Jackie Baillie

14 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to develop and publish a new national strategy for palliative and end of life care.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government remains committed to developing and delivering a new Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy. We have established a Strategy Steering Group to oversee the development and delivery which has now met six times. We have also established …

12 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will receive any Barnett consequential funding as a result of the UK Government's NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, and, if so, whether this will be used to support additional training for medical and nursing staff in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published by UK government in June 2023, sets out funding in England of £2.4 billion between? 2024-25 and 2028-29. This funding is expected to be subject to the Barnett formula, however final budget allocations are currently …

11 Sep 2023 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to keep people safe, in light of reported concerns about the spread of new variants of COVID-19.

5 Sep 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to urgently address the reported maintenance backlog in GP practices.  

5 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-17748 and S6W-17799 by Michael Matheson on 18 May 2023, whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to address any regional variation in survival and access to surgery for ovarian cancer.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As stated in response to S6W-17748, this analysis predates improvement work that has been undertaken across all cancer regions, but the situation clearly requires continued prioritisation and close attention. The Deputy National Clinical Director and Scottis…

5 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms during Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month in September 2023.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We continue to work with the Scottish Cancer Coalition to mark cancer awareness months, as well as using Detect Cancer Earlier channels to help promote key messages and share case studies which often prompt others to take action. A new Earlier Cancer Diagnos…

5 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taking to improve early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Answer · Michael Matheson: A new Earlier Cancer Diagnosis Vision was developed as part of the new ‘Cancer Strategy for Scotland’ (published June 2023). The vision is to reduce later stage disease by 18 percentage points in 10 years’ time with a focus on reducing the health inequality g…

28 Aug 2023 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support the tourism sector.

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding was provided to each of the 31 alcohol and drug partnerships in each financial year from 2019-20 to 2023-24.

Answer · Elena Whitham: Funding provided to each Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) for 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 is available at: Alcohol and Drug Partnerships: funding allocations - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) The Scottish Government’s direct, recurring funding to support ADP pr…

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to open drug checking services in Scotland.

Answer · Elena Whitham: We are committed to delivering drug checking facilities in Scotland and we are currently waiting for further information from the Home Office around their acceptable criteria for these facilities. This is required to inform the license applications being deve…

24 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has applied to the Home Office for approval for drug checking services.

Answer · Elena Whitham: It is not for the Scottish Government to apply for Home Office licenses to establish Drug Checking in Scotland. The application process requires specific information provided by the pilot cities of Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow. Therefore, the organisations m…

17 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS staff currently make up the palliative care workforce, and what the figures were in each year since 2018, broken down by the number of (a) generalists and (b) specialists.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. The funding and commissioning of specialist and general palliative and end of life care services, including workforce planning and allocating resources for staffing, is a matter for Integration…

17 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of (i) specialist and (ii) generalist social care workforces to deliver palliative care to rural and remote areas.

Answer · Jenni Minto: An underlying principle of the new National Strategy for Palliative and End of Life Care for Scotland being developed will be equitable and timely access to palliative care as needed, by each person of any age, living with any illness, in all places. The Str…

17 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that people in rural and remote communities know what palliative care is and how to access it.

Answer · Jenni Minto: We are currently developing a new Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy with an overarching aim that everyone in Scotland receives well-coordinated, timely and high-quality palliative care around death and bereavement support based on their needs and prefe…

17 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to address any access challenges in delivering palliative care to rural and remote areas.

Answer · Jenni Minto: An underlying principle of the new National Strategy for Palliative and End of Life Care for Scotland will be equitable and timely access to palliative care as needed by each person of any age, living with any illness, in all places. As part of this work we…

11 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been provided to NHS boards in the 2023-24 financial year to staff and deliver chronic pain services, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Detail on how funding has been used specifically for the assessment and treatment of chronic pain would require to be requested from NHS Boards.

11 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide additional funding to chronic pain services, in light of the reported closure of pain relief clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting increase in waiting times for appointments.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The 2023-24 Scottish Budget delivers record funding of £19 billion including increases in funding for community and primary care health services such as GP practices where the vast majority of people with chronic pain seek support. Detail on how funding has b…

11 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on the Pain Management Task Force and its subsidiary committees in 2021-22, and what the money was spent on.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Task Force was created in June 2022. No money was spent on the Pain Management Task Force or its subsidiary committees in 2021-22.  

11 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much is budgeted for the work of the Pain Management Task Force in 2023-24, and what the money has been allocated to be spent on.

Answer · Jenni Minto: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19803 on 31 July 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committee…

3 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects the data on the operation of the 2022-23 Young Patients Family Fund to be published.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Data in relation to the Young Patients Family Fund is not routinely published however, latest information for 2022-23 shows that 8,415 claims were submitted under YPFF and that this equated to 3,740 young inpatients being claimed for. This information was pr…

3 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-17129 and S6W-18948 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2023 and 21 June 2023 respectively, whether it will provide an update regarding what percentage of applications to the Young Patients Family Fund has resulted in the award being granted in 2022-23.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The latest data reported from Health Boards indicates 8415 claims were made and 8413 were successful and resulted in 99.97 percent of claims being granted in 2022-23. This data relates to all but one Health Board, NHS Borders. The Scottish Government is worki…

3 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-17128 and S6W-18949 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2023 and 21 June 2023 respectively, whether it will provide an update regarding what the average amount was claimed through the Young Patients Family Fund in 2022-23.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The latest data reported from Health Boards indicates that £320.06 was the average amount claimed through the Young Patients Family Fund in 2022-23. This data relates to all but one territorial Health Board, NHS Borders. The Scottish Government is working wit…

3 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what involvement it has in scrutinising the complaints procedure within NHS boards.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Overall responsibility and accountability for the management of NHS complaints lies with individual Boards’ Chief Executives, Executive Directors and appropriate senior management. The NHS Model Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP) has been in operation acros…

3 Aug 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the target timescales for NHS boards' handling of complaints at stage 1 and stage 2.

Answer · Michael Matheson: We are committed to openness and transparency in an NHS that welcomes all forms of feedback and uses it to inform continuous improvement. The current NHS Model Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP) has been in operation across Scotland since 1 April 2017. This…

20 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any specific funding was provided for the cleaning of the air conditioning systems at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and, if so, how much was allocated.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In 2023-24, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s baseline budget was over £2.6 billion, in addition to that, they also receive a capital allocation of £39 million, therefore it would be for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to fund any costs associated with cleaning a…

20 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware of any presence of cadmium in pipes within the air conditioning system at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The management of pipes and air conditioning systems in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is managed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and it is not an area the Scottish Government would ordinarily be involved with. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have n…

20 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether any cadmium-plated pipes were fully water tested before the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital opened.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government do not hold any information on whether cadmium-plated pipes were water tested before the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital opened in 2015.  

20 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether any risk assessment was undertaken in respect of any potential corrosion of cadmium piping at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and the possibility of a carcinogenic being released as a result of any such corrosion.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The management of piping in hospitals is managed by the local NHS Board and any risk assessment would not routinely be submitted to the Scottish Government.

19 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers survey of June 2023, which reports that 61% of respondents are considering leaving the self-catering sector.

Answer · Paul McLennan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20107 on 8 August 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committee…

19 Jul 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many businesses it estimates will close as a consequence of short-term let licensing.

Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested, however, my letter to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee of 28 June 2023 provided an update on the health of the tourism sector drawn from indications taken from a number of …