Chamber and committees

The evaluation of early medical abortion at home began in October 2021, with of the final report currently due in autumn 2022. The evaluation seeks to provide further evidence regarding the safety, and efficacy of the current early medical abortion at home arrangements and to consider the experiences of women in Scotland accessing abortion early medical abortion services. It will also review practices and procedures in each NHS Board area and, where appropriate, identify areas of good practice.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08108 on 3 May 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

We are considering the recommendations made by the Heat Pump Sector Deal Expert Advisory Group within its final report and will respond later this year alongside the publication of our Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Delivery Plan.

There are a number of current initiatives funded by Scottish Government aimed at providing support to industry to upskill their workforce and gain the necessary qualifications to effectively install/ maintain low carbon heating systems.

Current initiatives include the National Transition Training Fund (NTTF); The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF); and, the Heat Pump Skills Grant and MCS Certification Fund.

NTTF was established as a reactive response to Covid-19’s immediate impact on the labour market. The fund offers industry-recognised qualifications and training in growing employment sectors. Individuals can apply direct for training opportunities, while employers are encouraged to apply on behalf of their team. We have provided over £1.3m through the NTTF for energy efficiency and zero emissions heating retrofit skills. This includes a Low Carbon Learning Programme delivered by the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre which provides free training access for tradespeople to increase their skills in retrofit and Passivehaus construction methods, as well as funding through the Energy Skills Partnership to support heat pump training in Scottish Colleges.

FWDF is available to employers to address priority skills gaps in their organisation. The fund provides funding to UK Apprenticeship Levy-payers and SMEs in Scotland which they can use to access flexible workforce development training opportunities. Training programmes can be delivered in partnership with their local college, The Open University in Scotland or an independent training provider.

The Heat Pump Skills Grant and MCS Certification Fund is offered to assist Scottish SMEs installing heat pumps in achieving MCS certification for the first time. This funding is for installers who are not currently MCS certified for heat pumps and who want to become MCS certified for any heat pump technology (air, water, or ground source).

The main Mental Health professional groups that the Scottish Government holds data for are Psychiatrists, Mental Health Nurses and Psychologists, including other psychological clinical staff and therapists. The Scottish Government also holds workforce figures for CAMHS, which are multidisciplinary teams that include, in addition to the professions mentioned above, AHPs, counsellors and social workers.

Under this government (since 2007), the number of:

a. Psychiatric Consultants across all specialities in NHSScotland has increased by 21.6% to 548.8 WTE posts;

b. The Mental Health Nursing workforce in NHSScotland has increased by 34.7% to 9,763.2 WTE posts;

c. Staff providing Psychology Services in NHSScotland has increased by 95% to the current all-time high of 1,359.3 WTE posts; and

d. Staff within CAMHS is up by 83.4% to the current all-time high of 1099.5 WTE posts.

NHS Scotland’s Mental Health Nursing, Psychology and CAMHS staffing numbers were at a record high on 31 December 2021.

Vacancy rates at 31 December 2021 were: 16.6% (107.5 WTE) for Consultant Psychiatrists, 12.4% (1,377.3 WTE) for Mental Health Nurses, 12.3% (191 WTE) for Psychology staff and 14.7% (190 WTE) for staff within CAMHS reflecting demand for staff as services continue to grow.

The Scottish Government also collects and publishes figures for mental health workers recruited under Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-27, representing our commitment to recruit an additional 800 mental health workers between 2018-19 and 2021-22, to key settings such as A&E departments, GP practices, police station custody suites and prisons. As at 1 January 2022, 756.9 WTE mental health posts have recruited under Action 15.

The latest Action 15 recruitment figures as at 1 January 2022 can be accessed at Mental health workers: quarterly performance reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Despite this workforce expansion, demand for Mental Health Services remains high. The Scottish Government has committed to develop a long-term Mental Health Workforce Plan in the first half of this Parliament, and to ensure that by 2026, 10% of frontline NHS budget is invested in mental health, with 1% directed specifically to children and young people.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-08108 on 3 May 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

The Scottish Government is aware of a growing number of studies linking autistic people (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) to increased chance of suffering from self-harm and suicidality, including the academic report Autistic traits in adults who have attempted suicide published by Richards, G., Kenny, R., Griffiths, S. et al. Molecular Autism and the academic report Links between self-injury and suicidality in autism published by Moseley et al. Molecular Autism in 2020.

