Chamber and committees

Health and social care services have developed winter plans and have £17.4 million additional funding provided by the Scottish Government this year to ensure good patient flow in hospitals and in the community.

Ahead of each influenza season a coordinated communications plan is enacted to promote the seasonal influenza vaccine among eligible groups.

Should an outbreak of influenza occur, NHS Scotland has robust measures in place to reduce the impact of influenza A (and other flu strains) on public health. This includes:

• robust infection prevention and control measures in place within all NHS boards to reduce the risk of transmission of influenza within health care settings.

• guidance on the use of antivirals provided for the NHS by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and annually updated on the HPS website.

• NHS Scotland working and planning in partnership each year with local authorities to ensure prompt response to any influenza outbreak in closed settings (wards, care homes, schools etc).

The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) is a unique national initiative that aims to improve the safety and reliability of health and social care and reduce harm, whenever care is delivered. As part of Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Improvement Hub (ihub), the Acute Care portfolio, established on 1 April 2017, aims to support improved experience and outcomes for people in acute care. The Acute Care Portfolio brings together the work of the SPSP Acute Adult (AA) and the Older People in Acute Care Programme (OPAC).

SPSP has delivered work on improving recognition and response for deteriorating patients since its launch in January 2008 with aims to reduce mortality and, more recently, cardiac arrests. Over the last ten years, SPSP has supported clinical staff to implement the Early Warning Score as an evidence based tool that works alongside clinical judgement to identify deteriorating patients as early as possible. More recently, the SPSP has encouraged implementation of the National Early Warning Score as a validated system that supports early recognition, communication and timely escalation of people who are acutely deteriorating. Fourteen of NHS Scotland’s fifteen boards have now implemented this.

The Draft Budget 2018-19 announced that the Scottish Government will introduce a new Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) relief for first-time buyers of properties up to £175,000. The relief raises the zero tax threshold for first-time buyers from £145,000 to £175,000, which means 80 per cent of first-time buyers in Scotland will pay no LBTT at all. Those first-time buyers buying a property above £175,000 will also benefit from the relief on the portion of the price below the threshold.

I refer the member to my answer to her previous question S5W-12808 answered on 23 November 2017 which outlines the actions the Scottish Government is taking to increase teacher recruitment.

I am pleased to report that “The Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland” was published on 12 December 2017 and shows that there are 543 more full-time equivalent teachers than last year. This is the second year in a row that we have seen teacher numbers increase. In addition 2,864 newly qualified probationer teachers started on the Teacher Induction Scheme in August 2017, which is 231 more than last year.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The new GP contract which has now been agreed between the Scottish Government and the BMA (British Medical Association) is a critical part of our plans to transform primary care services in Scotland. The Scottish Government will invest £100m in 2018-19 to support implementation of the proposed contract if agreed and to support the development of the primary care multidisciplinary team.

There will be significant new investment in expanded teams of health professionals in practices, widening patient choice and ensuring that GPs are able to focus on their expert medical generalist role. Additional health professionals will include pharmacy; nursing; Allied Health Professionals (physiotherapy, and paramedics and other urgent care practitioners); community mental health workers and non- clinical Support Workers (e.g. community Links workers).

More detail on the primary care workforce will be provided in the forthcoming national health and social care workforce plan on primary care in 2018.

Through the Scotland's Schools for the Future programme, the number of (a) new and (b) refurbished schools delivered in each year since the programme was introduced is as follows:

2012 (a) 6 (b) 0

2013 (a) 6 (b) 1

2014 (a) 3 (b) 1

2015 (a) 5 (b) 2

2016 (a) 14 (b) 4

2017 (a) 26 (b) 8

Scottish National Standardised Assessments have been available to schools from 24th August 2017, in line with the commitment in 2016.17 Programme for Government.

The Delivery Plans due under the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill will set out action to make progress towards the ambitious 2030 income targets, the first of which will be published by April 2018.

As outlined within the Programme for Government 2017-18 it is the intention of this government to use the Tackling Child Poverty Fund to trial new approaches, strengthen the evidence base and support innovation at a national and local level in order to make progress towards the 2030 child poverty targets.

The Scottish Government issued a formal request for advice to the Poverty and Inequality Commission on 21 September, asking where this funding could have the biggest impact at a national and local level. We will use this advice to shape our proposals and ensure the fund achieves the maximum impact possible. Detail on our proposals will be included in the Delivery Plan being published next year.

The Scottish Government published experimental statistics on 29 November that will help to identify local need and develop effective responses. We currently support a range of projects in the Scottish Borders and elsewhere to help families living in poverty through the £8.6 million People and Communities Fund. This includes an award of £45,000 to Scottish Borders Housing Association.

Through the Child Poverty (Scotland) Bill we are ensuring a keen focus on tackling child poverty, with ambitious income targets, annual reporting and Delivery Plans to outline action to be taken. Our first Delivery Plan, to be published by April 2018, will be underpinned by a £50 million Tackling Child Poverty Fund. The Bill also places reporting duties on Local Authorities and Health Boards; both on action they have taken, and that which they intend to take in future; driving action at a national and local level.

This is alongside a range of national measures to tackle poverty and inequality, including; doubling the provision of free childcare, providing free school meals to primary 1 to 3 pupils, and providing a baby box of essential items to all newborns.