- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports local community groups to tackle loneliness and isolation in rural areas.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the heightened risk of social isolation in rural areas. To support the delivery of our Social Isolation and Loneliness Delivery Plan, we are providing £3.8m over three years to 53 community projects across Scotland through the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund that is providing opportunities for people to connect. At end of year one projects reached 11,293 individuals with a focus on priority groups most at risk of social isolation and loneliness. We continue to support the National Rural Mental Health Forum to build the confidence of rural organisations to deliver mental health support to their members and networks. We also provide funding to Befriending Networks, who support befriending services across Scotland, and currently have 118 Scottish members; of which approximately 1 in 4 members are independent community organisations operating in rural areas.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage older people and people who experience loneliness to join and participate in local social groups.
Answer
Although widespread across all ages and demographics, data tells us that disabled people, young people (16-24), people over 75 and those on low incomes are now the most at risk of social isolation and loneliness. To support the delivery of our Social Isolation and Loneliness Delivery Plan, we are providing £3.8m over three years to 53 community projects across Scotland through the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund that is providing opportunities for people to connect. At the end of year one projects reached 11,293 individuals with a focus on priority groups most at risk of social isolation and loneliness. We also provide funding to Befriending Networks, who support befriending services across Scotland, and currently have 118 Scottish members.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support and improve the experiences of any women of Wigtownshire who have reportedly had to travel 80 miles to give birth without access to pain relief, in light of the increased risk of giving birth at the roadside.
Answer
As outlined in the response to S6W-32069 on 6 January 2025, the Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to provide maternity services that are delivered as close to home as practicable, balanced with ensuring the safety of mother and baby. Within the policies we set, it is for NHS Boards to determine the model of service delivery best suited to meet the needs of their local areas and population.
All decisions about care throughout pregnancy, including around place of birth, should be made by women in discussion with their clinical team. These decisions will take account of their individual needs and circumstances. To support this, in February 2025 we published the new Pathway for Maternity Care. This sets out the core care that women and their babies should receive under a whole-person, individualised care approach which takes account of their specific circumstances. We also published the new Birthplace Decision leaflet to provide women with the up-to-date information they need to make informed decisions about where they would like to give birth.
Women will be given advice when they contact maternity triage services in labour to help them make decisions about when to travel to hospital, and on pain relief options available to them.
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
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to instigate a (a) review and (b) risk assessment on the outcomes for maternity care, in light of its reported withdrawal of maternity services from Wigtownshire, and, if so, when.
Answer
Maternity services continue to be provided for women in Wigtownshire, including local antenatal and postnatal care, scanning and the option of midwife-supported home birth for women who choose to birth locally. Women who require more complex maternity care continue to be supported by the full clinical team at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary. Responsibility for the design and delivery of local services lies with NHS Boards and Integration Joint Boards in line with their duties to deliver safe, effective and sustainable care. The findings and rationale behind the IJB’s decision not to reopen the birth unit in Stranraer are publicly available on the Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership’s website: Integration Joint Board Meetings 2021-2025 – Dumfries & Galloway Health & Social Care. Like all Boards, NHS Dumfries and Galloway is expected to continually assess risk and outcomes as part of routine clinical governance.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve the reported lack of maternity care provision in Wigtownshire.
Answer
NHS Dumfries and Galloway has confirmed that all pregnant women in Wigtownshire continue to receive all of the maternity care that they require. Antenatal and postnatal maternity care, including maternity scanning is delivered by midwives locally via the Oaktree Family Centre in Stranraer. Women can also choose a home birth and will be supported by local midwives. Women who require more complex care may require some of their antenatal and postnatal care at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and will be advised to birth there.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging people to participate in groups such as walking football for both the physical and social benefits.
Answer
We recognise that being physically active is one of the very best things we can do for our physical, social and mental health and we want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be active, regardless of their circumstances.
Our Physical Activity For Health Framework, published in October 2024, describes our evidence-based approach to achieving our vision of a Scotland where more people are more active, more often. Participation in walking sport is one way in which people can be more active and we recognise the important role of Walking Football Scotland in providing walking football opportunities across Scotland.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 5 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to increase the role of registered (a)(i) district, (ii) school and (iii) general practice nurses and (b) health visitors to help reduce health inequalities.
Answer
Answer expected on 5 June 2025
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 5 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to improve recruitment and retention within the nursing workforce, in light of the Royal College of Nursing’s report, The Nursing Workforce in Scotland 2025.
Answer
Answer expected on 5 June 2025
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 5 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its Programme for Government 2025-26, what action it is taking to ensure that alcohol harm prevention is integrated into its health agenda.
Answer
Answer expected on 5 June 2025
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 22 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government when its review into nursing student finance will conclude, and when it will publish the findings.
Answer
The Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery (PNM) student financial support review is currently ongoing. This review will take time, as it is important that we clearly understand how we can support our PNM students to complete their studies. The options for consideration will be presented to the me before the end of the year. An equalities impact assessment will be published once the review has concluded.
