Monica Lennon

17 Dec 2018 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason ministers will no longer hold a public session or Q&A as part of the annual review of NHS boards.

14 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for how many hours in the last year there has been no air ambulance service due to pilots being unavailable.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: There has been no hours in the last year where air ambulance services in Scotland have been unavailable due to pilots not being available.

12 Dec 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve support for women who have lipoedema.

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many independent dental practices have been subject to inspection by Healthcare Improvement Scotland since 2016, and how much these cost.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: No practices have been inspected yet. The first inspections of dental practices will commence in March 2019. To date Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) has carried out pre-registration visits to dental practices only. It is estimated that Dental practice i…

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how inspections carried out by local NHS boards on dental practices differ from those carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland on independent dental practices.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The combined practice inspection (CPI) process was implemented in all NHS general dental practices in Scotland on 1 January 2014. The CPI Checklist combines Health Board and Vocational Training inspection items and includes items from the National Standards f…

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how patients can access the results of Health Improvement Scotland inspections carried out at dental practices.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Inspection reports for all services regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland are published on its website.

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported decision to not inform patients who have been operated on using instruments from the Cowlairs decontamination unit, in light of it failing a safety inspection.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-20503 on 7 January 2018. 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…

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding in the recent Mental Health Foundation Scotland survey that (a) seven out of 10 teachers said they lack the training to help pupils with mental health problems and (b) 51% of teachers said the job had either led to them developing a mental health probl…

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government recognises the pressures and challenges facing teachers, including those highlighted by the Mental Health Foundation Scotland. That is why we have taken action to reduce teacher workloads, clarify and simplify the curriculum framework …

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the call by Breast Cancer Now for Perjeta to be made routinely available for people with secondary breast cancer.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: On 10 December the Scottish Medicines Consortium announced that they had recommended Perjeta for use in NHS Scotland for the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer. A second indication, for the treatment of metastatic (secondary) breast cancer was considered …

11 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which trade unions the Minister for Mental Health has met since 27 June 2018; on what dates these meetings were held, and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Clare Haughey: I have met with a range of trade union representatives in the course of my regular meetings with frontline staff. This includes meeting with the RCN to discuss matters such as workforce planning.

10 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that clinical waste is being stockpiled at NHS hospitals.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Contingency plans for the management of clinical waste have been successfully activated across all NHS boards in Scotland following the disruption to clinical waste management services provided by Healthcare Environmental Services Ltd. Although some boards ha…

10 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to new research that suggests that idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) predominantly affects women who are obese.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government recognises that Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) mainly affects women in their 20s and 30s who have been identified as being overweight or obese, although it is not clear why. IIH is often detected by optometrists when viewi…

10 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the withdrawal of services by Healthcare Environmental Services, whether it will detail its contingency plan to ensure that clinical waste is disposed of safely, and where the alternative storage, collection and treatment services have been procured from.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Due to the withdrawal of services by Healthcare Environmental Services Ltd, interim contingency arrangements have been put in place to ensure NHS Scotland services to the public are maintained. These arrangements, procured centrally by NHS National Services S…

10 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital deaths have been prevented since 2014 as a result of the patient safety programme.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Information Services Division (ISD) of National Services Scotland produces quarterly hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMR) for all Scottish hospitals participating in the Scottish Patient Safety Programme. The calculation takes account of patients…

10 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government at what stage each NHS board is at on the Board Performance Escalation Framework.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Paul Gray, Director-General for Health and Social Care, wrote to the Public Audit and Post-legislative Scrutiny Committee on 18 December. His letter contains the information requested and it will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 6036…

7 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assess the health impacts arising from the findings of the recent Citizens Advice Scotland survey, which indicates that more than a fifth of people in Scotland have gone a day without eating because they are too poor to buy food.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government accepted recommendations to monitor food insecurity made by the Independent Working Group on Food Poverty in 2016. Questions from the UN Food Insecurity Experience Scale have been added to the Scottish Health Survey, and the data colle…

6 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make it easier for women with learning disabilities to access cervical screening.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We are investing up to £5 million from the Cancer Strategy to tackle inequalities in access to screening, including cervical screening. This funding is supporting new activities, sharing of learning from local practice and innovation, to improve uptake of scr…

