Parliamentary questions
Dr Richard Simpson
2,702 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding transfer has been agreed on the transfer of medical services from the Scottish Prison Service to the NHS for (a) Scotland and (b) each NHS board in autumn 2011.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >It has been agreed, in principle, that all current funding for healthcare provision in Scottish prisons will be transferred to NHS boards…
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether nurses and other health staff will be transferred from the Scottish Prison Service to NHS with the transfer of medical services in autumn 2011
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >Prison healthcare staff in substantive posts will be transferring to the NHS as part of the National Programme for Prisoner Healthcare, s…
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether pharmacists and dispensing assistants will be transferred from the Scottish Prison Service to the NHS with the transferral of medical services in autumn 2011.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The SPS currently employs directly one pharmacist and no dispensing assistants. Substantive prison healthcare staff will be transferring …
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) start and (b) end date is for the pharmacy supply contract for the Scottish Prison Service.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:</p> <p >The SPS recently awarded a three year contract, with options to extend, for the provision of pharmaceutical goods and professional servic…
30 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the cost of an MRI scan increased by approximately 54%, from £150 in 2006 to £232 in 2009, as shown in the Scottish Health Service Costs, year ended 31st March 2009.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information in the Scottish Health Service Costs publication is mainly derived from financial and statistical data compiled by Scottish Health Boards.</p> <p >Some of the larger NHS boards such as NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which have a s…
29 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the noise levels on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line comply with the World Health Organization’s Night Noise Guidelines for Europe and, if not, how the costs will be met to achieve compliance.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine rail line noise assessments were undertaken prior to publication of the World Health Organization''s Night Noise Guidelines for Europe. However, mitigation threshold levels are in line with the World Health Organization''s Night …
29 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have reached the agreed minimum target of carrying out visits providing advice and support to 20% of tobacco retailers in their area per annum.
Answer · Shona Robison: I am pleased to report that good progress is being made, with 19 authorities having reached the agreed target in 2009-10, namely Aberdeenshire, Angus, Scottish Borders, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Fife, Midlothian, N…
29 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have reached the agreed minimum target of carrying out test purchasing exercises in 10% of tobacco retailers in their area per annum.
Answer · Shona Robison: I am pleased to report that good progress is being made, with 20 authorities having reached the agreed target in 2009-10, namely Aberdeen City, Angus, Argyll & Bute, Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrew…
29 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will report on the outcome and process measures of the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) is expected to publish a report on the progress made under the Enhanced Tobacco Sales Enforcement Programme within the next couple of months. We will inform you when the report is availab…
29 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the World Health Organization’s Night Noise Guidelines for Europe to come into effect
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The<i > </i>WHO<i > Night Noise Guidelines for Europe</i> were published in 2009. They build on the earlier 1999 WHO Guidelines for community noise and aim to provide scientific advice to the member states for the development of future legislation and policy …
14 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in relation to providing (a) compensation and (b) noise mitigation measures, it has taken the World Health Organization’s Night Noise Guidelines for Europe, published in 2009, into account when assessing the impact of noise on households along the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railwa…
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: <i >The Rail Noise Assessment “ Stirling “ Alloa “ Kincardine Rail Link Report</i> published on 26 May 2009 were undertaken prior to the publication of the <i >World Health Organisation Night Noise Guidelines for Europe</i>. The WHO Night Noise Guidelines for…
14 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is taking steps to ensure that other NHS boards follow the practice undertaken by NHS Lothian of discussing complaints quarterly at a clinical governance steering group, which the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman has commended and recommended should be followed by other publi…
Answer · Shona Robison: NHS boards are responsible for ensuring the quality, safety and effectiveness of the services they provide. The Scottish Government ensures that all complaints upheld by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman are followed-up rigorously by NHS boards through e…
14 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that shift working, particularly shifts arising from the implementation of the European working time directive, and the implementation of hospital at night schemes are not deleterious to patient safety and junior doctors’ health.
