Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government undertook a lessons learned exercise following winter 2025-26 involving NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships, national organisations and Scottish Government officials. The review found that planning and partnership working had improved, but that services continued to face significant pressures associated with high hospital occupancy, delayed discharge, workforce challenges and sustained demand across health and social care.

The review also found that many of the pressures experienced during winter reflect wider year-round challenges rather than a short-term seasonal event. Key lessons identified included the importance of whole-system working, improving patient flow, supporting workforce resilience, strengthening preventative approaches and providing earlier and clearer national direction.

These findings are informing current planning for 2026-27, including a refresh of the National Planning Priorities and Principles for Surge and Winter Preparedness, strengthened governance and assurance arrangements, enhanced regional coordination and improved operational intelligence. They are also informing development of the National Flow Plan, which is intended to improve patient flow, reduce delayed discharge, improve use of available capacity and strengthen whole-system coordination across urgent and unscheduled care services.

The Scottish Government's surge and resilience preparedness approach includes established monitoring, escalation and assurance arrangements to support NHS Boards and their partners in responding to periods of sustained operational pressure. These arrangements do not rely on any single intervention to deliver improvements in patient flow or hospital capacity.

Where pressures exceed local capacity, NHS Boards can implement local escalation procedures and access support through existing regional and national coordination arrangements. Alongside these arrangements, the Scottish Government is developing a National Flow Plan to support longer-term improvements in patient flow, occupancy management, delayed discharge and system resilience. The Scottish Government continues to work closely with NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to monitor pressures, support appropriate action and maintain safe and effective services.

The Scottish Government's approach to surge and resilience preparedness is the year-round process through which health and social care services prepare for, respond to and recover from periods of increased demand and operational pressure.

As set out in the National Planning Priorities and Principles for Surge and Winter Preparedness in Health and Social Care, there are periods when demand increases beyond the normal levels planned for by health and social care services and there is a surge in the number of people requiring care and treatment. While winter remains the most predictable period of increased demand, similar pressures can arise at other times of the year.

The Scottish Government's approach is therefore to consider winter preparedness within a broader year-round surge and resilience preparedness framework. This supports NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to plan for sustained pressures on services while ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. This approach is also being supported through development of the National Flow Plan, which aims to improve patient flow, reduce delays and strengthen whole-system resilience across health and social care services.

The Scottish Government works with NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to support local surge and winter preparedness arrangements through nationally agreed planning priorities and principles. Local systems are expected to develop preparedness arrangements that reflect the needs of their populations and local circumstances.

The Scottish Government is currently refreshing the National Planning Priorities and Principles for Surge and Winter Preparedness and associated expectations for NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships for 2026-27. This work is aligned with development of the National Flow Plan, which forms part of wider activity to improve patient flow, reduce delayed discharge and make best use of capacity across health and social care services.

Operational preparedness plans are developed and maintained locally. Decisions regarding publication of local planning documents are a matter for individual NHS Boards and partner organisations. The Scottish Government intends to publish national guidance and planning priorities following completion of the current review process.

The provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for firefighters is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). SFRS is responsible for ensuring that appropriate PPE is available to support firefighters in carrying out their duties safely, including when responding to wildfire incidents.

The Chief Fire Officer has provided assurances to the Scottish Government that firefighter safety is an absolute priority and that both the specialist wildfire PPE and the existing standard PPE available to firefighters are safe for operational use when responding to wildfires.

Scottish Ministers expect SFRS to keep its operational equipment and PPE requirements under review and to have appropriate arrangements in place to assess the suitability of equipment for the risks faced by its workforce. This includes considering any requirement for additional or enhanced PPE in response to emerging operational risks such as wildfires.

Launched in 2023, SFRS’s wildfire strategy is supported by a £1.6 million investment in vehicles, equipment, and training to help respond to wildfire incidents around the country. SFRS remains committed to continual improvement of wildfire capability, informed by operational learning, staff feedback, evolving risk and technological development.

The Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) pay supplement was replaced following a review with a new Government Digital and Data (GDD) pay supplement aligned to the UK Civil Service profession framework. Pay supplements are temporary measures, subject to regular review, and are retained, amended or withdrawn based on evidence of recruitment and retention pressures. The review concluded that pay supplements should continue to be applied where there is evidence of recruitment and retention challenges linked to market conditions. As a result, roles where higher external salaries create difficulties in attracting and retaining suitably skilled staff continue to attract a pay supplement at an appropriate market rate.

It is up to individual owners to consider how they manage their pets whilst evacuating their home with consideration given on how to keep them safe and secure. We would encourage pet owners to consider what to do with their pets as part of a home escape plan. However, escape should not be delayed in order to locate or evacuate distressed animals. The last known location of your pet can be given to the fire service on arrival who will consider this in their plan.

SFRS provide information on fire safety in the home on their website: Fire Safety in the Home | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. They also provide information and guidance regarding wildfires: Wildfires | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as well as advice on making an escape plan: Escape plan | Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

I have commissioned a review of the Scottish Government’s Wildfires Strategic Action Plan and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s (SFRS) standard operational assurance processes will capture debriefs from attending crews and officers.

In addition, the SFRS have also commissioned an independently led review at a wider partner and multi-agency level to identify issues arising from the Cairngorms wildfire in order to maximise organisational learning and instil public confidence.

These reviews will provide partners with the opportunities to explore issues and experiences arising during this wildfire, ensuring lessons learned are taken forward and that future arrangements are fully informed by operational experience and the expertise of those at the forefront of wildfire management.

The Scottish Government does not hold this operational information. The member may wish to contact the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service directly, as the Service is responsible for the deployment and operation of its vehicles.

The Scottish Government does not hold this operational information. The member may wish to contact the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service directly, as the Service is responsible for the deployment and operation of its vehicles.