4. To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that older patients in hospital are receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. (S5O-05060)

O n 5 February this year, the chief medical officer for Scotland issued a letter to all health boards, setting out the guidance on how health boards should vaccinate those within eligible Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation priority cohorts in hospital prior to discharge in circumstances where that cohort is currently receiving vaccination in the community. Of course, care should be taken to check records for previous history of Covid vaccination and for confirmation of vaccine, and steps should be taken to enable a second dose, as appropriate. All those decisions are quite rightly made by clinicians, taking into account all those factors.

I have a constituent in their 80s who was recently transferred from NHS Highland to NHS Grampian but has not been vaccinated. Can the Cabinet secretary clarify where the responsibility lies for that constituent receiving their vaccine and what measures are being taken to ensure that those who transfer between health boards are not slipping through the cracks?

Without knowing the particular circumstances of the individual to whom Mr Burnett referred, I cannot comment—nor should I. However, if he cares to send me that information, I would be happy—as I have said many times in the chamber and in frequent letters to MSPs—to look at the situation.

The chief medical officer and the chief operating officer for the NHS have regular discussions with both the vaccination teams across the country and the chief executives to make sure that those policies are being implemented. However, inevitably, there may be occasions when someone falls through the cracks. As soon as we are alerted to that, we will take action to redress it.