Parliamentary questions
Ross Finnie
558 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce healthcare associated infections in community healthcare settings.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The three-year HAI (healthcare associated infection) task force delivery plan has a specific action (action 1.10) to tackle infections associated with the community healthcare setting. The delivery plan is at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2…
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths due to obesity-related illness there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is given in the following table. This provides the numbers of deaths where obesity was recorded either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributory factor.</p> <p >The figures shown are probably an under-estimate of numbers…
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of obesity to the NHS and how this cost has changed over the last 10 years.
Answer · Shona Robison: We will publish our most recent analysis of the cost of obesity to the NHS in the next few weeks.</p>
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost to the NHS of treating obesity-related illness and how this cost has changed over the last 10 years.
Answer · Shona Robison: We will publish our most recent analysis of the cost of obesity to the NHS including treating obesity-related illness in the next few weeks.</p>
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions have resulted from deliberate self-harm by people aged 16 and over in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: The following table shows the number of hospital admissions for patients aged 16 and over as a result of intentional self-harm. </p> <p >Caution is advised when interpreting the figures in this table. NHS boards may have different procedures in place for adm…
7 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions have resulted from deliberate self-harm by people under 16 in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: The following table shows the number of hospital admissions for patients aged under 16 as a result of intentional self-harm.</p> <p >Caution is advised when interpreting the figures in this table. NHS boards may have different procedures in place for admitti…
3 Dec 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for natalizumab, brand name Tysabri, have been dispensed in each of the last two years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not available. </p> <p >Natalizumab (Tysabri®) therapy should be initiated and supervised by specialist physicians experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions, in centres with timely access to MRI. It is administ…
25 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many babies were born between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm at the Inverclyde Royal Hospital Community Maternity Unit in each of the last three years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The number of babies born between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm in the Inverclyde Royal Hospital is set out in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > <p align=center >2006</p> </td> <td valign=…
25 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many babies were born at the Inverclyde Royal Hospital Community Maternity Unit in each of the last three years.
Answer · Shona Robison: The number of babies born in the Inverclyde Royal Hospital is set out in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td width=37 valign=top > <p align=center >2006</p> </td> <td valign=top > <p align=center >2…
25 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NHS Scotland partnership process with staff was followed when agreement with the General Practitioners Committee was reached regarding delivery of the influenza A (H1N1) vaccine.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The agreement on the delivery of the first phase of the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination programme was negotiated on a UK basis as part of the General Medical Services contract with NHS Employers LEADING on behalf of the four UK Health Departments.</p>
25 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding for additional staff is being made available to NHS boards to provide backfill for district nurses administering the influenza A (H1N1) vaccine to housebound patients.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No extra funding has been provided to NHS boards for additional staff.</p> <p >However, the Scottish Government has offered to meet the re-registration costs of nurses returning to the NHS during this pandemic to support the delivery of services.</p>
25 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding the management of the additional workload of district nurses administering the influenza A (H1N1) vaccine to housebound patients.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government Health Directorate (SGHD) and Health Protection Scotland (HPS) have worked closely with NHS boards on planning for the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination programme. This has included approval of local service delivery models at a national …
25 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how NHS boards will manage the additional workload of district nurses administering the influenza A (H1N1) vaccine to housebound patients.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS boards locally are responsible for managing workload of staff involved in the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination programme. Service delivery models have been put in place that seek to ensure efficient delivery of the vaccination programme balanced against ava…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23482 by Nicola Sturgeon on 13 May 2009, what progress has been made in increasing levels of registered organ donors in black and minority ethnic communities.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Our work on implementation in Scotland of the UK Organ Donation Taskforce recommendations includes a range of work specifically directed at the promotion of organ donation to the black and minority ethnic (BME) population.</p> <p >On 16 November 2009, the Sc…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people volunteered for organ donation in each month since January 2009.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27724 on 9 October 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Ap…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to increase the level of registered organ donors in the Asian community.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29055 on 1 December 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <u><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/A…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether schools included in the school building programme will facilitate out-of-hours community use of sports facilities.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The new Scottish Government-COSLA school estate strategy, <i >Building Better Schools: Investing in </i><i >Scotland</i><i >''s Future,</i> was published alongside the announcement of the first schools to benefit from the new school building programme. It s…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the physical layout of schools included in the school building programme will facilitate delivery of the target of two hours of physical education per week for each pupil, as outlined in the Curriculum for Excellence.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The new Scottish Government-COSLA school estate strategy, <i >Building Better Schools: Investing in </i><i >Scotland</i><i >''s Future,</i> was published alongside the announcement of the first schools to benefit from the new school building programme. It s…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the potential link between the school building programme and the development of community sports hubs as part of the 2014 Commonwealth Games legacy.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The link is explicitly highlighted in the new Scottish Government-COSLA school estate strategy, <i >Building Better Schools: Investing in Scotland''s Future,</i> which was published alongside the announcement of the first schools to benefit from the new schoo…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the proportion of young people that ceased participating in sport after leaving school in the last period for which figures are available.
Answer · Shona Robison: Data on numbers of young people that have ceased to participate in sport after leaving school are not available. </p> <p >The most recent data (2007-08) on sport participation in the 16-24 year old age group is published in the <i >Scottish Household Survey …
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the 28-day hospital readmission rate following discharge from a mental health specialty was for patients aged (a) under 18, (b) 19 to 44, (c) 45 to 64 and (d) 65 and over in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: The number of discharges from mental health units with subsequent readmission within 28 days, and rates of readmission as a percentage of all discharges, for patients under 18, aged 18-44, aged 45-64 and aged 65 and over, by NHS board in each of the last five…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the prescription drugs budget was for each NHS board in 2009-10.
Answer · Shona Robison: The setting of primary care prescribing budgets is devolved to NHS boards, who fund this expenditure from their unified budget. The allocations which boards make cover all items dispensed on prescriptions, including drugs and other items such as dressings, ap…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it still plans to vaccinate the whole population against influenza A (H1N1) and, if so, whether there is a target date for achieving this.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As announced on 19 November, the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination programme will be extended to offer vaccination to all children over six months and up to five years of age.</p> <p >Further consideration is also being given to vaccination of carers of elderly…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the population it estimates the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination priority groups to comprise.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are approximately 1.3 million people in the phase one priority groups identified for the influenza A (H1N1) vaccination programme. As announced on 19 November, children aged over six months and up to five years of age have also been prioritised to recei…
17 Nov 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures levels of Clostridium difficile and MRSA in community health settings and what body is responsible for doing so.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The government''s objective is to reduce all avoidable infections across all settings and our work to reduce infections in community healthcare settings is continually evolving.</p> <p >Patients, particularly the elderly, move frequently between the communit…
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals aged (a) under 50 and (b) 50 and over have suffered a fragility fracture in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: There is no specific definition for the term fragility fracture. In general, it is a fracture that occurs through minimal trauma in bone that is pathologically impaired. The vast majority of such fractures will relate to osteoporosis although a small proporti…
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that, after suffering a fragility fracture, individuals are identified and assessed for osteoporosis.
Answer · Shona Robison: There are Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guidelines on the managements of osteoporosis (71) and on the management of hip fractures in older people (111), which recommend that patients who have suffered one or more fragility fractures shoul…
30 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses specialise in the provision of fracture liaison services, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.</p> <p >Individual NHS boards are responsible for planning services in their area and for securing the staff to deliver them. It is for NHS boards to determine their workforce requirements, based on the clinic…
29 Oct 2009 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address regional disparities in educational attainment.
Answer · Keith Brown: We are implementing Curriculum for Excellence together with local authorities and our other partners in education. Local authorities, schools, colleges and other partners will work together to help learners develop the range of skills and attributes set out i…
26 Oct 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for (a) sibutramine and (b) orlisat have been dispensed to individuals aged (i) under 16, (ii) 16 to 18 and (iii) over 18 in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: The following tables show the total number of prescribed items for orlistat and sibutramine dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors in NHS board areas for the past five years ending 31 March. These data exclude the direct su…