Chamber and committees

We identified that women need more information about menstrual health symptoms and associated conditions which is why our Women’s Health Platform on NHS Inform helps women to access the information they need on a range of issues relating to their health, including conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome.

There is comprehensive information on the condition itself as well as help and advice on diagnosis, treatment and self-management options. In addition, there is signposting to organisations such as Verity and PCOS Relief for additional help and support.

As part of their work supporting the delivery of the Women’s Health Plan, the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) has continued to support the provision of comprehensive information and resources to dispel myths and stigma around menstrual health. This has included several webinars exploring periods and menstrual health related conditions. On 27 July 2023 The ALLIANCE hosted a webinar specifically focussing on polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) . These webinars are available to view on line and are supported by additional written resources which include signposting to other sources of information and advice.

The ALLIANCE has also produced a toolkit for delivering Conversation Cafes on women’s health . The toolkit brings together resources and guidance to set up supportive conversation spaces, facilitate informed discussion with women and build peer support networks. Alongside the toolkit is a resource hub , which provides additional resources to support discussion: ensuring that Café participants are provided with accurate information and can be signposted appropriately.

Scotland’s first Women’s Health Champion, Professor Anna Glasier, has identified PCOS as one of her priorities and publishes a quarterly blog highlighting her progress.

A short update paper has recently been provided to the Women’s Health Plan Implementation Programme Board. The ‘Women’s Health Plan: Interim Progress Update’ describes further progress made since the Report on Progress, which was published in January 2023.

The report can be accessed here: Women's Health Plan: Interim Progress Update 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Additionally, Women’s Health Champion Professor Anna Glasier publishes a quarterly blog on her progress which can be found here:

Health and Social Care Women's Health Champion Archives - Health and Social Care (blogs.gov.scot)

Public Health Scotland produces a range of reports on sexual health data, which include breakdowns by demographic characteristics where this is appropriate and feasible. There are no imminent plans to change any of the demographics reported on in these publications.

The Women’s Health Plan Implementation Programme Board is the decision making body responsible for the delivery of the Women’s Health Plan programme. The Board provides strategic oversight of the programme and ensures that the actions outlined in the Plan are implemented across the country.

The appointment of a Women’s Health Lead in every NHS Board is important to driving change and ensuring women’s health is appropriately prioritised.

The regulation of consumer protection, including the work of Trading Standards Scotland, is reserved to the UK Government.

Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) is an intelligence-led organisation that investigates consumer issues where harm has occurred across local authority boundaries. It has never held the function of providing advice directly to consumers.

Anyone seeking help with a consumer issue should contact Advice Direct Scotland at www.consumeradvice.scot or on 0808 164 6000.

The appointment of Women’s Health Leads is an important cross cutting action in the Women’s Health Plan. It is for NHS Boards to identify their women’s health leads according to local need and priority and with reference to the aims set out in the Plan.

The results of the initial Desktop survey of NHS Scotland buildings was shared with the Scottish Government on 9 June 2023.

The Menopause Specialist Network, chaired by Dr Heather Currie, has been meeting on a quarterly basis since 2021. A peer support group, the Network includes representatives from all the mainland Health Boards, providing consistent advice and peer support to healthcare professionals. The Network supports primary care teams by providing access to a menopause specialist for consistent advice, support, onward referral, leadership and training.

We have also recently established a Menopause Clinical Reference Group. Issues raised by the Network are fed into the Group which then considers potential Scotland wide approaches.

Information on the activity of the Network can be found in the Women's health plan: progress report published in January 2023 and the Womens-health-plan-interim-progress-update published in August 2023.

The Scottish Government COVID-19 guidance for schools remains in place and we know that schools continue to find the health protection principles in that guidance to be helpful in protecting the health of staff and pupils.

We have however been working with Public Health Scotland, local authorities and other stakeholders to develop updated guidance that better reflects current circumstances and will help schools continue to prevent the spread of COVID, other respiratory infections and infectious diseases in general.

The Government does not propose to publish the names of Women's Health Leads in each Health Board. These roles are not public appointments and the role will be an operational and / or clinical one, depending on local priorities and circumstances. Leads are of course accountable to their employing Health Board.