People experiencing suicidality often face a complex set of personal issues and circumstances. As such, services must be person-centred and trauma-informed to ensure they provide compassionate and effective support. It is important services recognise and respond to the mental health challenges autistic people face in their day-to-day lives. In terms of learning resources, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have developed Knowledge and Skills Frameworks for the Scottish Workforce on Mental Health Improvement, Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention, and Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing; these learning frameworks include resources and guidance on providing mental health support for autistic people. In addition, as part of a National Trauma Training Programme funded by the Scottish Government, NES have developed a knowledge and skills framework and training resources to support the Scottish workforce to better understand and respond to trauma.

The Scottish Government set up the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group (NSPLG) to oversee the delivery of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan ‘Every Life Matters’, published in 2018. The Plan continues to deliver a wide range of actions, including: campaigns to reduce stigma and promote suicide awareness (with a focus on reaching groups with a higher risk of suicide), improving suicide prevention skills of the workforce; ensuring effective, compassionate support to anyone in crisis, and supporting local suicide prevention planning.

In developing the new suicide prevention strategy and action plan, which will publish in September, the Scottish Government and COSLA are focussed on how to further develop effective approaches to reach and support groups at heightened risk of suicide, including autistic people. This will include drawing on research, lived experience insight, and examples of good practice.

The Scottish Government published our Learning/Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Towards Transformation Plan in March 2021. The plan looks at the actions needed to shape supports, services and attitudes to ensure that the human rights of autistic people and people with learning/intellectual disabilities are respected and protected and that they are empowered to live their lives, the same as everyone else. Vital to the successful implementation of the plan are actions to improve diagnostic and post-diagnostic services, to improve waiting times and to provide the support newly diagnosed autistic people require.

We are also carrying out new leadership and engagement work where lived experience is at the heart of the whole process. This process looks to empower autistic people and people with learning disabilities to be the leaders in transforming Scotland, starting by looking at what is needed to improve mental health for autistic people and people with learning disabilities.

(a) The National Strategy for Economic Transformation puts a clear focus on growing new companies. Scotland aims to be a nation of entrepreneurs and innovators, with resilient supply chains and competitive advantages in the new industries generated by technological change and scientific advances. This is the epitome of medical research companies in Scotland.

(b) Life science company growth is being supported by a breadth of policies across government to support growth investment, skills development, R&D and innovation as well as business planning and support. The Scottish Government recognises that the commercialisation of university research is an important generator of new and innovative businesses, products and services, for societal and economic good. Scottish Enterprise has long been a key contributor to investment in the industry and participated in half of the life science start-up funding here. In addition, Scottish Government set up the Scottish Growth Scheme in 2019 to provide loans and equity investment to start-ups and high growth businesses, including those in life sciences. During 2022-23 we expect the Growth Scheme to invest approximately £28m in total to start-ups and high growth businesses.

Charities are a major funder of medical research and development in Scotland, with investment estimated to be worth £122m in 2018 (Fraser of Allander report 2022). Scotland is a global centre of excellence for clinical research and there are a number of organisations in Scotland supporting those charities and their researchers.

The Association of Medical Research Charities works to maximise the potential for research and innovation in the NHS to ensure the investment from medical research charities has the greatest impact for patients. Medical Research Scotland supports individuals through the award of doctoral studentships and through other training initiatives to companies. Scottish Health Innovation Ltd also support clinical research and work closely with NHS Research Scotland, in partnership of Scottish NHS Boards and the Chief Scientist Office (CSO), to innovate and commercialise products and services. The Scottish Funding Council offer a number of funding programmes, which are administered by Interface, to offset the cost for collaborations to support innovation and research.

To further support research and development the Programme for Government has committed £100m to R&D over the next 5 years.

The Scottish Government remains committed to recovering health services fully from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Public Health Scotland is the national agency responsible for the monitoring and surveillance of data relating to blood borne viruses; however over the past two years it has prioritised its COVID-19 pandemic response over routine work.

Since the end of February 2022, the blood borne virus and STI team at PHS has begun to remobilise. This initial phase is prioritising on updating the HIV and HCV data for the past two years.

This will be followed by recommencing all previous surveillance initiatives, data collection and analysis. the Scottish Government will do all it can to support that effort.