Parliamentary questions

Dr Richard Simpson

2,702 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the risks of increased mupirocin consumption and resistance that might result from a Scotland-wide MRSA screening programme on admission to hospital and of staff.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Health Protection Scotland has advised that current monitoring by the Scottish MRSA Reference Laboratory indicates no significant increase in mupirocin resistance within the Pathfinder boards. This will be continued to be monitored.

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assumptions were made in the health technology assessment (HTA) model used in the MRSA screening study that were not observed in practice.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The main parameters which differed in practice from the assumed parameters within the HTA model were: the proportion of patients attending pre-admission clinics within each age group; the percentage of patients going to high and low …

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will (a) conclude and (b) report on the further special study in the MRSA pilot screening project on the risk of colonisation and how it will judge the possibility of a substitute or partial substitute for screening.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Health Protection Scotland published the reports on the clinical risk assessment study along with the study on acquisition / loss of MRSA colonisation during hospital admission on 23 February 2011. These reports are available at: http://www.docum…

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what risk factors were found in those patients with MRSA infections who screened negative in the MRSA pilot screening project.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The study did not highlight these risk factors. The single most important risk factor for infection was colonisation at the point of admission. Other risk factors included the specialty admitted to.

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what further research of staff screening will be undertaken following the MRSA pilot screening project.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The recommendations for further research into the screening of staff are as highlighted in section 13 of NHS Scotland MRSA Screening Pathfinder Programme Final Report Volume 3: Staff Patient Acceptability. These have been shared with the …

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) sensitivity and (b) specificity was of the laboratory method used in the MRSA pilot screening project.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Health Protection Scotland has advised that chromogenic agar has a reported sensitivity of (0.98). Specificity was not used as a parameter

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the MRSA Screening Pathfinder Programme Final Report Volume 1: An Investigation of the Clinical Effectiveness of Universal MRSA Screening was delivered in December 2009 but published in February 2011 and, if this was an error on the published document, what the actual date…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The report of the outcome of the MRSA screening study was delivered in December 2009. However, additional studies were being undertaken to consider the efficacy of nasal swabbing as a screening tool; and transmission through admission and discharge screening.…

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NHS Scotland Wheelchair and Seating Services - Clinical Standards Consultation will invite responses from those users, carers and voluntary sector representatives who were represented by the Wheelchair and Seating Services Project Board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The draft clinical standards were released for a 12 week period of public consultation, which closed on 25 February 2011. All members of the Wheelchair and Seating Services Project Board were included in the distribution of consultation documents, which are a…

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason NHS Scotland Wheelchair and Seating Services - Clinical Standards Consultation does not refer to a mobility plan forming part of the agreement with the user or carer.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-39995 on 11 March 2011. 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/Ap…

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason NHS Scotland Wheelchair and Seating Services - Clinical Standards Consultation does not refer to complaints procedures.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Scotland Wheelchair and Seating Services are already fully compliant with NHS complaints procedures.

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason NHS Scotland Wheelchair and Seating Services - Clinical Standards Consultation does not refer to the right to a second opinion arising from an appeal.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS Scotland Wheelchair and Seating Services are already fully compliant with NHS policy regarding the right to a second opinion.

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason NHS Scotland Wheelchair and Seating Services - Clinical Standards Consultation does not include a mobility plan for users or carers who are to be assessed for the optimum equipment.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Draft Standard 1, Essential Criteria 1.8 states that wheelchair need is recorded within the mobility section of the Single Shared Assessment when this assessment is used. Responsibility for individual mobility plans, which include wider aspects of so…

28 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the draft clinical standards in NHS Scotland Wheelchair and Seating Services - Clinical Standards Consultation do not refer to recommendation 3 of Moving Forward: Review of NHS Wheelchair and Seating Services in Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Draft Standard 1, Essential Criteria 1.1 states that clinical assessments of mobility and mobility needs are person-centred and anticipatory. This corresponds with the Quality Ambitions detailed in the Healthcare Quality Strategy for NHS Scotland, and also wi…

25 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hits the Choose Life website has received in each six-month period since July 2008.

