Jackie Baillie

11 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of any VAT liability for care services that are currently VAT free following the creation of the National Care Service.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: After competitive tender, a contract was awarded to Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP to obtain expert independent advice on the implications of VAT on the NCS and associated Care Boards. This work is ongoing. We will engage with the wider sector and HMT prior to…

11 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to follow the same model on VAT with the National Care Service that was used during the centralisation of Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: After competitive tender, a contract was awarded to Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP to obtain expert independent advice on the implications of VAT on the NCS and associated Care Boards. No decisions have been made at this point and a full understanding of the i…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10866 by Humza Yousaf on 4 October 2022, whether it will clarify when National Cancer Medicines Advisory Group (NCMAG)-recommended cancer medicines will cease to be available to NHS boards, and when cancer services will have been deemed to be recove…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to S6W-11396 on 1 November 2022. 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-committees/writt…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects the establishment of a National Care Service to give rise to VAT or other tax implications.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: After competitive tender, a contract was awarded to Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP to obtain expert independent advice on the implications of VAT on the NCS and associated Care Boards. This work is ongoing. We will engage with the wider sector and HMT prior to…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis it awarded a contract to Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP, which is reportedly worth £46,749, in relation to National Care Service VAT Support.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: We awarded a contract through a competitive tender for independent VAT advice from Anderson Anderson & Brown LLP. This was through Public Contracts Scotland.

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much money it has spent to date in awarding contracts to private companies to undertake work regarding the establishment of a National Care Service, broken down by company, contract duration, and purpose of contract.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Please see the details of contracts awarded to private companies to undertake work regarding the establishment of a National Care Service in the following table. Contract Supplier Awarded Contract Contract Duration Total Contract Value Contract Purpose …

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much money it expects to spend on the use of private companies in undertaking contracts for work relating to the establishment of a National Care Service in the financial year of (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25, broken down by the purpose of any such spending.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Please see the following table of contracts which have been awarded so far by year, as part of the National Care Service Programme. Currently, there is no additional budget specifically allocated for procuring external advice from private companies, although…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it expects 27,500 additional inpatient and day case activity procedures to be performed by the end of 2022-23, as outlined in its NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The NHS Recovery Plan Update published on 4 October provides an overview of progress during the first year since its publication and identifies key risks, such as high levels of uncertainty on the future trajectory of Covid-19 and its potential for increased …

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to recoup from asking Integration Joint Boards to return any unspent COVID-19 funding.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The majority of Integrated Joint Board reserves are earmarked for specific purposes, in particular the ongoing response to COVID-19 and cannot be used to fund new spending commitments. Further Covid funding has not been available from the UK Government for C…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the level of unmet need in adult social care, as of 1 April 2022.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: A range of published data sources provide information related to the level of unmet need in adult social care in Scotland:The Health and Care Experience Survey collects data on unmet need for care and support. This survey runs every two years, and the lates…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital beds, including acute beds and other beds, there have been in each financial year in (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20, (c) 2020-21, (d) 2021-22 and (e) 2022-23.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The latest statistics on average number of available, staffed hospital beds, including for acute specialties, is published in ‘Table 4 - beds.xlsx’ within Public Health Scotland’s annual acute hospital activity and NHS beds publication (available under the ‘D…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many clinical staff are employed in each National Treatment Centre.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is committed to the recruitment of a minimum of 1,500 additional clinical and non-clinical staff to support the operation of Scotland’s National Treatment Centres (NTCs). NTC recruitment is the responsibility of NHS Boards. It is ther…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many clinical staff, who are employed in each National Treatment Centre, have been transferred from a previous role in the NHS.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10530 on 28 September 2022. The Scottish Government has committed to publishing further information on the recruitment of Staff to the National Treatment Centres, as part of the NHS Scotland Workforce Statistic…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has been undertaken to calculate the updated level of unmet need in adult social care since the publication of the Independent Review of Adult Social Care.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scottish Government analysts are considering options for increasing our understanding of the nature and level of unmet need in adult social care, and will continue to engage with external partners to develop appropriate approaches and deliver new insights ove…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many new recruits have been employed to work in each National Treatment Centre.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10530 on 28 September 2022. 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-commi…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of implementing a pay increase to £15 per hour for social care staff in tackling delayed discharge.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government has undertaken analysis into the costings of implementing a pay increase to £15 per hour for social care workers. An increase in pay from the current rate of £10.50 per hour to £15 per hour for adult social care workers providing dire…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £600 million funding package, announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on 4 October 2022, is in addition to the £1 billion of targeted investment, which is referred to in the NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: As announced by myself on 4 October 2022, more than £600 million of funding is provided through the 2022-23 budget to support a range of measures to support the Health & Social Care system through the winter period. This builds on £1 billion of investment alr…

