Miles Briggs

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its suicide prevention strategy.

Answer · Maureen Watt: In Autumn and Winter 2017-18, the Scottish Government will engage with stakeholders with a view to developing a new suicide prevention action plan for publication in 2018. The key themes of the existing Suicide Prevention Strategy namely improving responses t…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the information that is given by GPs to people with mental health concerns.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Through SPIRE and other systems the Scottish Government will continue to support General Practice to identify patients with Mental Health conditions to anticipate their future health needs and ensure the best care possible for Scotland’s patients. This inform…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many care residents have died following (a) admission and (b) readmission to hospital in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not available centrally.

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many “did not attend” appointments were recorded by each NHS board in 2016-17.

Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested is provided in the following table. NHSScotland: Total number of new referrals, did not attends and the percentage of did not attends in Financial year 2016-17 by each NHS Board. NHS Board Total Number of New Referrals Did Not At…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial meetings have been held with each NHS board regarding potential budget overspends in each year since 2007.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has regular contact and discussion with NHS Boards covering matters relating to finance and performance. Details of engagements undertaken by Ministers since 2008 is available on the Scottish Government's website at the following addre…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time has been for an urgent cancer referral in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on the median wait and maximum wait from the date of urgent referral with a suspicion of cancer to date of first treatment by board of receipt and calendar year is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre - Bib number 59336. Dat…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people under 65 it estimates might be eligible for free personal care (Frank's Law), and how many have been assessed for support.

Answer · Shona Robison: The extension of free personal care to people under the age of 65 will benefit around 9000 people. We are working with local authorities on preparing for the implementation of the extension of Free Personal Care to under 65s by April 2019. This will involve l…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether every pupil is able to access water when at school.

Answer · John Swinney: Information on whether every pupil is able to access water when at school is not held centrally. The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008 require schools to provide access to fresh, plain drinking water at all tim…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many residential care home places in each local authority area have been available in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Care Homes Census published by ISD Scotland provides information on the number of registered Care Homes places in each local authority area in Scotland at http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Health-and-Social-Community-Care/Care-Homes/Previo…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many parenting classes in each local authority area it has offered support to in each year since 1999.

Answer · Maree Todd: We do not hold information relating to the work of previous administrations. However, between 2012-2016 the Scottish Government contributed an initial £52.5 million to the Early Years Change Fund. Part of the Scottish Government’s contribution included £9 m…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many incorrect prescriptions have been issued in each year since 1999, and how much this has cost, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not readily available from National Services Scotland prescription data systems.

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital patients have been treated for dehydration in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Information requested is not reported centrally, but the tables show the number of patients for whom dehydration and related conditions were the main diagnoses recorded as the reason for hospital admission (table 1) or one of the diagnoses recorded (table…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many environmental health officers each local authority has employed in each year since 1999.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The information requested is not held centrally.

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many DS1500 forms have been issued by GPs each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board. 

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally as this is a matter for the Department of Work and Pensions. A DS1500 form is issued when there is a terminal illness and the prognosis is that the patient may live less than 6 months, it is pro…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people in each local authority area have received respite breaks under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2017.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 is due to come into effect on 1 April 2018. There is currently no centrally held data for the number of people receiving respite breaks. The Scottish Health Survey for 2012-2015 shows that around 2% of carers aged 16 and over …

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been admitted into acute NHS settings from care homes in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: Apologies for the delay in my response. The requested information is not available centrally. NHS hospital data submitted centrally does contain information on where patients are admitted to acute NHS settings from. However, it is not possible to explicitly …

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will allocate the £20 million funding for alcohol and drug partnership funding, which was announced in the Programme for Government.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: I will be making a statement on the future of substance misuse treatment policy shortly.

