Chamber and committees

We are committed to ensuring that people living with respiratory conditions in Scotland can access clinically appropriate, safe, effective and person-centred care treatment and support.

That is why, this year’s Programme for Government has committed to delivering a Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, which will contain a set of commitments to drive improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions in Scotland.

We are committed to continuously improving the diagnosis, care, treatment and support of people living with respiratory conditions, which is why we set out in our Programme for Government a Respiratory Care Action Plan to deliver these key priorities.

Work is now underway in developing the final Plan, in partnership with a wide range of key stakeholders including clinicians and third sector organisations such as Asthma UK – British Lung Foundation and Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.

As we continue to develop our understanding of the impact the virus has had on the health of the people of Scotland, the final Plan will play a key role in responding to the implications and consequences for many aspects of respiratory care going forward, including pulmonary rehabilitation.

NHS Boards have provided the following figures for current ICU capacity and surge capacity:

The provision of free NHS dental treatment for children and young people under 18 years of age; people under 19 years of age and in qualifying full-time education; and expectant mothers or people who have borne a child in the previous 12 months is fixed by primary legislation as set out in the National Health Services (Scotland) Act 1978.

People with urgent dental problems have been able to receive care and treatment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and as we have suppressed the virus we have been able to reintroduce more services. From 1 November dentists will be able to provide the full range of NHS care and treatment to patients.

The Scottish Government recognises the additional pressure that the pandemic and the resultant restrictions place upon individuals and families and is committed to providing clear, comprehensive and accessible support for mental health. We have invested significantly in support. This includes the provision of support to mitigate risks to health and wellbeing from the impact of isolation and loneliness.

The Scottish Government launched its Clear Your Head campaign in April 2020, alongside the NHS Inform website’s page on fostering positive wellbeing and reducing stress during the pandemic. These resources include signposting to support services and advice for individuals to maintain contact with family and friends while practising social distancing as appropriate. In addition, advice and support services were highlighted in a door drop leaflet issued to every household in Scotland.

Since the outbreak, the Scottish Government has invested over £6million in financial support to a range of mental health responses. These include:

• expanding NHS24’s Mental Health Hub to a 24/7 service;
• enhancing the Breathing Space helpline and developing and extending on-line and digital support services;
• rolling out the Distress Brief Intervention nation-wide; and
• extending digital therapies through computerised and internet-enabled Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

On the 8th of October we published Scotland’s Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan which outlines the Scottish Government’s full response to the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are now working with key stakeholders to focus on the Plan’s implementation, and will put in place comprehensive governance.

In our initial response to the pandemic, our £350 million Supporting Communities Fund directly assisted organisations providing immediate support to people and communities. This funding supported many organisations to increase the capacity of helplines, many of which offer friendship as well as advice. This includes over £870,000 invested in Age Scotland, as well as support for Hourglass and Befriending Networks Scotland.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to a sustainable NHS which continues to deliver a consistently high quality healthcare service to the people of Scotland. NHS Scotland's staffing levels are at a record high, with 15,400 more whole time equivalent staff members working in our NHS under this Government.

We recognise the importance of continuing to work towards delivery of the principal workforce commitments set out in the Integrated Workforce Plan, though we are actively reviewing our overall approach, in light of the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on service delivery and capacity for training and workforce development. We have committed funding allocation for 2020-21 and an indicative funding allocation for 2021-22 to increase the number of places in (i) clinical psychology, (ii) the four-year clinical physiology BSc course, (iii) pharmacy pre-registration and (iv) reporting radiology. This is detailed in the following table:

The three hubs will be based in NHS Grampian, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian with sites at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow, Lauriston Place in Edinburgh, and Foresterhill in Aberdeen. The Health Boards in which each hub is located will be funded to meet the costs involved.

The associated costs are indicative at this stage and will be finalised as preparations for go-live are complete. They include the cost of equipment, robotics, construction and fit-out, with ongoing running costs to be confirmed when the laboratories are operational. The indicative costs are:

Glasgow: £9.5 million

Lothian: £4.1 million

Grampian: £3.1 million

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, the Scottish Government does not maintain and hold this information in the required format and therefore does not currently have plans to publish these details. This information is individually held by Boards and may be available upon direct request.

Menstrual health and wellbeing education is a key part of relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. RSHP education is an integral part of the health and wellbeing area of the Scottish curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence. Learning about RSHP education begins early on in primary school and continues right up to S4-S6. RSHP education is delivered in an age and stage appropriate manner and is intended to enable children and young people to build positive relationships as they grow older. Schools will equip young people with information on a wide range of issues, including menstrual health and wellbeing, depending on their age and stage of learning. Learning should present facts in an objective, balanced and sensitive manner within a framework of sound values and an awareness of the law.

An online RSHP teaching resource, ( www.rshp.scot) published last year, provides 133 age and stage appropriate learning activities on RSHP education for use in all education settings and is aligned to Curriculum for Excellence. This resource includes learning activities on menstruation from second level (P5 to P7) , with endometriosis introduced at third/fourth level (S1 to S3) .

1. Studies into the properties of copper in reducing microbes on its antimicrobial surface are promising, and antimicrobial copper surfaces provide an example of a novel technology that may supplement standard cleaning practices and potentially further reduce the transmission of nosocomial pathogens . However, the use of antimicrobial copper cannot replace regular cleaning/ disinfection.

2. Health Protection Scotland published a literature review on Antimicrobial Copper Surfaces in July 2017, which is available here . The review concluded that antimicrobial copper surfaces could supplement standard cleaning practices and potentially further reduce the transmission of nosocomial pathogens. However, whilst there was evidence supporting the use of copper alloy environmental surfaces, it was typically of low to moderate quality, and there was insufficient evidence to support the use of copper oxide-impregnated composite environmental surfaces and textiles.

3. The use of copper and copper compounds on surfaces in patient vicinities might also introduce alternative electrical pathways, which would need risk assessed.

4. In terms of reducing nosocomial transmission of COVID-19 more generally, we have worked hard to ensure that Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures in hospital and other care settings are robust. This includes environmental cleaning and disinfection, in addition to other measures such as the appropriate use of PPE, extended use of face masks and coverings, physical distancing and testing, as well as risk assessed patient care pathways to help guide the implementation of measures for safe and effective care.