Chamber and committees

The requested information is not centrally held. NHS Education for Scotland publish annual data on joiners/leavers, but this information is not available by reason or destination.

Information on joiners/leavers by staff group for each financial year can be found on the following link:

https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/media/tnvdmmwd/turnover_m2021_updated.xlsx

Officials meet with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde’s (NHS GG&C) Cancer Team on a weekly basis to ensure every urgent suspicion of cancer (USC) patient is moving timeously through their pathway. These discussions are based on management information, not in the public domain.

The majority of cancer treatments have continued throughout the pandemic. Where changes have been made to a patient’s treatment plan, due to COVID, the decision is made jointly with the clinical team and patient.

NHS GG&C treated 97.1% of cancer patients within 31 days of a decision to treat being made in Q2 2021. Latest statistics are available via:

https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-waiting-times/cancer-waiting-times-1-april-to-30-june-2021/

Table 1, a copy of which has been placed in SPICE (bib 62727), highlights data from NHS Education Scotland and Scottish Funding Council showing both the recommended and actual intakes to pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes, broken down by institution from 2007 to 2020. Figures for 2021 have not been published yet.

We have worked closely with a range of delivery and partner organisations to prepare, plan and respond to a range of issues and risks which may impact on NHS services. Planners and officials are using a range of modelling and intelligence to minimise potential impact of COP26 and to help protect NHS services across our communities.

Our planning has also used the experience and learning from previous large-scale events in Scotland, the UK and internationally including previous UN COP summits .

The Scottish Government publishes a weekly Research Findings which models the COVID-19 epidemic in Scotland. The Research Findings includes a section which estimates infections, as well as hospital and ICU bed demand from COVID-19. This gives an assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the NHS in the next few weeks. This will provide information in the run up to COP26 and after the event has taken place.

The publications can be found on the Scottish Government website at the following link:

https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-modelling-the-epidemic/

NHS National Procurement has confirmed that arrangements have been made to make Ronapreve available in Scottish Hospitals.

Commissioning guidance was issued to Health Boards on 17 September, and work is ongoing to ensure that Ronapreve can be administered as quickly as possible where clinically appropriate.

The Scottish Government recognises vaccines approved for use in the UK regardless of where they were administered to determine whether a person has completed their primary dose or whether they require additional doses to be fully vaccinated.

Those who have been vaccinated out-with the Common Travel Area (CTA) should obtain proof of their vaccination status from the country they received their vaccination. For domestic certification purposes, we will accept proof of vaccination from across the UK and Crown Dependencies as well as from members of the EU Digital Covid Certificate Scheme.

For those who have proof of vaccination status from out with the CTA and the EU, domestic certification rules for international visitors will align with current border rules. Visitors from international countries out-with the CTA and EU scheme will require to provide the same proof of vaccination status that is accepted for entry to the UK.

Those who have received a final dose of a UK approved vaccine in Canada at least 14 days before travel are currently recognised as fully vaccinated and can use their proof of vaccination for domestic certification purposes. More information on this can be found at: Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and managed isolation (quarantine) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

We are working with NHS Scotland Health Boards to put in place delivery models for the 2021-22 seasonal flu vaccination programme to suit local circumstances, whilst maintaining a COVID-19 safe environment and maximising efficiency.

If someone is unable to attend for their flu vaccination, they can rearrange their appointment to a more convenient time or location on line at Rearrange your flu vaccine appointment | The flu vaccine (nhsinform.scot). If invited by their GP practice or local Health Board, they should rearrange their appointment with them directly. If cancelling the appointment, the Flu Vaccination Helpline on 0800 030 8013 can assist with this.

It would not be appropriate for Scottish Ministers to comment on the day to day operational matters of SEPA as independent environmental regulator. However, I understand that SEPA intend to provide you with a written update regarding the Tarbolton Moss Landfill Site.

The Scottish Government has been discussing with businesses and other stakeholders the detailed plans for implementing the previously-announced policy to end overseas trade support and promotion activities focused solely on fossil fuel goods and services by the time of COP26. Under this policy, trade support and promotion will be refocused to support the Scottish Government’s objective of a Just Transition.

In the light of those discussions, and in recognition of the need for SMEs to have sufficient time to adjust, when this policy enters into force on 1 November 2021 it will include an exemption for SMEs until 31 March 2022. This matches the timing of the equivalent policy of the UK government, bearing in mind that in many cases the companies affected work with and receive support from both governments. Detailed guidance on the implementation of the policy, including this and other exemptions, will be published on the Scottish Government website at 2pm Friday 15 October at this link - https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781802014662 .

I have today announced a £15 million Communities Mental Health & Wellbeing Fund. This is in recognition of the important role that small, grass roots, community groups play in supporting adult mental health and wellbeing and aims to build on the excellent examples of good practice we have seen emerge throughout the pandemic.

It also reflects the importance that the Scottish Government places on promoting good mental health and early intervention for those in distress, ensuring that individuals can access a range of different types of support to match their needs.