Jackie Baillie

1 Feb 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29588 by John Swinney on 16 December 2009, what proportion and value of funding to support the Scottish budget was non-recurring in 2008-09 and is non-recurring in 2009-10.

Answer · John Swinney: End year flexibility accounted for £313 million and £400 million of the Scottish funding for 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively. Asset sales accounted for £25 million in 2008-09, the 2009-10 figure is not yet available. One-off Barnett consequentials accounted …

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement by HM Government of £20 million for the Thalidomide Trust to support survivors of the effects of the drug, thalidomide, whether it plans to provide an equivalent contribution for survivors in Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government will make proportionate funding available to contribute to the package of assistance being provided by the UK Government. I am happy to confirm that I am meeting with representatives of the Thalidomide Trust in February to open discuss…

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether oncology services were suspended at Raigmore Hospital in December 2009 and, if so, for what reason.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Highland has advised that chemotherapy and radiotherapy services were open throughout the entire period at Raigmore Hospital.</p> <p >The only exception was the routine planned closure of the Macmillan outpatient chemotherapy unit and radiotherapy depart…

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28777 by Shona Robison on 19 November 2009, whether it will publish the responses from NHS boards to the Infertility Network Scotland survey on infertility services.

Answer · Shona Robison: Infertility Network Scotland has received responses from all NHS boards, and a table summary is being finalised and verified. I will arrange for the summary document to be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49114) in due course.…

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28777 by Shona Robison on 19 November 2009, when the expert group examining infertility services will report.

Answer · Shona Robison: The first meeting of the National Infertility Group is expected to take place during March 2010. I will expect six monthly reports from the Group, with the first report due at the end of September 2010.</p>

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28777 by Shona Robison on 19 November 2009, when the expert group examining infertility services was set up and what its membership is.

Answer · Shona Robison: The NHS boards chief executives'' group is in the process of nominating a Chair for the National Infertility Group. Final membership of the group will be agreed with the chair. </p>

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of deprived areas have school-based dental services.

Answer · Shona Robison: The aim of the Childsmile programme is to provide a Childsmile school service in the most disadvantaged Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile in each NHS board. This is achieved by selecting the schools with the highest number of pupils with …

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which schools in each NHS board area have a school-based dental service.

Answer · Shona Robison: Childsmile Nursery and Childsmile School aim to work with 20% of educational establishments targeted in order of those with the highest proportion of children living in the most deprived local quintile, as defined by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation…

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28811 by Shona Robison on 19 November 2009, whether NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has now introduced school-based dental services.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are committed to starting a school based preventive dental service from April 2010.</p>

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24275 by Nicola Sturgeon on 26 May 2009, how many individual cases of Clostridium difficile there have been since the outbreak at the Vale of Leven Hospital was first identified in May 2008, broken down by hospital and showing the number of fatalitie…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-30927 on 1 February 2010. 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/Apps…

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29776 by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 December 2009, for what reason it can provide a substantive response to question S3W-24275 but not to S3W-29776.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scottish Government statisticians have reviewed the approach which was previously taken to responding to such questions, in light of national statistics protocols.</p> <p >For S3W-29776, NHS boards were approached for the data as no formal published hospital…

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve the uptake of the Scottish Breast Screening Programme by the most deprived women, as defined by the Carstairs deprivation category, whose attendance is below 60%.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are several Scotland-wide projects to help improve uptake including distribution of leaflets. For example NHS Fife produced a DVD targeted at women with learning difficulties and this has now been shared with all NHS boards. In addition to national acti…

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the Carstairs deprivation category is.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Carstairs Index is an area based measure of deprivation, which was developed by Vera Carstairs and Russell Morris, at Edinburgh University using data from the 1981 Census.</p> <p >The original Carstairs index was subdivided into seven categories with cat…

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when all children aged nought to five will have been offered the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination and what the uptake has been to date.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The second phase of the H1N1 vaccination programme, offering vaccination to all children over six months and under five years, has commenced and will continue over the coming weeks. We anticipate that this will be completed by mid-February with mop up activit…

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether pregnant women presenting for the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination can have the mercury-free cevlapan vaccine.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has given clear recommendation that both Celvapan and Pandemrix vaccines are safe for use in pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy. Both vaccines have been licensed for use in pregnant women by the …

