Miles Briggs

20 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much each NHS board has spent on services in the (a) independent and (b) private sector in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Territorial Boards make limited use of the independent and private sector for health care services, with the amount incurred in 2015-16 comprising 0.7% of total resource spending. Boards report this spending in their annual accounts as private sector spen…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital beds do not have access to a (a) television, (b) radio or (c) telephone line.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally by Scottish Government.

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have accessed drugs via patient access schemes in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: In Scotland, Patient Access Schemes offering discounts by companies to list prices of medicines are considered by the Patient Access Scheme Advisory Group (PASAG) and are commercial-in-confidence. Therefore this information is not held centrally.

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide women who have a history of breast cancer in their family the opportunity to self-refer to the breast screening programme.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has no plans to provide women who have a history of breast cancer in the family the opportunity to self refer to the breast screening programme. However, a GP can refer such women on to genetics/family history service but this service …

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many health visitors have been employed in the NHS in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on the number of Health Visitors employed by NHSScotland Health Board in each year since 1999 is published by ISD Scotland and can be found at the following links:- http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Historic-Data/WFE01_HB_REG.xls…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide additional radiotherapy machines across Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government's Cancer Plan which sets out our ambitions on improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and after care for people affected by cancer. A key part of that strategy embeds our actions on detecting cancer early, not least t…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many respite care breaks have been provided to carers in each year since 1999.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has published information on respite weeks for the years 2007-08 to 2014-15. Information prior to 2007-08 is not held centrally. There is an estimated real terms increase in respite care provision between 2007-08 and 2014-15 of between…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish details regarding the NHS bonding scheme, how much this will be and how many medical professionals it envisages it will be made available to.

Answer · Shona Robison: It was announced on 14 June 2016 that Scotland’s first Graduate Entry Medical Programme (Scotgem) would have an element of bonding. The Scotgem Programme will commence in autumn 2018 and will have capacity for approximately 40 students. Details of the propose…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children in Edinburgh (a) are eligible for and (b) receive free school meals.

Answer · John Swinney: The eligibility criteria to qualify for free school meals is provided for in section 53 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. A summary of the criteria can be accessed from the Scottish Government website at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/HLivi…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of NHS buildings that have been rated poor/in need of maintenance, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Shona Robison: Details of the condition of the NHS Estate can be found in the Annual State of NHSScotland Assets and Facilities Report which can be accessed at http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00503969.pdf.

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the merits of single budgeting for integration joint boards.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the success of the integration of health and social care, as required under the Public Bodies (Joint Working) Scotland Act 2014, and is working with Integration Joint Boards, Health Boards and Local Authorities…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been referred to residential rehabilitation projects for alcohol and drug addiction in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government does not hold a breakdown of information on how many people have been referred to residential rehabilitation projects for alcohol and drug addiction since 1999. Services are made locally, and it would be for individual Health Boards or…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the NHS buildings estate and when it envisages all buildings to be classified as being in a good condition.

Answer · Shona Robison: Each year the Scottish Government publishes the Annual State of NHSScotland Assets and Facilities Report which provides details on the condition of the NHS Estate. The 2015 report can be accessed at http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0050/00503969.pdf and we intend…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the recording of eye health data in the NHS.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government are currently working with National Services Scotland Practitioner Services Division to develop an ophthalmic data warehouse which will be available from Spring 2017. This warehouse will allow us to gather more detailed data on eye car…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many operations have been cancelled due to bed unavailability in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: The specific information requested is not held centrally by ISD Scotland. Information is however published monthly on the number of operations cancelled each month. Latest published figures for November 2017 indicated that NHSScotland scheduled 31,730 operati…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on a move to pre-primary school eye screening.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: NHSScotland provides comprehensive orthoptic, or orthoptic-led, pre-school vision screening at four-five years as recommended in Health for all children 4: Guidance on Implementation in Scotland. In addition in Scotland, children are entitled to a free NHS …

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on mental health provision being part of inspections by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Schools.

Answer · John Swinney: In Scotland’s schools, mental health is considered as part of a broad spectrum under health and wellbeing, for example, as part of the responsibilities of all staff under Curriculum for Excellence, or as targeted interventions to provide more personalised sup…

19 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to lower the age for breast cancer screening.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has no current plans to lower the age for breast cancer screening in Scotland. Over the next few years, Public Health England (PHE) will be carrying out a randomised controlled trial in the English Breast Screening Programme screenin…

14 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report published by the Scottish Affairs Committee following its inquiry into the demography of Scotland and the implications for devolution, how its forthcoming White Paper on planning will (a) address the links between the health and housing needs of the country’s agei…

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Planning has an important role in promoting strong, resilient and inclusive communities. We want Scotland’s planning system to help deliver more high quality homes and create better places where people can live healthy lives and developers are inspired to inv…

14 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00665 by John Swinney on 16 June 2016, whether it will provide (a) a breakdown of how many of the teachers were (i) centrally employed and (ii) worked in (A) primary, (B) secondary and (C) special schools and (b) the information for 2016.

Answer · John Swinney: Children and young people receive support in school from teaching and support staff. The information provided in the following tables relates to those teachers whose main subject is Additional Support for Learning only and therefore does not reflect the full …

14 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many school support staff each local authority has employed in each year since 2010, broken down by category of employment.

Answer · John Swinney: Children and young people with additional support needs receive support in school from teaching and support staff. The following information provided provides a picture of the support staff employed to support all pupils, including those with additional suppo…

14 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00665 by John Swinney on 16 June 2016, whether it will provide the information for 2016.

8 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that some people with diabetes are unable to access continuous glucose monitoring through the NHS.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Diabetes Group, our national advisory group, to oversee and drive implementation of our Diabetes Improvement Plan (2014) to improve care and treatment for people living with diabetes in Scotland. The Plan in…

8 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost benefits of using continuous glucose monitoring, and how much it estimates this technology saves the NHS by preventing, for example, eye disease, amputations and other health problems that can result from diabetes.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Diabetes accounts for around 10% of the health budget and it is estimated that 80% of these costs are for treating complications associated with diabetes, such as diabetic retinopathy, foot ulcers (which can lead to amputation) and renal failure. Attaining go…

8 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that continuous glucose monitoring is provided to all people with diabetes who need it.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Scottish Government works closely with the Scottish Diabetes Group, our national advisory group, to oversee and drive implementation of our Diabetes Improvement Plan (2014) to improve care and treatment for people living with diabetes in Scotland. The Plan in…

5 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that too few of people convicted of dangerous driving receive custodial sentences.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In any given case, sentencing is a matter for the court within the overall legal framework. The law in relation to careless driving and dangerous driving is not devolved to Scotland and the UK Government has recently published a consultation seeking views on…

5 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that drivers who are convicted of careless and dangerous driving receive sentences that are appropriate to the severity of the crimes committed.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In any given case, sentencing is a matter for the court within the overall legal framework. The law in relation to careless driving and dangerous driving is not devolved to Scotland and the UK Government has recently published a consultation seeking views on…

5 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of people being convicted of death by careless driving is reportedly increasing as the number being convicted of death by dangerous driving is decreasing.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The investigation and prosecution of crime are operational matters for Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service respectively.

5 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the views of family members and friends of people who have been killed or seriously injured by careless or dangerous driving are taken into account in (a) the justice system and (b) sentencing policy for those convicted of careless and dangerous driving.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The investigation and prosecution of crime are operational matters for Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service respectively. Sentencing is a matter for the court. In considering the public interest, the Crown Office and Procurator …

5 Dec 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that too many drivers who may have caused death or serious injury are being convicted of careless driving rather than dangerous driving.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In any given case, decisions about prosecution are a matter for the Lord Advocate and decisions about conviction are a matter for the court. The Scottish Government does not comment on such matters.