Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,379 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in 2019-20, how many people under the age of 19 accessing services for mental ill health were offered talking therapy but declined the service and chose antidepressants as first-line treatment.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people are able to access the right support for their mental health without stigma, including medication where this is the most appropriate intervention. The Scottish Government doe…
3 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of almost 2,000 children waiting more than a year in September 2021 for specialist child mental health services, how many of these young people were prescribed antidepressants, and how many were prescribed antidepressants by a GP, without seeing a specialist.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people are able to access the right support for their mental health without stigma, including medication where this is the most appropriate intervention. The Scottish Government doe…
3 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the monitoring and review procedure is for children and young people who are prescribed antidepressants.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Children and young people who are prescribed antidepressants will receive regular medication reviews with their prescribing clinician. The frequency and structure of these reviews will be based on the clinician’s judgment and on consultation with the patient …
3 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of 20,825 people under the age of 19 reportedly being prescribed antidepressants in 2019-20, how many of these were prescribed the medication by a GP, without seeing a specialist.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people are able to access the right support for their mental health without stigma, including medication where this is the most appropriate intervention. The Scottish Government doe…
2 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on the (a) Stoma Care Quality and Cost Effectiveness Review and (b) National Stoma Quality Improvement Short Life Working Group, and which recommendations from each of these have been actioned.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Stoma Care Quality and Cost Effectiveness Review was undertaken by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on behalf of NHS Scotland. The only cost incurred in producing the report was £858.40 for publishing the document. There were no costs incurred by Scottish Go…
2 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it guarantees that the approximately £2 million of funding received by NHS National Services Scotland national procurement from stoma care product suppliers in 2020 is used solely for stoma care specialist nursing services within NHS boards across Scotland, as per agreement NP642/13 …
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government does not hold this information and we would expect individual NHS Boards to consider and implement this funding locally. The national procurement process responsibility is undertaken by NHS National Services Scotland for stoma care pr…
2 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding NHS Scotland has received in value-related rebates from stoma care product suppliers in the last 10 years.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. National Procurement Scotland are responsible for the service level agreement with stoma manufacturers.
2 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the establishment of stoma fora in NHS boards, as recommended by the Stoma Care Quality and Cost Effectiveness Review, in 2016, and the National Stoma Quality Improvement Short Life Working Group, in 2019.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Stoma Care Quality and Cost Effectiveness Review, in 2016, and the National Stoma Quality Improvement Short Life Working Group (NSQIG), in 2019 recommended that NHS Boards who currently do not have an established Stoma Forum should consider this. The Scot…
1 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People - Employment Action Plan helps encourage disabled people into the labour market.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People - Employment Action Plan' is focused on tackling the structural barriers that prevent, or make it more difficult, for disabled people to enter the labour market and sustain fair work. Our actions to tackle these barriers …
1 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many disabled people have achieved (a) full-time and (b) part-time employment as a result of its A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People - Employment Action Plan.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Our aim is to at least halve the disability employment gap (DEG) by 2038. The number of disabled people (16-64 years) in full-time employment in Scotland is estimated to have increased from 180,000 in Jan-Dec 2016 to 217,600 in Jan-Dec 2020; with the number o…
1 Mar 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for an adult care system to support disabled people accessing employment.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland who want to work, including those receiving adult social care support, are able to access appropriate and flexible employability support. We will continue to work towards ou…
28 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06126 by Maree Todd on 28 February 2022, by what date it estimates that all screening centres will have offered women aged 53 to 70 their breast screening appointments within 39 months of their previous screening.
Answer · Maree Todd: Modelling work completed prior to omicron suggested it would be March 2023 before all screening centres in Scotland would reach the point of being able to offer breast screening rounds of 39 months. There are however a number of factors at play including the …
28 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06126 by Maree Todd on 28 February 2022, what its position is on whether over-70s breast cancer screening will have restarted by the end of 2022.
Answer · Maree Todd: As answered PQ S6W-06126, in recognition of the anxiety the pause is causing, I have asked for work to explore options that will accelerate the restart of self-referrals for women aged 71 and over. Any decision will be informed by clinical advice and the on-g…
25 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have currently been waiting over (a) one year, (b) two years and (c) three years for hip or knee replacement surgery, also broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Tables 1 and 2 present the number of patients covered by the Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG) waiting within an inpatient or day-case setting by NHS Board at 31 December 2021, and the number waiting over 1, 2 and 3 years for a hip or knee replacement procedure,…
25 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently waiting for hip or knee replacement surgery in each NHS board.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Table 1 presents the number of patients covered by the Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG) waiting for a hip or knee replacement procedure within an inpatient or day-case setting by NHS Board at 31 st December 2021. Table 1: Number of patients waiting for a hip o…
25 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what resources are being made available to NHS boards to help patients on their orthopaedic surgery waiting lists to remain healthy enough to be operated on, while they are waiting.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: A procurement process is underway for a web-based PROMS system to track the condition of long-waiting patients. Information and resources are being updated on NHS inform, and some joint work is ongoing with Versus Arthritis. Earlier this year, the Scottish G…
25 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources are being made available to NHS boards to assist them in reducing their orthopaedic surgery waiting lists, and back to pre-pandemic levels, where this applies.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This process is currently underway. Health Boards have been asked to submit 22/23 plans linked to activity trajectories and requests for funding, which will be used to allocate resources to address orthopaedic surgery waiting lists.
