David Stewart

6 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its updated guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) on 2 April 2020 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, whether it will confirm (a) what types and (b) how many items of PPE have been supplied to community pharmacies.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: All community pharmacies have been issued with 2 x boxes of 50 fluid resistant (type IIR) surgical facemasks in line with the updated Health Protection Scotland guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE). Advice accompanying the distribution of masks rei…

6 Apr 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding is being given to community pharmacies to support their enhanced role in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In recognition of community pharmacy’s response to the COVID19 pandemic we have provided additional financial support measures to ensure that the network is able to continue to operate safely and that those who need their medicines continue to get them. I an…

30 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on temporarily relaxing access to controlled drugs to ensure that people prescribed them, and who are having to self-isolate for a number of weeks in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, can get the full complement for the period of self-isolation.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Access to controlled drugs under the Controlled Drugs (Supervision and Management of Use) Regulations are reserved to the UK Government, and the Scottish Government has no direct powers to alter their status. In terms of access to medicines in the community …

25 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that there are adequate supplies of personal protection equipment on the islands, and what advice it is giving to those NHS boards with responsibility to pass on to staff regarding when such equipment should be worn.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The safety of our essential frontline workforce is an absolute priority, and we are continuously looking to improve the supply and distribution of the protective equipment that is so vital in the fight against COVID-19. The Scottish Government considers the …

25 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27290 by Jeane Freeman on 20 February 2020, how much of the remaining £703 million of Waiting Times Improvement Plan funding will be allocated to chronic pain services in 2020-21, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government are currently dealing with an unprecedented health emergency (COVID-19) and therefore all activities associated with the Waiting Times Improvement Plan are presently on hold to allow NHS Scotland to concentrate on the immediate care of…

23 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) reverse the decision in its 2020-21 Budget to reduce Highlands and Islands Enterprise's budget by 5%, in light of the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, and (b) support economic recovery in the region.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government is working closely with HIE to identify opportunities to manage the in-year financial pressures so that they can continue to meet the needs of businesses and communities across the region. We are treating the Covid-19 outbreak as an e…

9 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding (a) has been and (b) will be provided to support the delivery of all healthy weight interventions that it has committed to in its diet and healthy weight delivery plan, broken down by financial year.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Annual funding is provided to NHS Boards through the Outcomes Framework, a single source of funding for strategic priorities focussed on prevention and reducing health inequalities – including adult and child healthy weight. The Outcomes Framework provides lo…

9 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding (a) has been and (b) will be provided to support the delivery of action 3.9 in its diet and healthy weight delivery plan, broken down by financial year.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-27826 on ? 18 March 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusines…

4 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27515 by Jeane Freeman on 2 March 2020, how much additional funding will be given to NHS Highland for the delivery of the healing process.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Director General for Health and Social Care and Chief Executive of NHS Scotland wrote to NHS Highland on 21 February 2020 confirming that financial provision to support NHS Highland’s culture commitments, specifically the implementation of a dedicated hea…

4 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27515 by Jeane Freeman on 2 March 2020, when it will announce the amount of additional funding given to NHS Highland for the delivery of the healing process.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-27728 on 18 March 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/…

3 Mar 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what improvements and investment there have been on the A82 since 2016, broken down by location, and whether it will provide details of all works scheduled to be carried out.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Since 2016 this Government has invested over £58 million* on maintaining the A82 trunk road.   2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20** £9,312,907 £11,287,720 £12,803,038 £14,361,468 £11,025,050 * We are unable to break down this investment by lo…

27 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27289 by Jeane Freeman on 19 February 2020, how much of the £700,000 of Waiting Times Improvement Plan funding was allocated to chronic pain services in 2019-20 by each NHS board, and when these sums were allocated.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The following table shows the Health Boards that received additional funding under Waiting Times Improvement Plan funding, for chronic pain services in 2019-20. Health Board Funding NHS Fife £45,764 NHS Lothian £98,000 NHS Grampian £510,000 NHS Great…

19 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what agreement it has reached with NHS Highland regarding the "healing" process and investigation of allegations of bullying and harassment of staff previously employed by the NHS board, and when it expects that system will commence.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I met with NHS Highland whistleblowing group for the second time on 10 February. During the meeting, outline revised proposals for a person-centred healing process were presented by NHS Highland and discussed with the Health Secretary and later with the Whis…

19 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has agreed to give NHS Highland for the "healing" process and investigation of allegations of bullying and harassment of staff previously employed by the NHS board.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government will provide NHS Highland with additional financial support to assist with the delivery of the healing process and discussions are ongoing regarding the level of financial support involved.

