Dr Richard Simpson

8 May 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average salary of GPs has been in each year since 2007.

Answer · Alex Neil: The average gross earnings, expenses and income for GPs are published annually by the Office of Manpower Economics. The latest figures and historical figures can be accessed via this link: http://www.ome.uk.com/DDRB_Reports.aspx.

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed health innovation research advisory group will hold its first meeting; what its remit will be; when its membership will be finalised, and which officials will attend as (a) members and (b) observers.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Health Informatics Research Advisory Group met for the first time on 23 January 2013. Its remit is to consider, what are the opportunities in Scotland: To become world-leading in health and biomedical informatics research; to identify obstacles to the u…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed NHS innovative technology awards will be held.

Answer · Alex Neil: A Health Innovation Fair for Scotland is being planned. The proposed NHS innovation awards will be included in the Fair’s programme.

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed national review group on metrics and milestones on innovation in the NHS will (a) have its membership agreed and (b) first meet.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Innovation Partnership Board Measures Group met for the first time on 12 February 2013.

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when each NHS board will have identified a senior executive board member with lead responsibility for innovation, technology and products; what selection criteria will be used; to whom they will be responsible, and what input (a) NHS Research Scotland, (b) Scottish Enterprise, (c) Life S…

Answer · Alex Neil: All NHS boards are being asked to identify an executive lead for innovation, where one does not already exist. It is the decision of boards which senior colleague they appoint to the innovation role. There are no plans to ask Boards to seek input to the selec…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which officials will attend the strategic engagement group as (a) members and (b) observers.

Answer · Alex Neil: Membership of the strategic engagement group is still to be finalised.

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the remit of the strategic engagement group will be finalised.

Answer · Alex Neil: The remit of the strategic engagement group will be finalised soon after the first meeting of the group which is due to be held on 15 May 2013.

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the strategic engagement group will hold its first meeting.

Answer · Alex Neil: The strategic engagement group is due to hold its first meeting on 15 May 2013.

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government to whom the (a) MedTech, (b) medicines and (c) digital health innovation health partnership will report.

Answer · Alex Neil: The MedTech Health Innovation Partnership (HIP), the Medicines Strategic Engagement Group (the equivalent of a medicines HIP) and the Digital Health Innovation Partnership will all report to the Innovation Partnership Board (IPB).

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the remit of the (a) MedTech, (b) medicines and (c) digital health innovation health partnership will be finalised.

Answer · Alex Neil: The remit of the MedTech Health Innovation Partnership (HIP) has been finalised and will be made available on http://home.scotland.gov.uk/home. The equivalent group for medicines is the Medicines Strategic Engagement Group, the remit of which has been drafte…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the (a) MedTech, (b) medicines and (c) digital health innovation health partnership will hold its first meeting.

Answer · Alex Neil: The first meeting of the MedTech Health Innovation Partnership (HIP) took place on 1 April 2013. The Medicines Strategic Engagement Group (the equivalent of a medicines HIP) will meet on 15 May. The Innovation Partnership Board (IPB) is expected to consider…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee has access to primary care data that allow it to advise on the application of differential funding at a primary care level that reflects health inequalities.

Answer · Alex Neil: The allocation formula developed by the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) was designed to allocate funds to health boards for hospital and community health services and prescribing. The formula was derived using data relating to the utilisatio…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps HM Inspectorate of Education takes to review and report on the adequacy and implementation of anti-bullying strategies and policies in every school that it inspects.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Education Scotland is strongly committed to ensuring “zero tolerance” to bullying in Scottish schools. Schools’ approaches to meeting the pastoral needs of children and young people are looked at in all school inspections. This includes evaluating how well s…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote the use of (a) postcards and (b) text messages as methods of providing support to people at risk of suicide and self-harm.

Answer · Michael Matheson: NHS Health Scotland’s Choose Life programme produces a range of resources for local areas and organisations to use, either internally with their work force or for their work force to give to people who are vulnerable to suicide or their family and friends. Fo…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research into (a) suicide and (b) self-harm it has funded since the introduction of the Choose Life initiative.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The following is a list of published research on suicide and self harm which has been funded or part funded by the Scottish Government since the launch of Choose Life in 2002. The list includes research funded by the Choose Life programme, which is fully fund…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many drug treatment and testing orders were (a) made and (b) completed in each year from 2007 to 2012, also broken down by (i) criminal justice and (ii) alcohol and drug partnership area.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Figures on drug treatment and testing orders commenced and the numbers terminated/completed by local authority and community justice authority area are available online at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/Datasets/DTTOs. Fi…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the paperwork being introduced to deliver its Getting It Right For Every Child policy will be available in digital form in light of the closure of its eCare programme.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Data Sharing Technologies Board, established by the Scottish Government with delivery partners including local authorities and the NHS, is supporting the development of local digital information sharing systems which support local needs, priorities and pr…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings in the Royal College of Physicians report, Hospital workforce: fit for the future, that 37% of medical registrars reported that their workload was unmanageable, 59% said it was heavy and a substantial proportion said that their training was highly var…

Answer · Alex Neil: We welcome the Royal College of Physicians report as it provides further context and information towards our understanding of the many factors that impact on the provision of high quality, safe and effective care in our health services. We are determined to …

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new rules introduced by the Department of Health in April 2013 that place a legal duty on employers in the NHS to ensure that all doctors employed can speak a "necessary level of English",  will be applied in Scotland.

