Jackie Baillie

27 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to deliver more flexible service hours for healthcare services since 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government introduced two Directed Enhanced Services, Extended Hours Access for GP Practices and Nursing Provision for Extended Hours Access released on 1 April 2008 and 25 June 2008 and these are currently ongoing.</p> <p >These services provid…

27 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to (a) increase the number of NHS physiotherapists and (b) examine the potential to expand other allied health professions since 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Between 2007 and 2010, the number of physiotherapists in NHSScotland has increased by 4.3% and the number of allied health professions (AHPs) has increased by 7.2% over the same period. </b></p> <p >The Scottish Government has supported a range of recruitmen…

27 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to invest in more NHS fast-track diagnostic and treatment centres since 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government continues to work with NHSScotland to provide a high quality of care which is quick and safe. For example, in 2009 two new £100 million hospitals were opened at Stobhill and at the Victoria in Glasgow which have redesigned their servic…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure the equal and full involvement in local authority educational consultations of those parents or guardians of pupils attending independent and grant aided special schools who are not represented by parent councils.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government does not have a role in this area. The Standards in Scotland''s Schools etc (Scotland) Act 2000 includes many provisions to make sure that parents are consulted on key issues at both school and education authority level.</b></p> <p >…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure the equal and full involvement of the parents or guardians of pupils attending independent and grant-aided special schools in the review of learning provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs.

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that parents and guardians are given the opportunity to engage fully and meaningfully in the strategic review of learning provision for children and young people with complex additional support needs. The secre…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards use private sector providers to deliver their occupational health services.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Health Scotland is the only NHSScotland board to use a private sector provider to deliver their occupational health service.</b></p>

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason NHS Health Scotland uses a private provider for its occupational health service rather than NHS Lothian.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Health Scotland uses a private provider for its occupational health service because, having retendered for this service, as required by law, and having undertaken a procurement process in line with current legislation, this private provider was deemed to …

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27498 by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 September 2009, how many GP practices have reopened negotiations with premium rate telephone line providers to drive down costs to callers.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We do not hold any information on how many GP practices have re-opened negotiations with premium telephone providers.</p> <p >We have however written to chief executives of NHS boards on 23 February 2011 reiterating the Scottish Government''s policy that pat…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27498 by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 September 2009, when the guidance to NHS boards on the use of premium rate telephone lines was issued.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We wrote to chief executives of NHS boards on 23 February 2011 reiterating the Scottish Government''s policy that patients should not incur charges above the normal telephone call rates. We have also requested that they encourage GP contractors to review thei…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-27498 and S3W-27499 by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 September 2009, how many GP practices have set up premium rate telephone lines since the Cabinet Secretary announced that guidance would be issued to NHS boards that would require them to press practices…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We are not aware of any additional GP practices using premium rate telephone numbers and we want to encourage those which do so to review their current telephone provider arrangements.</p> <p >We have written to chief executives of NHS boards reiterating the…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38740 by Nicola Sturgeon on 12 January 2011, how many GP practices now have premium rate telephone numbers.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The answer was given in question S3W-38740, there are 40 GP practices with premium rate telephone numbers.</p> <p >All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a hr…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long it considers investigations of allegations of harassment or bullying should take.

Answer · John Swinney: It is for individual employers to decide how long they consider it is reasonable for investigations into bullying or harassment to take. The Scottish Government''s Fairness at Work policy states that it expects formal complaints made under the policy to be re…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff in NHS National Services Scotland are absent on sick leave due to work-related stress and how many have been absent for this reason in each year since 2007-08.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) do not collate and categorise sickness absence figures into those relating to purely work-related stress. NSS do however collate sickness absence figures for employees absent for the following reasons - anxiety, stress, de…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many allegations of harassment and bullying in NHS National Services Scotland have been made in each year since 2007-08 and how many of the investigations into these cases have not been completed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) centrally record the total number of grievances that have been lodged by employees. NSS do not currently break these figures down further into the various categories, such as harassment and bullying. The figures provided b…

26 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a policy to deal with harassment and bullying in NHS National Services Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS National Services Scotland respond to all harassment and bullying allegations under their harassment and bullying policy, last published in August 2010. The policy states that all allegations of harassment and bullying should be investigated.</b></p>

25 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a proposal to close a primary school that would also close a pre-five unit requires separate statements for the primary and pre-five children where the impact of the closure would have a different outcome for the different age groups.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 sets out the consultation process that local authorities must adhere to when proposing the closure of a school, a school-based nursery and a stand alone local authority nursery school. As part of their statutory …

24 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will assess whether a local authority has breached the teacher-pupil ratio in primary 1 to 3 requirement.

