Jackie Baillie

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to providing a transcatheter aortic valve implantation treatment centre in the west of Scotland.

Answer · Alex Neil: The performance of the national TAVI service is being closely monitored over the first 12 months, and consideration will be given to whether there is a need to introduce a regional model of service, or extend the service to two sites, if appropriate.

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), whether it will provide details of the "hypothetical analysis of the numbers" of patients accessing transcatheter aortic valve implantation treatment in the first year of ope…

Answer · Alex Neil: The analysis of patient numbers is set out in paragraphs 12 to 18 of the TAVI Short Life Group report published in June 2012. The report can be accessed at the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0040/00406819.pdf.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures have been performed at the national treatment centre.

Answer · Alex Neil: A total of 39 patients have had transcatheter aortic valve implantation at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, since the national service started in September 2012.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many individual patient treatment requests have been made to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde for cetuximab and how many have been approved.

Answer · Alex Neil: On the basis of IPTR monitoring information received from NHS boards for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde received 14 IPTRs for cetuximab during this timeframe of which eight were approved.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the drop-out rate for foundation medical training placements has been in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: Information is not available in the format requested. Information that is available has only been centrally recorded until 2009, and is not recorded by health board as the trainees rotate between health boards as part of their individual programme placements.…

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants for foundation medical training placements there have been in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: Information is not available in the format requested. Applications to Foundation training programmes are co-ordinated on a UK-wide basis through the UK Foundation Programme Office. Applicants are required to rank all 21 UK Foundation Schools in order of prefe…

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many on-call rest rooms there have been in hospitals in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: Information on the number of on-call rest rooms in each NHSScotland hospital is not held centrally.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many medical negligence claims against NHS boards in each year since 2007 related to the tiredness of a junior doctor.

Answer · Alex Neil: This is a matter for individual health boards. The information sought is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the hours worked by junior doctors per week are compliant with the European working time directive.

Answer · Alex Neil: All junior doctor working patterns in NHS Scotland comply fully with the limits of the Working Time Regulations.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to decide whether a junior doctor's working hours are compliant with the European working time directive.

Answer · Alex Neil: In the UK the European Working Time Directive has been implemented as the working time regulations (WTR). All junior doctor rotas in Scotland are designed in a system which measures compliance with all aspects of the working time regulations. This system (do…

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information has been given to GPs regarding the impact of faulty transvaginal mesh implants.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has made available information for patients and clinicians about transvaginal meshes on its website at: http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformation/Generalsafetyinformationandadvice/Product-speci…

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which hospitals continue to implant transvaginal mesh implants.  

Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many surgeons in Scotland are qualified to remove faulty transvaginal mesh implants.

Answer · Alex Neil: This information is not held centrally.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it tracks how many transvaginal meshes have been purchased by NHS boards and the number of meshes (a) implanted and (b) removed.

Answer · Alex Neil: Information on the number of transvaginal meshes purchased by NHS Boards is not held centrally and is for those NHS Boards to manage. In addition, I refer the member to the answer to: question S4W-14315 on 30 April 2013; and questions S4W-14626 and S4W-14627…

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent staff were employed at the Vale of Leven Hospital in April (a) 2012 and (b) 2013, broken down by job family.

Answer · Alex Neil: Information Services Division (ISD) publish NHS Workforce data on a quarterly bases, with the most recent publication date being 31 March 2013. Information as at April 2013 is therefore not available. Information on how many whole time equivalent staff were …

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will fully fund the replacement for council tax benefit beyond April 2014.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-14493 on 3 May 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/parliamentarybusi…

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consult on a replacement for council tax benefit.

Answer · John Swinney: Working in partnership with local government, we responded quickly to put in place transitional arrangements to ensure that around 560,000 people in Scotland who were receiving council Tax benefit are protected from the UK Government’s 10% cut in successor ar…

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS staff who have already signed confidentiality agreements are still bound by the terms of these 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…

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the revised draft of the confidentiality clause in relation to NHS compromise agreements that confirms that an individual's right to make “protected disclosures” was finalised, and whether it will place a copy of the wording in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Alex Neil: The revised confidentiality clause for NHSScotland compromise agreements was finalised earlier this year. The revised clause provides a style of wording that will be routinely proposed for incorporation into any NHSScotland compromise agreement. A copy of th…

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any NHS boards are not implementing a policy of refraining from using confidentiality clauses and non-derogatory statement clauses in respect of compromise agreements and, if so, which.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. This is an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff sought protection from the so-called whistleblowers charter in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. This is an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many protected disclosures were made by NHS staff in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. This is an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees.

27 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the instruction to refrain from use of confidentiality clauses and non-derogatory statement clauses in relation to NHS compromise agreements was implemented.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing wrote to Chairs and Chief Executives of NHS boards on 22 February 2013 to stress his expectation that confidentiality clauses and non-derogatory statement clauses are not used to suppress the reporting of concern…

21 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it is undertaking to increase the number of people with familial hypercholesterolaemia who are diagnosed and treated.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The clinical standards for heart disease, which were published in April 2010 state that individuals who are relatives of patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia should be identified through cascade testing and managed in line with current national guidel…

21 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the proportion of people diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolaemia in Scotland compares with those diagnosed in the Netherlands.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The data available does not allow a direct comparison between the proportion of people diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolaemia in Scotland with those in the Netherlands. There is no central register of patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia in Sco…

21 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the benefits are of diagnosing and treating familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We want people with familial hypercholesterolaemia to get swiftly diagnosed and access to appropriate treatment as quickly as possible. Significant reductions in morbidity and mortality associated with the disease can be achieved through simple changes in lif…

21 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports GPs in deprived areas in treating patients who are addicted to alcohol.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Alcohol Brief Interventions (ABIs) are part of our wider strategic approach to tackling alcohol. Our record investments are helping to fund early intervention services so we can address hazardous or harmful drinking habits before serious health problems, or o…

21 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the benefits are of general practices having attached alcohol workers.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The biggest advantage to an attached alcohol (or any other) worker is the potential for easier communication/access to the specialist support and that would be based on the relationship developed between the GP and worker, but it is not necessary to have an a…

20 May 2013 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to test patients to identify their genetic risk of developing breast cancer.    

16 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the (a) College of Clinical Perfusion Scientists of Great Britain and Ireland and (b) Society of Clinical Perfusion Scientists of Great Britain and Ireland.

Answer · Alex Neil: There have been no recent discussions between the Scottish Government and the College of Clinical Perfusion Scientists of Great Britain and Ireland or the Society of Clinical Perfusion Scientists of Great Britain and Ireland. However, the Healthcare Science …