Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people with diabetes to receive the best care, treatment and support. Clinical indications for technology required to optimise diabetes control are very different for people with type 2 diabetes compared to those with type 1 diabetes.

At present, clinical guidelines indicate that technology is required in only a select cohort of individuals with type 2 diabetes and we are monitoring provision of this via prescribing data.

I’ll be marking World Environment Day by visiting the Claypits Green Infrastructure Strategic Intervention project which will change a 10 hectare derelict site into an accessible local nature reserve and will include a canal pedestrian bridge linking Maryhill and Woodside communities with the Clay Pits and linking Hamiltonhill and Possilpark with Woodside and Maryhill. The project also provides the surface water drainage solution for the regeneration of key vacant and derelict sites by managing the water level in the canal to provide flood storage.

This year’s World Environment Day theme is land restoration, desertification and drought resilience. It is clear to see the effect climate change is having on the natural environment around the world and it is important we play our part in tackling the climate emergencies. In Scotland we are taking action to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030 as it provides many benefits including capturing and storing carbon, supporting nature, reducing flood risk and improving water quality.

For World Environment Day, Scottish Government Net Zero social media channels will encourage individuals and organisations to take action to help the planet. This includes highlighting the importance of driving less and exploring new routes to work by public transport, walking and wheeling. It also includes sharing real-life, inspiring stories of people exploring sustainable ways of living and doing business in Scotland. We have also encouraged organisations to share their climate commitments to inspire their communities to take action to tackle climate change.

Scottish Government has commissioned Public Health Scotland to collect meaningful miscarriage data across all settings where patients experiencing miscarriage present.

The initial phase of this work will focus on data from early pregnancy services and Public Health Scotland have agreed a dataset which will be tested in NHS Boards in the autumn.

There are no specific provisions for veterans with respect to the costs of dental care and treatment, and individuals must meet existing exemption criteria in order to qualify for free care. Free dental treatment is available for people who are under 26 years of age; pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months; or in receipt of certain benefits. Veterans do have a fast-track service from General Dental Services to secondary care where referrals are made for conditions requiring secondary care, for example facial trauma requiring maxillo-facial surgery. More information on eligibility for free NHS dental treatment is available on the NHS Inform website.

NHS patients who pay for their treatment pay 80% of the treatment costs, capped at a maximum of £384 per course of treatment. Both enhanced and review NHS dental examinations are free of charge for everyone in Scotland, irrespective of exemption status, however the frequency of examinations is determined by the dentist on individual risk factors. People who are not eligible for free NHS dental treatment but still have difficulty paying NHS charges may qualify for help under the NHS Low Income Scheme. More information on Help with Health Costs can be found at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/health-rights/access/help-with-health-costs#low-income .

Veterans do have a fast-track service from General Dental Services to secondary care when referrals are made, if they have conditions requiring secondary care, for example facial trauma requiring maxillo-facial surgery.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting families who have experienced pregnancy and baby loss through the delivery of high-quality, sensitive bereavement care, and has provided funding to Sands UK to develop and implement the National Bereavement Care Pathway for pregnancy and baby loss in Scotland (NBCP).

All 14 NHS Boards are now officially signed up to the National Bereavement Care Pathway which is currently being implemented in 9 Boards. Initial meetings have taken place with the remaining 5 Boards, who signed up at the end of 2023. A link to the NBCP can be found here: Home | SANDS (nbcpscotland.org.uk)

SANDS UK have also produced Bereavement Care Standards and these complement the National Bereavement Care Pathways for Scotland. The Scottish Government encourages NHS Boards to use the bereavement care standards wherever possible. More information on the Bereavement Care Standards can be found here: Bereavement Care Standards | SANDS (nbcpscotland.org.uk)

Scottish Government officials and professional advisors are working with NHS Education for Scotland to identify any gaps in training for health professionals working with those who have experienced miscarriage by end summer 2024. The findings from the Miscarriage Care and Facilities in Scotland: Scoping Reports will help inform this work.

I refer member to answer to question S6W-27483 on 29 May 2024 . The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people with diabetes to receive the best care, treatment and support. This year, we are investing £8.8 million of additional funding to support increased provision of Hybrid Closed Loop Systems (CLS) to those living with Type 1 diabetes in Scotland. The focus will primarily be on providing access to all children with Type 1 diabetes who want a CLS but will also allow us to continue increasing access to adults.

For people living with Type 2 diabetes, there is clear evidence on when real-time continuous glucose monitors should be offered. Guidelines for Type 2 diabetes ensure that people are able to access a variety of treatments and where appropriate, this is primarily focused on lifestyle support. We understand that demand for technologies is increasing and we will continue to assess where need is unmet.

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 .

Investigation of potential fixed link connections (bridges, causeways and/or tunnels) between Mull and the Scottish mainland forms part of STPR2 recommendation 41. Details on why a fixed link to Mull is part of this recommendation can be accessed at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/media/52545/recommendation-41-potential-sound-of-harris-sound-of-barra-fixed-link-and-fixed-link-between-mull-and-scottish-mainland.pdf

The STPR2 recommendation notes, that further work is undertaken on business cases to better understand the benefits, costs and challenges associated with these options. These studies would further consider the feasibility of improving island connectivity through additional fixed links by replacing existing ferry services currently delivered by CalMac Ferries Ltd as part of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) contract.

These studies would also analyse in further detail the potential long term savings associated with the public sector funding required to maintain the ferry services and would involve input from communities that may potentially be affected.

The Scottish Government, through the Scottish Funding Council, has invested over £120mil in the University Innovation Fund since 2016 to support universities to work collaboratively to exploit their research to improve Scotland’s economy. Funding allocations for universities for each academic year are managed through the Scottish Funding Council and made publicly available on the SFC’s website, accessible here: University Indicative Funding Allocations 2024-25 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk)

The efficacy of the University Innovation Fund (UIF) has been monitored by the Scottish Funding Council through the submission of annual progress reports, managed through the SFC Outcome Agreement process. The SFC Knowledge Exchange metric return and HESA Higher Education and Business Interaction survey has also been used as indicators of performance against knowledge exchange activity metrics, with the latest data indicating that the UIF has enabled at least 24,000 interactions with Scottish businesses and helped generate KE&I income of over £755M. (SFC KE metric return 22-23.)