25 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specific plans are in place to reduce orthopaedic surgery waiting lists, and back to pre-pandemic levels, where this applies.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: This process is currently underway. Health Boards have been asked to submit 22-23 plans linked to activity trajectories and requests for funding, which will be used to allocate resources to address orthopaedic surgery waiting lists. Additionally, as part of …
25 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to advising NHS boards to follow NICE guideline 158 on the diagnosis, management and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism in adults, published in 2020, until SIGN guideline 122 is updated.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Clinical guideline implementation is the responsibility of NHS Boards. The ultimate decision about a particular clinical procedure or treatment will always depend on each individual patient’s condition, circumstances and wishes, and the clinical judgement of …
25 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish a new NHS workforce plan, and whether it has engaged with the Neurological Alliance of Scotland in relation to any workforce planning regarding multiple sclerosis.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government and COSLA published a National Workforce Strategy on 11 March 2022. This Strategy sets out a new framework to shape Scotland’s Health and Social Care workforce over the next decade; which places training, wellbeing, job satisfaction …
25 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what publicly available data exists to demonstrate how well patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) are being managed following an initial episode, and whether this data is being used to facilitate the optimal management, including condition prevention, of patients at risk of recurren…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: There is currently no publicly available data regarding how patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) are managed following an initial episode.
24 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the requirement to take a COVID-19 lateral flow test before entering a care home will continue as restrictions ease, and whether these tests will continue to be free for people entering care homes.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: As the First Minister set out on 17th March we have a testing transition plan which will ensure that Scotland continues to have a proportionate and effective testing response as we learn to live with covid. Where the Government recommends that testing should…
23 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what date guidance regarding the wearing of face masks in schools will be published.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The guidance on face coverings in schools was most recently updated on 17 February, and this updated guidance came into force on 28 February. This guidance is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-reducing-the-risks…
22 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women were fitted with an Essure contraceptive coil from 2002 to 2017, when it was discontinued because of its side effects.
Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14655 on 13 March 2018. 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…
22 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to women who were fitted with the Essure contraceptive coil, which was discontinued in 2017 because of its side effects.
Answer · Maree Todd: I am in the process of making arrangements to meet with members of the Life After Essure UK and Ireland support group. Once this meeting has taken place the Government will, of course, consider whether any further action is required on our part or by the NHS…
22 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time has been for abdominal aortic aneurysm screenings in each year since 2019, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Maree Todd: The data is not available in the format requested. Men become eligible for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening when they reach age 65, and should receive an initial invite before their 66 th birthday. The programme monitors the proportion of the eligib…
21 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05560 by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2022, for each stage of the care pathway in each NHS board, whether it will clarify which stroke guidelines have been embedded into the care that patients receive, and whether it plans to diverge Scotland’s propos…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Guidelines are intended as an aid to clinical judgement, not to replace it. The ultimate decision about a particular clinical procedure or treatment will always depend on each individual patient’s condition, circumstances and wishes, and the clinical judgemen…
21 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the significant milestones are for improving stroke care in 2022 in order to ensure that people who survive a stroke receive the help that they need to achieve their recovery potential.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: We are supporting the National Advisory Committee on Stroke to develop a progressive stroke pathway document which will set out the vision for what stroke services across Scotland should deliver across the whole patient pathway, including access to stroke reh…
21 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05558 by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2022, whether it will provide details of the resources and capabilities that stroke units need to demonstrate in order to be considered a stroke unit, and how it assures the families of stroke patients that these …
Answer · Humza Yousaf: There are a wide range of definitions for Stroke Units and it is understandable that stroke units will look very different between, for instance, a large city hospital and island NHS Boards The core criteria for defining a stroke unit are well described in t…
21 Feb 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05559 by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2022, what criteria were used to determine the current stroke care brain scan standard of 90% scanned within 12 hours, and, in light of strokes often being time-critical medical emergencies, for what reasons it co…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Stroke Improvement Team have reported on a 12 hour Standard for brain imaging since the Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme National Report (2020). Prior to this, the standard had been within 24 hours. This change in Stroke Standard was in resp…