, we are taking forward a review of the current housing adaptations system to consider how the process can be streamlined, made easier and quicker for people who need adaptations, including palliative patients.

Salmon farming is important for Scotland and the Scottish Government is ambitious for the sector’s future in Scotland. As such, Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives from salmon farming companies and Salmon Scotland on a range of matters including work to streamline the consenting process, improving fish health and welfare, reducing environmental impact, and support for innovation in the sector.

The Scottish Government expects employers to maintain workplaces that are safe for all workers in line with health and safety legislation, but cannot direct them in respect of these reserved matters. The Scottish Government promotes strong, constructive relationships between employers and trade unions, particularly where they are recognised, or where it is clear workers are seeking this collective representation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42856 on 21 January 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.

Scottish salmon provides a high quality source of protein which is valued across the globe and its production is of significant economic importance to the Scottish economy and to the local rural communities employed in salmon production and processing.

The provenance and quality of Scottish salmon is valued around the world, making a significant contribution to the Scottish economy and to communities involved in salmon production and processing.

The Scottish Government fully expects employers to maintain workplaces that are safe for workers in line with relevant health and safety requirements. The Scottish Government promotes strong, constructive relationships between employers and trade unions, particularly where they are recognised, or where it is clear workers are seeking this collective representation.

Meetings between Scottish Government and SEPA officials focusing on measures to minimise and mitigate water scarcity take place regularly.

Over the summer, the Scottish Government officials met weekly with SEPA, Scottish Water, and key stakeholders for 28 consecutive weeks to monitor and manage water availability.

SEPA has taken several key actions recently to minimise and mitigate impacts of water scarcity, including improving its website for accessibility, providing clearer guidance, strengthening communications with abstractors, and reviewing abstraction licences to support sustainable water use. Scotland’s National Water Scarcity Plan is available on the SEPA website. This sets out how water resources will be managed prior to, and during, periods of prolonged dry weather.

Officials most recently met SEPA officials in December 2025 to review SEPA’s Autumn Water Situation report, potential implications for 2026 as well as discuss water scarcity mitigation more broadly.