Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,379 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Aug 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out a timescale for ensuring that all NHS clinical waste produced in Scotland is processed in Scotland.
Answer · Neil Gray: The management of the NHS clinical waste contract is the responsibility for Health Boards. NHS National Services Scotland’s National Procurement and Logistics Service manages the NHS’s relationship with the clinical waste contractor, however there…
12 Aug 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what total cost has been incurred to date in relation to the planned National Treatment Centre in NHS (a) Ayrshire and Arran, (b) Grampian, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Lothian and (e) Tayside.
Answer · Neil Gray: The cost incurred to date in relation to the planned National Treatment Centre in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Grampian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside is as follows.BoardCost incurred to date on National Treatment CentreAyrshire & Arran&poun…
2 Aug 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the immediate stabilisation of ill or premature babies born at University Hospital Wishaw or within the NHS Lanarkshire area, following the reported proposal to downgrade Wishaw’s Neonatal Unit from level 3 to level 2.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The expectation is that the mothers in threatened extreme preterm labour, or those whose babies will require surgery, will be identified antenatally and will birth in the maternity unit alongside the NICU. The Scottish Perinatal Network has published guidance…
2 Aug 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will guarantee that there will be no deterioration of neonatal clinical outcomes following the proposed reconfiguration of services outlined in The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Evidence shows that the very smallest and sickest babies, including those born extremely premature (less than 27 weeks gestation), do best when they are cared for in larger specialist neonatal units which look after a lot of these babies, and have the right s…
2 Aug 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which consulting firm has been hired to oversee the implementation of Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care, and how much the firm has been paid for its services.
Answer · Jenni Minto: No consulting firm has been hired or paid to oversee the implementation of the Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care. The Best Start Implementation Programme Board (IPB), Chaired by Jane Grant, Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde w…
2 Aug 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of safe staffing numbers in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Neonatal Unit as part of its Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government commissioned independent modelling report was published on 29 May, and, following consideration of that report, we have asked the Regional Chief Executives to progress with the development of implementation plans. We have asked that im…
2 Aug 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will share what clinical outcomes data it has gathered on the proposed reconfiguration of services outlined in The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Neonatal clinical outcomes data is gathered from neonatal units in Scotland and routinely published by Public Health Scotland on their Scottish Pregnancy, Births and Neonatal Data Dashboard. The National Neonatal Audit Programme run by the Royal College of P…
2 Aug 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what lessons can be learnt from neonatal consolidation in NHS England, similar to what is being proposed in the Best Start programme for maternity and neonatal care.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Scottish Government is supportive of NHSScotland sharing learning, and also learning from experience and practice of NHS England in relation to operational delivery of government policy, including neonatal policy.
2 Aug 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who carried out the independent review of maternity and neonatal services for The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Review of Maternity and Neonatal Services was led by a review group consisting of representatives from the key professional groups involved in managing and delivering maternity and neonatal services, representatives of the Scottish Government, staff side …
31 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been spent to raise awareness of thrombosis, in each year since 2018, also broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does hold the information on how much each NHS board spends on raising awareness of thrombosis. Although the Scottish Government has not funded a national awareness raising campaign for thrombosis in recent years, in Decem…
31 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much money NHS Scotland has spent treating people affected by thrombosis and related conditions, broken down by NHS board, from 2004 to the most recent available data.
Answer · Jenni Minto: This information is not held by the Scottish Government. All NHS Board expenditure is recorded via the Scottish Financial Returns, which provides operating costs relating to the running of all services provided to patients across NHS Scotland, however, it doe…
31 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people are affected, on a day-to-day basis, by thrombosis and related conditions, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) age group.
Answer · Jenni Minto: This information is not held by the Scottish Government.
24 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of increasing water bills on households during the cost of living crisis, and specifically by consumer price inflation (CPI) plus 2%.
Answer · Gillian Martin: As the former First Minister reported to the member in answer to S6F-01607, the Scottish Government expects the Board of Scottish Water to take a proportionate position when setting charges; balancing affordability with critical investment needs to protect th…
24 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to measure water quality.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Drinking water quality is regulated by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency monitors the water environment by assessing water quality and quantity. Both regulators publish information on their websites about the co…
24 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) is aware and (b) has agreed that Scottish Water can reportedly raise household bills by consumer price inflation (CPI) plus 2% in each of the next two financial years.
Answer · Gillian Martin: As the member is aware from previously submitted questions, most recently S6F-01607 on 8 December 2022, arrangements for setting water charges are set out in the Water Industry (Scotland) Act 2002, and the role of setting of annual price rises is primarily a …
24 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when monitoring of outflows will be undertaken by Scottish Water, including in the Dumbarton constituency.
Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to S6W-26620 on 25 April 2024 for information on the progress of installing CSO monitors. Overflow data is being published on Scottish Water’s website at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/Your-Home/Your-Waste-Water/Overflow-Ev…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the variation in access to living kidney donation across adult kidney centres, and what steps it is taking to make kidney donation easier.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring equitable access to living kidney donation. All nine Renal Units in Scotland are currently supporting living kidney donation, with sixteen living donor co-ordinators in post across the Renal Units.…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what steps it is taking to ensure that all chronic kidney disease patients are pre-emptively put on a transplant waiting list in all NHS boards, prior to going on dialysis.
Answer · Jenni Minto: In line with the actions set out in the Scottish Government’s Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026 , a short-life working group has been set up to consider the issue of “timely transplantation” and to discuss perceived barriers to pre-emptive living d…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what steps it is taking to ensure that those who have received a transplant have sufficient access to psychological support.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Transplant patients can experience a variety of emotions following their transplant and as a result the Scottish Government recognises the importance of psychological and emotional support. In order to better understand patients’ experiences, the Scottish Gov…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the Kidney Care UK publication, Transplant care in the UK: a patient perspective, what steps have been taken to ensure that all chronic kidney disease patients who have received a transplant have access to physiotherapy services.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of access to interdependent services, including those provided by allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, in order to optimise kidney transplant outcomes. Under the Scottish Government’s Donatio…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) the number of people currently waiting for a kidney transplant in Scotland and (b) any impact of long waits on patient outcomes.
Answer · Jenni Minto: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) publishes transplant waiting list statistics across the UK on a quarterly basis. As of 30 June 2024, there were 459 people recorded by NHSBT as being on the active waiting list for a deceased donor kidney transplant in Scotl…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to reduce waiting lists for a kidney transplant.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government’s Donation and Transplantation Plan: 2021-2026 sets out a number of actions designed to help reduce waiting lists for a kidney transplant. This includes the use of novel technologies, which offer the opportunity to allow transplant uni…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the GP Sustainability Loan Scheme has now been restarted, and, if this is not the case, whether it will provide an update on when the scheme will be resumed.
Answer · Neil Gray: We intend to resume Tranche 1 of the Sustainability Loan Scheme in 2024-25 once we have completed the disbursement of funds for those loans already completed and confirmed a budget. This will likely not be until midway through the financial year. Our prefere…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent GPs have (a) been employed and (b) retired or left the profession, in each year since 2019.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold data on how many whole-time equivalent GPs have (a) been employed and (b) retired or left the profession, in each year since 2019. Data on the GP Workforce is published annually by NHS Education for Scotland in the Gen…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs there were as of April 2024, broken down by (a) whole-time equivalent positions and (b) head count.
Answer · Neil Gray: Data on the Whole-Time Equivalent GP Workforce is published annually by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) in the General Practice Workforce Survey report . As of March 2023 the estimated WTE number of GPs (excluding GP registrars/specialist trainees) was 3,4…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on primary care (a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the overall NHS budget, in each year from 2007-08 to 2023-24, and how much it anticipates will be spent in 2024-25.
Answer · Neil Gray: The amount spent by NHS Boards on Family Health Services (FHS), which includes the four primary care contractors, is reported in the annual Cost Book published by Public Health Scotland. This information is publicly available on the PHS website: Costs Book p…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many university places have been available for medical students who are (a) Scotland-domiciled, (b) from the rest of the UK and (c) from overseas, in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Neil Gray: The number of undergraduate medical school places available since 2015, broken down by domicile, has been provided in the following table. As requested, these reflect the places available, rather than the eventual entrants. Academic year (A/Y) Scots/ Rest…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what workforce planning assumptions were provided to universities for (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal nurse places in each year from 2021 to 2024.
Answer · Neil Gray: Current targets for nursing and midwifery controlled funded places have been set for 3 years. Prior to that, targets for controlled places were set annually. The multi-year targets were set in 2022 after extensive engagement with key stakeholders. Those stake…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal nurses have been employed by each NHS board, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Neil Gray: Information on how many (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal nurses have been employed by each NHS board, in each of the last five years, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce (phase one) | Turas…
23 Jul 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much money it costs to train a (a) paediatric and (b) neonatal student nurse at a Scottish university.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government package of support for Scottish domiciled student nurses, midwives and paramedics remains the highest level of support offered in the UK. Annual Student Cost Breakdown Teaching Grant to University (subject to change) £7,775 T…