Jackie Baillie

18 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15447 by Stewart Maxwell on 18 September 2008, how many of the applications for the central heating programme from January 2007 to August 2008 were successful.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: From January 2007 to August 2008 inclusive, 33,442 met the qualifying criteria and proceeded to the survey stage. Entitlement is then confirmed during the survey stage in the applicant''s home.</p>

17 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence was gathered of fuel retailers increasing prices during the two day strike at the Grangemouth refinery in April 2008 and what action was taken on this evidence.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Scottish Government does not hold data regarding fuel prices as this matter is reserved. Competition authorities, such as the Office of Fair Trading, routinely investigate allegations of price fixing, anti-competitive agreements and abuse of any dominant …

17 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action was taken to ensure that fuel retailers avoided increasing prices during the two day strike at the Grangemouth refinery in April 2008.

Answer · Jim Mather: The matter of fuel prices is reserved. But throughout the INEOS strike and the subsequent Suckling/Hoyer dispute, Scottish ministers discouraged petrol retailers from putting up prices unnecessarily. In addition, Scottish ministers encouraged the public to re…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15497 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 September 2008, whether it considers that the nine full ward terminal cleans carried out at Vale of Leven Hospital between 21 December 2007 and 25 April 2008 were for Clostridium difficile rather than norovirus outbreaks…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No. I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that within this period, the Infection Control Team at the Vale of Leven Hospital specifically detected outbreaks of Norovirus on a number of occasions. On each of these occasions the wards concerned were clos…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing intends to announce to the Parliament that she is establishing “bug busters” teams that are to inspect hospitals for cleanliness, as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 14 September 2008.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing detailed plans for inspections of hospitals and reporting arrangements for consultation. An announcement will be made in due course.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the “bug busters” teams that are to inspect hospitals for cleanliness, as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 14 September 2008, will interface with the current self assessment of healthcare associated infection standards by NHS boards.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing detailed plans for inspections of hospitals and reporting arrangements for consultation. An announcement will be made in due course.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the “bug busters” teams that are to inspect hospitals for cleanliness, as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 14 September 2008, will monitor the implementation of all healthcare associated infection standards in hospitals.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing detailed plans for inspections of hospitals and reporting arrangements for consultation. An announcement will be made in due course.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the frequency of inspections will be by the “bug busters” teams that are to inspect hospitals for cleanliness, as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 14 September 2008.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing detailed plans for inspections of hospitals and reporting arrangements for consultation. An announcement will be made in due course.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the “bug busters” teams that are to inspect hospitals for cleanliness, as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 14 September 2008, will be independent of the Scottish Government.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing detailed plans for inspections of hospitals and reporting arrangements for consultation. An announcement will be made in due course.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the “bug busters” teams that are to inspect hospitals for cleanliness, as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 14 September 2008, will monitor.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing detailed plans for inspections of hospitals and reporting arrangements for consultation. An announcement will be made in due course.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the “bug busters” teams that are to inspect hospitals for cleanliness, as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 14 September 2008, will be operational.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing detailed plans for inspections of hospitals and reporting arrangements for consultation. An announcement will be made in due course.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to whom the “bug busters” teams that are to inspect hospitals for cleanliness, as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 14 September 2008, will report.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing detailed plans for inspections of hospitals and reporting arrangements for consultation. An announcement will be made in due course.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the specific responsibilities of the “bug busters” teams that are to inspect hospitals for cleanliness, as reported in Scotland on Sunday on 14 September 2008.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is developing detailed plans for inspections of hospitals and reporting arrangements for consultation. An announcement will be made in due course.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing will discuss with the families involved in the C.diff Justice Group the chairing and remit of any public inquiry on the outbreak of Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I fully appreciate the views expressed about a public inquiry. As I said in Parliament on 11 September, it is right to allow the investigation by the area procurator fiscal to conclude before any further decisions are taken by ministers. I will make a further…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing expects to receive advice from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to any action to be taken following the outbreak of Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Lord Advocate has asked the Area Procurator Fiscal for Argyll and Clyde to make urgent enquiries into the circumstances of the deaths at the Vale of Leven and report its findings to Crown Counsel. It will then be a matter for Crown Counsel to consider wha…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing monitors progress in relation to the Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force delivery plan.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Our key stakeholders meet every two months and provide regular progress reports on their sections the Healthcare Associated Infection Delivery Plan. The delivery plan can be viewed at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/03/07110818/0">http:/…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force has developed an HAI monitoring framework with key performance indicators and, if so, when it was implemented.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The HAI monitoring framework with key performance indicators was incorporated into the revised NHS Quality Improvement Scotland HAI Standards published in March 2008.</p>

