Anas Sarwar

28 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards the target set out in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Strategy for Scotland of having  "500,000 people equipped with CPR skills".

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Since the launch of the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Strategy for Scotland (2015), the Save A Life for Scotland (SALFS) partnership has made significant progress in equipping people with CPR skills, with more than 260,000 people recorded having learn…

28 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Scotland compares with the rest of the UK; what steps it is taking to improve survival rates, and, in light of its current strategy on this issue ending in 2020, what (a) plans it has for future public engagement and (b) approa…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Data Linkage project report published on 13 March 2018 shows the 30 day survival rate from OHCA in Scotland rose from 6.2% in 2011 – 2014-15 to 8.3% in 2016-17. This is similar to that of 7.8% in England for data publ…

20 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scotland-domiciled (a) undergraduate and (b) postgraduate students have enrolled at medical schools in Scotland in each of the last 10 years, also broken down by the percentage of medical students that this represented.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects, processes and publishes data about Higher Education delivered at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK, including at both undergraduate andpostgraduate level. The following two tables show the …

20 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of Scotland-domiciled students at medical schools in Scotland in each of the last 10 years found subsequent employment in NHS Scotland.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The information requested is not available in entirety. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects, processes and publishes data about Higher Education delivered at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK, including at both undergraduate a…

12 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is any funding scheme in Scotland for the securing of places of worship similar to the scheme recently announced by the UK Government.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: We are clear that any form of hate crime or prejudice is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We are taking a range of steps to tackle hate crime as set out in our ambitious Tackling Prejudice and Building Connected Communities Action Plan, and …

12 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being introduced in England and Wales, whether it will introduce an NHS indemnity for GPs in Scotland.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We are monitoring the developments on indemnity in England and Wales with interest. My officials are working closely with medical defence unions in Scotland and the British Medical Association to seek the best solution for all GPs working in Scotland.

12 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on a no-fault compensation scheme for clinical injury since the publication of its response to the consultation on this issue in April 2014.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: We consulted on draft outline proposals for a no-blame redress scheme between March and August 2016. Since then, we have established an Openness and Learning Unit in the Scottish Government's Quality & Improvement Directorate. The Unit is working with health…

19 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position in on the effectiveness of NHS Tayside’s approach to dealing with the hepatitis C virus, and whether it is considering asking the other NHS boards to adopt a similar approach.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-17241 on ?10 July 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/…

13 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hepatitis C virus tests have been offered in each prison in each of the last three years, also broken down by how many (a) were (i) accepted and (ii) declined and (b) resulted in a prisoner being tested positive for the virus.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Health Protection Scotland’s latest surveillance report on hepatitis C, including source of referral for hepatitis C antibody positivity, can be found at: http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/resourcedocument.aspx?id=6605

13 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of the recent meeting between the Minister for Public Health and Sport and the NHS Tayside blood-borne virus managed clinical network leads.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: My predecessor in this role, Aileen Campbell MSP, greatly valued the opportunity to see first-hand the excellent work being done by NHS Tayside. Health Protection Scotland is developing advice for the Scottish Government on how hepatitis C infection could be …

13 Jun 2018 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the media industry regarding the role that it can play in challenging Islamophobia.

5 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths were recorded by each health centre in each of the last five years.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not held by the Scottish Government. Data and statistics on registered deaths is collated and published by NRS (National Records of Scotland) and they do not hold information about the number of deaths by health centre.

5 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken was in the last five years for a death certificate to be produced where a death was (a) reported to a procurator fiscal and (b) referred to a pathologist.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: This information is not held by Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). Where the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) is being completed by the reporting doctor the MCCD should be issued without unnecessary delay and ,where applicable, w…

5 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that there is appropriate availability of equipment and staff to roll out a scanning facility for post mortems in each health centre.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: No forensic pathologists in Scotland utilise solely MRI or CT scanning for the purpose of carrying out post mortem examinations on behalf of the procurator fiscal. A research project is ongoing in Lothian, funded by Lothian Health Board for radiology research…

5 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of deaths recorded in each of the last five years that were referred by a procurator fiscal to a pathologist (i) involved an examination performed as a view and grant and (ii) were carried out using non-invasive scanning, also broken down by each heal…

Answer · James Wolffe QC: The following table shows the number of deaths reported to the Procurator Fiscal in the financial years 2013 to 2018, the number and percentage of post mortem examinations carried out along with the number and percentage of view and grant examinations as a su…

5 Jun 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of deaths that were reported to a procurator fiscal were then referred to a pathologist in each of the last five years, broken down by health centre.

Answer · James Wolffe QC: The following table shows the number of deaths reported to the Procurator Fiscal in the financial years 2013 to 2018 along with the number and percentage of post mortem examinations carried out as a subset of that total. Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Se…

25 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in the light of the US National comprehensive clinical updated guidelines on using F-18 fluviclovivine (Axumin) in diagnostic imaging in men with recurrent prostate cancer, whether it will recommend that clinicians should consider using Axumin in positronic emission tomography, computed…

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) assesses the effectiveness and proven benefit to patients of new technologies, and they advise NHS Scotland where there is a convincing evidence base. In 2017, SHTG found limited evidence supporting the use of Ax…

23 May 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will meet its carbon emission targets and lower air pollution in Glasgow.

18 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of annual health assessments for people with HIV.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16782 on ?5 June 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/2…

18 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that all people with HIV are (a) offered and (b) encouraged to attend an annual health assessment to manage co-morbidities.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16782 on ?5 June 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/…

17 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with HIV in each NHS board area were (a) offered and (b) received a health assessment for (i) cardiovascular disease, (ii) renal impairment, (iii) diabetes, (iv) liver health, (v) bone health and (vi) mental health in the last year for which figures are available.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: This information is not held centrally.

17 May 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding in the British HIV Association (BHIVA) national audit 2015 regarding the increase in the numbers of people in Scotland with HIV who have been assessed as having a (a) cardiovascular health and (b) bone health/fracture risk.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The updated Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework published in 2015 sets out the Scottish Government’s commitment to enabling people living with blood borne viruses to lead longer, healthier lives, with a good quality of life. NHS Boards are responsib…

15 May 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent figures showing that Scottish productivity has fallen 1.9% in real terms.

25 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport's reported commitment to increase NHS staff pay as of 1 April 2018, for what reason this action has not been taken, and by what date staff can expect to be given the pay rise.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are committed to any pay for Agenda for Change NHS Scotland staff being on a no detriment basis relative to NHS pay elsewhere in the UK. A pay deal for 2018-18 to 2019-21 is currently being negotiated, with representatives from the Scottish Government, NHS…

25 Apr 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the EIS campaign, Value Education Value Teachers, which is calling for a restorative pay rise for teachers.

23 Apr 2018 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of doctors who are seeking early retirement has doubled in the last eight years.

26 Mar 2018 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to reassure and protect communities in response to the "punish a Muslim" campaign.

22 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on mandatory risk assessments being carried out on all adult admissions to hospitals; whether it provides guidance on this, and which NHS boards carry out such assessments.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government considers that it is crucial for clinicians to use their judgement on an individual basis when carrying out risk assessments on adults admitted to hospital. Qualified, highly trained staff within health boards carry out risk assessmen…

19 Mar 2018 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the response to, and the impact of, the contamination of water at the cancer ward at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

6 Mar 2018 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Health and Social Care Staff Experience Report 2017.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Health and Social Care Staff Experience Report represents a new way to measure staff experience. Through iMatter and the Dignity at Work Survey we have gathered more views in one year than any of the previous staff surveys. Almost three times as many com…