Chamber and committees

Under this Government, the number of consultants in NHS Forth Valley have increased by 49.9%, to 212.8 Whole Time Equivalent. It is normal for fluctuations in vacancies to occur as we expand capacity by recruiting even more staff.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to a sustainable NHS and its workforce, which continues to deliver a consistently high quality healthcare service to the people of Scotland.

While the Scottish Government sets strategic policies for the NHS in Scotland, it is the responsibility of NHS Boards – including NHS Forth Valley – to ensure that the workforce planning arrangements they have in place ensure enough professional staff and facilities are available to provide the best possible care for patients, in a variety of settings.

In June 2017 the Scottish Government published Part 1 of the National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan, which will strengthen and harmonise workforce planning practice, take full account of the future demand for safe and high quality services for Scotland’s people and work to accurately identify gaps in supply, including within the consultant workforce. We continue to work with all major stakeholders across Health and Social Care, including NHS Boards, as we take the Plan forward.

Parts 2 and 3 of the Plan, to be published later in 2017, will examine how to improve integrated workforce planning in social care and primary care settings. These important steps will enable different health and social care systems to move together towards publication of a second full Health and Social Care Workforce Plan in 2018 and beyond.

Scottish building regulations since 2005 require that any cladding on high rise domestic buildings must be of non-combustible material or be part of a system that has been rigorously tested. In addition all local authorities within the Mid Scotland and Fife parliamentary region have reported that the material used on the Grenfell Tower (Aluminium Composite Material) has not been used in cladding systems in local authority, Registered Social Landlord or private sector high rise domestic buildings.

The Scottish Government published 'A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People' in 2016; http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0051/00510948.pdf.

This is our Delivery Plan to 2021 which demonstrates our commitment to upholding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and sets out how we will report on progress.

Our Health and Social Care Delivery Plan published in December 2016 sets out our aim for Scotland to provide high quality services with a focus on prevention, early intervention and supported self-management. The plan sits alongside our National Clinical Strategy, which evidenced the need to change the way services are delivered in order to continue meet the healthcare needs of our population, setting out the framework for developing health services in Scotland for the next 10-20 years, including people living with the effects of stroke.

The Stroke Improvement Plan (2014) recognises the importance of specialist rehabilitation and the need for the delivery of services to support people living with stroke and their families. The Plan includes a priority on Transition to the Community. This emphasises the need for specialist stroke rehabilitation to both reduce mortality and long-term disability. We expect NHS Boards to appropriately resource stroke specialist Early Supported Discharge and Community Teams to optimise patients’ personal outcomes and reduce lengths of hospital stay.

There is also a priority to improve well-being and quality of life for people affected by stroke by ensuring provision of self-management approaches to care, physical activity and services to support people wishing to return to work.

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme report published on 11 July contains information on Stroke Improvement Plan priorities and actions; http://www.strokeaudit.scot.nhs.uk/index.html

Progress on the Stroke Improvement Plan is closely monitored by the National Advisory Committee for Stroke.

Our Stroke Improvement Plan (2014) sets out a comprehensive programme for further reducing the number of deaths from stroke and improving stroke treatment and care across the whole patient pathway including rehabilitation, as well as helping people’s longer-term outcomes in their own communities. In making these improvements, we will continue to work closely with our stakeholders, including health boards, third sector organisations and patients.

Our Health and Social Care Delivery Plan published in December 2016 sets out our aim for Scotland to provide high quality services with a focus on prevention, early intervention and supported self-management. It is about ensuring that those who use services get the right care and support whatever their needs, at any point in their care journey.

Our Stroke Improvement Plan (2014); http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2014/08/9114 which aims to improve stroke treatment and care across the whole patient pathway in Scotland, based on the best available evidence.

We expect stroke patients to be provided with rehabilitation care in line with the recommendations in Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 118, which focuses on rehabilitation, prevention and management of complications, and discharge planning.

SIGN Guidelines are developed through rigorous processes to review evidence including international sources. The Guideline provides recommendations on best practice in the management of stroke rehabilitation in the first 12 months after stroke.

The Scottish Government acted decisively in light of the 2017 rates revaluation, cutting the rates poundage, limiting application of the large business supplement so that 8,000 fewer properties pay it, and expanding the Small Business Bonus Scheme so that it lifts 100,000 properties out of rates altogether.

Further rates relief was also targeted where it was most needed, including in the hospitality sector and for office space in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, as part of a total package of relief worth around £660 million this year. Local authorities can also further reduce rates following the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.

The Scottish Government has now responded to the recent Barclay review, and has gone beyond Barclay's recommendations to support business. New properties will only be entered in the valuation roll once first occupied. A ‘business growth accelerator’ will mean no rates for a year for new premises once occupied, and no increases for a year for upgrading or expansion of existing premises. And 'Fresh Start' relief will be increased to 100% and extended to all property types, to incentivise re-use of vacant property. An implementation plan will be published by the end of the year.

Respiratory Managed Clinical Networks (RMCN) exist in most NHS Boards in Scotland. They work to improve the respiratory health and quality of life of patients, ensuring that they have equitable access to high quality respiratory services.

The Respiratory National Advisory Group (RNAG) is an overarching group for the RMCNs to identify and discuss improvements in respiratory care and includes third sector representation.

In line with our approach to other public health issues, the Scottish Government receives evidence-based advice from Health Protection Scotland, our national health protection experts, and also from Public Health England. They have the expertise to assess the scientific literature available on environmental exposures and hazardous substances, and keep it under review.

Workplace health and safety is reserved to the UK Government and regulation is led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Advice on safe working with hazardous substances can be obtained from the HSE or the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives.

The use of chemicals and hazardous substances in Scotland is overseen by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) who provide guidance on the safe use of chemicals for the protection of human health and the environment: https://echa.europa.eu.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10570 on 21 August 2017. 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

We published our disability strategy A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People – our Delivery Plan to 2021 for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December 2016. While there is no specific reference to stroke rehabilitation in the strategy, it applies to all disabled people in Scotland, regardless of their impairment or condition. The plan has five long-term ambitions aimed at transforming the lives of disabled people in Scotland and ensuring that their human rights are realised.