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15604 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 September 2008, whether the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force reports annually to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing setting out progress against the targets contained in the HAI delivery plans…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Yes. The summary reports for the two previous HAI Delivery Plans (2002-05 and 2005 and 2008) are available from the HAI Task Force website, the link to which is:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/19529/2005">http://www.sc…

12 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15572 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 September 2008, when annual reviews were last held in public by Scottish ministers with National Services Scotland and NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Shona Robison: The 2008 annual review for NHS Quality Improvement Scotland was held on Tuesday 16 September 2008 and the 2008 Annual Review for National Services Scotland was held on 22 September 2008.</p> <p >The agendas for reviews are structured around the board''s pe…

12 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15608 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 September 2008, whether any amendments were made to the draft reports from the independent review team and Health Protection Scotland between 1 August 2008 and publication on 7 August 2008.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Independent Review Report was sent to the publishers on 1 August 2008.</p> <p >The Health Protection Scotland (HPS) report was commissioned by the Scottish Government. The information for the report was provided by NHS boards was for analytical interpret…

12 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15591 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 September 2008, whether the report from the Outbreak Control Team will be published after it has been shared with the area procurator fiscal.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16253 on 25 September 2008. 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/w…

12 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15590 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 September 2008, whether it considers that guidance issued by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service should now contain a requirement to report deaths from Clostridium difficile.

Answer · Elish Angiolini: The current version of this guidance, entitled <i >Death and the Procurator Fiscal</i>, was issued in 1998. The categories of death that require to be reported to the Procurator Fiscal in terms of this guidance are currently under review and revised guidance …

12 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15579 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 September 2008, whether the Infection Control Manager reported any problems at the Vale of Leven Hospital to the Chief Executive of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde between December 2007 to June 2008 and, if so, when.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I fully anticipate that full details of the procedures followed during this outbreak will be set out in the Outbreak Control Team''s report which will be produced in due course.</p>

12 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15577 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 September 2008, how the £54 million over three years to tackle all healthcare associated infection will be allocated, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) initiative.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The £54 million set aside for HAI over the next three years is not allocated in this way. Funding supports the work of the Scottish Government, NHS boards and stakeholders such as Health Protection Scotland (HPS), Health Facilities Scotland (HFS), NHS Educati…

12 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15495 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 September 2008, whether it considers that this answer is consistent with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing’s commitment to being open and transparent in sharing information with families affected by Clostrid…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We adhere to the due processes for the release of information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and the Scottish Government''s Six Principles are available at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/FOI/6principles/Q/EditMode/on/ForceUpda…

12 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15613 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 September 2008, when the Outbreak Control Team will report and whether the report will be published.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I am informed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that the draft of the report of the Outbreak Control Team is being finalised. It is not possible to confirm the publication date as yet.</p>

12 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15571 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 September 2008, whether NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde followed up on the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland inspection of May 2005 which showed that NHS Argyll and Clyde had not met 40 of the 69 criteria for hospital-acqu…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland arrangements existing at that time were commissioned by the previous administration.</p> <p >I am advised by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that the Argyll and Clyde area infection control committee progressed a number of …

10 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15472 by Shona Robison on 4 September 2008, whether the reduced national performance target for the Scottish Ambulance Service for category A calls from 75% for each NHS board to 75% across Scotland is due to a reduction in resources or the need to m…

Answer · Shona Robison: The category A performance target was revised to ensure that it was both challenging yet deliverable. There has been no reduction in resources provided to the Scottish Ambulance Service, neither was the requirement to achieve efficiency savings a factor.</p>

10 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what efficiency targets the Scottish Ambulance Service is required to achieve; over what time period, and what level of cash savings will be generated.

Answer · Shona Robison: In line with other NHS boards, the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has been set a 2% recurring efficiency savings target over the period 2008-09 to 2010-11. These savings will be retained in the SAS.</p>

10 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what budget has been allocated to the Scottish Ambulance Service for (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Ambulance Service baseline budget for 2007-08 was £177.794 million and for 2008-09 was £183.394 million. The increase represents a 3.15% uplift.</p> <p >Budgets for forward years have not yet been set.</p>