Parliamentary questions
Miles Briggs
4,209 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06240 by Shona Robison on 26 January 2017, whether it will provide an update on the (a) current and (b) future areas of focus of the Effective Prescribing Programme.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Effective Prescribing Programme was established by NHS National Services Scotland, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government to facilitate and support the quality of prescribing and medicines use. The following are the current areas of focus: Implementation…
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish a new respiratory prescribing strategy.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government published a respiratory prescribing strategy in 2014. Work is underway to develop an updated version. This is being led by officials and colleagues from NHS Scotland. It is intended that the strategy be published later in 2017.
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have paid for NHS IVF cycles in each year since 1999, and what the average cost was.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Information on the numbers of self-funded IVF cycles carried out in the 4 Assisted Conception Units that deliver NHS IVF, in each year since 1999 and associated costs, are not collected centrally. As part of the work for the National Infertility Group, Infor…
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much each hospital charges patients to access television.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally, it is a matter for individual Health Boards.
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been admitted to hospital after overdosing on opioids in each year since 1999.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information on admissions to hospital after overdosing on opioids is provided in the following table. Table 1: Number of people1 admitted to acute hospitals in Scotland2 after overdosing on opioids3, and the number who subsequently died4; calendar years5 199…
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many sexually transmitted diseases have been diagnosed in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: A copy of data tables on the major acute sexually transmitted infections diagnosed in Scotland since 1999 by NHS board has been placed under BIB number 59019. The Scottish Government will chair a meeting of the NHS Sexual Health and BBV Executive Leads on 29…
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will take forward its consideration of the guidance on the use of emergency salbutamol inhalers in light of the responses to the consultation on the draft guidance on supporting children and young people with healthcare needs.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is currently updating the guidance in light of the comments provided as part of the consultation. Once this has been completed, a meeting of the review group will be convened to discuss the amended draft prior to publication.
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost each local authority to means test social care services for people over 65 in each year since 1999.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information on the cost to each Local Authority of conducting financial assessments for social care services for people over 65 is not held centrally.
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of babies have been fully immunised in each year since 1999.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Immunisation uptake rates are routinely published by age 12 months and 24 months for the full course of each individual primary and booster vaccine. Calendar year data since 1995 are available on the ISD website at: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/C…
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what part NHS National Procurement Scotland has in the development, implementation and management of the single national formulary.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has completed the first round of stakeholder engagement regarding the Single National Formulary (SNF). An event for the NHS service was held on the 16 May 2017, and NHS National Procurement Scotland were in attendance. The event includ…
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much each hospital charges patients to make phone calls.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally, it is a matter for individual Health Boards.
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been treated by alcohol and drug partnerships in each year since 1999.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information is not held centrally.
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many reports it has received of patients being absent or going missing from mental health facilities in each year since 1999.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Information on patients being absent or going missing is collected by Information Services Division through evidence on abscondment (from detention) This may have limited data. The number of patients who have gone absent or missing from mental health facilit…
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many iPads have been provided to NHS staff in each year since 2010.
Answer · Shona Robison: This is a matter for individual Health Boards. The information is not held centrally.
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many preschool health checks have taken place in each local authority in each year since 1999, also expressed as a percentage of the school roll.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government The 2005 universal core program, Health for All Children (Hall 4) sets out the minimum routine screening, surveillance and health promotion checks which all children and young people should re…
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to NHS boards and GP practices regarding who can register a baby or child with the NHS.
Answer · Shona Robison: Registration arrangements at GP practices in Scotland regarding who can register a baby or child are based on national regulations. (GMS Schedule 5, Part 2, Regulation 15). The regulations state that an application for registration with a GP practice may be …
8 Aug 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the commitment in its 2016 cancer plan to increase the number of nurse endoscopists in training by 40% by 2017.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is determined to meet all of the commitments outlined within our cancer strategy ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’. Since the current cohort of students commenced their training in January 2017, a total of 9 students have participa…
19 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that people in Scotland with ocular melanoma are offered fewer treatment options than in the rest of the UK, and what action it is taking to increase this number of options.
Answer · Shona Robison: On issues related to ocular melanoma, the Scottish Government relies on the clinical expertise of the National Specialist Scottish Ophthalmic Oncology Service. On 12 May 2017, there was a Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) meeting where ocular m…
18 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether legislation on the provision of free personal care exclusively to over 65s is compliant with the Equality Act 2010 regarding age discrimination.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 was subject to rigorous scrutiny by the Scottish Parliament before its implementation. The Scottish Government is committed to the principles of the Equality Act 2010 and to respecting, protecting and impleme…
13 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost to treat venous thromboembolism (VTE) in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06745 on 24 February 2017. 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…
11 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help people with less survivable cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, who are reportedly nearly six times less likely to live for five years than people with other types of cancer.
Answer · Shona Robison: Our cancer strategy, ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’ recognises the need to reduce the variation in survival rates of different types of cancer as much as possible. The strategy is accompanied by £100 million investment, and serves as a blueprint for th…
10 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices it provided funding for in 2017-18, and what its reasons are for not providing funding for more devices, given the reported cost savings and health benefits of the technology.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has provided funding for 111 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices in 2017-18 as set out in Directors Letter DL (2017) 13. We have followed the advice of the Scottish Diabetes Group (SDG) with funding allocated in 2017-18 to en…
10 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people with type 1 diabetes have bought their own continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices because they cannot access NHS funding for them.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
5 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the multi-agency taskforce or equivalent group to help introduce new medicines, such as Orkambi for cystic fibrosis, will be established.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10188 on 2 August 2017. 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/…
5 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will clarify the future arrangements for the funding of end-of-life, orphan and ultra-orphan medicines, and what the implications are for the funding of cystic fibrosis drugs.
Answer · Shona Robison: The New Medicines Fund (NMF) provides financial support to NHS Boards for End of Life, Orphan and Ultra Orphan medicines which can be accessed by clinicians in a number of ways such as Individual Patient Treatment Requests, Peer Approved Clinical System reque…
5 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust's proposal for a managed access scheme for the cystic fibrosis drug, Orkambi, using the UK Cystic Fibrosis Patient Registry.
Answer · Shona Robison: Dr Brian Montgomery considered the views of a wide range of diverse stakeholders across Scotland as part of his independent review into access to new medicines and these influenced his final report and 28 recommendations. We continue to work with a diverse ra…
5 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure flexibility in the negotiations between Vertex Pharmaceuticals and NHS Scotland for the reimbursement of the costs of the cystic fibrosis drug, Orkambi.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10195 on 28 July 2017. 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/2…
5 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that the 300 people living with cystic fibrosis in Scotland that are eligible for the drug, Orkambi, have access to the treatment as soon as possible.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-10195 on 28 July 2017. 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/2…
5 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport will respond to the recommendations of the review by Dr Brian Montgomery and what the implications are for access to precision medicines such as Orkambi for people living with cystic fibrosis.
Answer · Shona Robison: Dr Montgomery’s independent review on access to new medicines recognised that the Scottish Government has made significant reforms and investment to improve access to newly licensed medicines in recent years. I announced in December 2016 that we will be taki…
5 Jul 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government at what stage the review is of the definitions for end-of-life, orphan and ultra-orphan medicines to ensure that the definitions used remain suitable to deal with the assessment of anticipated new treatments such as targeted medicines, such as Orkambi.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Medicines Consortium is working in collaboration with patient groups, health boards, pharmaceutical companies, the Scottish Government and other stakeholders on the review of the definitions of end-of-life, orphan and ultra-orphan medicines. This…