Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has no plans to ask the Care Inspectorate to review the use of DNACPR forms for those residing in care homes.

Decisions relating to whether an individual would benefit from Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) are matters for the individual and the healthcare team responsible for their care. As such, these matters do not fall under the remit of the Care Inspectorate.

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought about absolutely no change to the use of Do Not Attempt CPR (DNACPR) forms in the Scottish NHS and no change to the advice issued to healthcare professionals about their use.

We continue to expect healthcare professionals to discuss treatment options openly and honestly with individuals and their families (where appropriate) to help ensure that they get the care that is right for them. However, if a clinician feels as though a patient would not benefit from CPR as a result of their clinical circumstances, then ultimately (like all other treatments) it should not be offered as a treatment option and should be recorded appropriately.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34244 on 20 January 2021 which details how fairness and human rights have been at the heart of the Scottish Government’s approach to keep people in care homes as safe as possible.

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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34182 on 20 January 2021. 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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34246 on 20 January 2021. 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 Scottish Government DNACPR guidance makes clear that we expect clinicians to discuss treatment options openly and honestly with patients and their families (where appropriate) to help ensure that they get the care that is right for them. This should ideally take place before an event occurs so as to avoid causing distress to the individual and their family.

Our DNACPR guidance also emphasises that where it is clear in advance that CPR would not be successful it is essential that the information that CPR cannot be offered is clearly and sensitively shared with patients or power of attorney (and their loved ones if the patient wishes to do so), unless it is judged that the conversation would cause physical or psychological harm to the individual. This discussion is then recorded on a DNACPR form and included in the individual’s care notes.

When a disagreement with the family or patient occurs around CPR, a second opinion should be offered.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34238 on 26 January 2021. 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 current training programme, provided by Police Scotland in Sri Lanka, is aimed at improving community policing and gender equality, with all training underpinned by equality and human rights. It is a matter for the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to agree the details of any training programme in Sri Lanka and Scottish Ministers would consider requests for further deployments of officers, taking into consideration a range of issues, including an examination of Human Rights implications.

The Scottish Government is open to discussions to introduce various types of treatment for problem substance use, as long as there is a sufficient evidence-base to support them.

Advice has been sought in the past from a range of clinical specialists and the Scottish Government’s Senior Medical Officer to obtain a comprehensive view on the effectiveness of Neuro-Electro Therapy (NET). They concluded that there is a lack of accepted evidence in relation to the effectiveness of this treatment option.

In 2012, researchers at the University of Aberdeen looked at the evidence in support of the use of NET in opiate detoxification as a component of drugs rehabilitation. The study concluded that there was insufficient evidence regarding its effectiveness.

NET is not currently used within any NHS Board in relation to the treatment of problem substance use.

Access to testing is a vital tool in helping to suppress the COVID-19 virus so we have ensured that home testing kits are available for as many people as possible. Home tests can be booked via the UK online digital portal and are now available in all areas of mainland Scotland. This includes all areas of the mainland in the Highland, Lothian and Tayside Health Boards that previously could not access kits.

For our island communities, specific arrangements have been put in place or are being finalised to make testing kits as accessible as possible. For example, in Tiree testing kits can be accessed from the GP surgery. In Iona kits are available at the Post Office.

Scottish Government is not party to the contractual arrangements that form the basis of the National Care Home Contract. The National Care Home Contract is negotiated by, and entered into, by Local Authorities and Care Providers for the purpose of securing Services in the Providers' Care Homes.

The contract includes provisions which require providers to comply with Section 145 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 which requires that a Care Home, supplying care through arrangements made with a local authority under sections 12 or 13A of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, is taken to be exercising a function of a public nature and therefore required to act compatibly with the European Convention of Human Rights and Public Sector Equality Duties.