Chamber and committees

Scottish Government has committed to making up to £2.3 million available per annum (from 2024-25 – 2026-27) to Glasgow HSCP for the development, set up and running of the SDCF in Glasgow from 2024-25. A total of £1,277,000 will be provided by Scottish Government for the financial year 2024-25.

The Thistle facility in Glasgow acknowledges the challenges posed by external factors, such as the potential for organised crime groups to exploit vulnerable individuals. To address this Glasgow HSCP are working closely with Police Scotland who are dedicated to disrupting organized crime groups and ensuring a hostile environment for their operations.

Police Scotland maintain operational independence to police the facility and surrounding areas, safeguarding the wider community, facility operators and users.

In addition, local policing teams will act on reports of drug use or supply by deploying community police and response officers to patrol identified areas, deterring criminality and enhancing public safety. Police Scotland will also continue patrols to address illegal acts around the facility. Public support around this facility is vital and Police Scotland would encourage the reporting of any concerns to them or Crimestoppers to help address any issues.

We know that people who inject drugs are at higher risk of contracting blood borne viruses (BBVs), bacterial infections and injection site wounds.

The Scottish Government has committed to effectively eliminating hepatitis C (HCV) as a public health threat in Scotland and to driving improvement through focusing on intensifying case finding and treatment initiation, and ensuring that people who inject drugs have access to, and take up, i) optimal harm reduction services and ii) if deemed clinically ready, antiviral therapy to prevent the onward transmission of infection.

The Scottish Governments ‘Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan’ also aims for everyone in Scotland to have good sexual health and wellbeing, with high quality, innovative, sexual health and BBV prevention, care and support available to those who need it, in a timely manner and irrespective of age, sex, gender, sexual identity or location. We have allocated multi-year funding to a range of projects alongside the action plan which will drive improvement in the areas identified.

In addition, the ‘HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan’ sets out prioritised actions towards achieving our goal of zero people contracting HIV within Scotland by 2030. This aligns with wider global strategic aims, including UNAIDS’ goal “to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.” Alongside the plan we have funded a National Coordinator post to oversee coordination of this Delivery Plan and to work with locally identified HIVTE Champions at NHS Board level towards delivery of actions to support elimination.

Specifically in Glasgow, The WAND (Wound management, Assessment of injecting risk, Naloxone supply and Dry blood-spot test for BBV) model has been implemented in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. WAND has proved effective in engaging with people who inject drugs and who are not in contact with traditional services, reflecting the requirement of MAT Standard 4, and providing them with a unique level of support to address these issues. Other areas are also trailing the model.

Data generated from the day-to-day running of the Thistle Service will be recorded and collated by Glasgow HSCP alongside a range of routine data from other Health and Social Care services to enable a comprehensive evaluation. This includes data to assess:

1.Extent to which people use the service,

2.Interventions provided within the service (such as reviews of injecting practice, peer support and referrals into drug treatment); and

3.Public Health outcomes such as incidence of drug overdose, Accident and Emergency attendances and drug deaths, uptake of testing for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C and engagement in addictions treatment and care.

Data collated for evaluation will be published in due course in aggregate form. The format and timeline for these publications has not been set but likely to consist a full evaluation report which will be published in a few years’ time as well as an interim report which will be produced in the nearer term.

We are working in partnership with other stakeholders, including Police Scotland, to reduce the presence of public injecting and other antisocial behaviour (eg drug house or location) across Scotland including Glasgow, by offering safer alternatives, combined with strong law enforcement measures. This includes harm reduction initiatives, community engagement and enforcement actions by Police Scotland to ensure safer communities. We are committed to tackling all antisocial behaviour and want everyone to be, and feel, safe in their homes and communities.

As of 5 January, over 2.89 million winter vaccines have been delivered, with more than 1.27 million adult flu and over 523,000 child flu vaccines administered, as well as over 1.09 million Covid-19 vaccines administered.

Working with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Health Boards, those eligible for vaccination have been encouraged through a number of mechanisms this winter, such as:

• Appointment or prompts to book via letters, emails or texts for all eligible citizens, depending on their communication preference, with the flexibility to book an appointment at any clinic in Scotland.
• Clear, updated information on NHS Inform, with particular prominence given to flu.
• Updated flu and Covid information leaflets for eligible citizens, with new content based on insight work and feedback on how previous leaflets could be improved.
• Dedicated updated resources for Health and Social Care Workers, based on insight work and feedback on how they can be improved.
• Public Health Scotland (PHS) has developed a range of tailored resources and promotional materials that have been disseminated through trusted partners, including local NHS Boards and the third sector, that can be used to inform and encourage uptake for all those eligible.

With cases of flu increasing over the Christmas holidays, the Scottish Government, PHS and territorial Health Boards put out a range of communications highlighting the seriousness of flu and advertising how eligible people could access vaccination immediately and easily, notably through drop-in clinics. Boards increased clinic capacity at this time and as a result, between 15 December and 5 January, delivered over 68,000 flu vaccinations, compared to 39,000 over the same three week festive window in 2023-24. Public Health Scotland surveillance information is available here.

