Chamber and committees

The allocation of funding for healthy food provision, out-of-hours catering or rest spaces for doctors remains the responsibility of individual Health Boards, who will manage their facilities effectively within their individual budgets.

NHS employers are encouraged to ensure, wherever feasible, that staff have access to nutritious food, out-of-hours catering and appropriate rest spaces.

Evaluation of the EnergyPods was provided through surveys conducted by Victoria Hospital in Fife, along with usage data from the supplier provided to Scottish Government as requested up to May 2023, demonstrating the ongoing value to staff. The EnergyPods continue to be used regularly within NHS Fife offering a valuable addition to their facilities.

The Scottish Government continues to work with stakeholders to consider further initiatives across health, social care and social work to enhance staff wellbeing.

The allocation of funding for healthy food provision, out-of-hours catering or rest spaces for doctors remains the responsibility of individual Health Boards, who will manage their facilities effectively within their individual budgets.

NHS employers are encouraged to ensure, wherever feasible, that staff have access to nutritious food, out-of-hours catering and appropriate rest spaces.

Evaluation of the EnergyPods was provided through surveys conducted by Victoria Hospital in Fife, along with usage data from the supplier provided to Scottish Government as requested up to May 2023, demonstrating the ongoing value to staff. The EnergyPods continue to be used regularly within NHS Fife offering a valuable addition to their facilities.

The Scottish Government continues to work with stakeholders to consider further initiatives across health, social care and social work to enhance staff wellbeing.

All Health Boards in Scotland receiving baselined funding from the Scottish Government toward their neurology services. As part of Planned Care funding, the Scottish Government has also invested £217,000 in total towards improving waiting times in NHS Tayside and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Through the Neurological Framework, the Scottish Government has given direct investment to numerous territorial Health Boards to undertake projects focusing on neurological care, in line with the Framework’s commitments. Health Boards that have received direct investment are:

• NHS Ayrshire and Arran
• NHS Forth Valley
• NHS Grampian
• NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
• NHS Lanarkshire
• NHS Lothian
• NHS Orkney
• NHS Tayside

Third sector organisations have also been awarded funding to work in partnership with a number of statutory organisations to better integrate services, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Fife. The Migraine Trust has worked in partnership with seven NHS boards to improve treatment for migraine in community pharmacy.

A full list of projects funded through the Neurological Framework can be found here.

There are no plans to expand eligibility of The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) at this time.

In addition to support available under the YPFF, financial support for travel to hospital is available via the patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes. Under those schemes, patients and authorised escorts can reclaim reasonable costs of travel associated with attending a hospital appointment, in line with eligibility criteria and medical requirements.

The Scottish Government would advise that the question does not take into account section 8(4)(b) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997. While the summary conviction can carry a fine up to £50,000 the legislation also allows for a fine on conviction on indictment to which no maximum is provided.

A final report on the Neurological Care and Support in Scotland: A Framework for Action 2020-2025 will be published by the Scottish Government when the Framework reaches the end of its agreed lifespan. An assessment of future priorities for neurological conditions will be included.

The Scottish Government invited Health Boards to submit requests for hot food appliances required to support resident doctors in late 2022. In February 2023, invitations were closed and Scottish Government provided funding to responding Health Boards to enable purchase of approximately 55 appliances, including kettles, microwaves, fridges and toasters. This was a one-time provision to support staff facilities. Scottish Government cannot confirm how quickly these were purchased by the participating Health Boards.

It remains the responsibility of individual Health Boards to manage their facilities to ensure they meet staff needs. NHS employers should take steps to provide staff with access to nutritious hot food and out-of-hours catering wherever possible.

The Scottish Government continues to work with stakeholders to consider further initiatives across health, social care and social work to enhance staff wellbeing.

Following the fire at the WEEE Solutions site in Linwood in June 2024, I asked my officials to consider the safety of these sites and battery energy storage (BESS) sites. In particular, this was to examine whether existing safety provisions and regulations are sufficiently robust, whilst also considering compliance and enforcement aspects. This concluded that the current legislative and regulatory framework is sufficiently robust, recognising however that it is complex and requires interagency cooperation to be effective.

The investigation into the cause of the recent fire at Friarton is still underway and I will decide once the findings are known whether to take any reviews forward. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Health and Safety Executive and SEPA will continue to engage with the site and my officials liaise with them on any issues of safety at BESS sites.

It would not be appropriate to commit to a review of fire safety procedures at waste management facilities until HSE, SEPA and SFRS have had time to look at the particular case and can give informed information to governments if required.

The Scottish Government welcomes IBD UK’s latest report, Crohn’s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change, and notes the recommendation for government to undertake a high-profile public health awareness campaign on the seriousness of IBD and its symptoms. In consideration of the recommendation, our assessment is that information and guidance on Inflammatory Bowel Disease including crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is already widely available to the public via the NHS Inform website: Scottish health information you can trust | NHS inform and we have no plans to commit to a campaign at this time.

The Scottish Biodiversity Strategy (SBS) notes that “Scotland’s uplands (above the limits of enclosed farmland) comprise a range of habitats including … species-rich grasslands” and that there has been a substantial long term decline in species-rich grasslands. The SBS Delivery Plan is intended to drive the restoration and improvement of habitats across Scotland, many of which are not mentioned explicitly.

Objective 1 of the Delivery Plan: Accelerate Restoration and Regeneration includes as a Priority Action: Introduce a programme of ecosystem restoration. There are five species-rich grassland habitats on the current Scottish Biodiversity List, and action 20.1 - revision of the Scottish Biodiversity List - is also therefore relevant. Other actions relevant to species-rich grasslands, include: