Monica Lennon

1 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the gender breakdown is for the 921 graduate apprenticeships starts in the recently published 2018-19 Skills Development Scotland figures.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The gender breakdown of graduate apprenticeship starts for 2017-18 and 2018-19 can be found below: Year Total Starts Male Starts Female Starts Male % Female % 2017-18 278 227 49 82.8 17.8 2018-19 921 605 316 65.7 34.3 Graduate Apprenticeshi…

1 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a detailed report on graduate apprenticeships.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Skills Development Scotland published a detailed report on Graduate Apprenticeships on Wednesday 14 August 2019. The report can be found here: http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/45882/ga-report-2019.pdf

31 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation by the 2013 independent expert review of opioid replacement therapies (ORTs) in Scotland, what action it has taken to develop a national research programme in collaboration with the academic community to address key substance use questions.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: In 2015 the Scottish Government published a ‘Scottish National Research Framework for Problem Drug Use and Recovery’. This document was compiled with the contribution of academics and stakeholders from across the country. Following the publication of the Fra…

31 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation by the 2013 independent expert review of opioid replacement therapies (ORTs) in Scotland, what action it has taken to address “the lack of institutional memory in the planning, delivery and governance” of care given to substance users.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Work has been ongoing to address this issue since the publication of the 2013 report. Actions have included:The Drug Strategy Delivery Group (advisory group put in place following publication of Road to Recovery strategy) along with representation from Scotti…

31 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation by the 2013 independent expert review of opioid replacement therapies (ORTs) in Scotland, what action it has taken to (a) monitor the quality of ORTs and (b) demonstrate the progress of individuals receiving ORTs.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government collects detailed information from a range of sources relating to the prescribing, distribution and supervision of ORT across the country. This information can be found on the ScotPHO website - https://www.scotpho.org.uk/behaviour/dru…

31 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation by the 2013 independent expert review of opioid replacement therapies (ORTs) in Scotland, what action it has taken to “better facilitate universal and effective partnerships” in the delivery of care to substance users.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The impact of local partnerships is a long term operation that is kept under constant review and development, to ensure continuous improvement. Since the publication of the ORT report in 2013, the Scottish Government has taken the following actions to specifi…

31 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, what its response is to reports of high influenza activity early in the season in Australia and across the Southern Hemisphere; what impact this could have on influenza activity in Scotland, and what action it will take in response to this.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: We are closely monitoring the current flu season in Australia and will use any transferrable evidence and learning from Australia to strengthen approaches for Scotland. While evaluating the Southern Hemisphere’s flu season is useful for our own planning it d…

31 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the uptake for the influenza vaccine reportedly decreasing since 2013-14, how it plans to increase the uptake for (a) people aged 65 and over and (b) other at-risk groups during the 2018-19 vaccination programme.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Through research, Health Scotland have identified perceived barriers to vaccination for those ‘vaccine hesitators’ in key priority groups. The public awareness campaign for this coming season (2019-20) aims to challenge those misconceptions and offer reassura…

31 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided funding for the Pause Programme in Dundee and, if so, whether it plans to continue to do so in future years.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government has received a funding application from Pause for the Pause Dundee pilot. The grant funding process has not yet been concluded and no funding has been provided by the Scottish Government. We are committed to working with local authori…

25 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation in the report, Not so simple, by the charity, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, what plans it has to review and standardise the information in Scotland about potential side effects of treatment and sources of support for women diagnosed with cell changes after c…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Information on cervical screening results and what happens after treatment is standardised in the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme. The cervical screening information needs of women are being reviewed for the implementation of HPV primary screening next …

25 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report, Not so simple, by the charity, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, what assessment it has made of variations in treatment decisions in Scotland for CIN2 cervical cell changes.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: NHS standard management of CIN2 in Scotland remains treatment, except in situations where treatment is not appropriate, for example during pregnancy. There are two treatment types that currently meet the gold standard for management of CIN2. The Scottish Cerv…

17 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to prevent outbreaks of oak processionary moth.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scotland is part of the United Kingdom Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) protected zone. On the 16 July 2019, following the introduction of OPM infested trees into England, the Scottish Government further strengthened protection by introducing emergency measures w…

12 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish each integration authority’s funding allocation to alcohol and drug partnerships.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government direct funding allocation to Integration Authority’s for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) is included in NHS Board allocations. Letters were issued on 12 December 2018 to advise Board allocations. The allocations for ADPs within ea…

12 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total spend on alcohol and drug partnerships by integration authorities was in 2018-19.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: This information is not collated centrally. We reported to the Health and Sport Committee on Alcohol and Drug spend for 2016-17 and agreed to provide a similar update on 2018-19 spend following the end of the financial year. We will provide this information t…

4 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18525 by Jeane Freeman on 18 September 2018, when it will review the national Adverse Event framework to ensure that it is fit for purpose, and what progress has been made to address the concerns expressed by the Health and Sport Committee in its re…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As part of the response to the Health and Sport Committee Governance Report of July 2018, I asked Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to carry out a review of its role and approach to the adverse events process. As a first step, HIS has been working to est…

4 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that access to public health or social services should ever be contingent on the use of long-acting reversible contraception.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to providing the right support at the right time, and creating equity of access to service provision, particularly for those most vulnerable in our society. We want to engage in an open discussion to ensure that any concer…

2 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many women have reported adverse events as a result of the Essure contraceptive implant since its introduction in Scotland.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: On 13 March 2018, in answer to S5W-14655, the Scottish Government indicated that no adverse events had been reported to NHS Scotland’s Incident Reporting and Investigation Centre (IRIC). Although this answer was given in good faith, IRIC now advises that inc…

2 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the finding in the research report, Safety and efficacy of hysteroscopic sterilization compared with laparoscopic sterilization: an observational cohort study, which was published by The BMJ in 2015, that "Patients undergoing hysteroscopic sterilization have a sim…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government believes clinical research should be rigorous, be of high quality, and should be considered by relevant professional groups. The research in question is considered by the clinical community in NHS Scotland to be of a reasonable quality…

2 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-14658 and S5W-14655 by Shona Robison on 6 and 13 March 2018 respectively, on what date the Essure contraceptive implant was approved for use in Scotland, and on what date NHS boards stopped offering this device.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The regulation of medical devices is a matter that is reserved to Westminster and, as such, medical devices are approved for use on a cross-UK basis. Essure model ESS305, the version of the device made available in the UK, received a CE mark in 2006 and was t…

2 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to identify women who were given Essure contraceptive implants, inform them about the risks associated with its use and monitor adverse events reported.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The MHRA is responsible for monitoring adverse events associated with any medical device. Any patient who has experienced a complication from her Essure device is able to report this through the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme . Following withdrawal of the devic…

1 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22426 by Jeane Freeman on 17 April 2019, how much of the £535 million of frontline spending under the Waiting Times Improvement Plan has been allocated to chronic pain services in each NHS board in (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: During 2018-19, £27,000 was made available under the Waiting Times Improvement Plan for Chronic pain services. I also refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24078 on 18 July 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Pa…

1 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22426 by Jeane Freeman on 17 April 2019, how much of the £535 million of frontline spending under the Waiting Times Improvement Plan has been allocated to each NHS board in 2019-20, and for what specialities.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The next phase of funding under the Waiting Times Improvement Plan was announced on 28 April. An additional investment of £70 million will be allocated to NHS Boards to target long waits during the financial year 2019-20. An announcement will be made later t…

1 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for women who experience post-traumatic stress disorder following childbirth, and what plans it has to improve the support available.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Mental health is priority for the Scottish Government and it is committed to improving the provision of perinatal mental health services. Women who experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following childbirth are currently able to access support from…

21 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) third sector groups, (b) clinicians and (c) other experts have been consulted by the Respiratory Care Action Plan Task and Finish Group during the development of the action plan.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Third sector groups are engaged in the development of the Respiratory Care Action Plan including Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland and the British Lung Foundation. We are also engaging with respiratory experts, such as consultant clinicians, physiotherapists, …

21 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether establishing (a) lung cancer, (b) population-specific and (c) condition-specific screening programmes will be included within the Respiratory Care Action Plan.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-20583 on 20 December 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/parliamentarybusines…

21 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures smoking prevalence following the removal of the obligation on GP practices to report through the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Health Survey provides annual estimates of smoking prevalence at national level. The Scottish Surveys Core Questions provides annual smoking prevalence data for health boards, local authorities and smaller subgroups of the population. The Quali…

21 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what resources have been provided to the Respiratory Care Action Plan Task and Finish Group.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government provides secretariat support to the Task and Finish Group. The Group is chaired by a consultant physician in respiratory and general internal medicine. The cost for the secretariat is met within existing resources.

20 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-22424 by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 April 2019, what 2017-18 Programme for Government funding will be allocated to alcohol and drug partnerships in 2019-20.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: In financial year 2018-19, £17 million was allocated directly to ADPs through the Local Improvement Fund. The same amount remains available to Integration Authorities and ADPs in 2019-20. We will be writing to Integration Authorities in the coming weeks to co…

20 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of integration authority budgets now being agreed, how much funding has been allocated to each alcohol and drug partnership for 2019-20.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The 2019-20 Scottish budget included £53.8 million in NHS Boards baseline allocations for alcohol and drug funding. Allocations to individual boards are set out in the following table. We will be writing to Integration Authorities and ADPs in the coming weeks…

16 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister plans to meet transvaginal mesh-injured women.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: As Cabinet Secretary for Health I have met with representatives of women experiencing complications from mesh. In light of the views and experiences I have heard from patients I have taken action as set out elsewhere and, in doing so, I have kept the First Mi…