Parliamentary questions
Miles Briggs
4,209 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Oct 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have died in intensive care units in each NHS board area in each of the last three years, also broken down per 100,000 people.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The following table gives the total number of deaths in all beds (level 2 or level 3) in Intensive Care and Combined units across Scotland by NHS board of treatment for the period 2016-2018. NHS Board of Treatment Unit Deaths 1 2016 2017 2018 Ayrshire &…
27 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a national heart screening programme for young athletes.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government, along with the rest of the UK, takes its advice on screening policy from the UK National Screening Committee (NSC). Following a review of the evidence in August 2019, the NSC does not currently recommend introduction of national scree…
24 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what strategies have been developed to deliver its target of eliminating hepatitis C by 2024, and whether these have been costed.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Health Protection Scotland has advised that by treating a minimum of 2,500 people during 2019-20 and 3,000 people each year thereafter, we can eliminate hepatitis C in Scotland by 2024. Case finding and treatment will be guided by the recommendations of the H…
24 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that people with hepatitis C can be hard to reach and often have difficulty engaging with services, whether savings from any reduced treatment costs for this condition will be ringfenced and reinvested into case-finding and, if not, how such case-finding will be fund…
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: It is up to each NHS board to determine how to fund case finding. The rationale for eliminating hepatitis C is clear both in terms of the benefit to patients and the saving of future costs associated with the consequences of advanced hepatitis C.
24 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the implications could be of NHS boards failing to meet their hepatitis C treatment targets.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: If NHS boards do not meet their hepatitis C treatment targets, there is a risk that Scotland as a whole will not reach the 2024 elimination target. Scottish Government officials are monitoring progress towards treatment targets in order to identify and addres…
24 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which postholder in each NHS board is accountable for meeting the hepatitis C treatment targets and has responsibility for adequate case-finding measures being in place to meet these.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Chief Executive of each board is ultimately responsible for all aspects of the performance of the board.
24 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what working groups it convenes with the voluntary and community sector to help plan effective hospital discharge for patients, and which organisations attend these groups.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-25460 on 11 November 2019. 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/parliamentarybusin…
24 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had or plans to hold with the voluntary and community sector to plan for effective hospital discharge for patients ahead of the winter 2019-20.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government convenes the Ministerial Strategic Group for Health and Community Care, which includes representation from Integration authorities, NHS Boards, local authorities, CoSLA, Royal Colleges, professional bodies and Third Sector organisation…
24 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to tackle the concerns regarding hospital discharge that were raised in the British Red Cross report, Life beyond the ward, Recommendations for improving hospital discharge in Scotland, and what steps it is taking to implement the recommendation that it should (a)…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government welcomes this new report from the Red Cross and officials will be meeting with the organisation this month to discuss further. We are committed to ensuring that discharge planning procedures are improved across Scotland and that people…
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24290 by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019, what steps it will take to ensure the provision of intensive home-based eating disorder treatment.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-25421 on 26 September 2019. 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/parliamentarybusi…
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21403 by Clare Haughey on 4 March 2019, whether it will require NHS boards to collect and record type of diagnosis within submissions to the ISD Psychological Therapies dataset in order to improve transparency regarding waiting times for mental heal…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: In April 2019, Scottish Government wrote to NHS Boards asking them to work with Information Services Division (ISD) to deliver an individual patient-level core dataset – the Child Adolescent and Psychological Therapy National Dataset (CAPTND). Scottish Gover…
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to develop community-based intensive care teams for eating disorders.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is clear in our engagement with NHS Boards that patients should be assessed according to their clinical need. Our expectation is that those who need immediate treatment, whether for an eating disorder or for any condition or disorder r…
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21442 by Clare Haughey on 4 March 2019 and its discussions with CAMHS Lead Clinicians and CAMHS Regional Leads, what progress it has made on the regional provision of specialist eating disorder facilities and community services.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Scottish Government officials have been in discussions with the Royal College of Psychiatry’s Eating Disorders faculty over the course of 2019 in relation to a needs assessment, and a review of the existing evidence base. As referenced in the answer to quest…
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24291 by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019, whether it plans to assess what additional resources will be required by NHS boards to enable them to provide assessment and access to treatment for all people with eating disorders on the basis of clinical n…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: I agree with the member’s aspiration that there should be an equitable and consistent provision of services for people with eating disorders across Scotland. As referenced in the answer to question S5W-24291, we have committed to Scotland-specific clinical g…
19 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24290 by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019, whether the Cullen Centre still provides a community team that offers home-based treatment for people with eating disorders.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Cullen Centre provides an outpatient service for patients with an eating disorder who require support. This can include home visits where necessary, which would take place if patients have been clinically assessed as requiring it.
