Chamber and committees

We are working closely with NatureScot and Scottish Forestry to determine the best approach to developing a new National Register of Ancient Woodlands. This will help us to determine how best to work with planners, developers and land managers as this project is developed. We're committed to working with a broad range of stake-holders and will make sure this includes cross-parliamentary representatives.

Our COVID Status Certification scheme is a necessary, proportionate, and a limited measure targeted towards activities that are a higher risk. This is an alternative to the potential closure of higher risk venues.

We have taken an equality and human rights approach; and have considered how the scheme may impact individuals and communities. This includes, considering the scheme’s compatibility with the Convention Rights identified in the Human Rights Act 1998 and with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. Other requirements, such as the rights enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) have also been taken into account.

In developing the scheme, ministers and officials have engaged pro-actively with a wide range of stakeholders, including but not limited to, those representing human rights, children’s rights, and each of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act. Stakeholder views and evidence have been reflected in our published impact assessments.

Our decisions are taken, and reviewed on the latest data and clinical evidence . Our review process includes consideration of the impact assessments, such as Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) and Children’s Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03940 on 2 November 2021.

NHS Scotland already utilises an electronic prescription message between GP practices and community pharmacies which runs in parallel with paper prescriptions. However, the use of paper prescriptions is still a necessity at this stage as a legal requirement.

The Scottish Government has commissioned NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) to take forward a number of digital priorities in response to COVID. This national programme includes investing in development of a new ePrescribing and eDispensing pathway by enabling the use of advanced electronic signatures in primary care and addressing the need for an end-to-end digital solution that will support replacement of the paper prescription from all community settings with a digital solution. The programme recognises that electronic prescribing will help some vulnerable sections of society, but we must also ensure others are not disadvantaged and the solution adopted should address patient needs including digital exclusion. It is difficult to be precise on timescales at present but significant progress on the technical and process models continues at pace and the Scottish Government is committed to deliver a solution through this programme.

Our refreshed Digital Health and Care Strategy includes a clear approach on how we will empower the public to manage their health and wellbeing through digital means. This work will look to give greater access to things like health records and being able to manage prescriptions online.

In addition, patients who have a long-term condition can access the ‘Medicines: Care and Review Service’ at their local community pharmacy. It promotes a partnership approach between the pharmacist, the patient and their GP practice. Patients with stable long-term conditions can receive serial prescriptions for a duration of 24, 48 or 56 weeks which are dispensed in regular intervals by the pharmacy and remove the need to request regular repeat prescriptions.

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

Most faults on the ChargePlace Scotland network are transient and in the majority of cases require no physical intervention. This means that a high proportion are closed down swiftly and effectively. On a network of now over 2100 units in size, an average of 30 faults a day are raised, the majority closed within 48 hours.

In addition to adding new sites, Transport Scotland’s grant funding for this year will focus on further network resilience opportunities, with authorities tasked to firstly ensure warranty and maintenance contracts are in place, scope out potential expansion at busy/key charge point sites before adding any new sites to the network.

We continue to review our international travel restrictions and associated exemptions and health measures and will consider appropriate changes where clinical and scientific advice allow it. We expect the vast majority of seafarers to be covered under the inbound vaccinated traveller scheme for the purposes of travel to Scotland for shore leave.

Following the introduction of travel restrictions, specific sectoral exemptions were introduced to facilitate emergency or essential work in Scotland. An exemption for seafarers was introduced to deliver this, and it currently remains in place - it currently applies to seamen, masters of ships, maritime pilots, ship inspectors or surveyors of ships (under the definition of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995). Taking into account the public health risk associated with importation of the virus, extending the exemptions for non-work related travel has not been appropriate and would be inconsistent with clinical advice.

Regular feedback from Border Force has suggested that Scotland sees a higher number of seafarers travelling in and out of the country compared to other parts of the UK. For this reason, we have different arrangements to regulations elsewhere. The border health measures associated with international travel into Scotland is a matter for Scottish Ministers, and there are a number of areas where different arrangements are in place for some sectors given different circumstances in Scotland including wider public health measures and the numbers involved.

Other changes to the international travel regime has enabled quarantine-free travel and relaxed testing measures for eligible fully vaccinated travellers. Currently, there are no red list countries which means no one entering Scotland would be expected to enter a Managed Quarantine hotel. We would encourage seafarers who have not yet been fully vaccinated to register for vaccination appointments as soon as possible, so they can return for leave purposes as eligible vaccinated travellers. We will continue to monitor the situation across all sectoral exemptions and will make further amendments to the international travel regulations as required in the course of the pandemic.

Further information on travel restrictions and sectoral exemptions is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-international-travel-quarantine/pages/sectoral-exemptions/

The most recent cross section survey of the Liddel Water was commissioned by Scottish Borders Council in 2017. This survey was carried out as part of the flood study for Newcastleton. As part of the flood study, SEPA also provided Scottish Borders Council with a LiDAR topographical survey, undertaken in 2013.

SEPA carried out a trash line survey following flooding in February 2021 to determine the flood extent.

A CCTV survey was also undertaken after Storm Dennis in 2020.

Newcastleton is part of the Scottish Borders flood warning scheme. This scheme will be reviewed by SEPA’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Team during the next FRM cycle (2021 – 2027) to determine whether improvements can be made or if there is a need to recalibrate at this location.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04118 on‎ 17 November 2021. 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

As announced in the NHS Recovery Plan, by the end of 2021 the Scottish Government will publish a National Workforce Strategy.

We are co-producing this strategy with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA). We continue to work closely with a range of partners, both individually and collectively, and specifically through cross-sectoral reference groups including the National Workforce Planning Group, National Workforce Forum and the Scottish Partnership Forum (which includes representatives from across health and social care trades unions). Amongst others, we have engaged with the following organisations: (As engagement is on-going, this list will not be exhaustive)

Allied Health Professions Federation Scotland

British Medical Association

Care Inspectorate

Coalition of Care and Support Providers Scotland

Edinburgh University

GMB

NHS Scotland Health Board Chief Executives Forum

NHS Scotland Health Board HR Directors Forum

Integrated Joint Boards

Royal College of Nursing

Scottish Academy of Royal Medical Colleges

Scottish Care

Scottish Social Services Council

Skills Development Scotland

Social Work Scotland

Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers

Society of Personnel and Development Scotland

Unison

Unite

We continue to take representations on the content and scope of the strategy, and welcome views from across the sector.

Thrombolysis is already delivered nationwide in a number of hospitals across Scotland.

The rate of thrombolytic treatment and door to needle (DTN) times for thrombolysis are measured through the Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA).

The SSCA 2021 report can be found here: Scottish stroke improvement programme 2021 national report - Scottish stroke improvement programme - Publications - Public Health Scotland . It concluded that variations in thrombolysis rates were a reflection of the different acute stroke pathways and variable access to stroke specialist assessment and management. It highlighted that improving access to early specialist assessment in emergency departments would increase the overall percentage of stroke patients treated and reduce the DTN times.

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme team work closely with services and NHS boards to use learning from SSCA to support improvement across the whole stroke pathway, including timely access to thrombolysis.

The Scottish Stroke Care Audit does not currently measure ongoing support for disability needs. As part of the Programme for Government (PfG) stroke commitments, the stroke improvement team Rehabilitation Sub-Group is currently considering future updates to measure rehabilitation service delivery, patient outcomes and experiences.

All patients who require stroke rehabilitation should be offered it. Rehabilitation may be delivered via a variety of inpatient, early supported discharge and community teams.