In June 2021, the Scottish Government published a new professional learning resource for school staff aimed at providing essential learning required to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing https://www.cypmh.co.uk/

Education Scotland also offers a comprehensive suite of professional learning resources to support teachers in assessing, monitoring, and enhancing the health and wellbeing of pupils. These include trauma-informed training delivered to over 1,000 practitioners in collaboration with NHS Education for Scotland. Additional Education Scotland resources, such as the Cycle of Wellbeing and Positive Mental Wellbeing guide practitioners in fostering positive change, are also available.

The Inclusion, Wellbeing, and Equalities Professional Learning Framework , launched by Education Scotland in November 2023, further supports educators in building capacity and understanding across the four key themes of Inclusion, Rights and Equalities, Relationships and Wellbeing and Care.

There has been no formal review of the provision of sexual health and wellbeing services for young people, however the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that young people across Scotland have access to these services. In 2023 we published our Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) Action Plan, particular attention was paid to young people in the development of the plan. We have allocated multi-year funding to a range of projects to help deliver this goal, details of these projects were published alongside the SHBBV Action Plan.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) support the development and delivery of healthcare education and training for the NHS, health and social care sector and other public bodies. This includes the development of best practice guidelines as appropriate.

With regards to GP receptionists, NES published the Core Competency Framework for General Practice Administration Staff and Practice Managers in September 2023, which includes an accompanying learning needs analysis tools and training packages.

The Scottish Government is: rolling out a new Community Glaucoma Service, which supports eligible patients with lower risk glaucoma and treated ocular hypertension to be discharged from hospital and registered with accredited community optometrists; and delivering UK-leading changes to the undergraduate optometry degree model, which will enable students to graduate as Independent Prescriber optometrists.

In relation to at-home diagnostic and treatment services, community optometry practices that provide NHS eye examinations to eligible patients in a domiciliary setting receive a General Ophthalmic Services eye examination fee as well as an additional visiting fee.

The Primary Care Multi-Disciplinary team may include local physiotherapy services, community mental health services and community links worker services. These services can often be seen safely and effectively without a prior GP referral.

Through our Phased Investment Programme, which will strengthen the evidence base on the national context for implementation of primary care multidisciplinary teams, we will consider any existing barriers to effective multidisciplinary team working, including any barriers regarding patient pathways to services.

The Scottish Government remains committed to keeping the NHS true to its founding principles – publicly-owned, publicly-operated, and free at the point of need.

Health Boards might arrange treatment for some patients outwith NHSScotland for clinical reasons in exceptional circumstances. In all patient cases, the originating Health Board retains responsibility for the funding, consultation, diagnosis and treatment of their patients.

Guidance on establishing the responsible commissioner has been issued to NHS Boards from the Scottish Government to ensure services are always provided in the best interests of the patient: https://www.publications.scot.nhs.uk/files/cel2013-06.pdf .

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is the national authority for the development of evidence-based advice, guidance and standards for health and care professionals. All Independent Healthcare Service providers, are required to register with HIS who regulate such services in Scotland. It is a matter for HIS to detail specific guidance available, however more information is set out on their website: https://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.scot/inspections-reviews-and-regulation/regulation-of-independent-healthcare/ .

Advanced Nurse Practitioners are employed within a range of settings within Primary Care.

The 2023 General Practice Workforce Survey ( https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/data-and-reports/official-workforce-statistics/all-official-statistics-publications/general-practice-workforce-survey-2023/annual-report/?pageid=10709 ), reports that there are 553.7 whole-time equivalent (WTE) Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) employed by and working in General Practices.

Alongside this, the ‘Primary Care Improvement Plans - Implementation Progress Summary’ ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/primary-care-improvement-plans-summary-implementation-progress-march-2023/ ) reports that a total of 219.9 WTE ANPs employed by Health Boards within Urgent Care services.

The latest NHS Scotland Workforce data published by NES ( https://turasdata.nes.nhs.scot/data-and-reports/official-workforce-statistics/all-official-statistics-publications/05-march-2024-workforce/ ) shows that there are 4.8 WTE ANPs employed by the Scottish Ambulance Service, as well as 1.0 WTE ANP employed by NHS 24.

NES published the Core Competency Framework for General Practice Administration Staff and Practice Managers in September 2023, which includes an accompanying learning needs analysis tools and training packages. The training packages include training resources specifically for GP receptionists.

In conjunction with Scottish Government and wider stakeholders, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) are leading the development of a national midwifery career framework, although this is not a formal commissioned piece. The work is being overseen by a steering group, chaired by the Chief Midwifery Officer.

The steering group has already developed a Midwifery Preceptorship Framework to support those starting their career in the midwifery workforce and a Midwifery Development Framework Ecosystem has also been created to underpin the framework activity. A development framework for Level 2-4 Perinatal Healthcare Support Workers is nearing completion with a draft framework for consultation anticipated in April 2024.

In addition, the group will consider career development in Bands 5-9 across the four pillars of practice.

The Scottish Government has delivered the Right Care Right Place campaign during October to November 2023 which outlined the options for those seeking urgent medical care across A&E/999, General Practice and NHS 24 111. The campaign also promoted the self-help guides that are available on NHSInform.scot and messaging relating to multi-disciplinary teams within General Practices.

In addition, NHS 24 has delivered their healthy know-how campaign which promoted the option of contacting a local pharmacist, as well as our regular campaigns as to how best to use NHS services (including primary care) over the winter period.