16 Sep 2019 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase biodiversity in Edinburgh.
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-03497 by Joe Fitzpatrick on 5 September 2019, which Integration Joint Boards (IJB) have formally signed up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Independent Scottish Hospices; on what date they signed, and when it expects all IJBs to sign up…
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Integration Joint Boards (IJB) Chief Officers Group is currently working to build a picture of which IJBs have formally adopted the terms set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) since its agreement earlier this year. Although this work concluded…
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the overspend was on each NHS construction project in each year since 2007 where an overspend occurred, and what the time delay was on each project.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS construction project typically cover more than one financial year, so in order to provide a more meaningful overview of capital investment projects, the Scottish Government developed the Infrastructure Investment Plan. This plan provides regular updates e…
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many drug addiction services have been inspected by Healthcare Improvement Scotland in each year since 2007.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The inspection of drug addiction services is not within the remit of Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Scottish Government did, however, commission the Care Inspectorate to review the way all 29 Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in Scotland used and applied the S…
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made regarding police officers carrying naloxone as a means of reducing fatal overdose deaths.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: As set out in the Scottish Governments Rights, Respect and Recovery strategy we continue to support Harm Prevention work on a national level; this includes the potential provision of naloxone to first responders such as the Police. Dialogue is ongoing betwee…
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings ministers have had with NHS Lothian regarding the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People development, also broken down by year.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: My officials & I have met regularly with representatives from NHS Lothian regarding the opening of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People. I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24250 on 20 August 2019. All answers to written parliamentar…
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans NHS Lothian has to undertake an information campaign for families following the delay in the opening of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: An extensive and effective campaign was put in place in July, asking parents and patients to continue using the Sciennes building until further notice. Teams were put in place in case patients mistakenly turned up at the new site. A helpline was also created …
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had to take forward a "red bag" scheme to help safeguard patients' belongings while they are in hospital.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS boards are required to make every effort to ensure the safety of patients' belongings while they are in hospital, and to have appropriate security arrangements in place. The Scottish Government welcomes suggestions to further increase safety arrangements,…
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions it has not implemented the terms of motions agreed by the Parliament since May 2007.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government complies with the terms of any Parliamentary Motions it is required to under statute. The Government has made clear that it will give careful consideration to all decisions of the Parliament and will be accountable for any consequentia…
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which GP surgeries have closed in each year since 2007.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The information requested is not held centrally.
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on new medicines by each NHS board in each year since 2007.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Information regarding how much has been spent on new medicines should be directed to individual NHS Boards.
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding waiting times at established pain clinics and understaffing, what its response is to further reported concerns regarding the decision that the Scottish Access Collaborative's work on chronic pain, which was requested by it to reduce waiting times …
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The work currently underway across primary and secondary care in respect of pain management is aimed at strengthening the links and exploring more sustainable models of care. This will help to reduce the demand on secondary care consultants and thus free up c…
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proposals it has to help chronic pain clinics immediately, to improve staffing budgets and shorten continuing waiting times, in light of reported concerns that over 1,000 new patients are waiting longer than the 18-week statutory referral target, according to the most recent figures…
Answer · Jeane Freeman: We are working with chronic pain services across the whole patient pathway to ensure that people can receive appropriate and timely treatment and care. This will cover all services across primary and secondary care, including specialist chronic pain clinics, …
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the suitability of current Scottish Medicine Consortium processes and methods for the assessment of gene therapies.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government notes that the Scottish Medicines Consortium has undertaken recently an assessment of the “CAR-T” cell therapy submission Kymriah ® (tisagenlecleucel) for paediatric patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia ( SMC2129 ) and …
16 Sep 2019 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consult on potential new payment models for advanced therapy medicinal products.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government welcomes the development in advanced medicinal products for individual patients and their transformative potential offering the possibility of long term remission. With this in mind, the Government encourages proposals from manufactur…