Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-11398

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many midwives there have been in the NHS in (a) Scotland and (b) each NHS board area, in each year since 2016, broken down by (i) headcount and (ii) full-time equivalent terms.

Question reference: S6W-11205

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the budget of the Long COVID Support Fund to reflect (a) inflation and (b) any growth in the number of people affected by Long COVID.

As set out by the Deputy First Minister on 7 September 2022, there is a finite budget and, as a result of inflation eroding the purchasing power of available funding, the Scottish Government budget is now worth £1.7 billion less than it was in December 2021. As a result, health funding is worth £650 million less and the Scottish Government continues to work with Health Boards to mitigate the impact of financial pressures across services, including those supporting the needs of people living with long COVID.

£3 million of the £10 million long COVID Support Fund has been made available to NHS Boards and key partners over 2022-23. We engage with NHS Boards on a regular basis regarding their capacity needs, and will continue to do so in order to inform the allocation of the fund.

Question reference: S6W-11206

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last provided funding for a face, arm, speech, time (FAST) campaign to raise awareness of stroke symptoms.

The Scottish Government last provided funding to support a FAST campaign in 2018.

We receive many requests to run awareness campaigns, and we assess these carefully.

Where there is not an active public campaign relating to a specific condition, the Scottish Government and NHS Scotland refer the public to the NHS Inform website for further information in the first instance. The NHS inform stroke page provides the public with information relating to the FAST test and the importance of seeking medical attention.

Question reference: S6W-11253

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason multiple appointments for the same time are reportedly being allocated to residents in the Helensburgh area for their COVID-19 booster vaccine.

Question reference: S6W-11252

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to work with (a) NHS boards and (b) health and social care partnerships to improve vaccination appointment processes.

Throughout the pandemic we have refined the COVID-19 and flu appointment scheduling system, working directly with Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to incorporate their feedback and improve processes.

We have increased the number of training sessions with scheduling staff, developed comprehensive online guidance that can be referred to at any time and we continue to work closely with Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships where specific issues arise. A dedicated review process is in place for this and any learning is then disseminated to other Boards as required.

Question reference: S6W-11204

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £3 million earmarked for Long COVID care in the Programme for Government 2022-23 is the same £3 million announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on 19 May 2022 during the Long COVID debate.

Yes. As previously stated during the long COVID debate on 19 th May 2022 we committed to allocate “ funding of £3 million to health boards across 2022-23 to bolster the support that they are already providing to people with long COVID ”. This was confirmed in the Programme for Government 2022-23, published in September 2022, which stated that “ we will invest £3 million this year through the long COVID Support Fund to assist those living with long-term effects of infection .”

Question reference: S6W-11254

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there are reportedly insufficient vaccinators to cover the number of people invited for vaccination appointments, in light of reports of this happening in Alexandria on 23 and 24 September 2022.

In instances where staff are sick absences may occur at short notice which cannot be foreseen, and bank cover staff are not always available at short notice to replace staff. Every effort is made to ensure there is sufficient vaccinators on site, however, as appointments are created and scheduled weeks in advance therefore local issues may arise.

Greater Glasgow and Clyde has put measures in place to try and reduce wait times and queues at its clinics by ensuring appropriate measures are in place to manage queues safely and effectively. For example, advising members of the public to arrive as close to their scheduled appointment time as possible to avoid queues.

Question reference: S6W-11203

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make funding available for a face, arm, speech, time (FAST) campaign to raise awareness of stroke symptoms in 2023.

The Scottish Government assesses the need for public health awareness campaigns regularly. Scottish Government officials will work closely with the Stroke Improvement Team, which provides support and guidance to Managed Clinical Networks and the National Advisory Committee for Stroke, and other stakeholders to better understand what resources may be required for 2023, including the need for funding for a FAST campaign. Information regarding the symptoms of stroke, including the FAST test, is available on NHS Inform .

Question reference: S6W-11207

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme will include a recommendation on bringing back the face, arm, speech, time (FAST) campaign to raise awareness of stroke symptoms.

Question reference: S6O-01492

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Scottish Water to freeze water rates for 2023-24 to help with the cost of living crisis.

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