Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07564 on 22 April 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The earlier cancer is diagnosed the easier it is to treat. This is why the Scottish Government continues to invest in our £44m Detect Cancer Early (DCE) Programme, which adopts a whole systems approach to diagnosing and treating cancer as early as possible. An additional £20m has been committed to the programme over this parliamentary term.

The Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer were published in 2019 and support primary care professionals in identifying patients with potential symptoms of cancer who require urgent assessment by a specialist. These include guidelines for suspected sarcoma.

In addition, Scotland’s first three Early Cancer Diagnostic Centres are now live in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Fife. These Centres provide primary care with a new referral route for patients with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer (i.e. weight loss, fatigue, nausea), which do not meet site specific Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer.

The Scottish Sarcoma Network is tasked with ensuring equity of care for all patients in Scotland with sarcoma, and for conducting audits of the quality of care provided to improve quality of life for all patients.

Sarcoma clinical management guidelines (CMGs) include the investigations and staging performed by radiology, and the guidelines outline the recommended treatment pathway for patients, promoting the equitable provision of high quality care. Guidelines are not designed to substitute the role of the clinician, but to support the most appropriate treatment decisions taken within the multi-disciplinary team.

These CMGs are based on UK, European and global guidelines and are being reviewed by the network, with bone, soft tissue, gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) and cutaneous (skin) CMGs currently in review, and breast and head and neck CMGs in development.

Lastly, the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) enables all radiologists to work together, and scans indicating a suspicion of sarcoma can be discussed with a sarcoma specialist radiologist.

We recognise that rural communities face particular skills challenges, which the Scottish Government is proactively working to address.

This includes: setting up the independent Commission reviewing land-based and aquaculture learning; developing skills and talent through our Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland; giving people age 13 and over already working, retraining or studying in land-based sectors direct funding to get the right training for them through the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Practical Training Fund; providing high quality, largely free, advice through the Farm Advisory Service; and committing £400,000 to support upskilling women in the industry. In addition, support will continue to be provided by the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund which is offering £1.6M this financial year to promote skills development and innovation in agricultural sector.

The National Flood Risk Assessment published by SEPA in 2018 provided Scotland with the knowledge and tools to assess the causes and consequences of river, coastal and surface water flooding, taking into account the effects of climate change. The Assessment considered the potential impacts of flooding on emergency services and healthcare facilities. The information from this Assessment was used to help identify those areas most at risk of significant flooding impacts.

NHS Scotland Chief Executives have made a commitment that all Health Boards will prepare a Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) and Climate Change Adaptation Plan by the end of the 2021-22 financial year. This includes the identification of any sites at risk of flooding both now, and in the future with projected climate change.

https://www.sepa.org.uk/data-visualisation/nfra2018/ .

Sarcoma cancer incidence data is collected by Public Health Scotland. Public Health Scotland is aware of the complexities that can arise when categorising diseases such as sarcoma, where there may occasionally be more than one technically correct option for coding the disease, and will be discussing this further with its counterparts in England.

Details of the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) costs as of 1 April 2022 are set out in the following tables.

The original estimated costs of the R100 SBVS interim voucher was £3.3 million and the main voucher was between £12.8 million and £18 million. The SBVS continues to accept applications for main vouchers.

R100 SBVS Interim Voucher

No requests for a voucher through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) for eligible premises have been declined.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07560 on 19 April 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07557 on 19 April 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers