Question reference: S5W-30112
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 19 June 2020
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 June 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on NHS boards’ plans to resume services that were paused during the initial phase of the COVID-19 emergency.
Answer
On 31 May we published Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design: the framework for NHS Scotland ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/re-mobilise-recover-re-design-framework-nhs-scotland/ ).
The Framework sets out how NHS Boards will follow national and local clinical advice in order safely and gradually to prioritise resumption of some paused services over the coming weeks and beyond, while retaining sufficient capacity to deal with COVID-19.
NHS Boards have continued to protect key services throughout the pandemic and are now gradually resuming services across key specialties including cardiology, urology, trauma and orthopaedics, as well as endoscopies and other diagnostic services. Patients will be seen on the basis of clinical need, and anyone who has been offered an outpatient or diagnostics appointment or a date for surgery should attend in order to ensure that they receive the treatment and care that they require.
We know that COVID-19 is likely to be with us for some time to come, so we will have to continue to balance the safe and effective resumption of services with the need to keep the virus under control; continuing to protect the NHS and ensuring that there is capacity to deal with any cases of the virus that need hospital treatment.
Whilst Scotland has moved to Phase 2 of the route map, we should not forget that our NHS is still on an emergency footing. Health Boards and their planning partners will continue to work on safely resuming services whilst protecting COVID-19 capacity, as informed by the evidence, clinical priorities and associated national frameworks and guidance.
As we move into Phase 2, I am pleased to report that NHS Boards are making good progress in planning the safe resumption of paused services. Boards are continuing to review how services are delivered so that treatment can be effectively provided whilst ensuring that staff and patients are safe. This work will take time and, in some cases, will mean that how patients access services will look and feel different.
Resuming services safely will mean additional use of PPE, environmental cleaning and physical distancing in clinical areas which will reduce the number of patients who can be seen during a clinical session.
A summary provided on services which are planned to be resumed, by territorial Board area prior to the end of July, was published on 19 June ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-mobilisation-of-key-clinical-services/ ).
There remains further work to be done to resume elective treatments. We are working with NHS Boards to resume these services as soon as possible, including examining all resources, such as the Golden Jubilee National Hospital and NHS Louisa Jordan.