Questions · Cathy Jamieson

4 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that people who rely on liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for heating and have difficulties paying increased charges are able to access advice and support.

Answer · Alex Neil: Our new Energy Assistance Package, which we will put in place from April, has four stages which in practice may run concurrently. Stages 1 and 2 will provide energy efficiency advice to all comers and benefits entitlement checks to a wide range of clients at …

4 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many households rely on liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for heating, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Alex Neil: There are about 19,000 households in Scotland that rely on liquid petroleum gas (LPG) as their main source of heating fuel “ about 0.8% of occupied dwellings. Table 1 shows the number of households relying on LPG by local authority area. Table 1: Est…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that NHS bodies review their performance management arrangements and develop performance measures and targets in relation to their assets.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20499 on 23 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require NHS bodies to examine their estate workforce profiles and identify future capacity issues.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards currently undertake the planning of their service requirements to meet the health care needs of their population. This includes planning the future workforce to deliver these services. For the first time this year, boards have been asked to include…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when all NHS bodies will have trained their estate staff in equality and diversity.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Education for Scotland have responsibility for the delivery of an educational framework on equality and diversity for the NHSScotland workforce. The Equality and Planning Directorate at NHS Health Scotland host a network of Equality and Diversity lead off…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that NHS bodies comply with Scottish Government Health Directorate design policy.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government Health Directorates have conducted a review of the implementation of the Design Quality Policy in November 2008. Issues arising from that review are currently being followed up with NHS boards. As part of the performance managemen…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that NHS bodies are budgeting to meet the costs of planned estate maintenance that is carried out at required intervals over the life of the asset.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHSScotland bodies require to demonstrate that they have the necessary capital and revenue resources within their financial plans when making investment in their assets to cover not just the initial investment but the on-going operation and maintenance of suc…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that NHS bodies provide a breakdown of expenditure on planned and reactive maintenance.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20499 on 23 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Ap…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that NHS bodies meet good practice guidelines that suggest that maintenance costs should be 60% planned and 40% reactive.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The terms of the revised Asset Management policy will require the separation of planned and reactive maintenance. In addition NHS boards will be required to demonstrate how they are addressing backlog maintenance through replacement of facilities.

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Highland, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isleswill have a strategy in place for addressing backlog maintenance.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All NHS boards will require to have a strategy identified to address backlog maintenance (whether by maintenance or replacement) by the end of 2009. Following the implementation of the new Asset Management Policy all NHS boards will require to have annually u…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that all NHS bodies have a specific strategy for addressing maintenance backlog.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The terms of the revised asset management policy will require all NHS boards to demonstrate how they are addressing backlog maintenance through both direct maintenance and the replacement of facilities.

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve those parts of the NHS estate described as in serious risk of imminent breakdown in the Audit Scotland report, Asset Management in the NHS in Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government will require NHS boards to identify appropriate strategies and actions to address those areas identified as a serious risk of imminent breakdown as part of their overall estate management arrangements.

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that the results of the five-yearly estate surveys carried out by NHS bodies are collated and analysed centrally to ensure that an accurate assessment is made of the entire NHS estate.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20499 on 23 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to integrate equality and diversity issues more fully into NHS estate management practices.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Since 2005 NHS boards have been required to equality impact assess all new and revised policies or functions, which was communicated via a Health Department Letter (2005) 09.

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve the NHS estate, given the finding in the Audit Scotland report, Asset Management in the NHS in Scotland, that the NHS estate is not sufficiently accessible for disabled people.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is investing £1.676 billion of capital resources into NHSScotland over the Spending Review 2007 period to improve infrastructure. Asset management strategies prepared by NHS boards will require to demonstrate the strategies an…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that NHS bodies improve sustainability in the NHS estate.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: From 1 April 2009 NHS boards have a specific HEAT target to reduce energy consumption by 2% per annum (climatically adjusted). An additional £15 million of capital resources have been identified over three years to support carbon reduction measures within NHS…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve the NHS estate in light of the finding in the Audit Scotland report, Asset Management in the NHS in Scotland, that around a third of the estate will require major upgrading soon.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is investing £1.676 billion of capital resources in NHSScotland over three years. These record levels of capital investment are supporting replacement and upgrading of the estate as well as providing fit for purpose IT, equipment and v…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that NHS bodies hold all information on their assets electronically.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A national computer system to support estate management across NHSScotland is currently in procurement and will support both the standardisation of data held on the NHSScotland estate. The dataset for the new system has already been established.

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will establish procedures for NHS bodies to work with community health partnerships to gather data on the facilities used by GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Yes. Arrangements are currently being considered to collate data held on facilities used by GPs, dentists, pharmacists and opticians and integrate such premises into the wider estates strategies of NHS boards. A revaluation exercise is currently being underta…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will promote policies and guidance for all types of assets in the NHS and update its current policies and guidance to reflect changes in the NHS and the development of new health policies.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20499 on 23 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to remove the barriers to joint asset development identified in the Audit Scotland report, Asset management in the NHS in Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20510 on 25 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to ensure that NHS bodies and local authorities can work together more strategically to develop the public sector estate, as recommended in the Audit Scotland report, Asset management in the NHS in Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20510 on 25 February 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to build on the work of the Joint Premises Project Board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is supporting the development of the hub initiative which was developed following consideration of possible joint venture models by the Joint Premises Project Board (JPPB) and which is seeking to address many of the issues identified b…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to encourage joint development of the public sector estate, as recommended in the Audit Scotland report, Asset Management in the NHS in Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The hub initiative supported by the Scottish Government and delivered through the Scottish Futures Trust is aimed a supporting the more effective development and delivery of joint projects. The hub initiative is based on bringing together public sector partne…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is using the experience of school estate management to inform estate management in the NHS.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The asset management policy and supporting guidance being developed for NHSScotland draws on guidance and experience from across a range of sectors including schools guidance with the aim of establishing a best practice framework within which NHSScotland bodi…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many post project reviews have been carried out by each NHS board in accordance with the requirements of the Scottish Public Finance Manual in each of the last five years.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of post project reviews carried out by each NHS board in accordance with the requirements of the Scottish Public Finance Manual in each of the last five years is set out in the following table: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > …

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that NHS bodies undertake past project reviews, as required by the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government Health Directorates have already introduced a system to monitor post project and post occupancy reviews. The timescales set out for such reviews in business cases will be monitored and reports followed up under the auspices of the Heal…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when measures will be introduced requiring NHS bodies to specify build and design quality in capital projects.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The existing Design Quality Policy for NHSScotland already requires NHSScotland bodies to specify build and design quality in capital projects through the use of tools such as Achieving Excellence Design Evaluation Toolkit (AEDET) and BREEAM Healthcare as a b…

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when a new computer system designed to contain a common data set on estate performance across all NHS bodies will be in place.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The system is currently in procurement and a preferred supplier is to be selected by the end of May 2009. A detailed implementation and roll out plan is currently in development.

3 Feb 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what issues have been followed up with NHS bodies as a result of information provided on progress in implementing the recommendations in the 2004 Audit Scotland report, Better Equipped to Care? Follow-up report on managing medical equipment.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government Health Directorates liaise regularly with NHS boards on all issues and recommendations in the Audit Scotland report. NHS boards are asked to report on the level of investment in medical equipment as part of the financial information which …