The Women's Health Plan continues to be developed and it is planned at present to publish it during 2021.

The Scottish Government recognises the continued need to address health inequalities in relation to cancer outcomes. We have recently completed an equality impact assessment, which alongside our Cancer Recovery Plan published on 09 December 2020, will be published shortly. This assessment has highlighted various actions in which we can take forward:

• The Scottish Government’s Digital Transformation Team and local clinical team will explore reasons why key groups have difficulty accessing services, and we will continue to raise awareness of the potential signs and symptoms of most prevalent cancers.
• Over the next 2 ½ years we will invest up to £2.45 million to tackle inequalities in the national population screening programmes. This funding will be used to identify and address the impact of COVID-19 on inequalities.
• We will deliver a ‘Once for Scotland’ approach. The approach will continue to look at available equalities data in order to minimise existing inequalities and ensure that every patient has equitable access to care across Scotland.
• Some of the biggest cancer inequalities exist around lung cancer, which is also Scotland’s most common cancer, and this is a focus in our National Cancer recovery Plan. We are working with the Scottish Primary Care Cancer Group and NHS Health Boards to tackle lung cancer presentations.
• Public messaging is being developed to support those with persistent symptoms suspicious of lung cancer to contact their GP. Recognising the potential to prevent many lung cancers, we will also support initiatives to deter young people from smoking.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-30234 on 20 July 2020.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, following findings of the UK Obstetric Surveillance System, which found that 56% pregnant women admitted to hospital with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy were from black or other ethnic minority groups the Scottish Government’s Senior Medical Officer in Obstetrics and Chief Midwife wrote to all Clinical Directors (Obstetric) and Heads of Midwifery advising them of the findings of the study and of the changes to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and Royal College of Midwives (RCM) guidance and asking them to consider any immediate actions and to increase vigilance locally. This was followed up by the revised ‘ Delivering Maternity and Neonatal Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic Guidance for Boards’ which highlights the importance of increased vigilance when caring for women with COVID-19 risk factors for deterioration and hospital admission including Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) launched a Race Equality Taskforce in July 2020 to better understand and tackle racial disparities in women’s healthcare and racism within the obstetric and gynaecology workforce and our Senior Medical Officer in Obstetrics represents the Scottish Government on this group. On 2 October, to mark the first meeting of the Taskforce, the RCOG and Five X More launched ‘five steps for healthcare professionals’, a campaign to help reduce maternal health disparities in the UK.

Discussions have taken place recently with the leads of the maternity and obstetric community in Scotland to again highlight the evidence and to explore and share evidence of good practice. This work will also inform agreement regarding key actions for national implementation.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The New Scots refugee integration strategy recognises that women seeking asylum face particular challenges that can cause social isolation. The Scottish Government is providing nearly £1 million a year to third sector organisations for projects that support refugees and people seeking asylum in line with the approach of the New Scots strategy, including projects that support social engagement.

The Scottish Government has set up the Connecting Scotland programme, as part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which provides digital devices and support to develop digital skills for people who are digitally excluded and on low incomes. The Scottish Government has also provided over £550,000 to third sector organisations for projects supporting people subject to No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) during the pandemic, including people seeking asylum, as part of efforts to ensure everyone living in our communities can access the support they need. The projects focus on basic needs, including digital access.

Asylum is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government has pressed the UK Government to include the cost of digital connectivity in the level of financial support provided to people seeking asylum, as an essential need of daily life.

The Scottish Government notes the work with interest of the Five X More campaign. In Scotland, maternity care is provided by multi-professional teams with quality and safety for all mothers and babies central to decision making. Clinical teams work in partnership with women to design individualised, person centred care, taking account of all relevant factors, including ethnicity, social complexity, and mental and physical health. The introduction of the continuity of midwifery and obstetric care under our Best Start programme will enable further improvements in person centred care for every pregnant woman, and particularly for those at risk of poorer outcomes.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) launched a Race Equality Taskforce in July 2020 to better understand and tackle racial disparities in women’s healthcare and racism within the obstetric and gynaecology workforce and our Senior Medical Officer in Obstetrics represents the Scottish Government on this group. On 2 October, to mark the first meeting of the Taskforce, the RCOG and Five X More launched ‘five steps for healthcare professionals’, a campaign to help reduce maternal health disparities in the UK.

Discussions have taken place recently with the leads of the maternity and obstetric community in Scotland to again highlight the evidence and to explore and share evidence of good practice. This work will also inform agreement regarding key actions for national implementation.

In relation to tackling health inequalities the 2019-20 Programme for Government announced a commitment to develop a Women’s Health Plan. The 2020-21 Programme for Government affirmed this commitment. The Plan will underpin actions to improve women’s health inequalities by raising awareness around women’s health, improving access to health care for women across their life course and reduce inequalities in health outcomes for girls and women, both for sex-specific conditions and in women’s general health.

The Scottish Government is committed to creating a fairer Scotland for all. In 2019-20 we allocated over £2.6m to organisations working to advance race equality.

This funding has supported our minority ethnic communities to access vital services such as employment support, health and wellbeing services, digital resources as well as to tackle social isolation. Our aims of becoming a digitally connected nation for all, ensuring that everyone living with a long term health condition are able to access the best possible care and support and our ambition for an economy that works for all of Scotland’s people, takes into account the particular challenges faced by minority ethnic communities. This includes Black and African people, as well as those from other minority ethnic groups.

A particular challenge we are committed to tackling in Scotland is FGM. In 2019 - 20 we provided minority ethnic organisations over £600,000 to help us eradicate this practice, provide vital services to anyone affected and to promote the services and support available for vulnerable women at risk of this heinous crime. Organisations funded include the Kenyan Women Association in Scotland, Amina Muslim Women's Resource Centre and Saheliya.

We have also provided specific funding of £20k to the African Council, to take forward work to address the lack of representation and participation of Africans in public life in Scotland, and to promote active citizenship and social cohesion.

Consideration is being given on whether additional guidance is needed for home carers, district nurses and emergency workers required to enter private homes when the COVID-19 restrictions are eased over the festive period. This consideration will take account of existing mitigating measures put in place to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace such as appropriate use of PPE.

People in households meeting over the festive period are also expected to follow infection and protection control public health advice such as letting in as much fresh air possible both during and after a visit, keeping two metres away from people not in their usual household, washing hands frequently and cleaning door handles and surfaces regularly.

We recognise the need to minimise school staff being required to support contact tracing activities over the holiday period. Public Health Scotland are working with local Health Protection teams and Directors of Education to put in place arrangements for each local authority. This will ensure that, in the event of a case within a school, the relevant individuals are in place to identify and get in touch with close contacts. Details of these arrangements will be shared as appropriate.

The aim of the Women’s Health Plan is to reduce health inequalities for all women, including black and minority ethnic women, in relation to the specific priorities set out in the 2019-20 Programme for Government and reaffirmed in the 2020-21 Programme for Government.