There has been an expansion of 68 posts in Clinical Radiology specialty training since 2014. Clinical Radiology is a competitive specialty which has historically filled posts at 100%. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand.

Consultant radiologists have increased by 34.2%, from 304 headcount ten years ago (March 2014) to 408 headcount in March 2024 .

An Oncology Task and Finish Group was established in May 2024 to improve access to safe, quality oncology services by planning, on a population basis across Scotland, a safe and sustainable operating model for NHS Scotland Oncology Services.

The situation in the Solway Firth and Northern Channel was unique, as those areas were not covered by our crab and lobster assessment areas. Therefore they did not benefit from the robust evidence base we have used to underpin our decision making.

After listening to concerns, officials met with fishers in that area over concerns of disproportionate impacts on their businesses. In response we adopted a co-management approach that put these fishers in the front seat of a bespoke scientific trial aimed at improving the evidence base and, longer term, developing a time series of data. Vessels participating in this initiative have now been issued with relevant permissions to continue to land, sell and consign berried lobsters.

Our prohibition on fishing vessels landing berried lobster hens from Scotland’s waters is a short-term measure designed to deliver benefits for stock health ahead of this fishing season, and that will be monitored and kept under review. This kind of prohibition is a common fisheries management tool that is already in place across England and the Shetland isles.

The Scottish Government, in collaboration with Cancer Research UK, provides funding for the Adult Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMC's) in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, and a Paediatric ECMC in Glasgow. These form part of a UK-wide ECMC Network. Home | ECMC (ecmcnetwork.org.uk) .

The Glasgow ECMC has developed and implemented a strategy to increase engagement with the Teenage and Young People with Cancer patient group (defined in NHS Scotland as those between ages 16-25) and improve access to Clinical Trials. In collaboration with the Teenage Cancer Trust they set up a workshop with the Scottish Youth Advisory Forum to discuss young people's views on equity of access to clinical trials, and the communication of clinical trial patient information to young people. The ECMC will continue to work with the Scottish Youth Advisory Forum to address issues that were identified during the workshop.

To improve trial access and recruitment of children and young people the UK-wide Paediatric ECMC network has developed 4 Regional networks. The Glasgow Paediatric ECMC leads the Northern network and hosts weekly Regional Relapse Discussion Panel (RRDP) meetings. All Scottish Principle Treatment Centres (PTC) (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen) together with Belfast and Newcastle participate in these meetings. This aim of this network is to broaden the portfolio of studies for solid tumours and leukaemia - thereby maximising the opportunity for patients in any given centre to participate in a clinical trial.

On 13th February 2023 we published an Independent Report on Improving Equity of Access to Cancer Clinical Trials.

Improving equity of access to cancer clinical trials in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) We are working closely with the cancer research community here to develop plans for the implementation of the report’s key recommendations and have established an implementation board chaired by Professor David Cameron from the University of Edinburgh to oversee this work.

As stated previously in answer to S6W-28153 on 25 June 2024, there has been an expansion of 68 posts in Clinical Radiology specialty training since 2014. Clinical Radiology is a competitive specialty which has historically filled at 100%. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand .

An Oncology Task and Finish Group was established in May 2024 to improve access to safe, quality oncology services by planning, on a population basis across Scotland, a safe and sustainable operating model for NHS Scotland Oncology Services .

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 .

There has been an expansion of 15 specialty training posts in Clinical Oncology (and an additional 6 in Medical Oncology) since 2014. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand .

Consultant oncologists have increased by 50%, from 102 headcount ten years ago (March 2014) to 153 headcount in March 2024 .

Internal Medicine Training is a pre-requisite for Clinical Oncology. The Scottish Government has provided funding for the creation of 64 additional Internal Medicine Specialty Training posts since 2021 in order to bolster the front-end supply into oncology.

The Scottish Government is also working with NHS Education for Scotland to increase visibility of careers in clinical oncology.

As previously stated in answer to S6W-28165 on 25 June 2024, The Scottish Government has been increasing the number of available specialty training places for junior doctors in Clinical Interventional Radiology training programmes. Since 2014 we have funded the creation of 10 additional posts in Clinical Interventional Radiology. The 2025 expansion process is currently underway and will conclude later this year. This will consider the need for expansion in all medical specialties, including clinical radiology and clinical oncology, with the overall aim of ensuring Scotland has a sufficient supply of trained doctors coming through the system to meet anticipated future demand.

More junior doctors are joining NHS Scotland than ever before, with more than 1,100 recruited throughout 2023, according to data from 26 March 2024. A total of 1,231 posts were advertised during the 2023 recruitment cycle and 94% filled successfully.

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 .

The Framework sets out a longer-term approach on how we will engage with homeowners, tenants and landlords over the next decade. In addition, we have outlined a number of shorter-term actions over the next three years to help build a strong foundation of public awareness. As follows:

? Continued and expanded marketing and communications activity.

? Exploring options for extending the reach of platforms like the Greener Homes Network so that people can share experiences and learn from each other.

? Streamlining customer journeys and ensuring people and organisations know where and how to access advice and support available.

We have committed to undertake a review and evaluate the impact of the strategic framework during 2026.

An Oncology Workforce Review was completed in 2023 with a proposal for an Oncology Transformation Programme for Scotland.

As part of the transformation programme, an Oncology Task and Finish Group was established in May 2024 to support oncology services by planning, on a population basis across Scotland, a sustainable operating model to improve access to safe, quality services. One of its aims is to reduce unwarranted variation in and inequity of access to oncology services.

A new Clinical Oncology training rotation in NHS Highland is also being explored in an effort to make the North of Scotland a more attractive place to work.

SOWEC routinely discusses skills and jobs as part of its agenda. During the SOWEC meeting of 13 May, it was agreed that SOWEC would issue a letter of support for the Skills Passport. A letter has been drafted and this will be issued in due course once approved by SOWEC. It is important to note that SOWEC is not delivering the Skills Passport and is not directly involved in its development.

This information is not held centrally. Since 2024, the statistics for registration and participation are released by Public Health Scotland (PHS) on a quarterly basis. Reports can be accessed at NHS dental data monitoring report - Quarter Ending March 2024 - NHS dental data monitoring report - Publications - Public Health Scotland .

Prior to this, NHS dental registration and participation data was published by PHS annually and can be accessed at Show all releases - Publications - Public Health Scotland.