Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not hold information on any community pharmacy that has failed to notify the NHS Board of a closure in the last 12 months. The provision of community pharmacy pharmaceutical care services are the responsibility of territorial Health Boards as set out in the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009, including pharmacy closures.

Any challenges faced by community pharmacies in ensuring the safe and effective dispensing of treatments, should be discussed with the local Health Board to minimise impact and risk to patients.

The Scottish Government recognises that Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a debilitating condition which can have a huge impact on people’s lives. We are committed to ensuring those affected by it are supported through the NHS and our social security system.

Social security support may be provided through devolved disability benefits, which comprise our newly launched Child Disability Payment, Child Winter Heating Assistance and also through Adult Disability Payment, which is planned to launch nationally in the summer of 2022, and Pension Age Disability Payment which will follow.

For all of Scotland’s new forms of disability assistance, we are making improvements to the application and decision making process. For Adult Disability Payments this will include replacing current assessments with person centred consultations. This and other changes will ensure that we take full account of fluctuating conditions like ME and markedly improve how all decisions are made.

In advance of the launch of our new benefits, adults continue to be eligible for existing disability benefits administered by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Scotland’s Covid-19 vaccination programme has been extremely successful, with over 8 million doses administered within 10 months. With the ongoing pandemic, we are following the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice by prioritising based on age and health status with highest health needs first as we know both increase the risk of serious illness from Covid-19.

Given the scale and the challenges that the programme faces, delivering all boosters will take place over a period of several months, however the vaccination programme is continuing at considerable pace – including administering over 436,000 COVID-19 and flu doses in the first week of November.

Health boards are working at pace and appointing those in most vulnerable groups for when they become eligible for a booster. Since the booster programme began in mid-September, the number of booster and third doses administered stands at 1,342,841 as of 19 November.

You can view more information on the number of 1st , 2nd , 3rd and booster doses delivered at: COVID-19 Daily Dashboard | Tableau Public .

Booster vaccinations in Scotland started as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided their advice on boosters, which stated that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course, however there is some flexibility to offer a booster vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months.

1,342,841 people have received a booster or 3rd dose to 19 November, and we are working as quickly as we can, prioritising those most vulnerable.

Data on boosters by JCVI priority group is not yet published. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland to develop the vaccination data to provide robust statistics that enhance public understanding.

Booster vaccinations in Scotland started as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided their advice on boosters, which stated that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course, however there is some flexibility to offer a booster vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months.

1,342,841 people have received a booster or 3rd dose to 19 November, and we are working as quickly as we can, prioritising those most vulnerable.

Data on boosters by JCVI priority group is not yet published. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland to develop the vaccination data to provide robust statistics that enhance public understanding.

Booster vaccinations in Scotland started as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided their advice on boosters, which stated that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course, however there is some flexibility to offer a booster vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months.

1,342,841 people have received a booster or 3rd dose to Friday 19 November, and we are working as quickly as we can, prioritising those most vulnerable.

Data on boosters by JCVI priority group is not yet published. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland to develop the vaccination data to provide robust statistics that enhance public understanding.

Booster vaccinations in Scotland started as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided their advice on boosters, which stated that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course, however there is some flexibility to offer a booster vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months.

1,342,841 people have received a booster or 3rd dose to 19 November, and we are working as quickly as we can, prioritising those most vulnerable.

Data on boosters by JCVI priority group is not yet published. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland to develop the vaccination data to provide robust statistics that enhance public understanding.

Booster vaccinations in Scotland started as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided their advice on boosters, which stated that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course, however there is some flexibility to offer a booster vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months.

1,342,841 people have received a booster or 3rd dose to 19 November, and we are working as quickly as we can, prioritising those most vulnerable.

Data on boosters by JCVI priority group is not yet published. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland to develop the vaccination data to provide robust statistics that enhance public understanding.

The SPCB is responsible for funding the Members’ Expenses Scheme and for determining which indices are used to uprate the overall provisions, which include staff cost provision.

At the SPCB meeting on 5 March 2020, the SPCB agreed to index SCP annually using a mix of Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) and the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) index. This move to a ‘basket’ of indices was considered to provide a steadier basis for any increase as fluctuations are more likely to be moderated. SPCB agreed that this approach should be adopted for future indexation of staff cost provision as a transparent means of determining any increase. There has been no change in this position.

This index is now used as part of the budget setting process and part of our submission to the Finance Committee for the next financial year.

Prior to the start of the new parliamentary session, an in-depth review of the Staff Cost Provision was undertaken. The report on the Review of the Members’ Staff Cost Provision was finalised and circulated to all Members in December 2020. This resulted in a change from the start of Session 6 where members would benefit from increased funding equivalent to one additional FTE staff member.

The SPCB undertakes Members’ Expenses Scheme reviews each session to ensure that the Expenses Scheme continues to support Members in carrying out their roles and to identify where there are any beneficial improvements to the Scheme which could assist Members whilst continuing to maintain the principles and transparency associated with the Scheme. Given the Scheme, including the Staff Cost Provision, has recently been reviewed the SPCB will consider the need for any further review later in the parliamentary session as part of their normal review processes.

Booster vaccinations in Scotland started as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided their advice on boosters, which stated that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course, however there is some flexibility to offer a booster vaccination to the most vulnerable groups after five months.

1,342,841 people have received a booster or 3rd dose to 19 November, and we are working as quickly as we can, prioritising those most vulnerable.

Data on boosters by JCVI priority group is not yet published. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland to develop the vaccination data to provide robust statistics that enhance public understanding.