Parliamentary questions
Jackson Carlaw
1,088 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the Healthcare Improvement Scotland review of clinical standards for neurological health services.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Healthcare Improvement Scotland will be conducting a scoping exercise to assess the currency and relevance of the clinical standards for neurological health services. This is planned to run from September to December 2016. This will include consideration of o…
8 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Sue Ryder report, Rewrite the Future.
Answer · Maureen Watt: We are looking at this report and the wide range of issues raised, and will consider our position in relation to the recommendations.
3 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are taken to ensure that patients are made aware of (a) material risks involved in (i) recommended treatments in general and (ii) methadone maintenance, and (b) any alternative treatments available even if private or not in Scotland.
Answer · Maureen Watt: GPs and pharmacists are bound by codes of practice which set out expected standards of care for their patients, including the provision of treatment. Any discussions about that treatment should be a matter for the healthcare professional, using their clinical…
3 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what care and support is available to people with neurological conditions.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Our health service provides high quality care across a range of neurological services provided by NHS boards. The recently published National Clinical Strategy makes it clear that we want everyone, including people with neurological conditions, to receive car…
3 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what standards are in place for neurological care and whether it plans to change them.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: National clinical standards for neurological health services were implemented in 2010. We have asked Healthcare Improvement Scotland to review how the quality of care for people with neurological conditions can be enhanced in all care settings. That assessme…
22 Feb 2016 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will make a final decision on a deposit return scheme for beverage containers.
15 Feb 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that cancer patients are able to provide full feedback about their care and support.
Answer · Shona Robison: It is essential that we listen to people with cancer in order to fully understand their experiences and what matters most to them. In October 2015 we launched the first-ever Scottish cancer patient experience survey in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Suppo…
15 Feb 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the (a) emotional, (b) practical, (c) financial and (d) physical needs of cancer patients are fully assessed.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Transforming Care After Treatment (TCAT) programme, delivered in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, NHS Scotland and local authorities, aims to support and enable people living with and beyond cancer to live as healthy a life as possible for as lo…
15 Feb 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what influence the Macmillan Cancer Support programme, Transforming Care After Treatment, has on the (a) NHS and (b) social care system.
Answer · Shona Robison: In 2013, the Scottish Government in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support launched the five year Transforming Care after Treatment programme to support people who have been diagnosed or treated for cancer by integrating health and social care elements to …
3 Feb 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage more clinicians to participate in breast cancer research.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: To ensure there is sufficient clinician time to plan and undertake research, the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Research Strategy launched in October 2015 committed to investing £12.7 million per annum to health boards through a researcher support…
3 Feb 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what lifestyle advice and support it makes available to people when attending breast screenings.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government has supported a number of successful pilot studies which provided targeted interventions around diet and physical activity in a breast screening setting. We will continue to support work in this area and consider how best to ensure tha…
3 Feb 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress the Detect Cancer Early Programme is making in meeting its objectives.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Detect Cancer Early Programme aims to bring improvements in survival for people with cancer in Scotland to amongst the best in Europe by diagnosing and treating the disease at an earlier stage. The direct impact of public awareness campaigns and other com…
3 Feb 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it allocates to improve access to life-extending medicines.
Answer · Shona Robison: In addition to health boards’ budgets, the Scottish Government has also made £90 million available through the New Medicines Fund in 2015-16 to provide additional support to NHS boards for end of life, orphan and ultra-orphan medicines.
