Parliamentary questions
Neil Findlay
2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the NHS (a) monitors and (b) records the hours worked by junior doctors.
Answer · Alex Neil: Under the New Deal Contract, NHS boards are required to monitor the hours of work for junior doctors twice per year. In this exercise, junior doctors self-monitor by recording the hours they work over a minimum period of two weeks. This information is then a…
12 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what actions (a) it is and (b) NHS boards are taking to ensure that junior doctors' hours comply with the European working time directive.
Answer · Alex Neil: Our dedicated medical workforce adviser works with NHS boards to ensure that rotas comply with the required legal and contractual guidelines. No junior doctor rotas in NHS Scotland can be implemented without the approval of this adviser. NHS boards undertake…
10 Dec 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-17926 by John Swinney on 14 November 2013, whether the guidance on blacklisting will cover (a) all government departments, (b) local government, (c) local government subcontractors, (d) the Scottish Futures Trust, (e) hub organisations and (f) hub o…
Answer · .John Swinney: New guidance on the exclusion from public contracts of companies which engage in blacklisting was launched by the First Minister on 20 November 2013. Compliance with public procurement guidance issued by the Scottish Government is mandatory for Scottish Gover…
9 Dec 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that Scotland's social care system is world leading.
9 Dec 2013 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on whether the number of hours worked by junior doctors is acceptable.
25 Nov 2013 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government considers that there is sufficient capacity in the NHS to deal with demand this winter.
22 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has estimated the number of women treated in the private sector with polypropylene mesh implants for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence and those who have had a mesh implant partially or completely removed.
Answer · Alex Neil: To date we have not estimated the number of women treated in the private sector with polypropylene mesh implants for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence nor who have had a mesh implant partially or totally removed. The Scottish Government do…
22 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the private health sector in relation to using polypropylene mesh implants as part of treatment for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.
Answer · Alex Neil: There has been no discussions with the private health sector in relation to using polypropylene mesh implants as part of treatment for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.
18 Nov 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the quality of care for older people.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Bill provides the framework for the integration of health and social care. The Bill, will put new national health and wellbeing outcomes on a statutory footing in order to improve outcomes for patients, service use…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what instructions it gave to NHS boards on the use of transvaginal mesh implants following the ruling by the Scottish Public Sector Ombudsman in 2009 relating to consent.
Answer · Alex Neil: No specific instruction was given to NHS boards on the use of transvaginal mesh implants. NHS boards have a duty of care towards their patients which includes providing appropriate information to allow informed consents to be made.
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman's ruling in 2009 on a patient given a transvaginal mesh implant without proper consent, what steps it has taken to ensure that people have been given enough information to enable them to give informed consent.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 aims to improve patients experience of using health services and to support people to become more involved in their health and health care. The Act, which reinforces the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s recommendatio…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what alternative treatments there are to removing transvaginal mesh implants for (a) pelvic organ prolapse and (b) stress urinary incontinence.
Answer · Alex Neil: The treatment options for the removal of transvaginal mesh implants should be viewed on an individual basis. The duty of care for offering the appropriate treatment lies with individual NHS boards, offered through their clinicians in consultation with patient…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what treatments are available to remove transvaginal mesh implants.
Answer · Alex Neil: The treatments available to remove transvaginal mesh implants are surgical procedures. These procedures need to be considered on an individual basis.
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many procedures have taken place to remove transvaginal mesh implants.
Answer · Alex Neil: This information requested is not held centrally. Information on the number of procedures undertaken to remove transvaginal mesh implants is not available as there is no specific clinical codes used for this type of procedure. However, the following table pro…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have received transvaginal mesh implants in each year since the treatment was introduced.
Answer · Alex Neil: The number of women who have received transvaginal mesh implants in NHSScotland hospitals are shown in the following table. Clinical coding for this type of procedure was introduced in 2006 and annual data is only available since 2007-08. Year Number of P…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will compel doctors and consultants to report adverse incidents arising from transvaginal mesh implants.
Answer · Alex Neil: The reporting of adverse events is voluntary, although clinicians are encouraged to report incidents which is also a requirement set out in Good Medical Practice, guidance for Doctors from the General Medical Council. We will work with the Scottish Associatio…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-14623 by Alex Neil on 17 May 2013, whether it will provide an update on when an implant register will be in place.
Answer · Alex Neil: Discussion on an implant registry is on-going, and includes the British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG), The British Association Urological Surgeons, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory A…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many adverse reports it has received of women who received transvaginal mesh implants having been affected by other ailments as a consequence.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government has received a number of letters raising issues relating to transvaginal mesh implant surgery. Where concerns on potential adverse events have been raised, those raising the concerns have been asked to report these to the Medicines and…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many doctors are trained to implant and remove transvaginal mesh products; who provided training; who paid for this; what level of training was provided, and for what duration.
Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not held centrally.
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) recent discussions it has had with and (b) information it has received from the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency regarding complications arising from the use of transvaginal mesh implants.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Deputy Chief Medical Officer and colleagues have recently participated in two telephone conferences and three review conversations with the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. These discussions focussed on medical device regulation.
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in relation to (a) the safety of using and (b) suspending the use of transvaginal mesh implants in treating pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Deputy Chief Medical Officer and colleagues have participated in discussion with the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and other professional bodies on the reporting and use of the implant database. The professional bodies have agreed in p…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with manufacturers of transvaginal mesh implants regarding (a) the suspension of their use and (b) concerns about their impact on women's health.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Deputy Chief Medical Officer met with Mark Lloyd Davies, Senior Director, Johnson and Johnson, and a colleague from the Association of British Healthcare Industry on 16 July 2013 to hear views on research and medical device regulations. There was no discu…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to using ultrasound as a treatment in the removal of transvaginal mesh implants.
Answer · Alex Neil: The consideration of clinical procedures including the use of ultrasound as a treatment in the removal of transvaginal mesh implants will be considered by the transvaginal mesh working group. This working group has been set-up to look in detail at issues surr…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of each procedure to remove or partially remove a transvaginal mesh implant.
Answer · Alex Neil: The information requested is not held centrally.
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether current procedures to remove transvaginal mesh implants are resulting in patients having to undergo multiple operations.
Answer · Alex Neil: This information requested is not held centrally. Information on the number of patients that have had to undergo multiple operations following a procedure to remove transvaginal mesh implants is not available as there are no specific clinical codes used to id…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what alternative treatments there are to transvaginal mesh implants in the treatment of (a) pelvic organ prolapse and (b) stress urinary incontinence.
Answer · Alex Neil: Alternative treatment options to transvaginal mesh implants for vaginal prolapse include pelvic floor exercises, changes to diet to reduce weight, eating a high-fibre diet with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, wholegrain bread and cereal, the use of vaginal…
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the risk classification of transvaginal mesh implants has recently changed.
Answer · Alex Neil: There have been no recent changes to the risk classification of Transvaginal Mesh Implants.
11 Nov 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering suspending the use of transvaginal mesh implants and what legal advice it has received in this regard.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government is not considering suspending the use of transvaginal mesh implants.
11 Nov 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action the education sector is taking to promote good health and help tackle health inequalities.
11 Nov 2013 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to address the amount that the NHS spends on medical overtime.