Parliamentary questions
Nicol Stephen
130 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether capacity to provide adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment at the Leicester centre has now been doubled and, if so, when was this achieved.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Prior to the H1N1 pandemic, Glenfield Hospital had the capacity to provide respiratory ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) to a maximum of five patients, both adult and paediatric. In line with recommendations made by the UK Critical Care Capacity (UKC…
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions since the start of the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak capacity simultaneously to provide adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment at the Leicester and Stockholm centres has been reached and how many days this lasted in each case.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29314 on 4 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.parliament.uk/Apps…
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions since the start of the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak capacity to provide adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at the Leicester centre has been reached and how many days this lasted in each case.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.</p>
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a patient in the NHS Grampian area suffering from influenza A (H1N1) and assessed as requiring adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment when the Leicester centre was full would be transferred to the Stockholm centre rather than be treated at Aberdeen Royal I…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29312 on 4 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.parliament.uk/Apps…
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a patient in the NHS Grampian area suffering from influenza A (H1N1) and assessed as requiring adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment would be transferred to the Leicester centre rather than be treated at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The decision to refer for adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment is based upon individual clinical need. Where clinicians consider ECMO is necessary, patients from throughout the UK, including NHS Grampian, are referred for tre…
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to accredit or commission Aberdeen Royal Infirmary for adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29310 on 4 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.parliament.uk/App…
24 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has been considered for accreditation or commissioning for adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment and for what reasons.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has been assessed by the National Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland on its compliance with adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) standards set by Leicester and the UK National Commissioning Gro…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase access to sheriffs who hear family law cases.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is currently considering the recommendations of the Scottish Civil Courts Review, led by Lord Gill, which was published on 30 September and debated in the Scottish Parliament on 8 October. It includes a number of recommendations releva…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the number of family courts.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Family courts do not operate as a separate jurisdiction in Scotland. The majority of cases concerning family law are civil cases in the sheriff court. The Scottish Government is considering the recommendations of the Scottish Civil Courts Review, led by Lord …
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether sheriff officers have a power of arrest when attempting to remove a child from a parent with care responsibilities, even when the child has not been deemed to be at risk.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Sheriff officers are officers of the court and only have such powers as are specified in the court order. In terms of the Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officer Rules 1991 sheriff officers may exercise the following functions: (a) collect any debt constituted…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what system is in place to assess the suitability of candidates for sheriff officer appointments and whether it plans to review this system.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The suitability of those appointed as sheriff officers is a matter for the Court of Session under Part V of the Debtor (Scotland) Act 1987. There are no plans to review the system, however, under Schedule 2 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill, which…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the system for training sheriff officers.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Regulation of training for sheriff officers is a matter for the Court of Session under Part V of the Debtor (Scotland) Act 1987. Amendments proposed in Schedule 2 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was introduced to Parliament on 28 May 2009…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the system of regulation and quality checking of sheriff officers.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Regulation of Sheriff Officers is a matter for the Court of Session under Part V Section 75 (1) of the Debtors (Scotland) Act 1987. Amendments proposed in Schedule 2 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill (PSRB), which was introduced into Parliament on…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times in each of the last five years sheriff officers have been used to remove a child from a parent with care responsibilities when the child has not been deemed as being at risk.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This information is not recorded by the Scottish Government.</p>
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role sheriff officers have in removing children from parents with care responsibilities.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Sheriff officers are officers of the court and their role is to exercise such powers as the courts specify in the order relating to each individual case. In terms of the Messengers-at-Arms Rules 1991, sheriff officers may exercise the following functions: (a)…
5 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is contributing funding to the doubling of facilities for adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The additional cost of doubling ECMO capacity at Glenfield is being met from within the existing budget of the UK National Commissioning Group, to which the National Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland contributes.</p>
5 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27461 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 November 2009 indicating that adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment can be provided at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where additional capacity is required and such a step is agreed with the Le…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Any patient for whom ECMO treatment was to be undertaken at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where current accredited UK and Stockholm capacity has been reached and with the agreement, support and advice of Leicester clinicians, would require to be transferred using…
5 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was not available to provide adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment to patients at an earlier stage of the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28713 on 16 November 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.parliament.uk/Ap…
5 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment facility at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was considered as an option prior to the transfer of a patient to Sweden for such treatment in July 2009.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28713 on 16 November 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.parliament.uk/Ap…
5 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason a patient was transferred to Sweden for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment in July 2009 rather than to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Glenfield Hospital in Leicester is the UK''s nationally commissioned centre for adult respiratory ECMO and through UK national specialist commissioning arrangements, adult patients from across the UK are referred there for treatment. Leicester is and remains …
5 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27461 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 November 2009, whether Aberdeen Royal Infirmary had capacity to provide adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment prior to 1 October 2009 and, if so, when it acquired this capacity.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Grampian has provided adult respiratory ECMO treatment on seven occasions over the last seven years at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. This includes two occasions last month, when two patients within NHS Grampian were suffering from H1N1 and were considered sui…
5 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary received training to provide adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary received training to provide adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment from the UK''s nationally commissioned ECMO centre at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester in November 2007, with further training in 2008.…
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the number of facilities that can provide adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is fundamental that anyone who might benefit from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment has access to it. There are robust arrangements in place to ensure access to adult respiratory ECMO treatment through the UK''s nationally commissioned E…
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the two patients who have received adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary were transferred from other NHS boards and, if so, which NHS boards.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Neither of the patients who received adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary was transferred from another NHS board area.</p>
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what ongoing clinical support from the unit at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, is required for the provision of adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The national commissioned ECMO centre at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester is the front door for access to adult respiratory ECMO provision in the UK, and as such, all referrals for treatment are discussed and agreed with Leicester clinicians, who are on hand 24 …
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has cost to establish extracorporeal membrane oxygenation provision at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, broken down by (a) cost of equipment and (b) associated staff costs.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Grampian has advised that the cost of the equipment and associated consumables required to provide extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at Aberdeen totalled approximately £50,000.</p> <p >The staff who have been trained to provide ECMO are otherwis…
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary have been trained in the provision of adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: <a name=DateForAnswer></a>I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28535 on 9 November 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.s…
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines there are at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and when these were acquired.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28535 on 9 November 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.parliament.uk/App…
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what capacity Aberdeen Royal Infirmary has to provide adult respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation treatment.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Aberdeen currently has two extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machines acquired last year, two consultants and nine specialist nurses trained by the UK''s nationally commissioned ECMO centre at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester for use in the provision of…
23 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machines cost and what the associated staffing costs are.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a highly specialised technique demanding even higher levels of medical, nursing and technical/laboratory support than a Level 3 (Intensive Care Unit) facility, including double the number of nurses per traditional…