Our COVID-19 response
-
Overview
As a national NHS board operating at the heart of NHSScotland, we’ve been well placed to support the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic across a wide range of areas.
-
Supply and distribution
Our National Procurement team has significantly grown its national distribution network during Scotland’s COVID-19 response – enabling us to rapidly extend PPE distribution to Scotland’s health and social care sector.
-
Manufacturing and sourcing
We’re working in partnership with the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and other partners to strengthen Scotland’s supply chain resilience. By developing new and existing supply chains, we’ve helped to increase the volume of supplies, including PPE, being manufactured in Scotland and the amount being supplied from abroad.
-
COVID-19 testing
We’ve worked in partnership with the Scottish Government, the UK Government, Public Health Scotland, NHSScotland laboratories, the Scottish Microbiology and Virology Network, academia and industry, providing the necessary specialist advice, knowledge and expertise to rapidly increase testing capacity for COVID-19.
-
COVID-19 vaccination helpline and booking service
Making the COVID-19 vaccine available across Scotland is a critical part of our ongoing response to the pandemic. We’re providing digital and telephone services which support the delivery of the vaccination programme across Scotland.
-
Scotland’s National Contact Tracing Centre
In the fight against coronavirus, contact tracing is vital to break the chains of transmission. We’ve established Scotland’s National Contact Tracing Centre (NCTC), a key part of delivering Test and Protect.
-
NSS remobilisation plan
NHS National Services Scotland has agreed a remobilisation plan with Scottish Government as part of our continuing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
-
NHS Louisa Jordan
We responded quickly to help safeguard Scotland’s NHS during the COVID-19 outbreak, building the NHS Louisa Jordan hospital in a matter of weeks and ensuring it was ready to meet Scotland’s needs.
-
ARHAI Scotland
Our Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland team reacted swiftly to develop COVID-19 infection prevention and control guidance for health and social care settings, provide expert advice to support other sectors, and provide vital support to health boards across Scotland. They’ve also provided the scientific evidence base that’s so critical for developing evidence-based national COVID-19 policy and guidance.
-
Digital
Our Digital and Security team has provided crucial digital solutions to support the fight against COVID-19, right across NHSScotland and beyond.
-
Convalescent plasma
Our Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) team has been part of UK-wide clinical trials collecting plasma from donors who have recovered from COVID-19, known as ‘convalescent plasma’, as a potential treatment for COVID-19 patients.
-
Screening
Our work coordinating Scotland’s national health screening programmes has played an important role in managing the temporary pause of these at the end of March 2020, as well as the work to restart screening safely.
-
Blood donation
Our Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) team has adapted quickly to ensure that blood, tissues and cells are available when patients need them, across Scotland.
