Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-34955

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-34287 by Neil Gray on 27 January 2025, whether the commitments on increasing capacity for appointments relate to, or replace, the targets in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 for additional inpatient and day case activity, and outpatient activity.

Question reference: S6W-35004

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the work it will do to ensure that there is consistent, sustainable provision of taster sessions across health and social care so that people across many different backgrounds can experience nursing and midwifery, and whether it will clarify what work it will do to ensure that these sessions will help people to experience roles in remote and rural areas as well as support access to these roles.

As set out in answer to Parliamentary Question S6W-34995 on 27 February 2025, the implementation phase of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has now begun, and two Implementation Delivery Groups are being established to oversee swift delivery of all 44 recommended actions. One group, chaired by the Interim Chief Nursing Officer, will meet at the end of February and then recurrently every 6 - 8 weeks. A further Implementation Delivery Group will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and will meet in Spring and then every six months. These two Groups will ensure that priorities are clearly defined, progress is measurable, and key milestones are met. A detailed work plan and timeline to guide the delivery of the recommended actions will be agreed in Spring.

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

Question reference: S6W-34999

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that nurses and midwives can access sustainable and progressive opportunities to influence policy, practice, national and local strategy to achieve change, as it committed to in the recommended actions of the Ministerial Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce.

As set out in answer to Parliamentary Question S6W-34995 on 27 February 2025, the implementation phase of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has now begun, and two Implementation Delivery Groups are being established to oversee swift delivery of all 44 recommended actions. One group, chaired by the Interim Chief Nursing Officer, will meet at the end of February and then recurrently every 6 - 8 weeks. A further Implementation Delivery Group will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and will meet in Spring and then every six months. These two Groups will ensure that priorities are clearly defined, progress is measurable, and key milestones are met. A detailed work plan and timeline to guide the delivery of the recommended actions will be agreed in Spring.

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

Question reference: S6W-35001

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin developing the new entry routes into nursing and midwifery with dedicated funding for them, as outlined in the Ministerial Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce recommendations.

As set out in answer to Parliamentary Question S6W-34995 on 27 February 2025, the implementation phase of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce has now begun, and two Implementation Delivery Groups are being established to oversee swift delivery of all 44 recommended actions. One group, chaired by the Interim Chief Nursing Officer, will meet at the end of February and then recurrently every 6 - 8 weeks. A further Implementation Delivery Group will be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and will meet in Spring and then every six months. These two Groups will ensure that priorities are clearly defined, progress is measurable, and key milestones are met. A detailed work plan and timeline to guide the delivery of the recommended actions will be agreed in Spring.

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

Question reference: S6W-34885

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how children in psychiatric inpatient care can safely raise concerns about their treatment.

If they feel able to do so, young people and their families should raise concerns with staff or via the advocacy services available in the inpatient units, so that any issues can be resolved as quickly as possible.

Young people and their families can also contact the Mental Welfare Commission Advice Line for advice on rights and good practice to do with mental health and incapacity law, and care and treatment, or to raise a specific concern.

Question reference: S6W-34879

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any concerns about Skye House have ever been raised with (a) the current Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and (b) any previous health secretaries.

Question reference: S6O-04391

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of the cross-government co-ordination of infrastructure, what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding what consideration is given to national security in its infrastructure policy.

Question reference: S6F-03836

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6W-35005

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will conduct its review of the package of student financial support available for nursing and midwifery studies, and whether, as part of that review, it will explore any changes to reflect those who choose rural and remote work.

The Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery (PNM) student financial support review is currently ongoing. The review aims to ensure that all PNM students are adequately supported to complete their studies, this includes students from remote and rural locations. A key aspect of the work associated with the review is to hear directly from PNM students about their experiences and opinions on financial support during their studies.

Question reference: S6W-34957

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-34287 by Neil Gray on 27 January 2025, regarding its commitment to increase access to GPs, whether this includes the commitment in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 to recruit 1,000 additional staff in primary care mental health, and whether that recruitment process has already begun.

While financial challenges have caused this programme to remain paused since 2022, we remain committed to delivering increased mental health and wellbeing workforce capacity in general practice, when budgets permit.

We have already prioritised significant investment to build mental health capacity in primary care through Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 and the Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF). As of March 2024, 182.5 WTE mental health workers had been recruited under PCIF and at March 2022, the action 15 commitment had seen an additional 356 WTE mental health workers recruited to general practice.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan sets out a range of actions to achieve the ambition in the Strategy, including an action to work collaboratively to improve access to support, assessment and treatment in primary care mental health and wellbeing services; and to produce an initial report on progress by November 2024. The Mental Health in Primary and Community Care Report was published on 20 December 2024 detailing a range of actions to enhance access to mental health and wellbeing support in general practice and communities.

Chamber and committees