Parliamentary questions
Dr Richard Simpson
2,702 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessment it has carried out of the effect of the proposed closure of HMP Cornton Vale on agencies in Forth Valley and the Lothians that provide it with services.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: “As announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice on 29 October 2012, the SPS is now developing plans for an improved regime for wome…
18 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consultation there has been on the proposed closure of HMP Cornton Vale other than the road show with staff and agencies providing services to the prison.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: “Following the recommendations in the report of the Commission on Women Offenders the SPS consulted nationally over last summer on the…
18 Dec 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing last met the chief executive officers of NHS boards.
11 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken (a) generally and (b) as part of the recent negotiations on the GP contract to ensure that every primary care practice has online functionality for patients.
Answer · Alex Neil: All GP practices in Scotland have access to IT systems that can provide online services for patients. England is pursuing this work through proposed changes to GP contracts, but in Scotland this is being delivered through the person-centred eHealth Strategy, …
11 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the use of Internet Protocol version 6 in the (a) public and (b) private sector.
Answer · Alex Neil: Scottish Government is in the process of procuring a public sector wide broadband services contract. Referred to as the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) programme it will be a “dual stacked” communications system. This means that as SWAN delivers network ser…
11 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any contracts with private providers of security to NHS boards are required to meet the higher standard contained in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights as underpinned by the judgement in I v Finland (20511/03) or the lower compliance standard of the US Health In…
Answer · Alex Neil: Health boards in NHSScotland are obliged to comply with the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the European Convention on Human Rights. Some boards already purchase professional services and equipment from a range of private commercial security providers to ensure…
11 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the practice by NHS boards to print off every email that is regarded as important.
Answer · Alex Neil: NHSScotland is committed in its eHealth Strategy to a “paper-light” approach to information and records management and in time to eliminate paper based exchanges between care providers. The preference is for email to be managed digitally while it is in the m…
11 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS (a) Ayrshire and Arran, (b) Highland, (c) Grampian, (d) Forth Valley, (e) Shetland and (f) Western Isles has a clinical portal and, if not, when it will have one.
Answer · Alex Neil: NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Grampian, Forth Valley and Western Isles all have advanced plans for making the clinical portal priority information available to frontline staff during 2013. NHS Highland and Shetland are still considering their options based on the …
11 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that all clinical portals meet the standard in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights as underpinned by the judgement in I v Finland (20511/03).
Answer · Alex Neil: European Court of Human Rights Judgment 20511/03 makes clear the measures that need to be in place to protect the confidentiality of health data relating to staff as well as patients. In relation to clinical portals, health boards have chosen solutions with c…
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress the NHS is making in moving toward a no fault compensation scheme.
Answer · Alex Neil: A consultation (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/08/4456) to seek wider views on the No-fault Compensation Review Group’s recommendations and to help in our understanding of the potential implications of introducing a no-fault compensation scheme …
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to ensure that patients and families are always consulted before a do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction is added to a medical record, other than issuing guidance and providing information leaflets.
Answer · Alex Neil: The role of the Scottish Government in such matters is to set out policies and guidance for NHS boards to implement. When considering a Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) instruction, we expect the clinicians responsible for a patient’s ca…
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of deaths took place in (a) hospitals, (b) care homes or hospices and (c) at home in each of the last four years for which information is available.
Answer · Alex Neil: The types of place of death that are shown are the most relevant of the ones for which statistics can be produced from the categories that are used to classify the place of death. Percentages of deaths registered in Scotland, by place of death Place of de…
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-11030 by Alex Neil on 22 November 2012, whether it is carrying out a review of the use of the Liverpool care pathway by NHS boards.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has no plans for a review of the use of the Liverpool Care Pathway by NHS boards. We are in close contact with our Department of Health counterparts concerning their review, and will study their findings carefully for relevance to Sco…
5 Dec 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients were removed from the cancer waiting time targets due to death in each of the last two years and how many of those were beyond the 62-day target.
Answer · Alex Neil: The number of patients who died before treatment and were therefore excluded from the cancer access targets in 2010 was 241 and in 2011 was 259 representing 1.2% of the total number of patients in the targets in each year. There are no centrally held data on…
3 Dec 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the maximum time is that a patient has waited beyond the cancer waiting times targets in 2012.
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-10963 by Alex Neil on 29 November 2012, what steps the Patient Safety Programme is taking to examine any adverse effects of the (a) off licence and (b) unlicensed use of prescription medicines by the NHS.
