Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is working with key partners across Scotland to ensure that relevant information, with the appropriate safeguards in place, from patient health records is available to all healthcare staff when and where they need it.

Community pharmacists have access to the Emergency Care Summary (ECS). Community Pharmacy gained access to the Emergency Care Summary (ECS) for all community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians during COVID-19. Directions formalising access to the ECS system came into force on 2 October 2023.

In addition, many health boards are providing access to the Clinical Portal which provides additional patient information. Clinical Portals support Health Boards to allow clinicians to access different pieces of information about an individual patient including patients from other Health Boards when required. Some Health Boards have opened access to their clinical portals to community pharmacy. We are encouraging all health boards to extend role-based access to Clinical Portals.

The Digital Health & Care Strategy, published 2021, sets out ambitions for greater access to medical information both for staff and the public. In the medium to longer term, as part of the Digital Health & Care strategy, a National Digital Platform is being developed and has started to bring together service data that is appropriately accessible to the workforce regardless of where they are based.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

Spending on postage is an operational matter for individual NHS Boards to consider, as such, the information should be sought directly from each Board.

The Scottish Government has considered this UK report with interest and recognises the importance of a range of factors including land use, yield, and population in planning future food security.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 similarly recognises the importance of these factors and requires Scottish Ministers to make a statement on food security at least every three years and to also have regard to food supply and security in the rural support plan.

The publication of Scotland’s 4th Land Use Strategy to be published next year will also allow us to further consider the multiple pressures on land and the benefits and opportunities presented by a more integrated approach to land use.

The Scottish Government provides funding and support to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (SMO) in recognition of its importance to Gaelic through its key role in adult and Gaelic learning and Gaelic medium teacher education. The duty on Scottish Ministers through the Scottish Languages Act to conduct a review of the status of SMO is welcomed as a way of informing further and future actions. It is the intention to commence the duty on Ministers to undertake a review of SMO in due course and before the end of the Parliamentary term, subject to the parliamentary process and timetable.

The Scottish Government is aware of the suggestion that some stolen farm machinery stolen in the UK has made its way to eastern Europe. However, Police Scotland do not hold have enough evidence to confirm that this is a developing trend for machinery stolen Scotland. Officers will continue to investigate all crimes of this nature and trace those responsible.

Further to Parliament’s approval of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget on 25 February 2025, the Scottish Government has been engaging closely with NHS boards to support the allocation of resource for new specialist support for Long COVID, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and other similar conditions.

Boards told us that having funding only for a single financial year would be a barrier to their ability to develop new support. Therefore, following further assessment in line with Scottish Government spending controls, we wrote to NHS board Chief Executives on 18 September to confirm that this funding will now be made available on a recurring basis. This commitment provides the longer term assurance necessary to enable boards to plan on a sustainable basis, and support the recruitment and retention of the skilled members of staff required for the delivery of services.

NHS boards’ shares of the available 2025-26 funding will be allocated in full on a recurring basis. From the financial year 2026-27 onwards NHS Boards will receive the £4.5 million resource annually.

In 2025-26 the £4.5 million funding is being provided in addition to remaining resource of approximately £3 million from the £10 million long COVID Support Fund (established 2022). The £10 million fund will be fully disbursed by the end of the 2025-26 financial year.

A breakdown is as follows:

Further to Parliament’s approval of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget on 25 February 2025, the Scottish Government has been engaging closely with NHS boards to support the allocation of resource for new specialist support for Long COVID, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and other similar conditions.

Boards told us that having funding only for a single financial year would be a barrier to their ability to develop new support. Therefore, following further assessment in line with Scottish Government spending controls, we wrote to NHS Board Chief Executives on 18 September to confirm that this funding will now be made available on a recurring basis. This commitment provides the longer term assurance necessary to enable boards to plan on a sustainable basis, and support the recruitment and retention of the skilled members of staff required for the delivery of services.

NHS Boards’ shares of the available 2025-26 funding will be allocated in full on an recurring basis. From the financial year 2026-27 onwards NHS Boards will receive the £4.5 million resource annually.

In 2025-26 the £4.5 million funding is being provided in addition to remaining resource of approximately £3 million from the £10 million long COVID Support Fund (established 2022). The £10 million fund will be fully disbursed by the end of the 2025-26 financial year.

A breakdown is as follows:

Since the question, S6W-00259, was answered in 2021, the Scottish National Centre for Craniofacial Surgery for Children & Young People in Glasgow has introduced craniofacial endoscopic strip craniectomy with helmet therapy.

Endoscopic strip craniectomy (ESC) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure offered as a treatment choice for children who meet specific clinical criteria presenting to the craniofacial clinic under 16 weeks of age. It is estimated that approximately 20 endoscopic procedures will be undertaken in Glasgow per year.

As a result of the introduction of ESC in Glasgow, NHS National Services Scotland’s National Services Directorate, who commission the craniofacial service, have no plans to review the pathway to Great Ormond Street Hospital for craniofacial therapy.

The referral pathway guidance was last revised in 2023, reflecting the changing landscape and improving specialist expertise within NHS Scotland, and the Scottish National Centre’s understanding of the need to operate within the critical window. This guidance is next due for review in July 2026.

NHS Scotland expenditure on mental health is published annually in arrears in the Scottish Health Service Costs book by Public Health Scotland. The Cost Book is publicly accessible and offers a consistent framework for financial data across NHS Boards. The most recent data published in February 2025 covers 2023-2024. Costs Book publication - Costs Book - Finance within the NHS - System monitoring, accountability and quality of care - Healthcare system - Public Health Scotland.

The Scottish Government continuously monitors NHS Boards’ financial positions through routine finance reporting. This resource provides a standardised approach to collecting detailed financial information, including outturn, spend by specialty, and achievement of efficiency targets.

A note of the meeting was taken in accordance with section 11.14 of the Scottish Ministerial Code. A summary of the meeting was published on the Scottish Government website shortly after the First Minister met with President Trump. The statement can be found at: Talks at the White House - gov.scot