Aileen McLeod

Answer · Michael Matheson · 6 Nov 2014

The integration of health and social care will provide a number of specific opportunities for us to strengthen public health services in Scotland, with much greater opportunities for joined-up working and preventative, person-centred care. I believe that public health work, with its strong prevention focus, is one of the most important activities of our health service. The current work around obesity, alcohol and tobacco are clear examples of this. We must ensure public health services in Scotland continue to work well and that they have the profile they deserve. I have therefore asked for a review of public health in Scotland. This review will cover health services, health protection, health improvement and health inequalities. It will identify future priorities and challenges, and will seek to make recommendations for how best we can respond. I am establishing a group of experts to undertake this review and they will report back to me next year.

Answer · Alex Neil · 6 Nov 2014

We have worked closely with all NHS boards to develop winter planning guidance which was made available to boards on 23 September 2014. This guidance supports boards so that they have robust plans and contingency measures in place to maintain safe and effective services during the winter period.
We provide a range of support to NHS boards, including NHS Dumfries and Galloway, to assist them to meet the challenges winter places upon them. For example, we have provided over £480,000 to NHS Dumfries and Galloway so far (2013-15) under the Unscheduled Care Action Plan to help improve A&E performance. In addition the Scottish Government is providing £152,000 to help drive reductions in delayed discharges in Dumfries and Galloway ahead of the coming winter.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon · 1 Oct 2014

The local authorities in the south of Scotland are key investment partners in the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme.
The south of Scotland will receive upgraded infrastructure throughout the four year programme, which will run until the end of 2017.
In the first two phases of the programme, it has been confirmed that cabinets connected to the exchanges in Galashiels and Dumfries will receive fibre broadband. It has also been announced that the following exchange areas will be fibre-enabled: Amisfield, Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway, and Earlston, Lauder, Melrose, Selkirk and St Boswells in Scottish Borders.
By the end of the programme, access to fibre broadband in the south of Scotland is expected to increase from 32% to 94% of premises.

Answer · Alex Neil · 6 Aug 2014

Information on how many whole time equivalent (WTE) radiography staff there were in (a) September 2007 and (b) March 2014 can be found in the following table.
Radiography staff in NHS Scotland at 30 September 2007 and 31 March 2014.
 
Sep 07
Mar 14
Radiography staff NHS Scotland
1,836.8
2,175.7
Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System, ISD Scotland
Radiography staff working in NHSScotland have increased by 338.9 WTE or 18.5% during the period of September 2007 and March 2014.
Further information on the statistics, including information on how the data are collected and notes to aid interpretation, can be found on the Information Services Division website at: www.isdscotland.org/workforce