Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

The Best Start Implementation Programme Board was tasked with taking forward implementation of the recommendations within Best Start. The Programme Board set up the Perinatal Sub Group and asked it to take forward the Neonatal Intensive Care work, including an options appraisal process to identify the final three units. The Perinatal Sub Group comprises clinical experts, including the chair of the Scottish Neonatal Consultants Group, the chair of the Scottish neonatal nurses group, the Scottish Clinical Lead for neonatology, the Scottish clinical representative from the National Neonatal Audit Programme, the neonatal consultant lead for the neonatal transport service, senior management representation from the Scottish Ambulance Service, a Head of midwifery, the Scottish Clinical Lead for Obstetrics, the Chief Executive of the neonatal charity, Bliss and is chaired by a Health Board Medical Director and Deputy Chief Executive.

The Expert Group that agreed the short list criteria and weighting for the options appraisal comprised the following experts (representing roles that held at that time):

• Helen Mactier, consultant neonatologist and Honorary Secretary of President of British Association of Perinatal Medicine (BAPM)
• Gopi Menon, consultant neonatologist and President of BAPM
• Alan Fenton, Consultant Neonatologist, immediate past President of BAPM, and Chair of Independent Advisory Group for the National Neonatal Audit Programme;
• Corinne Love, Consultant Obstetrician, Scottish Government Senior Medical Officer;
• Eddie Doyle, Senior Medical Advisor, Scottish Government Paediatrics and Neonatal.

Families told us, as part of the Best Start engagement process, that they wanted the best care possible for their babies. Evidence tells us that the very smallest and sickest babies will get the best outcomes if they care cared for in high volume units.

This change will affect families in many different parts of Scotland, and the Chief Executive of Bliss sits on the Best Start Programme Board and was a participant in the options appraisal process, representing the views of neonatal families.

Scottish Government will be consulting with families in the affected areas on implementation of the new model, so that we can take account of their concerns when the pathways and processes for the new model of care are designed. This will affect a very small number of families, however, it is important that we hear the voices of those families to input into design of service delivery.

Neonatal units will also continue to seek parent feedback locally to ensure opportunities to improve experiences of care for families are identified.

The Scottish Government published Quality Standards for Adult Hearing Rehabilitation Services in 2009 which sets out a standard for the repair being carried out within 2 days of the repair service receiving the hearing aid.

It is for NHS Boards to ensure appropriate provision of a service for the timely repair of hearing aids for patients.

Health Boards are responsible for planning services to best meet the needs of their patients.

Service planning and design should take place at a local level and be informed by an assessment of the type, and level, of support required by patients who need to access those services.

The Scottish Government published Quality Standards for Paediatric Audiology Services (2009) and Quality Standards for Adult Hearing Rehabilitation Services (2009) which both state that patients (and their families in the case of children) should be given a copy of their ‘Individual Management Plan’ following visits to services.

It is for Health Boards to ensure that this takes place in line with the quality standards set out.

The range of experts that have been involved in the Best Start and the Options Appraisal Process represent the leading expertise on this issue and are fully competent to reach an objective decision. I have no doubt that the process of determining where the final three units should be located was independent and robust, and can see no reason to commission a further review.

Scottish Government supports the use of digital solutions to overcome barriers to treatment for those impacted by problematic use of alcohol, such as the use of Near Me video appointments and With You’s online wechat service. However, we recognise these must be applied appropriately, with adequate training for staff and ensuring online safety and safeguarding for service users.

The recently published consultation on United Kingdom alcohol treatment guidelines which are expected to come into effect in 2024, highlight the need to consider digital practices and implement them carefully. The consultation will run until 8 December 2023: UK clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) .

Over the period 2019 to 2021, all UK nations saw an increase in the number of alcohol-specific deaths. The increase for the whole of the UK over this period was 27.4% with the increase for Scotland being 22.1%. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests, on their website, that the impact of restrictions related to COVID-19 may be a factor in the increase in alcohol-specific deaths seen across the UK.

The Scottish Government has a range of alcohol harm prevention and treatment policies and interventions intended to reduce harm. Recent research estimated our world-leading Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) policy has saved hundreds of lives, and likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions each year and is having an effect in our most deprived areas. We are currently consulting on the Scottish Government’s preferred position on MUP which is a continuation of the policy and, in the event of continuation, at a price of 65 pence per unit of alcohol. On support and treatment, in 2022-23, we made £106.8 million available to Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships to support local and national treatment initiatives. We have been involved in a UK-wide group on reviewing and updating clinical guidance for alcohol treatment, which is now out for consultation . We are exploring the evidence around Managed Alcohol Programmes, and we are undertaking a review of the Alcohol Brief Intervention programme to ensure the programme is as impactful as possible in Scotland.

The Scottish Government provides funding to support our local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) who are responsible for the design and delivery of treatment and recovery pathways at the local level. They ensure a full range of recovery services are available such as aftercare, detox, residential rehabilitation and psychosocial treatments.

In 2022-23, £106.8 million was made available to ADPs, and nationally there is ongoing work including the expansion of our residential rehabilitation capacity by 50% by the end of the current Parliament and the UK Alcohol Treatment Guidelines which are currently out for public consultation until 8 December 2023.

Scottish Government also provides funding towards specific projects that support those with alcohol dependency, such as the Managed Alcohol Programme pilot being delivered by Simon Community Scotland in Glasgow.