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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S7W-03017

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards it will put in place during any transition from 14 regional NHS boards to two strategic boards to ensure that all evidence relating to the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry and ongoing investigations into Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus is preserved and remains accessible to the relevant investigatory and legal bodies.

Ministers established the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry to ensure families get the truth they deserve, and we are clear that changes to NHS structures will not impact on this. Our planned reforms to NHS structures are designed to improve NHS accountability, transparency and experiences for patients. The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry held its final oral hearings in January 2026, and we now await Lord Brodie's final report. All evidence the Scottish Government has shared with the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry has been securely preserved and retained both by the Scottish Government and the Inquiry. This evidence remains accessible to the relevant investigatory and legal bodies, and the transition from 14 regional NHS boards to two strategic boards will not affect the existing secure preservation of this evidence.

Question reference: S7W-02899

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the 2026-2031 Programme for Government that no patient will wait more than 26 weeks for the treatment they need by the end of 2031, (a) what modelling has been undertaken to assess whether this target is achievable, (b) what its position is on why previous waiting-time targets have not been met, and (c) when waits of more than 52 weeks will be eradicated.

In 2025-26, the Scottish Government allocated more than £150 million additional funding to health boards to help tackle the longest waits for planned care. This funding delivered thousands more appointments, operations and procedures in 2025-26 compared to 2024-25 and saw waits of over a year decrease by 49% for inpatient and day-case and by 76.7% for new outpatient appointments between 31 July 2025 and 31 July 2026.

This shows our plan is working and delivering for the people of Scotland and, although demand pressures remain, we are seeing the tangible impact of our investment.

We are determined to continue building on this momentum and have invested an additional £100 million this year to build on the progress made in the 2025-26 NHS Operational Improvement Plan. In July, the First Minister also announced a further £90 million to support those waiting the longest for treatment and help to create more capacity within our wider healthcare system.

The Programme for Government (PfG), published on 1 September, outlines our intention to continue investing in elective services over the next 5 years to grow capacity as we work towards meeting the 26 week wait target by the end of 2031, ahead of recovering the 12 week Treatment Time Guarantee and New Outpatient standard.

We are transforming health and care services so that people in Scotland receive the best treatment, care and support to stay healthy, independent and connected to their communities for as long as possible.

We will simplify the NHS by replacing the current 14 territorial Health Boards with two Strategic Health Boards that will cover the East and West of the country. These two new boards will be responsible for the planning and delivery of NHS services across the whole of Scotland, with particular focus on making sure provision best represents local communities, particularly our rural and island communities. Within this planning framework, the Strategic Health Boards East and West will support and oversee planning and performance, identifying further opportunities to increase capacity, improve access to services and reduce waiting times.

Question reference: S7W-02979

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the 2026-2031 Programme for Government to improve cancer care by increasing the number of radiographers, how many additional radiographers will be recruited in each year of the current parliamentary session and how much additional funding will be allocated for that purpose.

Radiographers have an integral role in delivering cancer care. The number of qualified radiographers has increased by 3.5% in the last year, and 14.5% over the last five years. We recognise, however, that there are currently 141.8 WTE qualified radiography vacancies across Scotland.

The Scottish Government will work with NHS Boards and other partners in understanding where and how to increase the number of radiographers. Radiographers are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of a range of conditions, including cancer.

While the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including the funding and location of staffing are the responsibility of NHS Boards. We expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective, and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities. The Scottish Government has therefore not set targets for radiographer numbers year on year.

Scottish Government is providing record investment as set out in this year’s budget of almost £22.5 billion to health and social care in 2026-27.

Question reference: S7W-03002

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33002 by Jenni Minto on 21 January 2025, what action the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care has taken, or plans to take, to ensure that learning outcomes on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) have been embedded into the curriculum of Scottish medical schools, and what the timetable is for any such future action.

Ensuring people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are supported is a priority for this Government. Whilst the Member will be aware that the responsibility for the content and delivery of undergraduate medical education rests with individual medical schools, the Scottish Government funded development of an educational resource on ME/CFS. The resource was reviewed by the Scottish Deans Medical Education Group (now LUMES) who advised that integrating ME/CFS learning outcomes across existing teaching better aligns with current educational approaches than introducing separate stand-alone modules.

LUMES has advised that ME/CFS learning outcomes will be incorporated within broader teaching on areas such as:

• General practice;

• Neurology;

• Chronic conditions;

• Person-centred care;

• Clinical assessment and diagnosis.

This reflects the approach used for many other conditions within undergraduate medical education. More generally the General Medical Council (GMC) sets the overarching standards and outcomes for graduates through Outcomes for Graduates. Individual medical schools determine how learning outcomes are delivered within this framework.

Question reference: S7W-02980

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the 2026-2031 Programme for Government to provide every person with a new Digital Health and Care Record, when the record will be launched, and what the estimated cost of its design and delivery is.

Question reference: S7W-02982

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the 2026-2031 Programme for Government to publish a National Orthopaedics Plan, when will the plan be published, how many additional appointments will be created as a result, and whether new funding, in addition to funds previously announced, will be allocated to support its implementation.

The National Orthopaedic Plan is currently being finalised and will be published following completion of the necessary governance and ministerial approval processes. An announcement on publication will be made in due course.

The primary purpose of the National Orthopaedic Plan is to support NHS Boards to work more collectively to improve access to orthopaedic services, reduce variation, and make best use of available capacity across Scotland. Detailed modelling of the impact on activity levels, including additional activity delivered through implementation of the Plan, is ongoing and will be set out as appropriate following publication.

Funding arrangements to support implementation of the National Orthopaedic Plan are currently being considered as part of ongoing planning work. Further details will be set out in due course.

Question reference: S7W-03016

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of proposals to reduce the number of NHS boards on the ongoing corporate homicide investigation into NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and what measures it is taking to ensure accountability for past failures at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus.

Ministers established the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry to ensure families get the truth they deserve, and we are clear that changes to NHS structures will not impact on this. Our planned reforms to NHS structures are designed to improve NHS accountability, transparency and experiences for patients, and as is customarily the case in situations such as this the successor public body will inherit all rights, liabilities and obligations of the previous one. We will carefully consider all the findings and recommendations made by the independent Inquiry chair Lord Brodie, when the final report is published. Criminal investigations are a matter for Police Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02981

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Holding Answer by Maree Todd on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the 2026-2031 Programme for Government to invest an additional £250 million in its national mission on drugs, whether this represents new funding or a continuation of funding allocated during the previous parliamentary session.

Question reference: S7F-00042

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7W-03001

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland and NHS Fife regarding NHS Fife’s decision not to fill the vacancy created following the death in 2023 of Scotland’s only specialist nurse practitioner for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

Decisions regarding recruitment and workforce planning to meet population needs are the responsibility of individual NHS Boards.

Scottish Government officials have regular engagement with NHS Boards, including NHS Fife, regarding the development of specialist support services for people with long COVID, ME/CFS and related conditions through the recurring £4.5 million annual funding provided for these services. These discussions have focused on service development, workforce capacity and delivery arrangements rather than decisions relating to specific posts or vacancies.

The recurring funding provides Boards with flexibility to recruit staff and develop sustainable models of care that reflect local circumstances and workforce availability.

We remain committed to improving care and support for people living with ME/CFS across Scotland through the ongoing development of specialist services and collaborative approaches where appropriate.