6 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to help women who are survivors of sexual violence to access cervical screening.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: From 2018-19 we are providing funding to the Sandyford Clinic for women who have experienced rape or sexual violence and are due (or overdue) for their cervical screening test. The ‘My Body Back’ project runs clinics where women and transgender men who have e…

6 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to BMA Scotland's comment that ISD statistics underestimate the consultant vacancy rate by excluding posts that have yet to be cleared to be advertised and do not take account of the reliance on locum doctors and “that by not including certain categories of vacancy, …

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The number of consultants in post in NHS Scotland has increased by 50.8% under this Government, from 3,636.6 WTE in Sep 2006 to 5,484.8 in September 2018. Vacancy statistics are a key part of quarterly official workforce statistics published by ISD Scotland …

5 Dec 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the procedures used by the Public Defence Solicitors' Office and the Scottish Legal Aid Board to investigate workplace bullying and harassment.

4 Dec 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the NHS treatment time guarantee not being met for a number of treatments, what support is available to patients who face long waiting times for surgery.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS staff are expected to support patients who are waiting for treatment by involving them in all decisions being taken about their healthcare. This includes clear and open communication with patients over when their appointment will be, whether their appoint…

26 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the £17 million additional finance for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships in 2018-19, which it announced in its Programme for Government, and any underspend carried forward to 2019-20, is spent on establishing new services and posts and not used to mana…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Scottish Government wrote to Integrated Authorities (IAs), Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs), NHS Boards and Local Authorities on 23 August 2018 to outline the resources allocated through this fund for decision making by, IAs and ADPs who should agree loca…

21 Nov 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport last met the chief executive and chair of NHS Lanarkshire, and what was discussed.

11 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the overall budget is for the second-hand smoke campaign, Take it right outside, and how much it has cost each year to run.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The overall budget for the Take It Right Outside campaign was £1,200,883.06. The expenditure per financial year was: 13-14: £319,954.12 14-15: £310,098.57 15-16: £570,830.37 Through pre and post campaign tracking there was a 13% reduction in second hand s…

11 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10967 by Shona Robison on 13 September 2017, on what dates the lymphoedema working group met, broken down by (a) venue, (b) length of meeting and (c) attendees; what actions were agreed; what outcomes have been achieved, and what the current status …

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The National Lymphoedema Care in Scotland Short Life Working Group (SLWG) was commissioned in 2015 by the Chief Medical Officer to review and deliver the recommendations identified in the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (SMASAC) report to i…

11 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm that there is only one NHS surgeon is Scotland who is trained to perform liposuction as a treatment for lipoedema, and, if so, what (a) plans it has to train more surgeons to perform the procedure and (b) contingencies there are should that person (i) be unavailab…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Dr Alex Munnoch is the leading surgeon who performs liposuction as a treatment for Lipoedema in Scotland. He and his team are based at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. Dr Munnoch is a leading international expert on Lymphoedema and Lipoedema. Due to the number of…

11 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers have had with the Chief Scientist Office regarding increasing (a) research into and (b) awareness among NHS staff of lipoedema.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Researchers can apply to the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) for funding. The CSO's Translational Clinical Studies Committee and Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committees each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of…

10 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its spokesperson’s comment in the Scottish Daily Mail on 10 November 2018, whether it will confirm that it does not support the decriminalisation of abortion and, if so, what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government confirmed in its Programme for Government for 2016-2017 that it had no current plans to change the law on abortion. The Scottish Government is not opposed in principle to the decriminalisation of abortion. However our priority is to fo…

7 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on people who are unable to access the documentation required to register permanently with a GP practice, and what support it can provide.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Patients do not need to prove their identity to register with a general practice. The Scottish Government published Patient Registration guidance on 26 September 2018 confirming that patients do not require proof of identity to register with a practice.

7 Nov 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of people who have been unable to register permanently with a GP practice as a result of proof of identity documentation requirements.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not centrally held. Practices must keep a written record of refusals of patient applications and of the reasons for them and must make this record available to their Health Board on request. While patients do not need to prove their ID to…