Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is continuing to take steps towards achieving the World Health Organisation’s targets to eliminate cervical cancer.

83.9% of S4 pupils in 2021/22 completed the two dose schedule for the HPV vaccine in Scotland. From January 2023, a one dose schedule will be introduced for all those eligible in the programme up to their 25th birthday. It is expected this simplified schedule will increase uptake further. One-dose HPV vaccine coverage is currently 91.5% for girls in S4. The Scottish Government will continue to work with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Health Boards to maintain this.

Data regarding cervical screening uptake in Scotland is due to be published by Public Health Scotland this Spring, and efforts are on-going to improve uptake. We have awarded £456,000 to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust to support campaign work on screening benefits. Additionally, in preparation for a potential UK National Screening Committee recommendation, the screening programme continues to lay the groundwork for introducing cervical self-sampling, which has the potential to remove some of the barriers which deter people from attending their screening appointment.

Finally, treatment of cancer, including cervical cancer, has continued to be prioritised throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent pressures on NHS Scotland. We are developing a new 10 year cancer strategy which will launch in Spring 2023, and take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care.

Planning authorities are required to maintain a Register of Enforcement containing details of any enforcement action taken by that authority, including notices issued under s.179 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. The Register of Enforcement is a public document and is published by the planning authority.

There is no requirement for a planning authority to inform the Scottish Government when any enforcement notice, including a notice under s.179 of the 1997 Act is issued. The Scottish Government therefore does not hold such information.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13903 on 24 January 2023. 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 Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) was commissioned to identify examples of anti-racist performance objectives with proposed performance measures that could be used by public bodies across Scotland.

To date, seven NHS Board Chairs have been set anti-racist objectives and performance measures in accordance with CRER's commission. Following feedback, these objectives and performance measures are being reviewed, to ensure they fully align with the scrutiny and assurance roles of Board Chairs.

A mobile-friendly IPC practice support app has been developed by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and NHS Education Scotland (NES), and supported from within their existing funding streams. Neither body has requested funding from Scottish Government in relation to the delivery of this tool.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13517 on 24 January 2023. 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

To date, the NHSScotland ‘Once for Scotland’ Workforce Policies Programme has refreshed the following PIN policies and process:

• Attendance
• Bullying and Harassment
• Capability
• Conduct
• Grievance
• Workforce Policies Investigation Process

In addition, the NHSScotland Whistleblowing Policy that includes the National Whistleblowing Standards was published in April 2021.

Following a pause due to the pandemic, the ‘Once for Scotland’ Workforce Policies programme of work formally restarted in June 2022. The review of the suite of Supporting the Work-Life Balance Policies that include flexible working arrangements and the Homeworking Policy (now known as the NHSScotland Flexible Work Location Policy) is currently at an advanced stage.

The programme policy development schedule is reviewed at each stage to enable response to service pressures and prioritised policy needs. Requests for new policies are considered by the ‘Once for Scotland’ Workforce Policies Programme Board.

For the Academic Year 2022-23 there are currently 1003 paramedic science students taking part in Scottish-Government commissioned education degree programmes.

The Preparing for Work in Health and Social Care in Scotland Programme was developed by the NHS Scotland Academy and was launched on the 17 December 2022. Within the programme there are 8 training modules, supporting those new to the Health and Social Care employment to deliver safe, effective, person-centred care.

The resources are designed to support local induction and are subject to regular review to ensure quality and currency of content

The Scottish Government has engaged directly with representatives from NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) to consider workforce planning capacity and capability across services. We remain committed to building a culture of continuous learning and improvement in workforce planning, including through the guidance we developed to support the development of health board and HSCP three-year workforce plans. We have been exploring, with stakeholders, formal qualification and accreditation opportunities, we continue to take forward these discussions with partners in further and higher education, alongside the provision of in-house training.