Rhoda Grant

16 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government to whom the (a) Equality Fund, (b) Violence Against Women and Girls Fund, (c) Children's Services Women's Aid Fund and (d) Rape Crisis Specific Fund awarded funding for 2015-16.

Answer · Alex Neil: This information is available on the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Equality/Funding.

16 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on creating the four violence against women strategy working groups; when each of these groups has met; who chairs each group; who the members are; when they will report on progress, and when they will report their recommendations to the violence against women j…

Answer · Alex Neil: Four expert groups focused on primary prevention, capability and capacity, justice and accountability are in the process of being established, and the membership and terms of reference will be agreed by the joint strategic board in due course. Those expert gr…

16 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the violence against women joint strategic board has met; who chairs the board; who the members are, and when it will report its recommendations.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Violence against Women and Girls Joint Strategic Board will hold its first meeting in November 2015. The board will be co-chaired by myself and Councillor Harry McGuigan in his capacity as Convention of Scottish Local Authorities lead for Health and Wellb…

16 Sep 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what developments there have been regarding Equally Safe: Scotland's Strategy for Preventing and Eradicating Violence against Women and Girls since March 2015.

Answer · Alex Neil: Since March 2015, we have been taking forward a range of commitments in Equally Safe. These include record levels of investment to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls: £11.8 million in 2015-16, and a further £20 million from th…

9 Sep 2015 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote emergency life support training in schools.

7 Sep 2015 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with women's groups following reports that the UK Government plans to devolve abortion law.

25 Aug 2015 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether a public local inquiry will be held following the publication of the draft road order material for the A9 Berriedale Braes improvement scheme.

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider a streamlined NHS patients’ complaints procedure that has less emphasis on process, is designed to eliminate defensiveness and ensures that complaints are considered independently in an open and sensitive manner.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s Complaints Standards Authority is already leading work for the Scottish Government on the development of a revised NHS complaints procedure, in line with one of the recommendations of the Scottish Health Council’s List…

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it (a) has introduced and (b) is planning to introduce to reduce the level of absenteeism through ill-health in NHS Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: Our staff are at the heart of our NHS. The welfare of NHS staff is critically important with every health board required to have policies in place and to comply with national policies on managing health at work. The Staff Governance Standard for NHSScotland …

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that NHS boards develop minimum safe staffing levels for all professions in hospital settings that provide the required skills mix and experience, along with the appropriate supervision, to ensure that patients always receive safe, high quality care.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are fully committed to achieving the best possible healthcare outcomes for Scotland’s people through safe, high quality care. Scotland is a world leader, internationally recognised for the improvements in care and safety the Scottish Patient Safety Program…

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it (a) has introduced and (b) is planning to introduce to protect NHS staff from career-damaging recrimination should they raise concerns regarding the quality of care provided by NHS Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 already offers legal protection to NHSScotland staff members who suffer detriment for raising a genuine concern about patient safety or malpractice. In addition, and in response to the recommendations from the ‘Freedom…

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it (a) has introduced and (b) is planning to introduce to encourage NHS staff to raise concerns regarding the quality of care provided by NHS Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: Much has already been done to develop an open and honest reporting culture in NHSScotland where staff are encouraged and supported to raise any genuine concerns they may have, particularly about quality of care and patient safety. This includes: The introduc…

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider working with NHS boards, the General Medical Council and other stakeholders to introduce measures in medical education and training that are designed to prevent bullying in NHS Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government already works closely with health boards, NHS Education for Scotland and the General Medical Council (GMC) to support efforts to fully eradicate bullying and harassment. Any incidence of bullying and harassment is one too many, and we …

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider requiring all NHS boards to develop, publish and promote policies aimed at engaging with staff while understanding and responding to their professional concerns.

Answer · Shona Robison: The NHSScotland Staff Governance Standard already places a specific obligation on NHS boards, as employers, to ensure that all staff have access to communication channels which offer the opportunity to give and receive feedback, either directly or via their t…

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with NHS boards to develop more meaningful performance indicators that are centred on quality of care rather than on financial or activity performance targets.

Answer · Shona Robison: In order to ensure high quality, continuously improving health and social care, the Scottish Government recognises that it is important to strike the right balance between improvement, performance management and scrutiny. Through the Local Delivery Planning (…

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging NHS boards to be proactive in relation to the risk assessment of patient care.

