Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government receives scientific advice from the Scottish Government COVID19 Advisory Group. Information about the group, including membership and notes of the discussions which have taken place, is available here: https://www.gov.scot/groups/scottish-government-covid-19-advisory-group/ .

The Scottish Government is committed to being as transparent as possible and will begin to publish evidence documents produced by group members for discussion shortly.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29276 on 8 June 2020. 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 is committed to keeping staff across the NHS and emergency services safe, including ensuring continued access to appropriate personal protective equipment.

NHS National Services Scotland are keeping the position with NHS supplies under constant review as the coronavirus pandemic develops and we are working with them to ensure stocks are maintained so we can continue to protect those who need it. Health Boards also have means to notify NHS National Procurement of any supply issues, in order that they can quickly be rectified.

We are distributing PPE to all social care providers and to GP Practices. This includes stocks of facemasks, aprons, gloves and eye protection, in line with Health Protection Scotland guidance. The Scottish Government also remains in close liaison with the emergency services and through them, their suppliers, to ensure they remain adequately protected in performing their vital roles.

NHS Scotland terms and conditions are discussed in partnership through our well established negotiating structures, which always include staff side representation. NHS Boards actively support flexible working patterns, and there are agreed process in place for staff to access these. However, there have been no discussions about the introduction of a four-day working week.

Principal responsibility for collecting data on deaths in hospital belongs to Public Health Scotland. However, the Mental Welfare Commission must be notified by Health Boards of deaths of people who are subject to detention in hospital or treatment in the community under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Commission to provide you with the figures requested.

Access to pulmonary rehabilitation is already a key recommendation in national clinical guidelines which we expect NHS Boards to follow, that is why it will form an important part of the final Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, currently out for consultation until 3 July 2020.

Once the final Plan is published, we will work with stakeholders to understand what clinical audits are needed for respiratory to support decision making both clinically and at a policy level in Scotland.

The Scottish Government on behalf of the NHS and other stakeholders have been working with Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) since November 2018 to try and identify a way forward that will support Scotland’s continued participation in the National Asthma and COPD Audit Programme, specifically a mutually agreeable legal basis to support the financial payment for that participation.

So far we have not been able to identify one, although Scotland will continue to participate in NACAP until the end of this current contract, which is 28 February 2021.

We are continuing to work on how we collect auditing data of respiratory conditions going forward to ensure that any data collected meets Scotland’s needs, and supports decision making both clinically and at a policy level, including the implications of Covid-19. Options will include considering what the benefits of NACAP have been in terms of service improvement in Scotland and the possibility of contracting directly with the audit providers, rather than through a third party such as HQIP.

Clinical advice and available evidence suggests it is too early to determine exactly what the post-viral, long-term physical and mental health impacts will be for those who have had COVID-19. We are aware that some people suffer from post-viral syndrome following any viral infection and present with chronic fatigue and general malaise. We are also aware of the wider effects on mental health resulting from long-term isolation, reduced contact with family or friends and economic adversity. However the scientific evidence on post-viral physical and mental health impacts of COVID-19 specifically is still in its early days.

We continue to work in close partnership with the BMA and other representative bodies, to ensure that we maintain the highest health and safety standards, and promote the health and wellbeing of NHS Scotland staff.

The Minister for Mental Health is working closely with partners across the health and social care sector, including NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships and local employers, to ensure a range of psychological and wellbeing support is in place for the workforce.

Information on staff to patient ratios in intensive care unit settings during COVID-19 outbreak is not centrally held by ISD or NES.

A joint statement on developing immediate critical care nursing capacity, produced by the four United Kingdom Chief Nursing Officers together with the NMC, critical care nursing organisations, professional bodies and trade unions was issued to Board Chief Executives and Nurse Directors on 25 March 2020. The statement can be found on the following link:

https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/other-publications/joint-statement-on-developing-immediate-critical-care-nursing-capacity.pdf

To provide practical guidance for the delivery of this increased capacity an annex to this statement was also issued but not published online. Scottish Government officials are currently using the guidance in the annex to undertake further modelling in relation to the staffing required for the intended critical care expansion in Scotland. This will be issued shortly.