Answer · Alex Neil: As stated in my answer to question S4W-10963, medicine safety issues are subject matters of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and are currently reserved issues. The Scottish Patient Safety Programme has no plans to examine any adverse effects of the (a) of…
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-10963 by Alex Neil on 29 November 2012, how many patients have been affected by the use of (a) off licence and (b) unlicensed prescription medicines by the NHS in the last two years for which information is available.
Answer · Alex Neil: As stated in my answer to question S4W-10963, medicine safety issues are subject matters of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and are currently reserved issues. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency which is the UK government agency resp…
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many forensic paediatric specialist doctors are expected to retire in the next five years, broken down by year.
Answer · Alex Neil: This is a matter for individual Health boards. The information is not held centrally.
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many doctors in forensic paediatrics at levels (a) ST6, (b) ST7 and (c) ST8 there (a) were in 2010-11 and (b) are currently.
Answer · Alex Neil: The specific information requested is not available centrally. Furthermore, “forensic paediatrics” is not a recognised sub-specialty training programme within the current educational training programme. Those wishing to specialise in forensic paediatrics wil…
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in achieving the recommendations on forensic paediatric services in respect of (a) workforce sustainability training, (b) training and skills of (i) paediatricians and (ii) forensic physicians and (c) governance, data collection and activity that are contained…
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11615 on 13 December 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamenta…
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in achieving the five recommendations on forensic paediatric services in respect of (a) child sexual abuse and (b) child physical abuse and neglect that are contained in the report, Forensic Paediatrics: A Report by the Short Life Working Group.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Report on Forensic Paediatrics in Scotland was published on 21 November 2012. The recommendations contained in the report will be progressed within the Scottish Government work programme to improve the consistency of healthcare and forensic medical serv…
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered ensuring that third sector organisations are never given less than six months' notice of the cessation of any Scottish Government funding that they are receiving.
Answer · John Swinney: We will always endeavour to give as much notice as is practicable, but there are no plans to extend notice of cessation of funding to six months in every case. I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11611 on 13 December 2012. All answers to written…
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what third sector organisations have been given less than 13 weeks' notice of the renewal, extension or cessation of funding in each of the last four years.
Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11611 on 13 December 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http…
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessment it has made of the effect on recruitment for third sector organisations receiving Scottish Government funding that will cease in under six months.
Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. Such a risk assessment would normally be for the relevant organisations to undertake. Business support for third sector organisations is available through the local Third Sector Interfaces and Just Enterprise.
29 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on any third sector organisations receiving Scottish Government funding that would need to know before 31 December 2012 whether the funding will be renewed or extended beyond 31 March 2013 so as not to have to issue three-month redundancy notices to staff supporte…
Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. The Scottish Government supports the third sector to play a full role in meeting the Scottish Government’s purpose and also to make an important contribution to public service reform. A variety of funding approaches …
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many nurses have gone on to train as health visitors in each of the last five years.
Answer · Alex Neil: The number of nurses or midwives who completed the Specialist Community Public Health Nurse/Health Visiting course in each of the last five years is shown in the following table. Year Completions 2007 67 2008 63 2009 43 2010 57 2011 61
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on the recruitment of specialist nurses in (a) neonatal paediatrics and (b) other specialisms of the reduction in the nursing student intake in the last two years.
Answer · Alex Neil: Since 2009, there has been an increase in the number of qualified nurses graduating because more students than ever before are successfully completing their studies. The student intake is set every year to make sure we have the right number of nurses and midw…
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many students have enrolled at each university nursing school in each of the last five years and what the attrition rate has been.
Answer · Alex Neil: The total number of students enrolled at each of the university nursing schools in each of the last five years and the attrition rates for those cohorts completing in each of the last five years are as detailed in the following tables: Enrolled Napier GCU …
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many students enrolling at each university nursing school in each of the last five years were from (a) Scotland, (b) the rest of the UK, (c) the rest of the EU and (d) non-EU countries.
Answer · Alex Neil: The numbers of students enrolling at each university nursing school in each of the last five years that were from (a) Scotland, (b) the rest of the UK, (c) the rest of the EU and (d) non-EU countries are detailed in the following tables: 2007 HEI Country o…
22 Nov 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessment was carried out of the impact on each university school of nursing and midwifery before making the decision to (a) close the (i) Glasgow Caledonian, (ii) Dundee and (iii) Stirling midwifery schools and (b) reduce the nursing student intake in each of the last two yea…
Answer · Alex Neil: Recommendations regarding the numbers of commissioned places for nursing and midwifery education and training are made by Scottish Ministers on an annual basis and aim to ensure that the right number of nursing and midwifery students are being trained for our…