Answer · Alex Neil: The new rules being introduced by the Department of Health in April 2013 do not extend to Scotland where NHSScotland boards have responsibility for recruitment. Patient safety is a top priority and it is important that those who are providing care and treatme…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Reduced Mortality with Hospital Pay for Performance in England, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in November 2013, which suggests that payments for performance made to clinical teams for investment purposes achieve significantly better …

Answer · Alex Neil: Whilst the conclusions of the report on Reduced Mortality with Hospital Pay for Performance in England are interesting, the Scottish Government has no plans to introduce pay for performance at the clinical team level. The research findings in this area are mi…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether data from boarding out is made available to Health Improvement Scotland (a) routinely and regularly, (b) only on request and (c) as part of the self-assessment before announced inspections.

Answer · Alex Neil: Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) would routinely ask for this information on arrival at the hospital being inspected. This provides inspectors with a current list of patients that, if necessary they can look at further to assess suitability, i.e. cogniti…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to each of the nine recommendations in the Report on Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Humans in 2011 by National Services Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium and the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group (SAPG) leads on a variety of programmes and work streams to deliver on the recommendations contained within the report on Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Humans in 2011. The report was discussed at the Group’s…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S3W-18595 by Shona Robison on 15 December 2008, how many of the previously unvaccinated children have since been administered the MMR vaccine.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Among the 57,050 children reaching six years of age in 2012, 52,021 (91.2%) had received one dose of the MMR vaccine and 5,029 (8.8%) were unvaccinated when they reached 24 months of age in 2008. Of the 5,029 children who were unvaccinated by 24 months of age…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what records are kept regarding the immunisation status of children enrolling at (a) nursery and (b) primary school.

Answer · Michael Matheson: NHS Scotland has comprehensive vaccination data from the routine immunisation programmes, primarily through pre-school vaccinations recorded on the Scottish Immunisation and Recall System (SIRS). These data are linked to primary and secondary school attendanc…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) universities and (b) colleges with resources to encourage the uptake of the MMR vaccine among students who have not received it.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Given the difficulties in systematically reaching young adults aged 18 – 24, it is recommended that existing practice continues whereby the MMR vaccine continues to be available opportunistically for those who seek it or where there is a public health need e.…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in the light of the increase in cases of measles in Wales, whether it will carry out a campaign to encourage the uptake of the MMR vaccine for children and young adults who have not received it.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In light of the significant circulation of measles in Wales and England, it was announced on 25 April 2013 that children aged 10–17 years will be offered a further opportunity to be vaccinated over the next few weeks. This will complement the continuation of …

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children in each year since 1999 have (a) not received the MMR vaccine, (b) received one injection of MMR vaccine only and (c) been vaccinated separately against measles, mumps or rubella.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As part of the childhood immunisation programme, two doses of MMR vaccine are routinely offered to children by five years of age (one dose at around 12 to 13 months of age, and a second dose from three years four months of age). Table 1 shows the number and p…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the uptake rate for the MMR (a) 1 and (b) 2 booster has been in each year since 1999, broken down by (i) NHS board, (ii) council ward, (iii) Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation category and (iv) birth cohort.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As part of the childhood immunisation programme, children are routinely offered one dose of MMR vaccine at around 12 to 13 months of age, and a second dose from three years four months of age. MMR vaccine uptake rates by birth cohort are monitored at 24 mont…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government in which years since 1999 the level of MMR vaccination required to provide population cover has been reached (a) nationally and (b) in Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation category (i) 4 and (ii) 5 areas.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As part of the childhood immunisation programme, children are routinely offered one dose of MMR vaccine at around 12 to 13 months of age, and a second dose from three years four months of age. The level of uptake of MMR vaccine required for population cover (…

24 Apr 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent advice it has received regarding the level of MMR vaccination that is required to provide population cover.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Currently, MMR vaccination uptake rates in Scotland are very high, with rates reaching 97.1% in children up to the age of five years. This figure exceeds the World Health Organisation target of 95%. Since the introduction of the MMR vaccination in 1988 the u…