Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has been working with public and third sector partners understand language and accessibility requirements, and have worked collaboratively to create and disseminate this information. Given the fast-moving nature of coronavirus-related guidance, we took into consideration the lead time with translations and the danger of out-of-date messages being shared and distributed, and focused on working in partnership to create and distribute key coronavirus information to benefit the wider community.

1. Media spend: Up-weighting for ethnic minorities through our media buy is now a standard part of our activity relating to health messaging. For example, the Test and Protect App campaign had budget allocation for media channels that support targeting to ethnic minority communities.

2. The First Minister’s daily briefings include BSL interpreters to make COVID-19 policy updates accessible to deaf people.

3. We have been working in partnership with NHS Scotland and Public Health Scotland to spread the message of available translations and formats. Organisations reached include: Scottish Refugee Council; NHS Lothian Minority Ethnic Inclusion Service (MEHIS); British Red Cross; Inclusion Scotland; Scottish Independent Living Coalition (SILC); Progress in Dialogue; Article 12.

4. In addition to translated materials we have co-created coronavirus information with organisations to develop materials specific to ME communities. For example we have been working with the Scottish Public Health Network (ScotPHN) to create a bespoke, printed Easy Read Version of the Test and Protect Door Drop created specifically for the Gypsy/Traveller community, which was distributed by COSLA to Gypsy/Traveller sites.

5. The Scottish Government is collaborating with BEMIS, the national umbrella body supporting the development of the Ethnic Minorities Voluntary Sector in Scotland, on coronavirus-related public health messaging and information for parents and carers. This includes development of supporting materials and share of information across their main networks and membership across Scotland.

As part of our activity we have worked with public and third sector partners to understand language and accessibility requirements, and have worked collaboratively to translate and distribute key coronavirus information. This has included the following information:

1. Scottish Government has been leading the coordination of translations of NHS Inform coronavirus content with NHS Scotland and Public Health Scotland, which continues to be updated on a bi-weekly. Languages or formats are Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish, Urdu, BSL, Easy Read and audio.

2. Coronavirus public health information posters have been produced in multiple languages and formats. For example, Household Isolation posters were translated into Arabic, BSL, Audio MP3, Easy Read, Kurdish, Polish, Sorani, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Tigrinya and Vietnamese.

3. The Scottish Government Route Map Publications (Route Map, Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3) were translated into Audio, BSL, Easy Read, Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Gaelic, and Polish.

4. The two National Door Drop Mailings (Covid-19 and Test and Protect) distributed by the Scottish Government have been made available in a variety of languages and accessible formats.

5. The FACTS poster was created in 38 additional languages and formats.

6. The Parent Club key coronavirus information for parents and carers was translated into the following additional languages and formats: Audio, BSL, Arabic, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish and Urdu.

7. The Protect Scotland App Explainer Video was created in BSL, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Punjabi and Urdu.

The Scottish Government is providing additional support to patients as a result of increased delays due to the COVID19 pandemic.

This includes providing funding to increase the capacity of NHS24’s telephone and online mental health support services, which includes expanding the NHS24 Mental Health Hub so that it is now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This also includes expanding the capacity of the Breathing Space telephone helpline and web support service, and providing extra capacity for Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

We have also provided £1 million to expand and develop the Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) programme into a nationwide response for people in distress. Now, anyone who phones the NHS24 Mental Health Hub in emotional distress from anywhere in Scotland and who does not need emergency clinical intervention and is assessed as appropriate for referral to DBI can be referred to the DBI Programme for further support. Further advice and support for people with poor mental health is available through the NHS Inform and Clear Your Head websites, which have information on practical tips, resources, and services to support wellbeing.

For Cancer Patients who may have any concerns a national helpline has been established on 0800 917 7711. Patients are also being encouraged to contact their own local emergency contact number if necessary.

In respect of current waiting times we fully expect Health Boards to be realistic in their communications with patients on their likely wait as a result of COVID19. Each individual will have a different wait based on the particular treatment they require, and patients will be seen on the basis of their clinical priority.

Testing at airports is something we continue to consider very carefully.

Covid-19 has an incubation period of up to 14 days and the quarantining of travellers from high risk countries is the safest way to reduce transmission of the disease.

We are necessarily working on a four nations basis to examine whether additional measures at airports could further reduce the risk of imported Covid-19 cases from abroad.

Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design: The Framework for NHS Scotland, sets out how Health Boards will follow national and local clinical advice to safely and gradually prioritise the resumption of paused services. The Framework states that "Working across the whole system, Medical and Nurse Directors will work in partnership to determine clinical priorities aligned to NHS mobilisation plans for recovery". Mental Health is specified as a key area for focus within clinical prioritisation.

The separate Framework for Supporting People through Recovery and Rehabilitation during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic focuses not just on physical health but also on mental health and social support.

In addition, the Programme for Government contains a commitment to expand the Distress Brief Intervention programme, as well as retention and development of Mental Health Assessment Services, and exploring a new model of support to help people with complex needs.

Social Security Scotland collects equality information so that we can better understand how different groups are engaging with our benefits. This will help inform evaluation of both policy and delivery to help us continually improve.

Between December 2018 and December 2019, data was gathered from clients who volunteered to complete an Equalities Monitoring and Feedback form. Because the form was not mandatory, the response rate was very low (less than 5%), which means we cannot be sure that this data was representative of the clients that applied at that time. Of the clients who completed the Equalities Monitoring and Feedback form, only 170 were in the minority ethnic group, which includes African, Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British, Caribbean or Black, Mixed or multiple ethnic groups, and Other ethnic group, and only 130 of those forms were able to be linked to the application outcome data which the approval rates are based on.

Since December 2019, the method used to collect equalities information has been improved by making the questions mandatory. This should provide more robust data. More recent data, covering the period from December 2019 up to the end of May 2020, will be published later this month. It will be important to understand whether this variation in the levels of applications approved is also reflected in this new data.

Social Security Scotland uses data collected from clients and from other sources to continually improve the service provided to all of its clients, to help reduce any differences seen in approved applications within any of the equalities groups. This will be a key theme in the Agency’s first Equality Strategy which is currently being developed following a public consultation earlier this year.

The Scottish Government is clear that the £60,000 lump sum made available through the NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020, should not be taxed or treated as capital for the purpose of determining reserved benefit entitlement. This is precisely because the objective of this benefit is to provide financial security for the dependents and next of kin at a time of need.

The Scottish Government has been engaging extensively with HM Revenue and Customs in respect of its position that the £60,000 Death in Service payment should not be taxable for the purpose of determining reserved benefit entitlement and is awaiting a response. We expect to hear from HM Revenue and Customs by the end of September, by which time we will provide further guidance.

The Scottish Government have also approached the Department for Work and Pensions to discuss capital disregard being applied to compensation payments under NHS Scotland Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020. We are yet to receive a response to this request.