The Scottish Parliament recently passed the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2015. The 2015 Act is currently being implemented and contains several measures which strengthen the provisions in the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 that promote and protect service users’ rights. This includes giving service users more control over their representation and strengthening the position of advance statements and advocacy which help service users express their will and preferences.

The Scottish Government is engaging with stakeholders about how the work to implement the 2015 Act can be used to further promote the rights of service users, including those in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

As part of the draft plan on implementation of UNCRPD, the Scottish Government committed to consulting on the Scottish Law Commission’s review of Adults With Incapacity (AWI) legislation with particular reference to issues around deprivation of liberty and thereafter to carry out a scoping exercise in relation to a wider review of AWI legislation. That consultation has concluded and the Scottish Government is now actively engaging with service users and stakeholders to determine the focus for areas of reform.

The Scottish Government is working with partners to support delivery of the national dementia post-diagnostic service offer, which is underpinned by a national target that everyone diagnosed from 1 March 2015 is offered the service.

Since April, Integration Joint Boards are formally responsible for commissioning dementia services, including post-diagnostic services, in their area. Responsibility for the delivery of those services remains with the statutory body tasked with leading the service in each area and this is determined locally.

Other national activity to support service delivery includes work by NHS Education for Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Focus on Dementia Unit to help embed consistent quality principles into post-diagnostic support training and practice; and work by NHS National Services Scotland to ensure post-diagnostic data quality and consistency

The Scottish Government is working with partners to support delivery of the national dementia post-diagnostic service offer, which is underpinned by a national target that everyone diagnosed from 1 March 2015 is offered the service.

National post-diagnostic performance data, subject to a nationally comparative validation process, will be published for the first time in December and will show how many people have been offered the service between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015

The provision of NHS wheelchairs in Scotland, including adjustable, tilt-in-space chairs, is via one of the five NHS Scotland centres in Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Edinburgh or Glasgow. Decisions are made on a clinical basis, in consultation with the patient, taking into account the person’s individual needs to ensure that the most appropriate type of wheelchair is provided in each case.

I welcome the contribution of this survey to the important issue of pressure area care for wheelchair users.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland has recently consulted on revised Standards for Prevention and Management of Pressure Ulcers. The revised Standards will be published later in September and will emphasise the importance of an assessment of the risk of pressure ulcer development being undertaken as part of initial admission or referral to inform care planning and the need for regular re-assessment to ensure safe, effective and person-centred care.

The care and support provided to wheelchair users will vary according to the unique circumstances of each person, but will always be made taking into account the person's clinical needs as well as what matters to them.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is the formation of blood clots in the vein. The Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) ran a national collaborative during 2014 to reduce hospital associated VTE. As part of this work, SPSP supported health boards to raise awareness among the public of the risks of blood clots and the risks and benefits of thromboprophylaxis with the production of an information leaflet and posters. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network has published guidance for boards on the prevention and management of venous thromboembolism and produced a patient leaflet. http://www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/pat122.pdf

SPSP is now working with NHS Borders to identify further learning for spread across Scotland. This includes work to develop a public facing campaign for VTE.

The Scottish Government has:

Written to Baroness Altman outlining our concerns regarding the current Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund Funeral Payment.

Had discussions at official level with the Department for Work and Pensions on the Social Fund Funeral Payment.

Set up a Funeral Poverty and Funeral Payment Reference Group to advise on work on funeral poverty and the development of the successor to the DWP Funeral Payment.

Had discussions with COSLA regarding the role of local authorities, and funeral directors and funeral plan providers about the role of the funeral industry.

Met with third sector organisations, advice services, the NHS, older people’s organisations and others with an interest to seek their views.

Published a consultation on the Future of Social Security in Scotland, which includes a section on the Funeral Payment. The consultation closes on 28 October 2016.

Set up a series of themed round table discussions and a National Conference on Funeral Poverty to progress the public debate.