Parliamentary questions

Mary Scanlon

4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation it has undertaken of applied psychology in the NHS and what plans it has to publish the outputs of any such work.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29412 on 8 December 2009. 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.parliame…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure close partnership and communication between psychologists and the people involved in public health policy development.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government and the British Psychological Society (Scotland) are jointly funding the secondment of two health psychologists for 12 months from April 2009, to inform public health policy development. The Chief Scientists Office (CSO) also …

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that survivors of childhood sexual abuse are given access to psychology support services.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government provided funding of £2 million through the National Strategy for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse to help address the needs of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. This funding was allocated to 25 statutory and voluntary…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether mental health patients are given choice and access to psychology and psychiatric services as an alternative to drug-based treatments.

Answer · Shona Robison: Patients accessing specialist mental health services are given a full assessment and will be offered, following discussion with them, treatment appropriate to their needs. This may include pharmacological, talking therapies or social support, or a combination…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how psychology vacancies can be used as an integral part of health services development.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS boards are expected to take all workforce issues, in particular the skill mix required to deliver a specific service, into account when planning service developments. This will include, where relevant, consideration of local psychology vacancies. <p …

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how health psychology is being used to influence health behaviours.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is developing and making use of this discipline to inform a number of social marketing campaigns including Take Life On and the Steps for Stress campaigns. Psychologists are also working directly with patients…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how psychologists’ skills can be fully employed to give support for children and parents to ensure that issues are diagnosed and appropriate support located and provided.

Answer · Shona Robison: Psychologists are a valuable contribution to the child and adolescent mental health workforce and to this end we are investing £1 million this year, rising to £3.5 million in 2011-12 to support NHS boards to increase the number of psychologists working in spe…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that there is an input from a psychology professional in the planning of all relevant services.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to questions S3W-29641 and S3W-29645 on 15 December 2009. 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.…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the appointment of a lead officer for psychology in Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government Health Directorates obtain advice from a range of expert sources when developing policy, including from professionals involved in delivering psychological services across Scotland. This system works effectively and there are no plans c…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to provide training by psychologists for staff working with older people.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are working with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to support Psychological Therapies Training Co-ordinator posts in Health Boards to provide the educational infrastructure necessary to ensure training and supervision are well-organised, sustainable, and ha…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase the availability and access to evidence-based psychological therapies for all age groups in a range of settings and through a range of providers and, if so, how.

Answer · Shona Robison: We have a specific commitment to expand and improve access to psychological therapies for all ages in a range of settings, and we are working closely with NHS Education for Scotland and NHS boards to deliver on this commitment and meet patient''s needs better…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase older people’s access to cognitive stimulation therapy.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has a particular focus on improving access to evidence-based psychological therapies in a range of settings and through a range of providers. We are working with NHS Education for Scotland and NHS boards to improve availability of psyc…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to increase the number of psychologists working with older people.

Answer · Shona Robison: We have been actively working with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to develop training, both for shorter MSc courses for psychologists and for a range of other clinicians to deliver psychological therapies. Since NES took over responsibility for Cli…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ask the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care to consider including an expectation of access to psychological services for people in long-term residential care as part of its standards of good practice.

Answer · Shona Robison: Under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, Scottish ministers are responsible for preparing and publishing the national care standards. These set out what people who use care services can expect from the service. The Care Commission is required to take…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of access to psychology services people in long-term residential care are expected to have.

Answer · Shona Robison: People in long-term residential care should receive the same standard and quality of health care as people in the community. The Scottish Government has committed to develop an access target for psychological therapies and is giving particular consid…

1 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been given to (a) public and (b) private outdoor sports centres in each of the last five years.

Answer · Shona Robison: All Scottish Government funding for the development of sport in Scotland is routed through sportscotland. The information requested on funding is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. I have therefore asked the chief executive of sportscotland to wri…

26 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is being given to NHS podiatrists to comply with implementation in 2010 of the policy on decontamination of podiatry instruments.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The provision of NHS services including podiatry services, is a matter for NHS boards. NHS boards have a responsibility for allocating resources for NHS services in line with local and national priorities. Advice and guidance around the decontaminati…

26 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what risk assessment has been carried out on decontamination requirements for podiatry instruments.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The provision of NHS services including Podiatry Services, is a matter for NHS boards. NHS boards have a responsibility for allocating resources for NHS services in line with local and national priorities.

26 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how will it ensure that optimum use is made of applied psychologist skills in NHS Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: We have recently made available to NHS boards the outcomes of considerations by a multi-disciplinary working group established to look at how the psychology profession can best respond to the increased demand for access to applied psychologists and psychologi…

26 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the (a) services and (b) treatments available to people with weight problems.

Answer · Shona Robison: Healthy Eating, Active Living: an action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity (June 2008) outlines the broad range of services that are delivered through the NHS, local authorities and the third sector which the government suppo…

26 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to address non-attendance at GP appointments.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The reasons why people do not attend their GP appointments are many and varied. The priority is to improve systems to make them more user friendly and encourage patient responsibility. In different parts of the NHS a number of schemes are being tested to impr…