Answer · Shona Robison: Both patient safety and staff welfare are critical issues for health boards and they are constantly seeking to improve both. All rotas are designed to meet the minimum contractual and legal guidelines around hours of work, rest and breaks which ensure that do…
14 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the BMA Junior Doctors Committee’s BMA survey of junior doctors’ working arrangements 2010, which reported respondents’ concerns that the increased frequency of shift handovers and an associated increase in the number of doctors involved in a patient’s treatment wa…
Answer · Shona Robison: The NHS in Scotland has invested significantly in new ways of working to support the reduction in hours for doctors in training which has come as part of the implementation of the New Deal Contract and Working Time Regulations. Hospital at Night (H@N) has bec…
9 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34364 by Shona Robison on 21 June 2010, how many side effects or serious reactions have been reported in girls vaccinated and whether they have occurred in any girls with underlying medical conditions.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As of 14<sup> </sup>July 2010, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency<b> </b>(MHRA) has received a total of 327 reports of suspected adverse reactions (ADRs) associated with the use of human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine (including Cerva…
5 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the call from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) for a ban on industrial trans fats, what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the Food Standards Agency regarding ensuring the elimination of such trans fats from take-away food outlets in Scotlan…
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has consulted with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Scotland. FSA Scotland advise that there is no scientific evidence to suggest that take-away food outlets serve food with a disproportionately high trans fat content.</p> <p >We will …
5 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all catering courses include a module on nutrition, as is the case in the Scandinavian countries.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government''s food, health and education policies all contribute to successful delivery of our national outcomes that we live longer, healthier lives and improve the life chances for children, young people and families at risk. These are Scottish…
5 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken or will take to eliminate industrial trans fats from food provided by the NHS and items on sale in NHS premises or in premises leased to others by the NHS.
Answer · Shona Robison: While the Scottish government has no current plans to ban trans fats in hospital food, we do recognise it is vitally important that when people are in hospital their nutritional needs are a priority and a balanced diet is tailored to assist each person''s rec…
29 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be Barnett consequentials arising from the £20 million announced for expanding respite care for disabled children in England.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government may be entitled to consequentials from the UK in respect of the announcement for expanding respite care for disabled children in England in the 2010 Budget depending upon how this is dealt with in the Comprehensive Spending Review…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to review the potential for equalisation of business rates for off-trade and on-trade licensees as referred to in evidence by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association to the Health and Sport Committee on 10 March 2010, (Official Report c. 2897).
Answer · John Swinney: Business rates are a property based tax calculated using the rateable value of a property. Rateable values are set independent of the Scottish Government by the Scottish Assessors.</p> <p >The Scottish Government has put in place a number of measures to supp…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS boards maintain data on locum doctor employment; that they do so using the most effective electronic data set already in use and that where locums are employed, junior doctors do not endanger patient safety by contracting on a regular or frequent…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is leading work with key stakeholders to develop a package of measures designed to reduce demand for temporary medical staff and, where their use is unavoidable, ensure they are both high quality and affordable. These measures are curr…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the number of locum agency requests increased from 3,700 in 2006-07 to 8,200 in 2008-09 in seven NHS boards, as noted in the Audit Scotland report, Using locum doctors in hospitals.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There is no clear evidence to explain why the number of locum agency requests increased. However, we are leading work with key stakeholders to develop a package of measures designed to reduce demand for temporary medical staff and, where their use is unavoida…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it allowed the national locum agency contract to lapse in 2009 and what the financial consequences were.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-34583 and S3W-34584 on 30 June 2010. All the answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p >http://www.scottish.…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the employment of locum doctors other than through the contract agencies increased from 31% to 33% between 2006-07 and 2008-09.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34600 on 28 June 2010. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason some NHS boards did not follow the advice issued in 2006 to employ locums through the contract agencies only.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not held centrally.</p>
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the integrity of NHS IT systems is maintained by ensuring that each locum doctor uses an individual password.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The integrity of Board IT systems is the responsibility of individual NHS Boards. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring that appropriate access management is in place. The NHSScotland Information Security Policy contains guidance on user password man…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will require the NHS Scotland Central Legal Office to record whether doctors involved in incidents are locums.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The NHSScotland Central Legal Office has the facility to record in its clinical negligence claims database the locum status of any clinician who has been identified as having contributed to a negligent act or omission which has resulted in a compensation bein…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken in terms of (a) pre-employment checks, (b) induction and supervision and (c) other performance management processes to ensure that any potential risks associated with the employment of locum doctors are minimised.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34639 on 1 July 2010. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p >http://www:scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/B…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the UK Government’s decision to require the NHS in England to report rates of MRSA bacteraemia and Clostridium difficile infections weekly, what steps it is taking to provide the same level of information in Scotland.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards in Scotland already provide information on MRSA, Clostridium difficile, hand hygiene and environmental cleaning compliance and the causes of adverse incidents. This is published on NHS board websites and discussed publicly at bi-monthly NHS board m…
23 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-33213 by Shona Robison on 28 April 2010, what plans it has to implement electronic prescribing for (a) information prescriptions, (b) minor ailment prescriptions, (c) long-term condition prescribing by pharmacists and (d) non-medical prescriptions.
Answer · Shona Robison: The ePharmacy Programme has introduced electronic prescribing for GPs, who generate 90% of all prescriptions. In relation to other types of prescriptions:</p> <p >(a) information prescriptions do not currently exist in Scotland.</p> <p >(b) prescriptions fo…