Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-27571

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what specific funding has been allocated to deliver the actions in the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-2026.

The Scottish Government has confirmed a budget of around £1.7m per year to deliver the actions contained within the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus (SHBBV) Action Plan 2023-26. This includes a range of projects that support HIV transmission elimination, details of which were published with the SHBBV plan.

Within this, the Scottish Government has also provided funding for the national HIV anti-stigma campaign (£250,000 in 2022-23), the development of an ePrEP clinic (£400,000 in 2022-23), emergency department opt-out testing pilots (£145,000), online postal self-sampling for STIs and HIV (£119,000 in 2023-24, and £300,000 per year allocated in 2024-25 and 2025-26) and the Terrence Higgins Trust HIV self-test service (around £100,000 per year).

Question reference: S6W-27572

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether local projects will be eligible for funding to achieve the aims of the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-2026.

An open bidding process was issued in 2023 for projects to support delivery of the Scottish Government’s sexual health and blood borne virus goals. The successful projects were published alongside the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Action Plan and include a number of local initiatives which contribute to the aims of the HIV Transmission Elimination (HIVTE) Delivery Plan. Further funding for some actions within the HIVTE plan is still to be finalised.

Question reference: S6W-27575

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the monitoring and evaluation plan as a component of the HIV Transmission Elimination Delivery Plan 2023-2026.

The monitoring and evaluation plan is being developed by Public Health Scotland (PHS). The first stage of this is for PHS to develop key indicators for monitoring progress. These are currently being drafted and PHS will be consulting on them shortly. Following this there will be further work to identify gaps in monitoring progress and address these. The finalised plan is expected to be published by the end of the financial year.

A new PHS-led blood borne virus and sexually transmitted infection dashboard is also scheduled for launch in 2024-25 which will help to monitor progress on elimination at national and NHS board level.

Question reference: S6W-27570

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider extending the current HIV and blood borne virus testing pilot from three months to one year.

The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to expand emergency department opt-out blood borne virus testing beyond the current three-month pilots. It is important that decisions about any further expansion are based on the best available evidence.

A review will be undertaken once all three areas have completed their pilot projects and local evaluations later this summer. However, decisions about further interventions will also be informed by the findings of a Scottish Government-funded research project aimed at identifying optimal approaches to testing to reduce undiagnosed blood borne viruses, which are expected in spring 2025.

Question reference: S6O-03538

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its cross-government support for learning disabilities, autism and neurodiversity, what discussions the education secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how its proposed Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill will help people into work.

Question reference: S6W-27574

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing mandatory HIV awareness training and education for health and social care staff.

As part of the HIV Transmission Elimination (HIVTE) Delivery Plan, the Scottish Government has committed to developing a proposal to address HIV awareness across the health and social care sector. Funding has already been provided to NHS Education for Scotland to develop training materials for healthcare practitioners in non-HIV specialist roles and a specialist educator post has been funded to support the provision of training across Scotland. The HIVTE plan recognises that this work may require further expansion. We will work with relevant authorities to maximise uptake of training, and will consider whether NHS and local authorities should be encouraged to make this mandatory.

Question reference: S6O-03476

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle child poverty.

Question reference: S6W-26909

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ensure that all healthcare assistants employed by public bodies who deliver care within a home setting are required to be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) are the independent regulator of the social service workforce in Scotland. SSSC protects the public by registering the workforce, setting standards for their practice, conduct, training and education and by supporting their professional development. Groups of workers subject to registration with the SSSC are set by Scottish Ministers within the Regulation of Care Act (Scotland) 2001.

The role of ‘healthcare assistant’ does not have a standard definition and the term is used for different roles within the health and social care workforce. Due to the varying definition of this role, it is currently unclear which roles would and would not be appropriate for SSSC registration. While some healthcare assistants job roles may meet the requirement for SSSC registration, many will not. Accordingly, while there are no current plans to commence SSSC registration for all individuals named as healthcare assistants, many will already retain registration with SSSC due to the specific nature of their role (i.e. as a practitioner in a care at home service).

Question reference: S6W-26910

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to prevent healthcare workers with either disciplinary proceedings outstanding with the Scottish Social Services Council or who have been found unfit to practise by the Scottish Social Services Council from being employed by the NHS.

The role of ‘healthcare worker’ does not have a standard definition and the term is used for different roles within the health and social care workforce. An individual may work under the title of ‘healthcare worker’, but hold registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as, for example, a Practitioner in a Care at Home Service for Adults.

There is nothing in current legislation that would prevent an individual in this circumstance working under the title of ‘healthcare worker’ with either disciplinary proceedings outstanding with the SSSC or who have been found unfit to practise by the SSSC from being employed by the NHS. Healthcare Assistants employed by the NHS do not come within the remit of SSSC registration. While pre-employment checks of NHS staff are a matter for NHS Boards to decide, it is possible to check the SSSC register when employing a healthcare worker as a matter of good practice. If Heath Boards were to do so they would see from the register if there was a suspension order or removal order in place due to a fitness to practise issue.

Question reference: S6W-26913

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ensure that all healthcare assistants employed by the NHS are required to be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council.

The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) are the independent regulator of the social service workforce in Scotland. SSSC protects the public by registering the workforce, setting standards for their practice, conduct, training and education and by supporting their professional development. Groups of workers subject to registration with the SSSC are set by Scottish Ministers within the Regulation of Care Act (Scotland) 2001.

The role of ‘healthcare assistant’ does not have a standard definition and the term is used for different roles within the health and social care workforce. Due to the varying definition of this role, it is currently unclear which roles would and would not be appropriate for SSSC registration. While some healthcare assistants job roles may meet the requirement for SSSC registration, many will not. As such, there are no current plans to consider registration with the SSSC for healthcare assistants employed by the NHS.

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