In February 2019, at the request of the then Cabinet Secretary for Health, in order to enable a better understanding of the processes required to implement the new model of care, it was rolled out first in two sites in Scotland to enable testing of the entire model ahead of wider implementation.

The test sites were announced as University Hospital Crosshouse and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in the west, and the Victoria Hospital and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in the east.

The Boards were asked to roll out a range of aspects of the new model of neonatal care, including the new model of neonatal intensive care, to enable better understanding of the implications for patient flow associated with other aspects of the new model.

Outcomes of the testing process can be found within the published Options Appraisal.

A full EQIA was carried out covering the implementation of The Best Start as a whole thematically, as some of the individual recommendations are more complex and multi-faceted than others. In this way, implementation of each of the 76 recommendations is considered in a proportionate manner.

• Continuity of carer.
• Person-centred maternity and neonatal care.
• Multi-professional working.
• Safe, high quality and accessible care.
• Re-designing neonatal care and services.
• Supporting the changes.
• Wider implications.

For the implementation of recommendations which were led locally, it is expected that Health Boards will undertake their own Impact Assessments to satisfy their local requirements. This EQIA therefore takes national implementation as its primary focus. The EQIA was commenced in 2020 and remains a live document as implementation of the Best Start continues.

The recommendations for the new neonatal model of care are underpinned by strong clinical evidence that population outcomes for the most premature and sickest babies are improved by delivery and care in units looking after a “critical mass” of these babies.

Grant funding of £5.3 million for the financial year 2025-26 was awarded to Upside, a partnership of eight third-sector organisations, to deliver national voluntary throughcare support to individuals leaving short-term prison sentences and periods of remand.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

The Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland. Operational matters, including staffing, are the responsibility of each NHS board and will depend on the service needs of the health board taking account of national, regional and local priorities.

It is the expectation that NHS boards plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities considering current turnover, retention, absence rates and budgets.

We are investing a record £21.7 billion in our NHS in 2025-26, including £200 million to reduce waiting times. This investment will deliver additional MRI, CT, ultrasound and endoscopy procedures and supports the Respiratory Care Action Plan commitment to improve and simplify access to diagnostic tests.

Access to diagnostic tests remains a key priority for the Scottish Government, and we are working closely with Primary Care colleagues to expand spirometry capacity and strengthen diagnostic pathways for respiratory conditions. This includes exploring options to build workforce capacity and ensure patients can access the right tests at the right time.

Enhancing primary care is central to this approach. We recognise the vital role that GPs, community nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other members of the primary care team play as the foundation of healthcare in our communities. Our commitment to strengthening primary care is embedded in the Service Renewal Framework, which aims to shift more care into community settings and make services more accessible for patients.

The Scottish Government has also established a Scottish Expert Advisory Group to support the work of the UK National Screening Committee Lung Task Group and inform the implementation of a targeted lung cancer screening programme for Scotland. Introducing a new screening programme such as chest and lung CT scanning is inherently complex, and the required evidence and information must be fully developed before implementation begins. This is likely to take several years for each UK nation.

We will continue to work with NHS boards and national delivery partners to ensure diagnostic capacity and workforce planning remain central to improving respiratory care and meeting the needs of people across Scotland.

The Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT) exists to bring together a range of organisations and sectors to promote the aims and objectives of the SOC Strategy through partnership working. It has no operational or tasking function, and its priorities are informed by partners’ intelligence assessments.

There are currently no plans to introduce a risk register for the SOCT.

People displaced from Ukraine who live in Scotland are covered by the Scottish Government’s New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy. Recognition of qualifications is a known barrier to employment for New Scots.

As mentioned in the response to PQ S6W-42431 on 17 December 2025, it is ultimately for the professions’ independent regulators to determine the process for recognition of relevant qualifications and experience for professionally qualified New Scots, including displaced people from Ukraine.

Action 3.4 of the New Scots Delivery Plan covers working with Scottish professional bodies to understand and promote recognition pathways for industries and identified sectors.

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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42557 on 5 January 2026. 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.