20 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing’s statement that she expected all 1.3 million people in the priority groups to have been offered influenza A (H1N1) vaccination by Christmas 2009 (Official Report c. 20608), for what reason there are patients in the at-risk group…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Health boards have indicated that vaccination has been offered to all those in the initial priority groups however a mop up exercise will continue to take place to the end of January to ensure that everyone in the initial priority groups has been invited for …

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the reduction in the Mental Health Legislation and Services draft budget for 2010-11 is fully accounted for by a transfer of £9.5 million to the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland budget, as referred to on pages 36 and 50 respectively of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budge…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The overall reduction is £9.7 million of which £9.5 million relates to the transfer to the Justice portfolio for the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland. The remaining £200,000 represents a contribution to local government in respect of the delivery of 10,000…

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Healthy Start draft budget for 2010-11 has been reduced by £1 million, which is 10% less than the 2009-10 budget, as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Healthy Start is a UK reserved scheme and is part of the benefits system. The budget is demand led and has been amended to reflect the latest cost estimate.</p>

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Healthy Start budget as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document, is distributed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Healthy Start programme in Scotland, is a statutory UK-wide demand-led scheme (formerly known as Welfare Foods). Pregnant women and families with children up to the age of four on certain benefits or tax credits can claim for the Healthy Start Scheme.</p>…

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Improvement and Support of the NHS draft budget for 2010-11 has been reduced by £1.2 million, which is 6% less than the 2009-10 budget, as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The budget for Improvement and Support of the NHS provides a range of programmes and resources designed to help NHS boards improve their performance through redesigning and streamlining processes. The budgets remain as previously planned. As a result of the i…

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Improvement and Support of the NHS budget as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document, is distributed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Improvement and Support Team delivers National Improvement Programmes and Performance Support Programmes. National Improvement Programmes account for about 90% of funds. NHS boards receive allocations for local improvement teams that allow staff time for …

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Access Support for the NHS draft budget for 2010 has been reduced by £48.5 million, which is 32% less than the 2009-10 budget, as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The budget reduction of £48.5 million reflects a recurrent transfer to NHS boards of £28.5 million for waiting times support and savings of £20 million through efficiencies realised following a review of the processes and procedures underpinning the delivery …

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Access Support for the NHS budget as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document, is distributed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The phasing of funding during any waiting time programme is to reflect the position of each NHS board in terms of (a) the number and length of patients waiting, (b) availability of key workforce, (c) the position of each board in terms of specialist (tertiary…

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Health Protection draft budget for 2010-11 has been reduced by £8.8 million, which is 24% less than the 2009-10 budget, as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Health Protection budget covers a range of activities relating to promoting and protecting public health in Scotland.</p> <p >The reduction primarily represents efficiencies arising from utilising modern technologies in respect of key programmes reflecti…

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Health Protection budget as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document, is distributed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The SPICe Financial Scrutiny Unit has already published a breakdown of the Health Protection budget. The figures are reproduced in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td nowrap valign=bottom > <p …

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Health Screening draft budget for 2010-11 has been reduced by almost £5.7 million, which is 40% less than the 2009-10 budget, as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The downward trend was always planned and this is due to the initial set up costs being funded in years 2008-09 and 2009-10 for some of the screening programmes including the introduction of two views screening into the Breast Screening Service.</p>

19 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Health Screening budget as referred to on page 36 of Scotland’s Budget Documents 2010-11: Budget (Scotland) Bill Supporting Document, is distributed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The breakdown is as follows:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=250 valign=top > <p >Programme</p> </td> <td width=71 valign=top > <p >£ Million</p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr > <td width=250 …

14 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on NHS Health Scotland spending up to £300,000 to communicate with MSPs as a priority for action rather than investing the money in frontline services.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government can confirm that NHS Health Scotland has decided not to proceed with a contract for an agency to assist them in ensuring there is an understanding of public health issues and campaigns across all stakeholders. These stakeholders includ…

14 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the value for money represented by NHS Health Scotland spending up to £300,000 on public relations consultants to help the organisation communicate with MSPs, over and above their publicity budget of £55,000.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government can confirm that NHS Health Scotland has decided not to proceed with a contract for an agency to assist them in ensuring there is an understanding of public health issues and campaigns across all stakeholders. These stakeholders includ…

14 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an equality impact assessment was carried out with regard to the proposal to appoint consultants to assist NHS Health Scotland communicate with MSPs.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government can confirm that NHS Health Scotland contracts and agency appointments are all tested through rigorous procurement procedures. This includes taking account of principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination in the tendering proces…