This is a matter for NHS Lothian. The information requested is not held centrally.

No One Left Behind is our national approach to devolved employability services in Scotland. This approach sees a move away from nationally contracted provision to a model which empowers Local Employability Partnerships to lead the design and delivery of services in each Local Authority area.

Local Employability Partnerships work with employers, educational institutions and organisations to ensure that participants enter a positive destination which is right for them, at that time. As well as employment; education, training and volunteering are seen as positive destinations for participants, allowing for the development of skills in preparation to enter the labour market.

Between April 2019 and June 2024, 30,280 female participants started receiving No One Left Behind support (45% of all participants). Female participants account for the majority of participants in the 25 to 34 age group (56%), the 35 to 49 age group (59%), and the parental cohort (72% of all parents). Additionally, 30% of all female participants entered employment (8,935), 13% entered full time or higher education or training (4,063) and 15% gained a qualification (4,423).

We ensure that information and advice on the benefits that flexible working and other fair work practices bring to protected groups and employers are promoted regularly. For example, a recent Fair Work social media campaign covered those benefits including that diverse and inclusive workplaces are more creative, innovative and better at problem-solving.

All long waits are regrettable, and we continue to work with Health Boards, including NHS Western Isles, to drive improvements in waiting times.

Public Health Scotland publishes data on NHS Waiting Times across NHS Scotland quarterly. This can be accessed using the following link: Stage of treatment waiting times - Inpatients, day cases and new outpatients quarter ending 30 June 2024 - NHS waiting times - stage of treatment - Publications - Public Health Scotland. The data for NHS Western Isles show:

Inpatient/Day-Case:

Ongoing waits: 371

Over 52 weeks: 1

Over 78 weeks: 0

New Outpatient Appointment:

Ongoing waits: 1,518

Over 52 weeks: 14

Over 78 weeks: 2

I understand from NHS Western Isles that 70% of Inpatient/Day-Case patients are currently listed within 12 weeks. However, a small number of patients are waiting longer due to medical unavailability or due to the timetable for visiting services.

NHS Western Isles expect to clear the majority of their backlog for New Outpatients in November 2024.

Following a clinical assessment, the NHS will always provide the necessary equipment to support the healthcare needs of a patient. This includes the provision of a wheelchair.

However, should an individual choose to purchase a wheelchair which is not available on the NHS, they may be able do so using their Directed Support (SDS) budget, if the wheelchair clearly meets an identified personal outcome in their support plan.

Another option is support via Adult Disability Payment. The key intent of Adult Disability Payment is to provide individuals with payments to help mitigate the costs they incur as a result of a disability or long-term condition. This means individuals can use it to pay for things such as care, access to community resources, transport, social activities, and any other goods or services of their choosing, including aids or equipment.

Following an assessment by a healthcare worker, the NHS will provide the necessary equipment to support the clinical needs of a patient free of charge. This includes the provision of a wheelchair. Seating is also provided to individuals free of charge following an assessment. For those living in a care home (residential and nursing), it is the responsibility of the care home to purchase and provide seating to their residents.

However, should an individual choose to purchase other forms of equipment which is not available on the NHS or not assessed by the healthcare worker as required for their needs, they may be able to do so by using their Self-Directed Support (SDS) budget, if the equipment clearly meets an identified personal outcome in their support plan.

Another option is support via Adult Disability Payment. The key intent of Adult Disability Payment is to provide individuals with payments to help mitigate the costs they incur because of a disability or long-term condition. This means individuals can use it to pay for things such as care, access to community resources, transport, social activities, and any other goods or services of their choosing, including aids or equipment.

The following funding has been given to the identified charities, both directly and indirectly:

The duration of access to psychological support for children and young people with cancer is led by clinical need.

In December 2022 Scottish Government committed to making recurring funding available to the existing specialist psychological support services for young people with cancer across Scotland. This commitment was successfully met in 2023-24 and continues to provide more certainty to these specialist roles.

The psychological support considerations regarding specialist workforce for children and young people with cancer is currently being reviewed by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) as part of a wider workforce review. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the MSN as their review continues.

The Scottish Government provides the overall guidance to NHS Boards for patient travel expenses reimbursement. Health Boards are responsible for developing and applying their own policies, including reimbursement rates, ensuring patient care and safety. Health Boards therefore have the discretion to provide financial support for any travel to treatment centres where deemed to be an extension of treatment and clinically necessary.

Scottish Government expects Health Boards to support patients to identify and access support available, taking account of individual circumstances and ensuring that patient care is at the centre of all decisions.

The psychological support considerations regarding specialist workforce for children and young people with cancer are currently being reviewed by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC) as part of a wider workforce review.

This review includes making clear how the current workforce could be upskilled, as well as how the MSN will prioritise various roles across the entirety of the patient pathway to support psychological needs. The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the MSN as their review continues.

The Scottish Government has not conducted any specific analysis of the college sector’s use of their arm's-length foundations (ALFs), however, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) maintains an overview. Colleges are only permitted to donate commercially generated surpluses to ALFs, so donations will partly be dependent on colleges’ ability to raise commercial revenue.