Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-14105

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is closing the digital divide to support people in (a) rural areas and (b) Scotland to access online health and care information.

We recognise that technology can have a positive and transformative impact on peoples’ lives, but equally, we must ensure that no-one is left behind who wishes to engage in this way. Our focus on digital inclusion is a key priority not just in health and care but across Scotland, as key in addressing digital access inequalities.

The Near Me Service enables people to attend appointments in their homes via video consultations and reducing the need to travel long distances. While available across Scotland, the service is beneficial to people living in rural areas who otherwise may face long journeys to attend appointments. Near Me is valuable in giving people options on accessing healthcare in a way that is convenient for them and saves people having to take time off work, arrange childcare, or arrange transport. The service currently supports around 12,000 consultations each week and has saved an estimated 60 million travel miles to date, with associated benefit to the environment. The scheme is being extended so that people can use it in community settings such as libraries, community, and health and care facilities. These new hubs also provide private confidential spaces, improved connectivity, and support for people with lower digital confidence or limited or no access to a suitable device, further helping to reduce the digital divide. We are also working with Social Security Scotland on a dedicated video platform, initially piloting use in support of child disability payments, as well as the use of Near Me in social care settings.

In 2021 we launched the Digital Inclusion in Care homes programme, which saw strong partnership with the social care and social work sectors. This involved the distribution of iPads and Mifi connectivity to 75% of care homes (91% of resident population). Some 9% of homes had no devices for resident use prior to initiative. We have extended connectivity support and data packages for devices for a further year, and we have extended the digital training and leadership package available to residents and professionals through a collaboration with Barclays Digital Eagles.

Through initiatives like the Connecting Scotland programme, the Scottish Government continues to invest in digital inclusion, enabling people to interact with their health and care data digitally, where they wish to. Some 60,000 people have benefited from the programme to date from devices, skills and connectivity, with a commitment to support a total of 300,000 people over the length of this parliament. We have also launched a new Digital Inclusion programme, with a focus on mental health and housing. The programme will develop, test, and implement a range of digital inclusion models, supporting the delivery of the Digital Health and Care Strategy and contributing to the work of Connecting Scotland to address digital exclusion.

Question reference: S6W-14088

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, what it is doing to enable prevention, independent living, and healthy ageing through the provision of digital services in the home.

Scottish Government is doing a range of things to support partners including work on telecare, enhanced use of Near Me and remote monitoring. Delivery is ongoing, as set out in the annual delivery plan for Digital Health & Care (see Care in the Digital Age: delivery plan 2022 to 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ). An update will be published later this year with delivery priorities for 2023-24 and will include an overview of progress against existing commitments.

The Action Plan for Digital Approaches in Care Homes also responds to the current and emerging needs of care home providers and their residents and to realise the benefits of digital technologies. The Plan supports delivery of the Digital Health & Care Strategy and is aligned and informed by a wide range of national strategies, plans and programmes.

Question reference: S6W-14147

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, what tools and training resources it has created to support the improvement of information governance and cyber skills within health and social care.

Since launching the Digital Health and Care Strategy in 2021 the Scottish Government has created various resources to support the improvement of Information Governance and cyber security skills, including but not limited to:

The National IG Competency Framework for Health and Care which consists of tools, training resources, and career pathways that can be used to empower staff in areas of information governance, cyber security, data science, management of data and digital assets.
The Scottish Information Sharing toolkit which includes tools and resources for information risk management, privacy and ethics, Incident response templates and playbooks.
Working closely with academia and professional bodies to develop courses in data science and risk management to support staff with their Information Governance and cybersecurity skillset
Providing grants to access training courses for people interested across health and social care, as part of their career development.

Question reference: S6W-14161

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have used the Turas platform in each year since it was launched.

Question reference: S6W-14104

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is improving digital health literacy.

Improving digital health literacy remains critically important. The Scottish Government recognises that meaningful use of digital, including the information accessed through digital technology, is only possible if it is well designed, easy to understand and easy to use.

The use of simple technology has become part of everyday life for many and can also be used to help better manage our health needs. For example, the Connect Me service uses a person’s own simple devices and sometimes small basic medical equipment to enable individuals to share information with health care professionals and/or automated monitoring services. In addition, the Near Me video consultation platform, as highlighted in S6W-14105 on 2 February 2023, was introduced to 10 libraries in March 2022. As part of the A Collective Force for Health & Wellbeing (scottishlibraries.org) the aim is to improve digital access to health, social care and public services. With iPads and laptops provided, local library staff are trained in use of the public Near Me website and video platform. It will establish libraries as a go-to place in communities for health and wellbeing information using digital technology, as well as supporting health literacy, digital skills and improved access.

I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13989 on 31 January 2023, highlighting that NHS Inform as a key resource continues to offer reliable, accessible information and support.In addition, all public sector websites and apps aimed at the public must meet legal accessibility requirements, as set out here: Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .

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 .

Question reference: S6W-14113

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, how much it has spent on producing user-friendly, role-appropriate information and resources to support people being cared for.

NHS Inform and Care Information Scotland are Scotland’s public facing online health & care information resources. NHS 24 currently receive £923,000 in recurring funding from Scottish Government to support the delivery of these services.

For spend on Near Me and Connect Me (Remote Health Pathway), I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13966 on 30 January 2023 and S6W-13985 on 31 January 2023 . 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 .

Question reference: S6W-14137

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a digital maturity model for what "good" looks like in health and social care services’ digital services, and, if so, what steps need to be taken to achieve this.

Question reference: S6W-14070

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether the Parliament has faced any challenges in preparing for the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-14127

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what software packages, other than Office 365, were considered for embedding across the health and care system.

Advances in technology and the growth in its use, means we need a constant focus on what is coming next. Our annual delivery plan for digital health and care (Care in a Digital Age: Delivery Plan 2022 to 2023 - Care in the Digital Age: delivery plan 2022 to 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ) sets out our ambitions for technology and infrastructure delivery.

Many items in our delivery plan cover embedding software packages across health and care. Examples include embedding clinical software to support effective and safe patient care including GP IT, Picture and Archiving Communications System, Emergency Care Summary.

The use of software packages is driven by clinical need and staff need. The Scottish Government are in ongoing engagement with stakeholders to seek views as required.

Software is not the only component to be embedded in the health and care system. Successful delivery of digital health and care requires many factors including services design, skills, workflows, and adoption. More information on this is available in the delivery plan.

The Delivery Plan will be reviewed and revised on an ongoing basis and the 2023-24 Delivery Plan that is due to publish later this year will include a further update.

Question reference: S6W-14150

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, what training programmes it has developed to ensure that all health and care staff have the essential digital skills that they need to do their job, broken down by NHS board.

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