1 Feb 2016 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the consequences of any variation in the Scottish rate of income tax in 2016-17.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish rate of income tax for 2016-17 has to be applied equally across all the existing tax bands. A Scottish rate at a level other than 10p, therefore, would either see an increase or a decrease in the tax bills of all those liable to pay income tax. …
6 Jan 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action NHS boards take to collate data on hospital admissions caused by the ingesting, inhaling or injection of new psychoactive substances and what analysis it has carried out to determine whether this information has been recorded adequately.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: NHS Scotland patient recording systems do not currently include a code to capture new psychoactive substance (NPS) use. Collection of data on NPS prevalence and harms within the NHS, therefore, is limited. These problems are not restricted to Scotland, but ar…
6 Jan 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out the effectiveness of its strategy in dealing with new psychoactive substances.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government continues to engage with the sector to review a range of interventions to tackle new psychoactive substances (NPS) and the dangers they pose. The NPS Evidence Group is comprised of key stakeholders from a range of sectors including hea…
6 Jan 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it provided for Operation Alexander in December 2015, which targeted shops selling new psychoactive substances.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government did not directly fund Operation Alexander. The Scottish Government provided funding of £21,450 to Trading Standards Scotland to assist in removing barriers in tackling new psychoactive substances (NPS). This included the development of…
6 Jan 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the outcome of Operation Alexander in December 2015, what plans it has in 2016 to prioritise the targeting of shops that sell new psychoactive substances.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Operation Alexander is a co-ordinated enforcement operation by local authority trading standards services against new psychoactive substance suppliers. Further action is a matter for local trading standards authorities. The Scottish Government are working cl…
5 Jan 2016 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what issues were discussed.
8 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S4W-28639 by Maureen Watt on 2 December 2015, how much recurring funding has been provided to NHS boards, and what proportion of this has been spent on new hepatitis C therapies.
Answer · Maureen Watt: £9,625.6 million was given to NHS boards in 2015-16. The amount within that which is spent on hepatitis C treatment is not held centrally.
8 Dec 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to implement the recommendation by the Scottish Public Inquiry into Hepatitis C/HIV acquired infection from NHS treatment in Scotland with blood and blood products (Penrose Inquiry) that all reasonable steps be taken to offer a hepatitis C test to everyone who ha…
Answer · Maureen Watt: The single recommendation of the Penrose Inquiry report was that the Scottish Government should offer a hepatitis C test to everyone in Scotland who had a blood transfusion before September 1991 and who has not already been tested. A short life working group …
30 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what reviews of admissions policy for patients requiring specialist care at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre have been carried out in each year since 2010, in particular for patients taken ill during evenings or at weekends, and what the outcomes were.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government expects all NHS boards to keep services under regular review to ensure that they are of the highest quality, and meet the needs of local people. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that a review of patients requiring unschedul…
30 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what reviews of staffing levels at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre have been carried out in each year since 2010 and what the outcomes were.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government expects all NHS boards to have robust workforce planning arrangements in place, and that these are subject to regular review. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that reviews of medical staffing at the Beatson West of Scotland…
23 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether protected funding is available to support the initiation of patients onto antiviral therapy, in line with the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework 2015-2020 Update.
Answer · Maureen Watt: NHS boards meet the costs of antiviral therapy for HIV from core budgets. The costs of antiviral therapy for hepatitis C is supported by the £28 million funding the Scottish Government provides under the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework. NHS boar…
23 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what budget it has allocated to support the implementation of the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework 2015-2020 Update.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government has allocated £28 million this financial year to support NHS boards and third sector organisations to implement the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework. Funding to support subsequent years of the framework will be subject to …
17 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will work together with NHS boards to ensure the safety of student nurses in the norovirus season.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Each year a significant amount of work is undertaken by the Scottish Government, Health Protection Scotland and NHS boards to ensure that all healthcare staff, including student nurses, have access to detailed and up to date guidance on preparing for and mana…
17 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to help student nurses receive flu vaccinations.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The annual seasonal flu vaccination programme seeks to protect members of the public who may be at risk of flu due to age or because of certain medical conditions. The annual seasonal flu programme does not provide vaccination to those who may be at risk of f…
17 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons student nurses are not eligible to receive free flu vaccinations.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The health and safety of student nurses falls under the governance and care of university occupational health systems. Student nurses who may be exposed to the flu during placements in NHS boards should receive flu vaccination in line with all other NHS hea…
17 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update its Diabetes Action Plan: Quality Care for Diabetes in Scotland.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government’s Diabetes Improvement Plan, published in November 2014, updated and aims to build on the progress made through the implementation of the previous Diabetes Action Plan 2010. The improvement plan outlines a range of key priorities for f…
17 Nov 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take with NHS boards to tackle diabetes.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Our Diabetes Improvement Plan sets out a range of measures that we expect NHS boards to report on, including the nine care processes and the provision of structured education.