Answer · Michael Russell: Discussions are on going with local government as to how the commitment to maintain the 2010 P1 to P3 pupil-teacher ratio will be assessed.</b></p>

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister’s statement that the £30 million proceeds from the proposed large retail supplement could fund 1,000 nurses is accurate.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The First Minister''s statement was accurate. A newly qualified nurse would currently make £21,176 per annum in basic pay. In order to calculate total cost, it is necessary to add 33.6% to this figure to represent both employer on-costs and additional payment…

20 Jan 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proceeds of the proposed large retail supplement will be accounted for in the local government budget line.

Answer · John Swinney: The Parliament voted on 2 February 2011 that nothing further be done under the regulations that would have introduced the large retail property supplement.</p>

23 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures must be followed by a local authority in the event of the proposed closure of a pre-5 unit under the management of its education authority.

Answer · Adam Ingram: There are legal obligations on local authorities to provide pre-school education and these are set out in the Standards in Scotland''s Schools etc, Act 2000.</b></p> <p >When proposing the closure of any school, including a school based nursery, local author…

21 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many band 7 hospital pharmacist posts there were in each NHS board in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 and there are in 2010

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally as data specifically for band 7 hospital pharmacist posts is not captured separately in the workforce statistics. NHS Service Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland publish data annually and tren…

21 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many band 7 hospital pharmacist vacancies there were in each NHS board in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 and there are in 2010

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Data specifically for band 7 hospital pharmacist vacancies by NHS board for 2007, 2008 and 2009 are not centrally held.</b></p> <p >The Scottish Government recognises the importance of monitoring pharmacy establishment over the longer term and have been work…

21 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many band 7 hospital pharmacists were employed by each NHS board in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 and are employed in 2010

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally as data specifically for band 7 hospital pharmacist posts is not captured separately in the workforce statistics. NHS Service Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland publish data annually and tren…

21 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many band 6 hospital pharmacist posts there were in each NHS board in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 and there are in 2010

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally as data specifically for band 6 hospital pharmacist posts is not captured separately in the workforce statistics. NHS Service Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland publish data annually and tren…

21 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many band 6 hospital pharmacist vacancies there were in each NHS board in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 and there are in 2010

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Data specifically for band 6 hospital pharmacist vacancies by NHS board for 2007, 2008 and 2009 are not centrally held.</b></p> <p >The Scottish Government recognises the importance of monitoring pharmacy establishment over the longer term and have been work…

21 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many band 6 hospital pharmacists were employed by each NHS board in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 and are employed in 2010

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally as data specifically for band 6 hospital pharmacist posts is not captured separately in the workforce statistics. NHS Service Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland publish data annually and tren…

16 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be an impact on a local authority’s education funding allocation if it decreases teacher numbers or increases teacher pupil ratios in primary 1 to 3 in October 2011 and, if so, what that impact will be.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has made clear that for councils to access the full amount of the financial package, it will require each local authority to agree formally to the full list of commitments contained within the package.</p> <p >Each local authority lea…

16 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the education funding allocation will be for Argyll and Bute Council for 2011-12 if it breaches the conditions of the concordat by either decreasing teacher numbers or increasing teacher pupil ratios in primary 1 to 3, also expressed as a percentage of its budget.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38425 on 20 January 2011 with regard to there being no education funding allocation. All answers to written parliamentary question are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can b…

16 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the education funding allocation for Argyll and Bute Council will be for 2011-12 if it complies with the conditions of the concordat, also expressed as a percentage of its budget.

Answer · Michael Russell: Local authorities receive funding from the Scottish Government in the form of a block grant. There is no education funding allocation. It is for each local authority to deploy the total financial resources available to it on the basis of local needs and prior…

16 Dec 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the statistics for local authority teaching posts and teacher pupil ratios for primary 1 to 3 are collected.

Answer · Michael Russell: Teacher and pupil census data is gathered during the autumn term each year. The resulting statistical bulletins were published on 27 November in 2009 and on 1 December in 2010.</b></p>