Answer · Shona Robison: Please see following table: Hits on chooselife.net from July 2008 <div align=center> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=608 > <tr > <td width=129 valign=top > July to December 200…

25 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Medicines Consortium has made a submission to the UK Department of Health consultation, A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines, and, if so, whether it will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Medicines Consortium is independent of Scottish Government. Responses to the consultation A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines are requested by 17 March 2011. Responses will be submitted directly to the …

25 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made a submission to the UK Department of Health consultation, A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines, and, if so, whether it will place a copy in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Answer · Shona Robison: The public consultation A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines is still live and will close on 17 March 2011. Along with the other Devolved Administrations and key stakeholders, Scottish Government officials will be fu…

25 Feb 2011 · Written Question

Answer · Shona Robison: There are currently no plans to publish this information as it is not held centrally. From April 2011 a new dedicated information system will be fully operational across Scotland.

25 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what mandatory independent external audit or inspection is carried out of the number of older people recorded on the delayed discharge database.

Answer · Shona Robison: Figures on Delayed Discharges in <st2:place>Scotland</st2:place> are published as National Statistics and therefore comply with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This means they are produced entirely independently of Ministers and go throu…

25 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made an evaluation of the Lanarkshire breastfeeding initiative.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Lanarkshire Breastfeeding Initiative (LBI) is a charitable organisation which works in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire to promote breastfeeding in Lanarkshire and receives some funding from the board. We would expect NHS boards to evaluate any work which…

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what systems there are for NHS boards to report on how they have distributed the funding to support local delivery of the smoking prevention action plan.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS boards are held accountable for all their actions within the broader accountability framework which is in place to monitor and assess their performance, including local delivery plans and annual reviews held with ministers. In addition, there is regular a…

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £9 million made available to support local delivery of the smoking prevention action plan was spent on (a) youth prevention, (b) youth cessation and (c) other cessation activities.

Answer · Shona Robison: £4.5 million was made available to NHS boards to support local delivery of the smoking prevention action plan and in particular, to focus on reducing smoking uptake through health promotion related activity. No detailed breakdown of board expenditure is avail…

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it distributed the £9 million made available to support local delivery of the smoking prevention action plan, broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) year and (c) activity.

Answer · Shona Robison: £4.5 million was made available to support NHS boards over three years (2008-09 to 2010-11) to support local delivery of the smoking prevention action plan, the key aim of which is to dissuade children and young people from smoking. A similar amount …

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

Answer · Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government does not hold records of the number of Sure Start centres in Scotland and no longer promotes the Sure Start programme in Scotland as a self-standing programme.

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

Answer · Shona Robison: At the outset of the Healthy Living Centre programme there were 46 Healthy Living Centres. Prior to 2007 a total of six Healthy living Centres closed across Scotland for various reasons. At January 2008 there were 37 Healthy Living Centres, …

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of children it estimates to be rated as reaching a good level of development at age five, also broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) local authority area.

Answer · Adam Ingram: There is no single definition of what constitutes good development at age five and several possible measures may be used as indicators. This information is not therefore held centrally. Local delivery agencies may choose to collect a range of information to r…

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what changes it has made to the approach to child heath development since the publication of Fair Society, Health Lives: The Marmot Review in February 2010.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Marmot report was based on a review for the Department of Health on health inequalities in England but the Scottish Government is also committed to giving children in Scotland the best possible start in life and has identified, and is already tackling in …

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many head injuries as a result of skiing or snowboarding accidents were reported in 2009-10.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on the volume of head injuries relating to skiing or snowboarding accidents is not collected centrally.

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to increase awareness of the protection benefits of helmets for skiers and snowboarders.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is the role of the governing body, in this instance, Snowsport Scotland, to ensure that skiers and snowboarders are aware of the protection benefits of helmets when participating in their sport. The International Ski Federation strongly recommends the use …

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to apply real (a) wages and (b) alcohol prices to the Sheffield Alcohol Pricing Model against outcome data for the period 2005-06 to 2009-10.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The updated Sheffield Alcohol Pricing Model for Scotland (published in April 2010) is based on actual 2008-09 price distribution data of off-trade alcohol in Scotland. Scottish survey consumption and off-sales price distribution data is not collated o…

24 Feb 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, given the reported number of alcohol-related admissions, cirrhosis and deaths in the lowest two socioeconomic groups, what it has done to determine whether the individuals concerned have spent a lifetime in these groups or arrived in these groups as a result of excess alcohol consumption.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold any information relating to the socioeconomic history of those individuals who currently reside within the two lowest socioeconomic groups. To obtain this information would require longitudinal data that tracks individual…