Parliamentary questions
Douglas Lumsden
1,891 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to determine whether private companies can be contracted to deliver audiology services, and whether it has assessed the impact of such arrangements on (a) service quality and (b) patient outcomes.
Answer · Jenni Minto: For audiology services provided in hospital settings, information on provision of delivery is held within Boards and not by the Scottish Government.While the Scottish Government remains committed to its vision for an integrated and community-based hearing ser…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for community audiology services in (a) NHS Grampian and (b) Aberdeen.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients are on waiting lists for community audiology services in (a) Aberdeen and (b) each NHS board.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that patients requiring community audiology services in rural areas are not disadvantaged compared with those in urban centres.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is addressing any recruitment and retention challenges in community audiology services, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve access to community audiology services in rural and remote areas (a) in NHS Grampian and (b) across Scotland.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources have been allocated to support the delivery of community audiology services in (a) NHS Grampian and (b) NHS boards with longer waiting times.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been carried out of the specific challenges faced by patients in rural and remote areas in accessing community audiology services, and what steps are being taken to address these.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the availability of community audiology services in (a) NHS Grampian and (b) other rural NHS board areas.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role (a) telehealth and (b) remote consultation technologies play in delivering community audiology services, particularly in rural areas served by NHS Grampian.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what most recent assessment has been made of the cost-effectiveness of private company involvement in audiology services compared with in-house NHS provision.
Answer · Jenni Minto: While the Scottish Government remains committed to its vision for an integrated and community-based hearing service in Scotland, re-phasing of funding has meant that not all the challenges we are facing will be addressed in a single budget and therefore there…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the current staffing levels are for community audiology services in (a) NHS Grampian and (b) Aberdeen, and how these compare with the recommended levels.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what investment it is making in community audiology services to improve capacity and reduce waiting times (a) in NHS Grampian and (b) nationally.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of community audiology services is delivered by private companies, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested centrally.We remain committed to the provision of a community hearing service, however, there is no community hearing service at this time; a rephasing of funding has meant that not all the chall…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that patients requiring hearing aids or follow-up treatment through community audiology services experience minimal delays, particularly in rural areas.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many audiologists each NHS board employs, and how this compares to workforce requirements.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not collect data on the audiology workforce.Responsibility for delivery and commissioning of services lies at a local level - with local authorities, NHS Boards and integrated health and social care partnerships. Operational decis…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost has been of engaging private companies to deliver audiology services in each year since 2018, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Jenni Minto: While the Scottish Government remains committed to its vision for an integrated and community-based hearing service in Scotland, currently there is no community audiology service in place, with services provided either in hospital settings or, if patients cho…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specific steps it is taking to improve early detection and diagnosis of hearing conditions in communities served by NHS Grampian.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government recognises the difficulties facing the audiology sector, as highlighted by the Independent Review of Audiology services, which reported in August 2023. Audiology is now being considered as a clinical priority area, and improvement work…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the longest waiting time currently is for an appointment with community audiology services in NHS Grampian, and how this compares with the longest waiting time nationally.
Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34203 on 27 February 2025. 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-committ…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reduce reliance on private companies for the delivery of audiology services.
Answer · Jenni Minto: While our response to the Independent Review of Audiology is implemented, we continue to work with the NHS, Third Sector and private providers to identify an appropriate model of community care for any future service reform, and ensure that the voices of thos…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many calls to each emergency service have been recorded as being (a) hung up and (b) terminated before completion in each year since 2018; what proportion of calls this represents, and what information it has regarding the reasons given for calls ending in this matter.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what reasons have been recorded by emergency services for calls having been hung up or terminated prematurely, and, on average, what percentage of cases each reason represents.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether schools have a statutory requirement to have some staff trained as first-aiders and, if so, what (a) minimum level of first-aider coverage is required per school and (b) information it has regarding how many teachers in post in each local authority area have completed first aid t…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requires employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. This includes for sta…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis each emergency service takes into the reason for calls being recorded as hung up or terminated early, including the potential impact on response times and outcomes.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what protocols each emergency service has in place to follow up on calls that are recorded as having been hung up or terminated before completion.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many calls to each emergency service that have been recorded as being (a) hung up and (b) terminated before completion in each year since 2018 have resulted in a response being dispatched.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps each emergency service is taking to reduce the number of emergency calls that are recorded as being hung up or terminated prematurely, and what information it has regarding the outcome of this action.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost of media training sessions for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants has been in each year since 2018.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Since 2016, all media training for Ministers or civil servants has been provided by Scottish Government Communications Division staff at no additional cost. Executive Agencies are responsible for their own training provision and information is not held centra…
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on media training for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants in each year since 2018, broken down by department.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Since 2016, all media training for Ministers or civil servants has been provided by Scottish Government Communications Division staff at no additional cost.
23 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what providers have been contracted to deliver media training for (a) ministers and (b) civil servants since 2018, and how much has been paid to each provider.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Since 2016, all media training for Ministers or civil servants has been provided by Scottish Government Communications Division staff at no additional cost. Executive Agencies are responsible for their own training provision and information is not held centra…