We continue to work with the Scottish Cancer Coalition to mark cancer awareness months, as well as using Detect Cancer Earlier channels to help promote key messages and share case studies which often prompt others to take action.

A new Earlier Cancer Diagnosis Vision was developed as part of the new ‘Cancer Strategy for Scotland’ (published June 2023). The vision is to reduce later stage disease by 18 percentage points in 10 years’ time, a focus on reducing the health inequalities gap, particularly those from areas of deprivation will remain.

Ministers have no plans at present for further bill workshops. The Agriculture reform programme is currently hosting engagement sessions across Scotland to hear from farmers and crofters, and increase awareness of Agricultural Reform.

The Agricultural Reform Roadshow started in June 2023, visiting 25 agricultural shows and marts across Scotland.

A full list of the roadshow dates can be found at Agriculture Reform Programme (ARP) roadshow dates 2023 (ruralpayments.org)

As stated in response to S6W-17748, this analysis predates improvement work that has been undertaken across all cancer regions, but the situation clearly requires continued prioritisation and close attention.

The Deputy National Clinical Director and Scottish Government officials have recently met with the clinical leads for ovarian cancer for the Northern Cancer Alliance and South East Scotland Cancer Network to discuss the survival dataset and a meeting with the West of Scotland Cancer Network is being scheduled.

In terms of access to surgery, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are increasing dedicated theatre capacity at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary site for the gynaecology oncology team.

On 22 June 2023, the Scottish Government published the Agriculture Bill - Analysis of Consultation Responses which details the findings of this extended engagement and total number that attended the events.

The Scottish Government understands the importance of Scotland’s hills and mountains and provides investment to help people enjoy them safely.

In addition to Scottish Government’s annual grant of £312,000 to Scottish Mountain Rescue, sport scotland invests around £2,308,050 of Scottish Government and National Lottery funding to help ensure the safety of mountain users. This includes approximately £1,635,000 for Glenmore Lodge, £379,000 for the sport scotland Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) and £42,000 for the Mountain Weather Information Service.

sport scotland also provides £252,050 to Mountaineering Scotland, which helps to support work on mountain safety. Mountaineering Scotland offer training and information to mountain users to promote safety, self-reliance and the enjoyment of our mountain environment. They also chair a Mountain Safety Group, which was established to monitor and review mountain safety strategy, collaborate with partners, and provides leadership across mountain safety.

We will continue to work with sport scotland and partners to provide more people with safe opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and reap the physical and mental health benefits of physical exercise in nature.

The costs and associated contractual matters related to the SFRS Command and Control Mobilising System are operational matters for the Service, who would be the appropriate source for this information. SFRS has provided assurances that it has had appropriate governance arrangements in place throughout the project. Throughout implementation, SFRS has worked within budgets with key targets built in and milestone payments only paid if satisfactorily reached. All public sector bodies in Scotland are expected to adhere to the public sector finance manual to ensure that value for money is applied to each spending decision. Public safety is paramount and SFRS has existing software and back-up systems in place at all times to ensure an effective service.

We have allocated £48.6 million of supplementary funding to Boards this year via the Mental Health Outcomes Framework to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services for all. This is in addition to £36.7 million allocated to Health Boards via the Outcomes Framework in 2022-23, and the total package of core funding that Health Boards receive.

We recognise that not all children and young people need specialist services like CAMHS and that many can access more suitable support in their local community. This is why we are providing local authorities with £15m per annum to fund community-based mental health supports for children, young people and their families.

We have also invested £36m in our Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults over two years, with approximately 3,300 grants being made to local organisations across Scotland. A further £15m committed in 23-24.

The new National Specification for the delivery of Psychological Therapies and Interventions is due to be published at the end of this month. It sets out what patients can expect following a referral and details the whole system approach including early intervention options that services should offer. This includes offers of evidence based digital therapies, which are accessed by around 5,000 people in Scotland annually.

In response to the emergence of the new Covid-19 variant BA.2.86, we have taken the precautionary measure of bringing forward the vaccination of those at highest risk – notably residents in care homes for older adults, those aged 75 and over and those aged 12 and over with a weakened immune system.

Although there is currently insufficient data to assess the potential severity, transmissibility or immune escape of BA.2.86, it is felt that this ‘no regrets’ approach is wisest until we understand more about this variant.

Officials and Public Health Scotland are working closely with Health Boards to operationalise this change to the programme, which happened after some Boards had already scheduled their lower risk groups from 18 September, in line with the original plan. We have instructed them to honour these appointments.

This means that although many of those at highest risk will be called forward sooner than the original plan, this will not apply to everyone. We are however endeavouring to bring forward as many of these appointments as we can, while honouring appointments that had already been scheduled before the change.

To this end, some Boards began vaccinating in care homes the week of 4 September, six weeks earlier than originally planned.

A letter to all MSPs on the re-phasing will be issued shortly.

PHS publishes information on COVID-19 hospitalisations on their interactive dashboard ( COVID-19 & Respiratory Surveillance (shinyapps.io) ) which is updated weekly on a Thursday at 9.30am. Data can be downloaded from here and filtered to the desired timeframe. Since 1 January 2023 to 10 September 2023, there were a total of 8,076 acute COVID-19 hospital admissions in Scotland (as reported on the dashboard on Thursday 14 September). Note that data for the most recent week is provisional and may be subject to change.

Inspiring Scotland through the ‘Support in the Right Direction’ (SiRDS) programme, provides access to independent advice and advocacy in 31 local authorities, with a forthcoming scoping project tasked with identifying a SiRD partner to offer services in the Moray area from FY 2023-2024. SiRDS is supporting over 9,000 people and families.