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11972 by Shona Robison on 1 November 2017, whether it plans to review the CEL 12 (2012) in light of the suggestion in the Hospice UK report, The role of hospice care in Scotland, that the average statutory contribution to the costs of running adult …

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has no plans to review CEL 12 (2012). It is for the integration authorities, working with their local partners, to commission services and supports to meet the needs of their local populations, including their palliative and end of lif…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the Gogar roundabout to improve traffic flow eastbound.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The A8 and Gogar Roundabout do not form part of the Trunk Road Network and therefore this is a matter for City of Edinburgh Council as Local Roads Authority. The Scottish Government has committed £20 million as part of the Edinburgh and South East City Regi…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether using underpasses instead of roundabouts on the Edinburgh city bypass could improve traffic flow.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government is currently undertaking the development and assessment of the preferred option for improvements at Sheriffhall Roundabout. This is due to culminate in 2019 with the publication of draft Orders. Delivery of the scheme itself can only c…

8 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the plans to (a) upgrade the Sherriffhall junction and (b) (i) expand capacity and (ii) reduce congestion on the Edinburgh city bypass.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government remains committed to undertaking improvements at Sheriffhall and we are currently progressing the development and assessment of the preferred option which is due to culminate in 2019 with the publication of draft Orders. Delivery of th…

6 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05822 by Shona Robison on 13 January 2017, whether it will provide the figures for 2016-17.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Territorial Boards continue to make limited use of the independent and private sector for health care services. Total spend decreased from £78.5 million in 2015-16 to £72.0 million in 2016-17. Spend by each Board for 2016-17 is set out in the following t…

3 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether GP practices that wish to bid to provide immunisation programmes in their area will be able to do so under the Vaccination Transformation Programme.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Vaccination Transformation Programme will support Health Boards to design local solutions to vaccination delivery. Health Boards will be able to make different arrangements in their areas to suit local circumstances. In some areas GPs may continue to deli…

3 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that the transfer from general practice of responsibility for vaccinations may decrease flu immunisation rates by reducing the incidence of opportunistic immunisation when patients attend GP surgeries for other reasons.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: One of the key principles of the Vaccination Transformation Programme will be to implement new models of delivery that do not adversely impact on uptake rates. While GPs will no longer be responsible for the delivery of vaccinations, it is likely that general…

3 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, when responsibility for vaccinations is transferred from general practice, how it anticipates immunisation teams will operate in remote, rural and island communities, and how it will ensure that this provides value for money.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Vaccination Transformation Programme will not mandate how Health Boards will deliver vaccinations in their area. Rather the programme will support Health Boards in implementing local delivery solutions that best suit them, their patients, and their geogra…

3 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted risk assessments regarding its plans to transfer responsibility for vaccination programmes from general practice and, if so, whether it will make these public.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Programme is using Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) methodology which includes requirements around risk. A key role of the Vaccination Transformation Programme governance will be to identify and manage risk, undertake equality impact assessments, and …

3 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has conducted or (b) plans to conduct a full public consultation on its Vaccination Transformation Programme.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: A core principle of the Vaccination Transformation Programme is that services will continue to be delivered to patients in a safe, sustainable and acceptable way. It will be a matter for Boards locally to determine whether or not any change in service provisi…

3 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11621 by Aileen Campbell on 13 October 2017, whether it will provide details of all consultation processes that (a) have taken and (b) will take place with individual GP practices in each NHS board area as part of the Vaccination Transformation Prog…

Answer · Aileen Campbell: In developing local approaches, individual GP practices will be consulted by their Health Boards at appropriate junctures.

2 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08627 by John Swinney on 24 April 2017, whether it will provide the information for 2016-17, and whether, for the information in table 3, it will also break it down by additional support for learning spend per pupil (a) for local authority primary a…

Answer · John Swinney: This information will not be available until after the publication of the Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2016-17 in February 2018.

1 Nov 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that the Scottish Cleft Lip and Palate Surgical Service is unable to recruit a locum surgeon; what contingencies are in place to deal with this, and what analysis it has made of the impact of the situation.

Answer · Shona Robison: Despite advertising internationally there were no suitable candidates for the locum surgical post. National Services Division has advised that the two surgeons will still provide the current service and ensure that patients are being managed within clinical …