Chamber and committees

This information is not held centrally.

This information is not held centrally.

The current guidance can be found on the Central Alerting System (CAS). In the largest clinical trial (RECOVERY RS) CPAP reduced the risk of death or intubation (need to go on a ventilator). CPAP can be delivered via a tight fitting facemask, helmet or hood. Smaller clinical trials of helmet/hood CPAP have suggested that it may have equivalent benefit to facemask CPAP but more data analysis is planned. High flow nasal oxygen is a form of non-invasive respiratory support which can be used to facilitate breaks from CPAP and is better tolerated (more comfortable) than CPAP, but doesn’t improve outcome on its own. Whether facemasks, helmets or hoods are used in clinical practice is a decision left to individual boards and units, however they can be ordered if needed and many boards stock them routinely.

The Scottish Government recognises the severe impact the necessary measures to protect public health during this pandemic has had on businesses, particularly those in the travel sector.

The easing of some international travel restrictions has renewed confidence in international travel and we continue to work with the industry on what further steps the Government can take to further support the recovery of the sector.

On 10 February 2022, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy announced £3.5 million for outbound travel agents as part of a package of further support for businesses impacted by the measures introduced to control the spread of Omicron.

Information on the number of diagnostic procedures performed in NHS Scotland is available on the Public Health Scotland website and can be found in the Acute Hospitals and Finance Cost Books . However, the activity data published for radiology in the Finance Cost Books is reported with elective and emergency totals combined, which does not allow us to report on elective diagnostics activity disaggregated. Further, the Acute Hospitals publication only publishes activity data on particular endoscopy tests, therefore it cannot give us a complete picture for endoscopy activity. Data on the ongoing waits of diagnostic procedures can be found in the PHS Diagnostics publication .

We have provided £29 million to support an increase in diagnostic procedures by 78,000 during the current year and expect diagnostic capacity to increase by at least 90,000 procedures per year by the end of the NHS Recovery Plan in 2025/26. This equates to 29,000 additional CT scans, 24,000 MRI scans and 25,000 additional endoscopy procedures by the end of the Plan.

We do not have the information requested as we are still in the test phase of this programme. In this government’s first 100 days, we established ten pilot schemes to test how best to provide free bikes for school age children who cannot afford one. These pilots will run for up to 12 months, testing different approaches and delivery models which will then be independently evaluated to help inform a national rollout. Of the mentioned council areas, Shetland is currently covered by one of the ten pilots. The pilot team in Shetland have procured their first 25 bikes, and are now preparing their distribution.

The Scottish Government recognises that certain inhalers have a particularly harmful impact on the environment. This is an area where rapid change is possible and reducing the environmental impact of inhalers must be a priority.

Hydrofluorocarbons used as propellant in metered dose inhalers prescribed for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can have a global warming potential of 1430 or 3220 times greater than CO2 depending on the type of gas used.

A draft NHS Scotland Climate Emergency and Sustainability Strategy is out for consultation until 10 th March 2022. This sets out the Scottish Government’s intention to publish an updated Scottish Quality Respiratory Prescribing guide which will focus on minimising patient over-use of inhalers through review and improving patient outcomes, using propellant free options where possible.

Other actions within the draft strategy include encouraging manufacturers to make inhalers with lower emissions and to support inhaler return to pharmacy schemes to help patients dispose of their used inhalers in a more environmentally friendly way.

The mobile theatre unit, which opened at Gilbert Bain Hospital in Shetland in January 2022, is supporting access to treatment for cataract and orthopaedic patients, who have faced delays in receiving care due to the pandemic and may have otherwise had to travel to the mainland for their procedure. The mobile theatre unit will also allow normal levels of theatre activity to continue through Phase 2 of the NHS Shetland Ambulatory Care capital project which starts in April 2022, preventing waiting lists from increasing significantly during these essential building works.

Throughout the pandemic, health boards across Scotland have been working hard to ensure that vital care remains in place. Any pausing of non-urgent activity has regrettably but inevitably led to a build-up of numbers waiting for Outpatient appointment and/or Inpatient/Day Case treatment. We will continue to work with Boards to recover our NHS through a range of targeted actions to maximise capacity and efficiency, including through the use of mobile theatre units where appropriate.

The Scottish Government has set up a Commission to undertake a review of learning in Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture sectors, to provide opportunities and qualifications through early years, school, college, university and work-based learning - including apprenticeships - for more people, and specifically more women and young people, to work with and on the land, particularly in green skills.

This review will provide recommendations on how to attract more people into these sectors. The Commission will provide independent, evidence-based advice and recommendations to Scottish Ministers by December 2022.

In addition, the Scottish Government’s Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland (2019-21) sets out our strategic approach to support the skills needs of the rural economy by addressing skills shortages, talent retention and attraction, and demographic challenges through enhanced work-based learning pathways and by increasing access to education and skills provision in rural areas.

The Scottish Government also provides funding support to Lantra Scotland. Lantra is the Sector Skills Council for Scotland’s land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation sectors, aiming to ensure that these sectors can meet their skills needs and have the right people and promotion of learning opportunities for new entrants. Lantra promote the land-based sector as a rewarding career choice, and help to ensure that learning and training provision address industry requirements and skills gaps.

Lantra’s "#NoTwoDaysTheSame in Land-based and Aquaculture" provides the opportunity for school students to find out about the wide range of careers available in the land-based and aquaculture sectors and how young people can get there. It is delivered in partnership with Developing Young Workforce Live.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06217 on 16 February 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