Chamber and committees

Audiology is considered as a clinical priority area and the Scottish Government remains committed to its vision for an integrated and community-based hearing service in Scotland.

Whilst our response to the Independent Review of Audiology in Scotland is implemented, we will continue to work with the NHS, Third Sector and private providers to identify and cost an appropriate model of community care for any future service reform and ensure that the voices of those with lived experience inform this work.

Scottish Government officials and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery national planned care team meet monthly with Chief Operating Officer and / or Acute Directors from all Health Boards to review performance and delivery across all Planned Care specialities, including ENT.

The Scottish Government continues to take wide-ranging action to support low income households, including allocating over £3 billion a year to policies which tackle poverty and the cost of living. This investment includes £6.9 billion for benefits expenditure such as the Scottish Child Payment.

Last year we published a Toolkit which seeks to help staff and services in local areas develop an integrated, cross-sector response to ensure babies are fed responsively, whether formula or breastfed or both.

I would encourage anyone in need to contact their local authority or a health professional, such as a health visitor, midwife or family nurse, in order to ensure they are getting the holistic support they need, including financial advice and a referral to cash-first crisis supports.

We welcome the UK government’s Timber in Construction road map since this should increase the market for Scottish timber in England. There is considerable scope to increase the use of timber frame house building methods in England unlike in Scotland where 92% of new build homes are already timber frame. Officials at Scottish Forestry have been aware of the road map as it was being developed through discussions with Defra, Confor and the Forestry Commission during that period.

Work is ongoing to establish whether Emergency Department (ED) opt-out testing for blood borne viruses would be acceptable, deliverable and cost-effective in areas of higher diagnosed prevalence, or across the whole of Scotland. Two of the pilot projects commenced later than originally planned, meaning that the evaluation process has not yet been completed. There has also been an extension to the Scottish Government-funded academic research on missed opportunities for blood borne virus testing, which will provide valuable information to inform future funding decisions.

An options appraisal is in development, which will be carefully considered alongside other potentially beneficial testing interventions.

The recently approved 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21.7 billion for Health & Social Care next year, including £16.2 billion for NHS Boards.

NHS Boards and other local partners are responsible for prioritising funding to ensure that their local population receives the highest quality of care and treatment at the right time and in the right place.

I expect any body responsible for planning and delivering health services to the public in Scotland to operate within the relevant strategic and statutory frameworks. Scottish Government officials are engaging with Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership and NHS Grampian about their plans.

We are working with NHS Boards and partners to improve access to diagnosis and we have commissioned the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) to support local health partners to develop, enhance and redesign existing local neurodevelopmental services. As part of this, NAIT is also working with NHS Boards to build a neurodevelopmentally informed workforce in Scotland.

Through our £1 million Adult Autism Support Fund (AASF), the Scottish Government funds SensationALL, which provides support to autistic adults in both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Whilst this support does not include assessments, a diagnosis is not required to access the service, and the majority of service users have reported improved wellbeing as a consequence of this support.

The Scottish Government has provided specific funding (totalling around £145,000) for Emergency Department (ED) opt-out blood borne virus testing pilots in NHS Lothian, Grampian and Highland. At present, any other ED opt-out testing would be delivered by NHS Boards using the core funding they receive from the Scottish Government which includes baselined funding for sexual health improvement and blood borne virus elimination.

The Scottish Government expects all organisations to comply with the full range of legislation that applies to them, including health and safety legislation. Given the breadth of legislative requirements that there may be across different sectors, it is not feasible for us to list every specific regulation that may be relevant to a particular body’s type of work or premises.

The Scottish Government has not contacted public sector organisations to clarify health and safety workplace regulations regarding the use of single-sex toilets and we have no plans to do so. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 make provision on sanitary conveniences in the workplace. These regulations are a reserved matter. The Health and Safety Executive have issued guidance and an approved Code of Practice on the 1992 Regulations: Workplace health, safety and welfare - L24.

The Scottish Government intends to refresh and modernise the School Premises Regulations (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) to ensure that they meet the needs of pupils and schools in Scotland. The Scottish Government still intends to re-consult this year on the Regulations.

Scottish Government officials are taking steps to engage with relevant stakeholders and will be reaching out to further interested parties. Consultation responses will inform areas of focus for any proposals for changes to update the Regulations before these are brought forward.

It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate, including the provision of toilets in schools.

The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent organisation established to safeguard the rights and welfare of patients under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. Reports of visits along with any recommendations are published by the Commission to ensure standards of care are maintained and enhanced and that human rights are respected.

The MWC has a duty to visit people who are receiving care under mental health and incapacity legislation. The purpose of these visits is to hear directly from the person receiving care and treatment whether they feel their rights are being respected.

There are limits to the MWC’s scope and powers. While they visit individuals and provide recommendations to boards, they do not carry out inspections or audits of services and they do not have powers to enforce their recommendations.

Scottish Ministers have commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland and MWC to undertake a programme of joint visits to all three mental health adolescent inpatient units and the National Child Inpatient Unit, with a focus on care quality, patient safety, and patient experience. We will work with scrutiny bodies to determine the best way to implement wider recommendations following the Independent Mental Health Scrutiny and Assurance Evidence Review.