Chamber and committees

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic NHS Dumfries and Galloway have managed to maintain the safe continuation of surgery for urgent, emergencies and cancer patients.

Every effort is being made to restart elective surgery in a safe manner for patients and staff and will include increased theatre capacity, extended days and weekend working, while also maintaining the appropriate infection prevention and control measures.

As part of remobilisation the Health Board is currently developing a Local Mobilisation Plan.

This will set out the plans for the measured restart of previously paused elective services which is dependent on the ongoing containment of COVID-19 within NHS Dumfries & Galloway facilities.

As at 31 March 2020, there were 2,338 patients waiting for elective surgeries under the Treatment Time Guarantee in NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Of the patients treated with completed waits in quarter ending 31 March 2020, half were seen in 71 days or less.

Information on average waiting times for patients waiting (on-going waits) for treatment is not available at Board level.

The figures set out above are in part affected by COVID-19 when Boards were asked to suspend non-urgent elective activity from 17 March:

However throughout the COVID-19 pandemic NHS Dumfries and Galloway have managed to maintain the safe continuation of surgery for urgent, emergencies and urgent suspicion of cancer patients.

Every effort is being made to restart elective surgery in a safe manner for patients and staff and will include increased theatre capacity, extended days and weekend working, while also maintaining the appropriate infection prevention and control measures.

For privately owned businesses, since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak the Scottish Government has worked closely with the UK Government and private and public sector partners to develop a range of support mechanisms for businesses. Information on all available support for businesses can be found on Find BusinessSupport . The website is regularly updated with information on any new support packages or changes to existing ones.

For publicly owned facilities, w e are in discussions with COSLA on how we can best deploy further consequentials for local government and also to implement a lost income scheme to provide additional financial support for some of the lost income from sales, fees and charges similar to that which has been announced for councils in England. Details of the scheme are still being worked up and critically we are still awaiting further information from the UK Government on what funding we are allocated for the lost income scheme.

The First Minister outlined in her statement on 20 August the date for the reopening of indoor sport and leisure facilities is 31 August with physical distancing and enhanced hygiene measures in place.

The Scottish Government have produced new guidance for the opening of indoor sport and leisure facilities with physical distancing and hygiene measures. This new guidance, created in collaboration with the sport and leisure sector will provide staff and customers with the confidence that it’s safe to return. To view the guidance please visit the Scottish Government website .

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of marriage and civil partnership to couples and to society more widely. Whilst our priority is public health, we know that the sector has been hit hard and we do not underestimate the crisis created by the pandemic.

The Scottish Government continues to listen to concerns from businesses as we explore how to continue to help during this unprecedented economic crisis. Officials met with representatives from the Association of British Wedding Businesses on 4 August 2020 to hear their concerns and we will consider next steps.

Our total package of support now totals over £2.3 billion.

Depending on the specific business type within the weddings sector, there have been a range of support mechanisms available. Businesses in this sector may have already been able to benefit from:

• Rates relief
• Associated grants of £10k or £25k.
• £30 million Creative, Tourism & Hospitality Fund
• £120 million Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund
• Bounce back loan scheme
• CoronaVirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
• Job Retention Scheme

The Scottish Government will explore options for further support for sectors that that have not to date been able to access sufficient support, for whatever reason. This includes continuing to press the UK Government on this matter.

Scottish Ministers considered a number of options to support businesses through the crisis, and took the decision to prioritise support on small and medium sized businesses and businesses in specific sectors, through grants and reliefs. This was to ensure a more efficient use of limited resources and support to as many businesses as possible.

The Scottish Government provides empty property relief to non-domestic premises that are vacant. As with all reliefs the awarding of empty property relief is a matter for each local authority.

Officials wrote to NHS Dumfries and Galloway on 7 July 2020 requesting information about plans to reopen Acorn House after its temporary closure due to Covid-19, and what alternative support would be available in the area if the facility was to close permanently. This request was to inform responses to letters from a parent and from Joan McAlpine MSP who raised concerns on behalf of a number of constituents.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s reply (14 July 2020) explained that there had not been a decision to close services at Acorn House. It confirmed services were suspended on 20 March 2020, due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Prior to this, a review of Short Break Services had been carried out by Action for Children and a report presented to the Integration Joint Board. An options appraisal process had commenced, but had been suspended due to Covid-19.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway shared a further letter with Scottish Government on 27 July 2020 which had been sent to parents explaining the recovery planning for the short break service at Acorn House. This stated that there are no plans to permanently close Acorn House and the restarting of services at Acorn House would be considered in line with Scottish Government guidance. It also advised that the options appraisal process would recommence with Action for Children when safe to do so; and that parents would be kept informed and have the opportunity to share their views and be involved in the process.

Scottish Ministers wrote to stakeholders, including all Health and Social Care Partnership Chief Officers, Chief Social Work Officers, and Directors of Public Health on 3 August to confirm that, pending updated guidance, all registered stand-alone residential respite services that provide respite/short breaks only, could now reopen where approaches have been first agreed with both local NHS Boards’ Health Protection Teams and the Care Inspectorate, and they have been adapted and risk assessed, in line with existing infection control guidance.

Twenty five farmers have had penalties applied to their support scheme payments for removing hedgerows. The level of penalties are calculated in line with the Cross Compliance related regulations which form part of the Common Agricultural Policy.

As I have explained in correspondence with the Member, I support the campaign to give the Lowland Common Ridings and the Riding of the Marches culturally significant status. Such a designation can be bestowed by UNESCO under the convention for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. This will not be possible, however, until the UK Government agrees to sign up to this convention.

On 26 July I announced the funding package of £10 million to help the events sector, including its supply chain, remain in business while restrictions are in place and then as it seeks to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. There is no outstanding request to meet these bodies and in the first instance I would encourage them to contact Event Scotland regarding the £10m support package for Events.

Further details on eligibility and how to apply for the first funding stream will be issued very soon by EventScotland, who publish details of their funding streams at https://www.visitscotland.org/events/funding

We would like to see facilities like gyms, reopen as soon as possible. As it stands the indicative date for the reopening of indoor sport and leisure facilities including gyms is Monday 14 September with physical distancing and enhanced hygiene measures in place. The Scottish Government will continue to review the situation to see if earlier reopening is possible, with the intention to provide a further update on 20 August 2020.

To judge whether and when restrictions can be eased, we consider a range of evidence on the progress of the pandemic in Scotland including what we know about the reproduction rate of the virus and data on the number of infectious cases. As we have taken decisions about what sectors and activities to re-open on our route out of lockdown, we have been guided by the principles set out in our Framework for Decision Making . In particular we have sought to reduce broader health, economic and societal harm, but always with the necessity to suppress the virus. This has led to some difficult timing decisions about how best to balance the various harms. Such decisions are necessarily more complex than simply comparing the viral transmission risk of one sector or setting with another, as broader economic and social impacts and interdependencies are also taken into account.

All sports and activities pose different challenges, which can impact on the timing of resumption of certain disciplines.

As it stands the indicative date for the reopening of indoor sport and leisure facilities including indoor equestrian centres is Monday 14 September with physical distancing and enhanced hygiene measures in place. The Scottish Government will continue to review the situation to see if earlier reopening is possible, with the intention to provide a further update on 20th August 2020.

In collaboration with the sector, the Scottish Government have been developing robust guidance and protocols that will allow necessary preparation for facilities to provide confidence for members and staff to return safely.