Answer · Shona Robison: The National Standards for Clinical Governance and Risk Management, published in 2005, set out the requirement for NHS boards to self-assess their arrangements for clinical governance and risk management to support the delivery of safe, effective and person-c…

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is (a) providing and (b) planning to provide to train NHS medical staff who wish to progress into senior management positions.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring a high quality future supply of senior managers within the NHS and that is why future planning for ‘Effective Leadership and Management’ is one of the five priority areas for action in Everyone Mat…

29 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage NHS medical staff to develop career paths that will lead them into senior NHS management positions.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government fully recognises the importance of providing development opportunities for NHS medical staff in order to encourage those who are keen to move into senior management positions. As such, we are developing and promoting a number of initia…

28 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the route is of the fibre cabling being laid in North Uist as part of the rollout of superfast broadband and what its proximity is to the (a) Berneray, (b) Sollas, (c) Lochmaddy, (d) Bayhead, (e) Locheport and (f) Benbecula exchange.

Answer · John Swinney: As a result of the £410 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme, subsea fibre now links Harris (Leverburgh) with North Uist (Lochmaddy) while a land cable runs from Lochmaddy to Benbecula (following the A867). Further access cable will be laid …

28 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) exchanges and (b) cabinets are being upgraded as part of the rollout of superfast broadband in the Western Isles.

Answer · John Swinney: As a result of the £410 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme, the first fibre broadband services in the Western Isles went live in Stornoway in July 2015. Further rollout in Stornoway is planned. Fibre broadband in the following 28 e…

28 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the long-term plan is for the Connected Communities network.

Answer · John Swinney: Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is working with partners, including Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, NHS and Community Broadband Scotland to assess what the rollout of fibre through the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme will mean for Conn…

27 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it or any of its agencies has a contract with Scottish Provincial Press to deliver marketing or other publications and, if so, whether it will list those agencies and contracts.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Neither the Scottish Government nor its agencies have a contract with the Scottish Provincial Press to deliver marketing or other publications.

10 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the number of police officers and staff trained in the use of defibrillators.

Answer · Maureen Watt: A number of police officers are already trained in the use of defibrillators, e.g. through the First Aid at Work scheme. Police Scotland has undertaken to add training in the use of defibrillators to the annual Scottish Police Emergency Lifesaving Saving Cour…

10 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve processes to ensure that Scottish Ambulance Service and aligned staff are sufficiently supported to deal with the (a) physical, (b) psychological and (c) emotional demands of their jobs.

Answer · Shona Robison: Our staff are at the heart of our NHS. Their health and wellbeing is something the government takes very seriously. The Staff Governance Standard for NHSScotland commits all boards to providing a continuously improving and safe working environment promoting t…

10 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a law to protect people giving CPR from legal action when providing help in an emergency.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The government currently has no such plans.

10 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the (a) development and (b) delivery of rural and remote pathways to address any inequality in out of hospital cardiac arrest outcomes by improving ambulance response times in rural areas.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Ambulance Service continually works to improve ambulance response times in all parts of the country. In acknowledgement of the time critical nature of cardiac arrest response and the clearly defined elements of the ‘chain of survival’, the servic…

10 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to put in place pathways and protocols that promote consistent best practice for the ambulance transportation of out of hospital cardiac arrest patients that reflects local geography and circumstances.

Answer · Maureen Watt: There are already established emergency care pathways in place for patients who experience out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). These pathways involve support from Ambulance Control Centres to help initiate bystander CPR, rapid response by the Scottish Ambu…

10 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage owners, purchasers and suppliers of public access defibrillators to ensure that they are regularly serviced, maintained and registered with the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Answer · Maureen Watt: As part of the implementation of the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy, the government is working with stakeholders to consider how to maximise the value of public access defibrillators. The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) encourages all those conside…

10 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to implement further CPR training in (a) schools, (b) workplaces and (c) volunteer groups.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The government acknowledges and welcomes the work of third sector groups, business, public sector organisations and others in providing CPR training. As part of the implementation of the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy, the government is working with…

10 Jul 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of people who are CPR trained or undergoing training and what plans it has to increase the amount of information that it collects.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Institute for Social Marketing, School of Health Sciences, University of Stirling has been commissioned to undertake a survey to provide baseline information on the number of people trained. In addition, we are working with the British Heart Foundation an…