Chamber and committees

The guidelines for the diagnosis of thrombosis and similar artery and vein clot conditions are provided by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), specifically SIGN 122 for the prevention and management of venous thromboembolism.

The Diagnostics in Scotland Strategic Group (DiSSG) is the national group that holds responsibility for ensuring the continued coherent development and delivery of high quality diagnostic services in Scotland. The DiSSG acts as an advisory board including providing strategic direction and advice on new diagnostic tests.

The NHS Recovery Plan commits to innovation in diagnostic procedures and an increase in capacity over the next 5 years of 90,000 procedures by 2025-26, including diagnostics of thrombosis and similar artery and vein clot conditions.

It is not possible to provide the percentage of individuals admitted to NHS Scotland who are assessed for venous thromboembolism (VTE) as this data is not routinely recorded.

The General/Acute and Inpatient Day case Dataset (SMR01) contains records where pulmonary embolism and phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of the lower extremities are listed as the primary diagnosis.

These conditions are usually recorded in an inpatient setting, on the SMR01. The structure of the International Classification of Disease and Related Health Problems 10 revision (ICD10) does not allow for easy identification of Venous Thromboembolism.

All NHS Boards in Scotland already have access to resources to support the early prevention of thrombosis-related deaths. These include SIGN 122, the national clinical guideline for the prevention and management of venous thromboembolism. The implementation of SIGN guidelines is the responsibility of NHS Boards.

The law on employment rights and duties is reserved to the UK Parliament and so the Scottish Government do not currently have the legal powers to set mandatory minimum rates of pay or a stand-alone right to take legal action to ensure this minimum hourly rate for workers providing direct adult social care, in commissioned services, is delivered.

This uplift is instead being delivered through Local Government contracts and local commissioners have delivered funding for this uplift through a contract variation process with adult social care providers. This process is a means to ensure that providers who accepted the funding for the pay uplift contractually agreed to pass on that funding to eligible workers. In the event that funding is not passed onto the workforce to uplift pay, it will be for local areas commissioning teams to engage with providers to resolve and disputes where contractual obligations are not being met.

This uplift in the minimum hourly rate of pay for adult social care workers, delivering direct care, is being delivered through Local Government contracts and funding to deliver this took effect from 1 April 2022; with the Scottish Government transferring £200 million to Local Government to support investment in social care, including to deliver the £10.50 minimum hourly rate for these workers.

The Scottish Government and COSLA have set up mechanisms, through discussions with the Fair Work in Social Care Group, to establish and address any issues or exceptional delays in relation to delivering the funding for the uplift to providers and subsequently eligible workers.

We have regular communications with Scottish Care, the Coalition of Care and Support Providers Scotland (CCPS) and Trade Union representatives to discuss any concerns or questions around implementation of the uplift and have worked together to resolve these quickly. Through this process to date, we have not had any examples brought to our attention of private care providers not paying the £10.50 minimum hourly rate.

However, despite the apparently good levels of compliance, we are currently working with key stakeholders to establish a webpage with details for members of the adult social care workforce to make contact with local commissioning teams directly if they are not receiving the £10.50 per hour rate so this can be investigated.

The Scottish Government also encourages and receives communications from members of the workforce directly. To date, we have received one case where members of the workforce are not receiving £10.50 and this is currently being looked into.

The law on employment rights and duties is reserved to the UK Parliament and so the Scottish Government do not currently have the legal powers to set mandatory minimum rates of pay or a stand-alone right to take legal action to ensure this minimum hourly rate for workers providing direct adult social care, in commissioned services, is delivered.

This uplift is instead being delivered through Local Government contracts, and local commissioners have delivered funding for this uplift through a contract variation process with adult social care providers. This process is a means to ensure that providers who accepted the funding for the pay uplift contractually agreed to pass on that funding to eligible workers. In the event that funding is not passed onto the workforce to uplift pay, it will be for local areas commissioning teams to engage with providers to resolve any disputes where contractual obligations are not being met.

To support this, the Scottish Government and COSLA have set up mechanisms, through discussions with the Fair Work in Social Care Group, to establish and address any issues or exceptional delays in relation to delivering the funding for the uplift to providers and subsequently eligible workers.

We have regular communications with Scottish Care, the Coalition of Care and Support Providers Scotland (CCPS) and Trade Union representatives to discuss any concerns or questions around implementation of the uplift and have worked together to resolve these quickly.

We are currently working with key stakeholders to establish a webpage with details for members of the adult social care workforce to make contact with local commissioning teams directly if they are not receiving the £10.50 per hour rate so this can be investigated.

The Social Care Staff Support Fund was set up in June 2020 using emergency powers provided by the Coronavirus (No.2) (Scotland) Act. This provision is intended for a group of workers who, due to the nature of their work or work environment, may be expected to self-isolate on more than one occasion as part of infection prevention and control. The aforementioned emergency powers are due to expire on 30 September 2022, and my officials are currently scoping what support may be required beyond this date.

The Scottish Government has supported additional staffing costs, including the Social Care Staff Support Fund, through sustainability payment funding to Integration Authorities.

£561 million in 2020-21 and over £700 million in 2021-22 was allocated to Integration Authorities for social care Covid-19 support, including sustainability payments. While no further Barnett consequentials have been provided, the Scottish Government has continued funding a number of additional Covid-19 costs in 2022-23, providing funding for all costs associated with vaccinations and testing in care homes to 31 March 2023. The emergency legislation underpinning the Social Care Staff Support Fund is due to expire on 30 September 2022 and officials are currently reviewing options for support beyond this date.

The Scottish Government does not receive separate reporting relating to the cost of the Social Care Staff Support Fund for delegated services, and such information would require to be requested from Integration Authorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08949 on 26 July 2022. 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 .

There are a range of options available to women who require transvaginal mesh removal surgery. A contract with Spire Healthcare, where Professor Hashim operates, was agreed earlier this year and arrangements for the first patients to travel to Bristol are underway. Furthermore, the Scottish Government can now also confirm that a contract has been agreed with Gynaecologic and Reconstructive Surgery Ltd, Missouri, USA, where Dr Veronikis operates. NHS National Services Scotland will now work closely with NHS GGC and local Health Boards to facilitate the arrangements for those who wish to travel to Bristol or to the USA for mesh removal surgery.

These additional options, alongside the potential for referral to NHS England services, complement the Complex Pelvic Mesh Removal Service in Glasgow. Despite Covid-19, we were able to introduce that service on a phased basis and a number of patients have been seen in the intervening period and have had surgeries carried out. It is expected that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will work towards improving waiting times as services begin to open up more fully.