Chamber and committees

There is no minimum required number of medically-trained NHS 24 call handlers, as call handlers are classed as healthcare support workers and are not medically trained.

Call handlers operate under clinical supervision at all times with a minimum level of one clinical supervisor for every five call handlers. Each call has clinical supervision input at an appropriate level, depending on acuity and outcome.

Overall more trainee doctor posts have filled in 2023 than any other year on record, (data correct as at 25 July 2023). Within that overall context there will always be a number of posts which do not fill. Medical Ophthalmology ST3 is a small specialty with only 1 post advertised in 2023, therefore, as this post has not filled, the fill rate appears as 0%. We continue to work closely with our partners in NHS Education for Scotland and Health Boards, to consider ways of improving fill rates across all specialities.

Overall more trainee doctor posts have filled in 2023 than any other year on record, (data correct as at 25 July 2023). Within that overall context there will always be a number of posts which do not fill. Thoracic Surgery ST4 is a small specialty with only 1 post advertised in 2023, therefore, as this post has not filled, the fill rate appears as 0%. We continue to work closely with our partners in NHS Education for Scotland and Health Boards, to consider ways of improving fill rates across all specialities.

Overall, more trainee doctor posts have filled in 2023 than any other year on record. 7 posts were advertised in Neurology at ST4 level and 4 (or 57.14%) filled successfully. These figures are accurate as of 25 July and pertain only to the initial recruitment rounds of 2023; end-year data for all UK nations and specialties will be published by NHS England in the coming weeks. We continue to work closely with our partners in NHS Education for Scotland and Health Boards, to consider ways of improving fill rates across all specialities.

Neurology recently became what is known as a group 2 specialty (formerly group 1), meaning that trainees must complete 3 years of Internal Medicine Training (IMT) rather than 2. We are working with NHS Education for Scotland to determine what impact this is having on the attractiveness of the programme. We are also funding uplifts in IMT with 22 posts set to be created in 2024. IMT is a pre-requisite for Neurology (among several other specialties) and increasing front-end supply should therefore improve the sustainability of services in the longer term.

While Scottish Ministers are sympathetic to calls to replicate the non-domestic rates relief available to businesses in England in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, doing so would have meant that the Scottish Government could not provide the NHS, local government, schools, or emergency services with the funding they require.

The Scottish Government will continue to do all it can to support businesses. In 2024-25, the Basic Property Rate will be frozen, which, combined with an inflationary increase in the Intermediate Property Rate, will deliver the lowest poundage for properties with a rateable value up to and including £100,000 in the UK for the sixth year in a row. The Budget also announced a package of reliefs in 2024-25 worth an estimated £685 million . The Small Business Bonus Scheme which offers up to 100% relief from non-domestic rates will be maintained and a new 100% rates relief will be available in 2024-25 for hospitality businesses in island communities, capped at £110,000 per ratepayer.

Eligible 2 year olds and all 3 year olds are eligible for funded early learning and childcare from the beginning of the first term after the child’s 2nd or 3rd birthday. Local authorities have discretionary powers under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to provide funded ELC to 2 and 3 year olds earlier than the statutory start dates, and are responsible for setting local admission policies.

A Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) team was set up within the Marine Directorate in September 2021. While the team contributed to other work programmes, it was principally engaged in the development of HPMA proposals, engaging with stakeholders and the delivery of the public consultation. Other officials from across the Scottish Government, both from within Marine Directorate and from other directorates, also provided input to the work on HPMAs, and did so as part of their normal duties and within normal working patterns. At its maximum, the HPMA team contained the following posts at different grades and roles:

• One official at grade C1
• Two officials at grade B3
• Two officials at grade B2

Civil Servants operate flexibly across a range of policies and programmes according to the specific requirements of their work at any given time. They do not, as a matter of course, record the proportion of their time spent working on particular matters. It is therefore not possible to provide a total staff cost or monthly break down in relation to the policy proposal for HPMAs.

Overall, more trainee doctor posts have filled in 2023 than any other year on record. 18 posts were advertised in Clinical Oncology at ST3 level and 5 (or 27.78%) filled successfully. These figures are accurate as of 25 July and pertain only to the initial recruitment rounds of 2023; end-year data for all UK nations and specialties will be published by NHS England in the coming weeks. It should be noted that recent uplifts in Clinical Oncology (4 posts in 2022 and 2023) led to a greater number of posts being advertised. We continue to work closely with our partners in NHS Education for Scotland and Health Boards, to consider ways of improving fill rates across all specialities. Examples in Clinical Oncology include:

• We are funding uplifts in Internal Medicine Training (IMT) with 22 posts set to be created in 2024. IMT is a pre-requisite for Clinical Oncology (among several other specialties) and increasing front-end supply should therefore improve the sustainability of services in the longer term.
• NHS Education for Scotland (NES) colleagues have been promoting Clinical Oncology at undergraduate level and at various careers events across the country. The West of Scotland Oncology Team, for example, is hosting a careers event at the Beatson Cancer Centre in January 2024 for IMT trainees.
• A national oncology teaching programme has also been signposted to IMT trainees which is accessible via monthly MS Teams sessions.

Scottish Government standard Terms and Conditions of Contract require contractors to comply with all applicable national legislation and any applicable requirements of regulatory bodies as well as Good Industry Practice.

In addition to this, the Scottish Government uses the power of procurement to influence practice relating to a range of economic, social and environmental risks and opportunities. To achieve this, practical support for public bodies is available through the https://sustainableprocurementtools.scot/guidance/ platform, which provides a range of guidance and e-learning, including a methodology for identifying specific risks and opportunities such as fair work and health and safety in individual procurement projects. Fair work and Health and safety guidance is already available on the platform and the health and safety content in our guidance will be strengthened when we publish updated Fair Work First in Procurement guidance over the next couple of months.

The Scottish Government collates data by job family rather than by position, and as such, does not hold the information on recruitment to positions. As the employer, Health Boards hold individual responsibility for recruitment to ensure appropriate staffing levels to deliver services.