Chamber and committees

The new Scottish Government cancer strategy Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action was published in March 2016 and is a blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland, improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of those affected by the disease.

£5 million investment has been allocated directly to NHS boards in 2016-17. This revenue is targeted to patient need, as determined at NHS board level, and is particularly focused on the breast, colorectal and urological cancer pathways. This will support immediate improvement in diagnostic, imaging and treatment capacity and ensure timely access that patients deserve.

Following on from the Programme for Government, we committed in the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, to developing a new approach to social isolation over 2017. We intend that this will build on existing work, that it will draw on the findings of the previous Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee’s Inquiry into Social Isolation and Loneliness as well as the Befriending Networks Summit held in September 2016 and that it will be informed by the best available evidence and research. We will engage with partners and a wide range of interests in the development of our approach.

It is not possible to say how many people have ceased drug use completely since the publication of The Road to Recovery as this information is not held centrally. The Scottish Government is currently working closely with Information Services Division Scotland, national commissioned organisations, ADPs and services to develop a new data collection system (Drug and Alcohol Information System ) which will collect and report on drug and alcohol treatment and outcomes information, including abstinence.

Recovery for some individuals is not the same as abstinence. The Road to Recovery set out the importance of developing a system of care which ensured that individuals were offered a treatment and recovery package that best met their needs and aspirations.

Decisions on the type of Opioid Replacement Therapy (ORT), including methadone, to prescribe are for clinicians, in close discussion with their clients. The use of ORT is done in line with UK guidelines on the Clinical Management of Drug Misuse and Dependence. These guidelines state that for those individuals who are in receipt of longer-term prescriptions, that they should be reviewed at regular intervals (usually at least three-monthly), and should be part of a broader programme of care planned social and psychological support.

The Scottish Government places great importance on veterans and their families. We established a state-of-the-art National Prosthetics Service, committed over £5 million from 2015 for world-class specialist mental health services and provided almost £4 million for veterans housing. We have appointed a Scottish Veterans Commissioner – the first such position in the UK.

I have published a fresh strategy, “Renewing Our Commitments” setting out priorities on healthcare, housing and jobs. Earlier this month I announced a partnership with Standard Life, bringing our Scottish Veterans Fund to total £600,000 over three years. We also want the private sector to treat veterans as an asset to bridge skills gaps; that is why I was delighted to launch the Supporting Veterans into Employment initiative with HRH The Duke of Rothesay at Dumfries House on 24 October 2016.

940 organisations participating in the Healthy Working Lives Award Programme have more than 10 employees.

The number of organisations currently registered to take part in the Healthy Working Lives Award Programme is 1048. This includes organisations that are working towards the Bronze Award.

The number of organisations currently holding a Healthy Working Lives Award is:

Bronze 205

Silver 132

Gold 213

Total 550

The following table shows the number of enquiries to the Healthy Working Lives Adviceline including calls and emails.

Mental Health calls are recorded under a variety of sub-categories as follows - Mental Health & Wellbeing-Anxiety-Depression-Distress-Stress.

I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.

The number of First-degree, Scottish-domiciled students studying pre-clinical or clinical medicine at a Scottish Higher Education Institution is included in the following table.