Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of people subject to compulsory orders has been involved in incidents of restraint in each year since 2003-04.
Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally.
13 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of people subject to a short term detention certificate was prescribed antidepressants, in each year since 2003-04.
Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally.
13 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of people subject to a short term detention certificate has been released from hospital without being considered by a Mental Health Tribunal in each year since 2003-04.
Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally.
10 Jun 2013 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to improve detection of cervical cancer.
6 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much each NHS board has spent on private healthcare to meet waiting times guarantees.
Answer · Alex Neil: Information obtained from NHS boards on the spend on the use of the independent healthcare sector to deliver acute hospital waiting times guarantee and standards in 2012-13 is provided in the following table. NHS Board 2012-13 £’000 Ayrshire and Arran 1,…
6 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether and, if so, by how much it plans to increase bed capacity in order to meet waiting times guarantees.
Answer · Alex Neil: NHS boards are responsible for the organisation and planning of services to meet the needs of their resident population. Consequently it is for boards to decide the bed capacity needs to deliver services within the waiting time guarantee and standards. As th…
6 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funds have been transferred between NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire following the boundary changes announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing on 4 June 2013.
Answer · Alex Neil: The financial implications of these changes to health board populations will be taken into account and reflected as part of the annual NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee allocations process in due course.
6 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the impact on the economy is of patients waiting for treatment.
Answer · Alex Neil: Waiting times for treatment in the NHS can reduce patients’ ability to participate in the labour market, leading to loss of income from work and may reduce productivity of those in work.
6 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its increase in spending on private healthcare is a consequence of meeting waiting times guarantees.
Answer · Alex Neil: No – the overall spending on private healthcare represents less than 0.5% of the NHS boards baseline resource budget. The increase in the use of private healthcare relate mainly to two boards who are currently experiencing capacity issues - NHS Grampian and…
5 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing’s comments in the letter to NHS boards dated 22 February 2013 that "NHSScotland does not have any policies which would prevent, or would condone, the prevention of staff from raising concerns about safety and quality, not least …
Answer · Alex Neil: This is an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees. Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, any clause which sought to prevent an individual from raising a protected whistleblowing disclosure would be illegal and therefore unenforceabl…
5 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in what circumstances it allows non-disclosure clauses to be included in compromise agreements.
Answer · Alex Neil: This is an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees. NHSScotland does not have any policies which would prevent, or condone the prevention of staff from raising valid concerns about patient safety and quality. Quite the opposite, each Health b…
5 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS boards spend on tackling bullying and harassment.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. It is for each board to decide how much it will spend on tackling bullying and harassment.
5 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the £200,000 it has made available to tackle bullying and harassment will be allocated to NHS boards.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government invited all Scottish health boards to submit proposals for activity relating to dignity at work and cultural issues. We are currently in the process of assessing bids and funding will be allocated shortly.
5 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what surveys have been undertaken of staff opinion about bullying and harassment in the NHS and how this has influenced its strategy on lowering levels of bullying.
Answer · Alex Neil: The NHSScotland staff surveys in 2006, 2008 and 2010 sought staff’s opinions on bullying and harassment in NHSScotland. The 2013 survey, which is currently underway and will run until 5 July 2013, will also address this issue. The Scottish Government is clea…
5 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that concerns raised by NHS staff using the National Confidential Alert Line will be actioned.
Answer · Alex Neil: The National Confidential Alert Line provides an additional level of support to NHSScotland employees should they feel unable to report cases of patient safety or malpractice directly to their board, or, if they feel they have exhausted procedures in place. …
5 Jun 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the dignity at work toolkit has led to a measurable decline in bullying.
Answer · Alex Neil: The latest NHSScotland staff survey launched on 27 May 2013 and will run until 5 July 2013. This survey aims to gather comprehensive views from staff about working for NHSScotland, including views on bullying and harassment. The results of this survey will b…
4 Jun 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met its accident and emergency waiting time target for Scotland as a whole.
3 Jun 2013 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on recruitment and retention payments paid to senior management at the State Hospital.
30 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when NHS staff can expect to receive their 2013 (a) pay award and (b) back pay and for what reason this has been delayed.
Answer · Alex Neil: Staff should see the cost of living rise in their June 2013 pay, and the intention is to pay arrears in the following month’s salaries. The NHS pay cycle begins on 1 April each year but it is not unusual for circulars to be issued later than this date for one…
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14851 by Margaret Burgess on 28 May 2013, whether the minister will place copies of the correspondence in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer · Margaret Burgess: The Scottish Government has no plans to place copies of correspondence with UK Ministers in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact value-based pricing will have on the role of the Scottish Medicines Consortium.
Answer · Alex Neil: The regulation of pricing of medicines is listed as a reserved matter under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998. The proposals for Value Based Pricing of medicines licensed from 1 January 2014 are being taken forward in negotiations between the UK Government’…
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement its officials have had with their UK counterparts on value-based pricing.
Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with the Department of Health concerning value based pricing.
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers value-based pricing to be a devolved matter and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Alex Neil: The regulation of pricing of medicines is listed as a reserved matter under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998. The proposals for Value Based Pricing of medicines licensed from 1 January 2014 are being taken forward in negotiations between the UK Government’…
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12900 by Alex Neil on 27 February 2013, whether the cabinet secretary has met the parliamentary under-secretary of state with responsibility for medicines and pharmacy policy to discuss value-based pricing and, if so, when.
Answer · Alex Neil: I am due to meet with Earl Howe on 3 July 2013.
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evidence the bed planning tool uses to project the number of beds needed.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15304 on 12 June 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when NHS boards will start using the bed planning tool.
Answer · Alex Neil: NHS boards combine workforce and financial plans in their annual Local Delivery Plans (LDP’s), which include a consideration of the number of beds required. We envisage that the Bed Planning Tool will help NHS boards to develop their LDPs, at least in part, …
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what stage of development the bed planning tool has reached.
Answer · Alex Neil: On 8 May 2013 we announced the development of a new bed capacity and performance planning tool to support NHS boards. The tool is being developed to ensure that hospitals and communities have the right beds in place to treat patients as Scotland’s health serv…
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what organisations were consulted on the development of the bed planning tool prior to its announcement in the news release of 8 May 2013.
Answer · Alex Neil: On 8 May 2013 we announced the development of a new bed capacity and performance planning tool to support NHS boards. The tool is being developed to ensure that hospitals and communities have the right beds in place to treat patients as Scotland’s health serv…
29 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when guidance was issued on the bed planning tool.
Answer · Alex Neil: On 8 May 2013 we announced the development of a new bed capacity and performance planning tool to support NHS boards. The tool is being developed to ensure that hospitals and communities have the right beds in place to treat patients as Scotland’s health serv…
27 May 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the supplementary to question S4O-01466 by Alex Neil on 14 November 2012 (Official Report, c. 13412), when it anticipates a transcatheter aortic valve implantation treatment centre being available in the west of Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15277 on 13 June 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybu…