The Scottish Government’s decision-making for the flu vaccination programmes is guided by the expert clinical advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI typically advises flu vaccination for all those aged 65 years and over, and all those aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical at risk group.

Scotland expanded its flu programme as part of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to help reduce pressure on the NHS in unprecedented times. In winter 2020-21 we expanded it to those aged 55 years and over and then to those aged 50 years and over in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24.

As we move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, from winter 2024-25 we have reverted to the standard JCVI-advised groups and those aged 50-64 years are no longer included in the national flu programme. This is in line with the approach taken by other UK nations. The only nation currently offering the flu vaccine to the 50-64 years group is Northern Ireland, who announced their decision to expand their programme on 15 January 2025. They took the same approach in January 2024. The position for winter 2024-25 in England and Wales is currently the same as in Scotland.

I wrote to MSPs on 12 September 2024 to outline the changes to eligibility for flu and COVID-19 vaccination this winter, and the reason for those changes.

We have not received data or clinical advice to support any expansion of the programme to those aged 50-64 years, or other groups. Over the festive period, flu cases and hospital admissions due to flu peaked above typical levels for wintertime. These are now showing notable signs of decline in the latest two weeks ending 5 and 12 January 2025. Flu-related hospital admissions in Scotland decreased by 46.6% from 1,077 in week ending 5 January to 575 in week ending 12 January. Laboratory-confirmed flu case numbers have declined for a second week, by 40.6% from 1,906 in week ending 5 January to 1,133 in week ending 12 January. PHS surveillance stats can be found here - PHS Vaccination Surveillance.

Within the Scottish Government, funding of Health and Care Research comes under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).

CSO funds research projects via its Translational Clinical Studies (TCS) Committee and the Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research (HIPS) Committee

https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/grant-funding/response-mode-funding-schemes/

CSO funds capacity building research via its Fellowship Funding programmes

https://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/fellowship-funding/

Research funding is not allocated to any particular condition and CSO funds research across the clinical spectrum. All applications go through a process of independent expert review to allow funding decisions to be made. Applications on Brain Tumours are welcomed and CSO's role is well known across the Health and Care research community in Scotland

In 2023-24 the following funding was awarded specifically for research in Brain Cancer

TCS/23/18 - Assessment of Brain Tumours with Dynamic T2* and Lactate MR under Oxygen Challenge to Evaluate Aerobic and Anaerobic Metabolic Status of Gliomas

£299,918

Tessa Jowell Fellowship in Neuro-oncology

£44,237

In addition, CSO provides infrastructure funding to support the delivery of clinical studies in the NHS in Scotland. In 2023-24 the cancer-specific component of this infrastructure funding was £1,112,434. This figure includes funding for the NHS Research Scotland Cancer Research Network and the CSO component of funding for the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow (co-funded 50:50 with Cancer Research UK). The purpose of this funding is to support the delivery of early and later phase cancer clinical studies, including in Brain Tumours.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33241 on 24 January 2025. 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 have been no official complaints logged regarding the overall condition of the A90 in the last five years. However, there has been a total of 171 individual complaints with resulting reports:

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.

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 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.

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.

To date, significant work has been undertaken to develop robust criteria for a national AI solution to assist with identifying patients who may benefit from a thrombectomy.

A tendering process has commenced and the suitability and affordability of AI solutions will determine whether Scottish Government proceeds with procurement.

The Draft Scottish Budget on 4 December 2024 announced plans to invest £3m in 2025-26 in Bright Start Breakfasts.

At this stage the Budget remains subject to Parliamentary approval and therefore, more detail about Bright Start Breakfasts will be provided ahead of the fund launching in Spring 2025.

Recent mapping work carried out by the Improvement Service and Assist FM shows that nearly half of all primary and special schools in Scotland are already providing breakfasts at the start of the school day, with a range of delivery models and service providers supporting delivery. Bright Start Breakfasts aims to enhance and expand provision across Scotland, building on this existing local delivery.