Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)

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Question reference: S6W-43200

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the joint report by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission, which highlights that unpaid carers are often involved too late in hospital discharge planning despite their legal rights under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS boards receive clear training and guidance on involving unpaid carers from the point of admission, and how compliance with these duties will be monitored.

We have funded NHS Education for Scotland to develop three training modules for the health and social care workforce, to help them to identify, include and support unpaid carers. This includes highlighting carers’ right to involvement in hospital discharge decisions. These were launched in January 2024.

We have also funded Healthcare Improvement Scotland to improve practice on carer involvement across health, with a focus on carer involvement in hospital discharge.

The Discharge without Delay and the Home First approach is based on the Discharge without Delay Discussion Best Practice Guidance. This is the foundational document outlining how key interventions like Planned Date of Discharge should be implemented, and specifies the requirement to include unpaid carers in discharge conversations.

This is further demonstrated in our publicly available guidance on our Home First approach (https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/access/home-first/), developed in collaboration with the DWD National Steering Group in 2024, makes clear that discharge conversations and assessments should include unpaid carers to ensure both the patient and carers are prepared for the next stage of the patient’s journey.

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Question reference: S6W-43200

Answer