Health and Care Staffing (Scotland) Bill: Scottish Government response to stage 1 report

Covering Letter

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport
Jeane Freeman MSP

T:0300 244 4000
E:scottish.ministers@gov.scot

Lewis Macdonald MSP
Convener
Health and Sport Committee

By Email.

5 December 2018

I am writing in response to the Health and Sport Committee's Stage 1 Report on the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Bill.

I would like to thank the Committee for its careful and detailed consideration of the Bill as introduced and welcome the fact that it recommends that the general principles of the Bill should be agreed to by Parliament. I would also be grateful if you could convey to your Members the message that I want to keep the dialogue going with anyone who has an interest in improving this legislation further.

The Committee has raised a number of important points and made a number of significant recommendations. I have considered all of these as set out in the attached Annex.

I note there are areas where the Committee have requested further information in advance of Stage 2. I will commit to providing further information on the following points as soon as is practicable:

• In response to paragraph 143 - An update on the continuous review of the existing workload tools;
• In response to paragraphs 166 and 167 - An update on the outcome of the learning needs analysis and the numbers of staff that may require training as indicated by this;
• In response to paragraph 177 - Confirmation on how clear monitoring will be put in place to allow ease of scrutiny and spread best practice

In the meantime I look forward to hearing Members' further thoughts during the Stage 1 Debate on 6 December.

Kind regards
Jeane Freeman