19 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support tourism in the Highlands.

10 Feb 2020 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the salmon industry following Brexit.

7 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken to assess the adequacy of incoming social security payments.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We have designed benefits in collaboration with stakeholders and with the lived experience of recipients, through the Social Security Experience Panels, at the forefront, to ensure the principles set out in the Social Security Charter are fulfilled. Where ne…

7 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding benefit uptake campaigns.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government and Social Security Scotland are working closely with the DWP to help people understand the services available to them. We do this through sharing and sense-checking client facing communications to ensure timings and messages are alig…

7 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to run benefit uptake campaigns for universal credit.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Universal Credit remains the responsibility of the DWP, and as a result we would not look to run any explicit promotional campaigns around the payment. However, where eligibility for a devolved benefit is conditional on being in receipt of Universal Credit we…

4 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) longest and (b) shortest wait time for chronic pain treatment has been in each year since 2017.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Data on how long patients wait to attend their first appointment at a pain clinic/pain psychology service based on the 18 weeks referral to treatment (RTT) standard is provided by NHS Boards each quarter. A quarterly NHS Information Services Division (ISD) pu…

4 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the remaining £703 million of Waiting Times Improvement Plan funding will be allocated in 2020-21, also broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Discussions on additional funding to be available to NHS Boards in 2020-21 will be taken in line with consideration of NHS Boards’ Annual Operational Plans for 2020-21 once these have been received. Final Plans are due to be submitted to the Scottish Governme…

4 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many chronic pain doctors have been in training in each year since 2017, including to date in 2020.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The curriculum for Pain Medicine is part of the GMC-approved pathway towards achieving a certificate of completion of training (CCT) in Anaesthetics. The recognised route into specialist pain training requires passing the Fellowship of the Royal College of An…

4 Feb 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Waiting Times Improvement Plan funding was allocated to chronic pain services in 2019-20.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Boards have allocated over £700,000 of Waiting Times Improvement Plan funding to chronic pain services in 2019-20. NHS Boards’ decisions on funding are based on an assessment of demand where pressures are impacting on patient access to treatment and care.

28 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial obligations (a) integrated joint and (b) NHS boards should meet in support of hospices.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, makes clear that it is the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards (IJB) to plan and commission services for their area using the integrated budget under their control, including palliative and end of …

14 Jan 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with finding a new location for The Ironworks music venue in Inverness.

14 Jan 2020 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on developing the proposed flyover for Kessock Bridge.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The grade separation of the A9/A82 Longman Roundabout is being taken forward as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment within the £315 million Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal. Design work on improving the well-known traffic bottleneck at Longma…

7 Jan 2020 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for a new women's community integration unit in the Highlands and Islands.

16 Dec 2019 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to research suggesting that one in 10 children will be deprived of warmth or fresh food this Christmas.

26 Nov 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Highland has requested funding to set up a compensation scheme for former victims of bullying and harassment.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: No. NHS Highland has, however, advised the Scottish Government that it approved the principles underpinning the launch of a healing process for current and former staff. The Health Secretary has been very clear that she expects NHS Highland to consider all c…

22 Nov 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23920 by Jeane Freeman on 9 July 2019, and in light of the most recent data stating that 25% of patients were diagnosed at stages 1 or 2 in 2017, whether it will consider setting new targets for earlier detection of lung cancer.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Data published by ISD on 13 August shows that across NHS Scotland 25.3% of lung cancers were diagnosed at stage 1 or 2, with the highest proportion diagnosed in those living in the most deprived areas (26.7%). Following the success of the lung cancer awarenes…