10 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the reported delay in the roll-out of the National Treatment Centres has resulted in a revision of its plan to increase the number of inpatient and day case activity procedures by 55,500 in 2025-26.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-11467 on 8 November 2022. 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-committ…

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on ME services in each of the last 12 months, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maree Todd: This information requested is not held centrally.

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made towards the implementation of the new electronic patient record system, including the timetable for roll-out, and how much funding has been allocated in the current financial year for this.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The 2021 Digital Health and Care strategy aims to make the right information available to all appropriate staff, when and where it is needed, building on the existing use of electronic patient record systems used by all Health Boards and GP practices. Whils…

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has updated its eHealth strategy 2014-2017, and whether it plans to produce a new strategy in the future.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scotland’s Digital Health and Care Strategy was published in April 2018 and refreshed in October 2021 supersedes the eHealth strategy 2014-2017. The Digital Health and Care Strategy embraces the aims and progress as previously set out but incorporates a broad…

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any research has been commissioned regarding ME/CFS in Scotland following the Priority Setting Partnership's identification, in May 2022, of 10 research priorities for ME/CFS, and, if so, when this research will be carried out, and how much funding has been allocated for this pur…

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government partially funded the creation of a Priority Setting Partnership to agree the top 10 priorities for future research on ME/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and we are considering, with partners, how best we can progress these priority areas in …

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what ME-specific services are available, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maree Todd: This information requested is not held centrally.

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many ME specialist nurses there are, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maree Todd: This information requested is not held centrally.

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any additional resources were made available for ME services following the National Clinical Director's letter to NHS boards, of June 2022, about investment to increase the number of specialist clinics and specialists with expertise in ME.

Answer · Maree Todd: This information is not centrally held. While the Scottish Government’s role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards and healthcare professionals locally have responsibility for both service delivery and people’s care. NHS Boards ar…

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has established the short life working group tasked with making recommendations on how clinically-appropriate use of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) equipment in the provision of NHS community eyecare services can be more effectively supported, and, if so, what the membersh…

Answer · Maree Todd: The SLWG has yet to be established pending the review of all 2022-23 budget plans. Scottish Ministers remain committed to the policy intent, however as highlighted by the Deputy First Minister, the impact of the cost crisis and significant rises in inflation …

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has established the short life working group tasked with undertaking a national review of domiciliary eye care services provision, and, if it has, what the membership of the group is, and when the group last met.

Answer · Maree Todd: The SLWG has yet to be established as we are presently intending to recruit additional clinical advisory capacity and expect to progress once this resource is in place.

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has agreed all of the recommendations in the Blake Stevenson report on the new ME/CFS NICE guidelines.

Answer · Maree Todd: We welcome the recommendations made within the recent Scottish stakeholder review of the ME/CFS NICE guideline and are working with stakeholders on how best to implement these. The report was produced independently by Blake Stevenson Ltd to present the views …

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the age profile of the NHS midwifery workforce was in (a) Scotland and (b) each NHS board, in (i) 2016 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Information on what the age profile of the NHS midwifery workforce was in (a) Scotland and (b) each NHS board, in (i) 2016 and (ii) the most recent year can be found in the following link: NHSScotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence The Employment - d…

5 Oct 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of student midwives who began training did not go on to graduate in each of the last five years for which complete figures are available.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Data showing the percentage of pre-registration students who were in the "inactive" training state on a three-year pre-registration midwifery programme over the last five years for which complete figures are available is found in the table below. “Inactive” r…