Jim Hume

28 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken since the publication of the Mental Health Strategy for Scotland: 2012-2015 to deliver faster access to psychological therapies.

Answer · Michael Matheson: On 27 August we made the first publication reporting on progress towards the target: Psychological Therapies Waiting Times in Scotland, available on the ISD website. Data will now be published quarterly. The Scottish Government’s Quality and Efficiency Suppo…

28 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the 2014 target in Commitment 11 in the Mental Health Strategy for Scotland: 2012-2015 will be met.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government monitors health board performance against the CAMHS Waiting times HEAT target through monthly management in confidence updates from NHS Scotland Information Services Division (ISD) data which is published quarterly at the link: http:/…

28 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many clinical psychologists were employed by each NHS board in each of the last five years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is in the public domain, in the Information Services Division (ISD) quarterly publication Workforce Planning for Psychology Services in NHSScotland, last published on 27 August 2013. The following table summarises information available in th…

28 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of therapy on average patients who are referred to talking therapies receive.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally.

28 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the 2013 target in Commitment 11 of the Mental Health Strategy for Scotland: 2012-2015 has been met by each NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The CAMHS waiting time target was successfully delivered in March 2013 with 99% of those seen having waited less than 26 weeks from referral to treatment, with an average waiting time of six weeks. Information on patients waiting times for Child and Adolesce…

28 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in relation to Commitment 6 in the Mental Health Strategy for Scotland: 2012-2015.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government is making good progress on taking forward the commitment. We are working with NHS 24 and NHS boards to roll out computerised cognitive behavioural therapy on a national basis. In addition we are working with NHS 24 and other partners …

28 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment is has made of the need for talking therapies in the NHS.

Answer · Michael Matheson: While the Scottish Government sets the policy direction for the delivery of and access to psychological therapies, it is for Health Boards to determine the level and nature of the demand in their local areas. In preparation for meeting the access to psycholo…

28 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have accessed NHS talking therapies in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) type of therapy, (c) gender and (d) age.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally. However, the first quarterly publication by Information Services Division (ISD) of psychological therapies waiting times in Scotland took place on 27 August 2013 and shows boards' progress towards the access to psychol…

28 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been referred to talking therapies by (a) GPs and (b) other health workers in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally. However, the first quarterly publication by Information Services Division (ISD) of Psychological Therapies Waiting Times in Scotland took place on 27 August 2013 and shows Boards' progress towards the Access to Psychol…

24 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02492 by Alex Neil on 10 October 2013 (Official Report, c. 23561), whether it will provide a breakdown of the (a) date each consultant (i) was appointed and (ii) started employment and (b) hospital at which each consultant is based.

Answer · Alex Neil: The following table provides a breakdown of the date each consultant was appointed, started employment and hospital where each consultant is based. NHS Board Date of Appointment Employment Start Date Hospital Base Borders 28 October 2013 1 April 2014 …

24 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02492 by Alex Neil on 10 October 2013 (Official Report, c. 23561), whether its media office subsequently briefed reporters that there were more consultants in addition to the number given in the answer and, if so, (a) for what reason, (b) what the a…

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government media office subsequently released information in relation to more consultants in addition to the number given in answer to question S4O-02492 by Alex Neil on 10 October. The media release clarified the number of consultants recruited …

24 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-02492 by Alex Neil on 10 October 2013 (Official Report, c. 23561), whether it will provide an update on how many additional (a) accident and emergency consultants and (b) nurses each NHS board has recruited under the unscheduled care action plan.

Answer · Alex Neil: The following tables provide updated data on the number of additional accident and emergency consultants and nurses that have been recruited under the unscheduled care action plan so far. Consultants: NHS Board A&E Consultants (WTE) Borders 1 Dumfries …

10 Oct 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the 28-day hospital readmission rate following discharge from a mental health speciality has been in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The most recent 28-day readmission data, broken down by NHS board can be found in the ISD Publication Adult Mental Health Benchmarking Toolkit – Year ending 31 March 2012 http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Quality-Indicators/Publications/data-tables.a…

30 Sep 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional accident and emergency consultants and nurses have been recruited under the unscheduled care action plan.

18 Sep 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16411 by John Swinney on 24 August 2013, what the make and model numbers of the defibrillators are and how much each cost.

Answer · John Swinney: The information requested is as follows: Model name: Heartstart Model number: FR2+ Cost to renew: £354.50 and battery: £153.00

18 Sep 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publicise its personal footcare guidance and ensure that it is adopted by NHS boards and implemented in full.

Answer · Alex Neil: The recently published National Footcare Guidance has been issued to all NHS boards in Scotland as well as to the partner organisations involved in its development. In addition, the Allied Health Professionals national lead for footcare will be meeting with p…

16 Sep 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-16411 by John Swinney on 24 August 2013, how many employees there are in the estate’s 79 buildings.

Answer · John Swinney: At 31 August 2013 there were a total of 5,827 people working for the Scottish Government based across the 79 buildings which form the Scottish Government estate. This figure includes permanent, temporary, fixed term, agency workers, consultants, contractors a…

9 Aug 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when its next trade mission to (a) Japan, (b) Brazil and (c) Russia is planned.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Trade missions for the Scottish Government are planned and managed by Scottish Development International (SDI). SDI is a partnership between the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. SDI’s next trade mission to Japan i…

16 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances it will consider reintroduction of capercaillie and whether a protocol exists for implementing such reintroductions.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission Re-Introduction Specialist Group has recently published revised guidelines for reintroductions and other types of conservation translocations. Scottish Natural Heritage…

16 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered reintroduction projects to support capercaillie populations and, if so, with what result.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: A project is currently being led by Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, on behalf of the National Species Reintroduction Forum, which involves a preliminary assessment of the feasibility and desirability of reintroducing a range …

16 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is undertaking to preserve the number of capercaillie across the country.

Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Capercaillie conservation has been undertaken for many years through the following initiatives - The 2001-2002 Capercaillie Challenge Fund, The 2002–2007 LIFE Nature project “Urgent Conservation Management for Scottish Capercaillie”, and the 2007-2012 …

9 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many buildings are in the Scottish Government estate; how many of them contain defibrillators, and how many defibrillators there are in total.

Answer · John Swinney: There are 79 buildings on the Scottish Government estate. We have two defibrillators which we inherited following the absorption of an agency’s estate. The position on whether to install defibrillators elsewhere on the estate is kept under review.

9 Jul 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of self-harm were recorded in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13 among people aged (i) 12 and under, (ii) 13 to 15, (iii) 16 to 18 and (iv) over 18, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Data for hospital treated self-harm is collected by Information Services Division but due to concerns around the robustness and consistency of data it is not yet of sufficient quality to publish.

27 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings in the report, Concessionary Travel: Customer Feedback Research – Year One Report.

Answer · Keith Brown: Free bus travel is delivering one of the Scottish Government’s key commitments, one we believe brings important benefits for all our eligible older and disabled people. This independent research gathered the views of card holders on the scheme and its admini…

27 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to carry out a full review of the national concessionary travel scheme before the end of the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Keith Brown: We have no current plans to carry out a full review of the national concessionary travel scheme. In January 2013 we reached agreement with the bus industry safeguarding concessionary travel for older and disabled people for the next two years. The agreement…

26 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of healthcare associated infection were recorded in each of the last three years for which information is available, broken down by (a) infection type and (b) NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: Routine mandatory surveillance is carried out for Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemias and Clostridium difficile infections, and this is can be found on the following websites available from Health Protection Scotland (see following links). Additional informat…

26 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent advice it has received from Health Protection Scotland regarding an increase in E. coli infections; when it received the advice, and what subsequent action it has taken.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Health Protection Scotland (HPS) publishes a weekly report which alerts the Scottish Government to any increase in numbers of e.coli cases. In addition, HPS publishes quarterly gastro-intestinal and foodborne infections data on numbers of e.coli O157, salmone…

26 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to NHS boards in areas where the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) ratio of 1 specialist heart failure nurse per 100,000 population is not being met.

Answer · Alex Neil: While it is NHS boards’ responsibility to plan and deliver services, including specialist nursing services, taking account of national priorities and local needs, we have committed to supporting heart failure services in the following ways: We are writing t…

26 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that NHS boards meet the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network (SIGN) ratio of 1 specialist heart failure nurse per 100,000 population.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network (SIGN) has confirmed that the suggested ratio of 1 specialist heart failure nurse per 100,000 population has its origins with the British Cardiac Society, rather than SIGN. We fully recognise the value of special…

20 Jun 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children aged (a) up to 10, (b) 11 to 13 and (c) 14 to 16 were treated for (i) an eating disorder, (ii) anorexia nervosa, (iii) bulimia nervosa and (iv) binge eating in each NHS board area in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The number of people in Scotland treated for an eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating in each NHS board area is not available centrally. It is not possible to provide reliable estimates, for the requested age groups, of the numb…