Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government published the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Education and Workforce Policy Review on 23 February 2023. A link to the report can be found below.

Allied Health Professions - education and workforce policy review: recommendations

An advisory board with representatives from a broad range of partners is overseeing the effective implementation of these recommendations.

The information requested on how much each NHS board has spent on temporary staff engaged through staff banks in each of the last 10 years can be found on the TURAS Public Services Delivery Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Bank and agency tab).

The Scottish Government published a review of clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner roles in Scotland in August 2021. Public Services Delivery Scotland is currently working on updating this report, focusing on education and professional development within clinical nurse specialist roles.

One of the recommendations from the report was achieved in May 2026, when Public Services Delivery Scotland published the first Clinical Nurse Specialist workforce statistical report since 2018.

The Care Leaver Payment provides a payment of £2,000 to young people leaving care, with the intention of providing additional financial security for care leavers as they transition into adulthood and more independent living.

The Care Leaver Payment (Scotland) Regulations 2026 came into force on 1 April 2026, commencing the scheme for all of Scotland. The regulations place all local authorities in Scotland under a legal duty to make this payment to young people who are eligible on or from this date, if they also meet the other eligibility requirements.

For financial year 2026-27, the Scottish Government will provide Scottish Para-Football with £160,000 to deliver a range of Summer of Sport and related legacy activities and allow Scottish Para-Football to appoint a Youth Development Officer for two years.

Activities will include holding a number of “come and try’ festivals, running an 18-month Youth Training Programme, providing coach training and education and para-football referee development, purchasing new equipment and holding public exhibition matches to raise awareness and encourage wider participation.

The Scottish Government allocates funding to territorial NHS Boards based on the NRAC formula, rather than on a population basis. The NRAC formula takes into account factors including relative deprivation and need for healthcare in different NHS Board areas, as well as population.

NHS Board’s baseline revenue allocations are published annually in the Scottish Budget. In addition, resource and capital spending limits are reported in each Board’s annual report and accounts.

Between 2016-17 and 2026-27, NHS Boards’ overall resource budget increased by 24.5% in real terms and 71.6% in cash terms.

Work is continuing at pace to establish the inquiry. Detailed Terms of Reference are currently being developed, informed by ongoing discussions with Professor Jay, and these will be published in due course.

I would also reiterate that it is not appropriate for Ministers to direct an independent inquiry Chair in relation to its duration or costs. Professor Jay has made clear her intention to deliver the inquiry at pace, while retaining the necessary flexibility to examine all areas within its remit. Decisions regarding the timing and frequency of the inquiry’s findings will be a matter for Professor Jay.

The UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommended in their ketamine review of January 2026, that work on drug treatment should be collaborative with specialist urology, pain management, hepatology and gastroenterology services.

In Health Boards throughout Scotland, Urology departments have clinical guidance in assessment and multidisciplinary management of bladder symptoms related to ketamine use. Due to an increase in admissions of young people, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Urology department has created a specialist 'ketamine bladder' clinic.

The Scottish Government are aware of a significant spike in ketamine harms - particularly among young people, and it is an integral part of our new Strategic Plan, to create further standards to ensure services can adapt to changing drug trends. It highlights the need for responsive and adaptive services, with improvement to treatment pathways in drug services, and connections to primary, acute and specialist settings.

Earlier diagnosis improves outcomes, which is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme. The programme works closely with the Scottish Cancer Coalition, including Leukaemia Care and Blood Cancer UK, to support awareness raising efforts and joint messaging where possible.

Detect Cancer Earlier’s ‘Be The Early Bird’ campaign launched in March 2023 aims to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early.

In addition, the Scottish Referral Guidelines (SRGs) for Suspected Cancer support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms suspicious of cancer and identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist.

Further, our Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services (RCDS) provides primary care with access to a new fast-track diagnostic pathway for people with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss and fatigue, both of which are relevant for leukaemia.

The Scottish Government is concerned at reports of harm from ketamine, particularly amongst young people.

The Scottish Government does not publish data on treatment for ketamine dependency at the level of detail requested.

In the 2023 Scottish Health Survey, 3% of those aged 16-24 reported that they had used ketamine in the previous 12 months. The Scottish Health Survey 2023 - volume 1: main report - gov.scot.

There is the possibility for under-reporting of drug use in surveys and those who have substance use issues may be less likely to take part in a survey. To note also that the survey only samples from private households, so anyone who is homeless or living in an institution will not be included.

The Scottish Health Survey includes questions on drug use every two years and the next release of this data will be later in 2026 which will provide further data on the prevalence of ketamine use.