The Scottish Government is continuing to work with PHS and territorial Boards on strategies to bring more people forward for their flu vaccine in the coming weeks. Since 26 December, the First Minister has chaired a number of meetings with senior leaders from across the health system in Scotland to support a cohesive and focussed effort to improve vaccine uptake and ensure the system as a whole is able to manage the increased demand typically seen in winter.

The winter Covid vaccine programme closes on 31 January, and PHS are planning additional communications to encourage eligible people to take up their vaccination before the programme ends. Flu vaccination will remain available until 31 March, and continued efforts will be made to encourage those eligible to come forward for their vaccination.

The Scottish Government has been working with Public Health Scotland and Health Boards to ensure that those who are eligible this winter are easily able to access vaccination.

Citizens were appointed to their nearest available clinic, with flexibility to reschedule into any clinic in Scotland, via the online booking portal or the national vaccination helpline, should their original appointment be unsuitable.

This gives citizens flexibility to get their winter vaccinations outside their own area, should it be easier for them to receive vaccination nearer their place of work or somewhere they visit regularly.

Boards maintain lists of those requiring home visits, and there are clear instructions on appointment letters on how to seek a home visit, if not already on a local list.

The Scottish Ambulance Service mobile vaccination service was deployed over the winter programme, offering accessible vaccination to those in rural and island areas, as well as underserved urban communities, identified by Boards.

Additionally, Boards have run dedicated clinics and drop-ins for health and social care staff, including offering vaccination at their place of work for NHS and care home staff.

On top of routine scheduling, when clinic capacity allowed, most Boards opened drop-in clinics in December, allowing those eligible to turn up and receive vaccination without having to book. These have been heavily promoted via Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, NHS Inform and by Boards.

The primary and secondary school child flu school is delivered directly in schools.

The Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP), led by PHS, reviews every winter vaccination campaign. SVIP will evaluate what went well and what can be improved for future campaigns, including what can be done to improve access. Ministers will be informed of the outcomes and will engage with key delivery partners to consider and implement improvements.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that effective support is in place for all children and families experiencing problems with drugs and alcohol. Our framework to improve holistic whole family support sets out principles of how we will improve support for families affected by drugs and alcohol by taking a whole family approach and using family inclusive practice. The framework is supported by investment totalling £6.5 million per year over the life of the Parliament.

We are investing nearly £4 million to expand the successful Grow your Own Routes model for young people aged 12-26. This model supports young people with substance use in their families, by helping them meet their own goals and break inter-generational cycles of addiction.

To further ensure children and young people are protected from the harms associated with drug and alcohol use, in 2024-2025 the Scottish Government provided £475,000 of funding to the Corra Foundation to deliver the Way Forward for Families Partnership Fund (WFFPF). WFFPF is match funded by the Corra Foundation and delivers funding directly to Third Sector organisations to support families affected by drug and alcohol use. These organisations deliver vital work across Scotland, ensuring the right support is available.

The National Child Protection Guidance details the responsibilities and expectations for all involved in protecting children and young people. The guidance supports the care and protection of children by including detailed information on how concerns are identified and should be responded to. Children and families affected by drug and alcohol use is listed as a specific support need and concern in the guidance and there is information for practitioners on how to support families.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with partners to ensure that robust child protection measures are in place across Scotland, and continue to be followed at all times.

We are committed to giving every child in Scotland the best start in life. Women affected by substance use should be able to get the help they need, free from judgement and stigma, throughout the perinatal period.

All Health Boards have guidance for health professionals to ensure pregnant women with substance use issues receive the support they need to reduce the risk of adverse effects on their child and we have also asked Health Boards to prioritise continuity of midwifery care for women affected by substance use.

In March 2024, we brought together an expert working group who are developing a good practice guide to support local areas to do more to meet the needs of women affected by substance use and their infants during pregnancy and the first postnatal year.

The third sector plays a key role for families in providing access to perinatal mental health support, and the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund offers funding to third sector organisations who provide support services to women, including those affected by substance use, during this period. Many of these services provide emotional and practical support to families throughout pregnancy and create a trauma informed environment where parents are supported to give their babies the best possible start in life. We are investing a further £1.5 million over 18 months through this fund, which will continue until March 2026.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of highlighting the link between alcohol and non-communicable disease. Evidence is clear that alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases, including some cancers.

A refreshed cross-government and cross-sectoral approach to population health - focused on prevention - is being progressed. Increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities across Scotland remains a clear ambition for this Government. It is clear the reform of health and care services alone will not be enough to stem the current tide of population health decline in Scotland.

The Population Health Framework is being developed jointly by the Scottish Government & COSLA and in collaboration with Public Health Scotland, Directors of Public Health and key local, regional and national partners. The Scottish Government will set out key actions to reduce alcohol harm following the Population Health Framework, including the role of public health messaging and awareness.