Chamber and committees

Our Detect Cancer Early (DCE) Programme aims to provide greater public awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer to improve earlier diagnosis rates. A symptom-checker tool is included on the getcheckedearly.org website, to raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of cancer, including sarcoma cancers, and research is currently being undertaken to better understand the possible barriers and levers to early diagnosis that any new DCE campaigns should focus on.

A new Early Diagnosis Vision is planned as part of the new Scottish Government Cancer Strategy (due to launch in April 2023), and will look at awareness raising.

Guidance is regularly reviewed and updated based on clinical evidence. Scottish Government Officials and clinicians continue to work with Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland, as has been done throughout the pandemic, to review protective measures within adult and older people care homes.

Self-isolation, testing, outbreak management and infection prevention and control measures are currently under review with any updates to guidance anticipated in May.

The last formal review prior to this took place in March, with updates to guidance implemented from April.

From 18 April, we are no longer asking the general public to test themselves regularly if they are asymptomatic. This change is possible because of the progress we have made in our ability to protect Scotland’s population from the most severe harms of COVID-19 through our widespread vaccination coverage and access to new Covid treatments.

Covid testing in hospital settings for emergency admissions and elective patients will continue to be available, helping to protect vulnerable individuals in high risk settings and ensuring patients receive the most effective treatment.

Health and social care workers should continue to test themselves regularly to reduce the risk of spread of infection in higher risk settings; as should care home and hospital visitors. All ongoing testing in higher risk settings will be kept under regular clinical review.

Data from the Business Ventilation Fund has not yet been published. In line with all previous funds, the Scottish Government will publish data on the Business Ventilation Fund. This is planned for May.

Under the Business Ventilation Fund, the limit of any reimbursement claim was £2500 for each eligible premise. Where a business operates multiple premises, it was able to apply for a grant for each eligible premise. An upper limit of £50,000 in total was applied to any eligible business operating multiple premises.

Further information on the capped value of claims for each improvement item can be found here: What businesses can claim - Coronavirus (COVID-19): Business Ventilation Fund - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Data from the Business Ventilation Fund has not yet been published. In line with all previous funds, the Scottish Government will publish data on the Business Ventilation Fund. This is planned for May.

Data from the Business Ventilation Fund has not yet been published. In line with all previous funds, the Scottish Government will publish data on the Business Ventilation Fund. This is planned for May.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07565 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-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 .

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07563 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 .