Parliamentary questions
Miles Briggs
4,209 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many "never events" there have been in the NHS in each year since 1999.
Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Scotland operates independently from the rest of the UK and does not refer to Never Events for data capturing purposes.
5 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to produce guidance on specific cancers as part of its cancer strategy and, if so, which types of cancer will be covered.
Answer · Shona Robison: Our ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’ strategy and the accompanying £100 million investment over five years, serves as a blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland, improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of pe…
5 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the £5 million funding announced on 15 March 2016 to support cancer waiting times performance will be spent; when it will announce where the funding will be targeted, and how much of the funding will be used to deliver improvements to the time between a person being diagnosed and sta…
Answer · Shona Robison: The new Scottish Government cancer strategy Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action was published in March 2016 and is a blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland, improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of those affe…
4 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will develop the national social isolation strategy, committed to in its Programme for Government, and what consultation will take place in its development.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Following on from the Programme for Government, we committed in the Fairer Scotland Action Plan, to developing a new approach to social isolation over 2017. We intend that this will build on existing work, that it will draw on the findings of the previous Par…
4 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the national social isolation strategy, committed to in its Programme for Government, will have increased funding beyond that provided to the current Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: We will be considering any funding implications as part of the development and delivery of our strategic approach to social isolation. No decisions on funding for the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund have been made beyond 2016-17.
4 Oct 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the national social isolation strategy, committed to in its Programme for Government, will include measurable outcomes by which its success can be judged over a defined period of time.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Scottish Government analysts have been working with NHS Health Scotland on a review of evidence on social isolation and loneliness. This will help identify the adequacy of data collection in this area and will feed into our strategic approach to social isolat…
30 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many calls were made to the Healthy Working Lives Adviceline in the last three years, and how many of these calls were regarding mental health advice.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The following table shows the number of enquiries to the Healthy Working Lives Adviceline including calls and emails. Date Total enquiries Calls Mental Health Calls E-mails Mental Health e-mails 01-4-2013 – 31-03-2014 2284 1712 91 572 14 01-04-20…
30 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase mental health officer support in light of the finding from the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland that nearly 44% of emergency detentions initiated by a doctor did not have the support and expertise of a mental health officer at the point that the decisi…
Answer · Maureen Watt: Mental Health Officers (MHO) are employed by local authorities and ultimately, it is the responsibility of local authorities to plan their MHO workforce, ensuring they have the appropriate levels of staff in place to provide services for their residents. Th…
30 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the statistical monitoring reports for 2015-16 published by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland regarding the levels of compulsory mental health treatment, and for what reasons these levels have risen.
Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government values the work undertaken by the Mental Welfare Commission in monitoring the use of mental health and incapacity legislation. There are many positives in the report to focus on. The Commission have welcomed the greater use of communit…
30 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses participating in the Healthy Working Lives Award Programme have more than ten employees.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: 940 organisations participating in the Healthy Working Lives Award Programme have more than 10 employees.
30 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses participate in the Healthy Working Lives Award Programme, broken down by bronze, silver and gold awards.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The number of organisations currently registered to take part in the Healthy Working Lives Award Programme is 1048. This includes organisations that are working towards the Bronze Award. The number of organisations currently holding a Healthy Working Lives A…
29 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is for pain relief injection (a) therapy and (b) review by physiotherapists, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally.
29 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) GP surgeries and (b) dentists have a text message service for patients, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: This information is not held centrally: it is for independently contracted general medical practices and dental surgeries to decide how best to communicate with their patients. There are no current plans to introduce a national text appointments service for G…
29 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been taken off methadone treatment in each year since 1999.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
29 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities charge for providing a personal medical alarm service for older people, broken down by the amount charged.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
29 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government many Scotland-domiciled students there have been at each university medical school in each year since 1999.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The number of First-degree, Scottish-domiciled students studying pre-clinical or clinical medicine at a Scottish Higher Education Institution is included in the following table. First Degree Students, domiciled in Scotland, studying pre-clinical or clinical …
29 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths from alcoholic liver disease there have been in each year since 1999.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: Information collected by National Records of Scotland is set out in the following table. Deaths where Alcoholic Liver Disease [1] was the underlying cause, Scotland, 1999 to 2015 Year [2] Deaths 1999 638 2000 779 2001 866 2002 957 2003 976 200…
29 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people without a fixed address have been discharged from hospital in each year since 1999.
Answer · Shona Robison: The following table shows the number of patients discharged from hospital where no fixed abode was recorded in each calendar year since 1999. Year No fixed Abode 1999 203 2000 194 2001 216 2002 169 2003 145 2004 118 2005 110 2006 133 2007 …
27 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish data on how NHS services are performing against the standards set out in the Standards of Care for Dementia.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s (HIS) on-going programme of inspections into older people’s care in acute general hospital settings includes a focus on dementia care and utilises the dementia standards in its inspection methodology. Their reports are publis…
27 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it measures performance against the Standards of Care for Dementia and how often it does so.
Answer · Maureen Watt: Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s on-going programme of inspections into older people’s care in acute general hospital settings includes a focus on dementia care and utilises the dementia standards in its inspection methodology. A 10-point National Action Pl…
26 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the MS Trust report, MS Specialist Nursing in the UK 2016: Report on progress towards equitable provision.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government notes the recent report by the MS Trust and recognises the vital role that specialist nurses play in providing support to those who live with multiple sclerosis (MS). That is why we have invested an extra £2.5 million in the Specialist…
26 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides regarding how many MS nurses there should be in each NHS board area.
Answer · Shona Robison: Under this Government, the number of NHSScotland staff has increased by over 11,000 WTE and the number of qualified nurses and midwives has increased by over 2,100 WTE. While the Scottish Government provides the policies, frameworks and resources for high qu…
26 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of MS nurses in (a) NHS Lothian and (b) Scotland.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03198 on 7 October 2016. 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…
23 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost is to the NHS of each A&E attendance.
Answer · Shona Robison: The average cost to the NHS in Scotland of an attendance at an A&E outpatient consultant-led clinic in 2014-15 was £112. The average cost of an A&E attendance across NHS Lothian was £88 in 2014-15.
23 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost is to the NHS of each patient, broken down by GP practice per year.
Answer · Shona Robison: The average costs to the NHS of each patient, broken down by GP practice per year can be found for the financial years 2014-15 and 2013-14 at https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/General-Practice/Publications/2015-11-03/2015-11-03-ScotlandGPPayments2014-…
23 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a national commissioning policy for bisphosphonates for cancer patients, and who is responsible for funding bisphosphonates for cancer patients.
Answer · Shona Robison: In Scotland NHS boards receive funding for the costs of medicines from their Scottish Government baseline funding. I also refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03150 on 7 October 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on…
23 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what bisphosphonates are available for cancer patients.
Answer · Shona Robison: A number of bisphosphonate medicines are licensed and have been accepted for use in Scotland for the treatment of osteoporosis and also for the reduction of bone damage when cancer has already spread to the bone. At this time no bisphosphonate has a license t…
21 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-02524 by Humza Yousaf on 21 September 2016, which improvements on the A720, in addition to work at Sherrifhall, it is committed to undertaking, and when these will be made.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The work referred to in S5W-02524 and in S5W-00568 answered on 17 June 2016 is currently underway and it would not be appropriate to prejudge the outcome of this work. In the meantime, Transport Scotland continues to assess the need for localised improvement…
21 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-02525 by Humza Yousaf on 21 September 2016, what assessment it (a) has made and (b) will make on the future capacity of the A720, in light of anticipated population growth in Lothian and the associated increase in vehicle numbers.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Transport Scotland obtains detailed information on levels of development from local planning authorities. This is used as an input to the regional transport model which provides forecast changes in travel demand. A transport appraisal using information from t…
21 Sep 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-02524 by Humza Yousaf on 21 September 2016, whether it will set out a detailed timetable for progressing the option assessment process to identify a preferred option for the grade separation of Sheriffhall roundabout, and when it envisages construct…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government remains committed to undertaking improvements at Sheriffhall roundabout. We continue to progress the option assessment process to identify a preferred option for the grade separation of Sheriffhall roundabout. The junction improvement …