Miles Briggs

23 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of care home places that will be needed in the next two decades.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Each Health and Social Care Partnership is required by the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 to put in place a strategic commissioning plan for the integrated functions and budgets that they control. Before undertaking the strategic commissio…

23 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns in the independent care home sector regarding the viability of businesses in the sector, and what recent discussions it has had with independent care home sector representatives on these concerns.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government is committed to improving the quality of care in Scotland and we meet regularly with COSLA, Scottish Care, Coalition of Care and support Providers in Scotland and other key stakeholders in order to do this. As part of this partnership…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent announcement by the UK Government, whether it plans to cap the salary of its special advisers.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Appointments of special advisers will continue to be made in line with the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 and the Scottish Government Ministerial Code. There are no plans to change these arrangements. This is consistent with…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to provide BSL interpretation services in hospitals.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The responsibility for compliance with legislation is a specific responsibility of individual NHS boards. Our commitment is to help boards understand these requirements and to encourage the practical steps they must take to comply with the law.

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Supreme Court ruling, Montgomery v Lanarkshire Health Board, regarding the information provided to patients.

Answer · Shona Robison: Obtaining informed consent, which is primarily a matter for clinicians working in NHS Scotland and their patients, can only be achieved through partnership and joint decision making. The General Medical Council (GMC) has produced comprehensive guidance, Good …

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many administration staff have been employed by the NHS in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: Information on administrative services staff from 1999 can be found on the workforce statistics web site at: http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Historic-Data/WFG01_HB_REG.xls

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of Lyme disease have been recorded in each year since 1999.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The following table shows the number of laboratory confirmed diagnoses of borrelia infection each year but there will be cases which are not captured by surveillance. This is because current guidance states that if a patient presents to their healthcare profe…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government many people have been referred each year under the cross-border health directive.

Answer · Shona Robison: Patients are not referred under the terms of the European Cross-border Healthcare Directive. They are exercising an EU Treaty right that allows them to travel throughout the European Economic Area (EEA) to receive treatment that is the same as or equivalent t…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will announce its decision regarding the future of the Edinburgh cleft lip and palate surgical service.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: I am currently considering all of the information put before me regarding the recommendation on cleft surgery and will announce my decision soon.

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has carried out of the patient information that is provided by GP practices.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government has agreed with Scottish General Practitioners Committee to begin extracting data this transitional year (01 April 2016 to 31 March 2017). This has two purposes: The creation of an anonymised extraction process at a practice cluster …

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the guidance to NHS boards regarding the provision of fertility preservation and the cryopreservation of eggs, sperm, and embryos for cancer patients.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: NHS funded fertility preservation is currently offered to patients diagnosed with cancer on a case-by-case basis. This is for clinical reasons, and referring clinicians should take into account a patient's diagnosis, prognosis of cancer treatment and age. A …

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides regarding hearing loops being installed in all public sector-funded building projects.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scottish building regulations require new non-domestic buildings, not just public sector-funded building projects, to be fitted with hearing enhancement systems, including induction loops. Amongst other things, the guidance supporting the regulations advises …

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many libraries have closed in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Library and Information Council to provide independent advice to the Scottish Government on library and information services and to act as a leadership body for the se…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in developing a text message service for GP practices.

Answer · Shona Robison: It is for independently contracted practices to decide how best to communicate with their patients. There are no current plans to introduce a national text appointments service. Decisions at practice or NHS board level allow solutions to integrate with existi…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the fitting of particle filters on all public sector vehicles, and whether it plans to make this compulsory.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government provide an air quality grant scheme to support local authorities in retrofitting their vehicles with emissions reduction equipment. The forthcoming National Low Emission Framework (NLEF) will signpost diesel particle filter (DPF) retro…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reliability of how health statistics are recorded, and whether it plans to review this.

Answer · Shona Robison: The vast majority of Scotland’s health statistics are collected and published in accordance with the UK National Statistics Code of Practice. National Services Scotland (through Information Services Division) is the main producer of Scottish health statistics…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is to see a GP, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) GP practice.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government does not hold this information for independently contracted practices. It does expect patients to be offered an appointment with a member of GP practice staff within two days; the latest figures (Health and Care Experience Survey 2015-…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been treated for self-harm in each year since 1999.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Individuals can be treated for self-harm in a number of different settings, including hospital inpatient care or A&E attendances. Self-harm may also be managed in primary care or community settings; however, we do not currently have data on these attendances.…

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many intensive home treatment teams have attended call-outs to patients requiring emergency mental health support in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Data on how many intensive home treatment teams have attended call-outs to patients requiring emergency mental health support in each year since 1999 is not provided to the Scottish Government as a matter of course.

18 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people from Scotland have received treatment in hospitals in other parts of the UK in each year since 1999.

Answer · Shona Robison: The following tables shows the number of people from Scotland who have received treatment in hospitals in other parts of the UK in each year since 1999. The data across the UK is not directly comparable due to differences in data definitions. Information is …

15 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a full breakdown of the cost to NHS Grampian of the suspensions of Professor Zygmunt Krukowski and Doctor Wendy Craig.

Answer · Shona Robison: This information requested is not held centrally.

12 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that there is suitable aftercare available for patients with alcoholic liver disease following acute hospital treatment, and what its response is to the reported concerns that this is not being made readily available.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: It is the role of the Scottish Government to provide policies, frameworks and resources to NHS boards to support them in delivering services that meet the assessed needs of their resident populations. The provision of healthcare services is the responsibility…

12 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to remove the barriers that prevent patients from Scotland being able to access addiction Tier 4 facilities in the (a) rest of the UK and (b) European Economic Area.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and health boards allocate their budgets according to local service needs. Decisions regarding access to Tier four services (both within and outwith Scotland) and the levels of resource and funding allocated to these services are…

9 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether psychiatrists are required to inform patients of the risks associated with electroconvulsive therapy.

Answer · Maureen Watt: All patients who receive electroconvulsive therapy must either give informed consent or be protected by the legal safeguards in legislation. Consent must be in writing and be based on an understanding of the treatment, the reasons why it is being offered and …

9 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government in what proportion of cases non-consensual electroconvulsive therapy cured depression in the last year for which information is available.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Information on the proportion of cases of non-consensual electroconvulsive therapy where depression was cured is not available centrally.

9 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were detained on the basis of a short-term detention certificate in the last year for which information is available.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested however the Mental Welfare Commission is an independent organisation, which reports to Scottish Ministers and was set up to find out whether individual care and treatment is in line with the law …

9 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on mental health tribunals in the last year for which information is available.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Mental Health Tribunal Scotland is an independent organisation which reports to Scottish Ministers and whose aim is to provide a responsive, accessible, independent and impartial service when making…

9 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government in how many cases a mental health tribunal at its first consideration of a patient's appeal agreed that the patient should no longer be subject to compulsory measures in the last year for which information is available.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Mental Health Tribunal Scotland is an independent organisation which reports to Scottish Ministers and whose aim is to provide a responsive, accessible, independent and impartial service when making…

9 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were subject to community-based compulsory treatment orders and at what cost in the last year for which information is available.

Answer · Maureen Watt: 2014-15.You can access their site using the following link: http://www.mwcscot.org.uk/publications/

9 Aug 2016 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients who were detained on the basis of an emergency detention certificate were subsequently detained under a short-term detention certificate in the last year for which information is available.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested however the Mental Welfare Commission is an independent organisation, which reports to Scottish Ministers and was set up to find out whether individual care and treatment is in line with the law …