Questions · Alex Cole-Hamilton

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still the plan to close the Royal Hospital for Sick Children on the same day that the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People opens, as was scheduled on 9 July 2019 alongside a 10-day transfer of patients and equipment; whether it or its partners received any represent…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many floods have been recorded at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People; what areas have been affected; what damage each flood caused; what the source was; how deep the water was recorded to be on each occasion; where the problematic drains are located, and at what capacit…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) at what points in the process and (b) on what dates it approved the (i) overall design and (ii) opening arrangements of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Multiplex’s suitability for future (a) public projects and (b) NHS projects, in light of its work building the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: In my response to S5W-24397 on 18 July 2019, I set out the events that led to my decision to postpone the move to the new hospital, the work I instructed to identify the factors that led to that decision, and what was required to be done to allow services to …

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport was first informed of the problems that subsequently led to her postponing the opening of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on? 2 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/parliamentarybusine…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, prior to the opening being postponed in July 2019, how many patients were scheduled to have appointments at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, broken down by month.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who independently certified and signed off the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People on 22 February 2019 when it was handed over to NHS Lothian; who appointed the independent certifier; how long the assessment took; what it involved, and whether (a) it and (b) NHS Lothian agreed w…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what services at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children have already ceased or closed in anticipation of the move to the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, and on what dates.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the drainage issue at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People was first reported to (a) it and (b) the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, and on what date it was advised by “those involved in addressing the issue and the board” that the problem had been resolve…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) drainage and (b) water issues at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People involve; what percentage of the site’s footprint is affected, and how accessible the areas that require remedial work are.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on? 2 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/parliamentarybusine…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the current ventilation issues at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People are different to those that caused NHS Lothian to reportedly threaten in April 2018 to take legal action against Integrated Health Solutions Lothian, and how that dispute was resolved.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who is on the project board of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, and whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) the (a) minutes of the board's meetings and (b) feedback provided to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport by the Scottish…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) all (a) correspondence and (b) minutes of meetings it has had with NHS Lothian in the last two years regarding the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and closure of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusin…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the BBC report, Union warns Edinburgh’s £150m hospital may never open, whether it has assessed the risk that the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People may have to be “ripped down” and what (a) percentage chance and (b) risk category this has been given.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-01841 by Shona Robison on 5 September 2016, which states that completion of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People was expected in 2017, what other dates it has previously given for its opening.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what risk analysis has been undertaken regarding the time of year for the opening of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and transfer from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, including how this will be impacted by weather, the number of daylight hours, the number of proced…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the air rate change per hour was found to be in critical care wards at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, and how this compares to that required in regulations.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on? 2 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/parliamentarybusine…

7 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the ventilation issue at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People involves, and what percentage of the site’s footprint was found to have ventilation that did not meet the required standards.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-24637 on 2 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/parliamentarybusines…

2 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proof of residency in Scotland is required when applying for the free bus pass offered to older people.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Anyone applying for a National Entitlement Card (NEC) is required to provide original documentation to confirm their residency in Scotland and verify their personal details. This includes name, address, date of birth and proof of entitlement. A list of the a…

31 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is provided to GPs regarding prescribing drugs for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections contracted by people who are allergic to penicillin.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: All health boards in Scotland have local antibiotic guidelines for hospital and community prescribing and these include alternative treatments for patients with a recorded penicillin allergy for all types of infection. Since 2009, following guidance from the …

31 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that no drugs are included on the NHS Lothian prescribing list for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial infections contracted by people who are allergic to penicillin.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Lothian’s local prescribing formulary includes evidence-based antibiotic guidelines for hospital and community-based prescribing. They will always give a first line treatment and an alternative for those with a penicillin allergy. The guidelines for NHS L…

30 Jul 2019 · Written Question

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government holds no information on the suicide rates within the veterinary profession for the years 2016 – 2019 as the annual published statistics do not include a breakdown by individual occupation. The Scottish Suicide Information Database publ…

30 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by Obesity Action Scotland in its July 2019 newsletter that, "food is a human right".

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Access to adequate food is an internationally recognised human right and is key to the fulfilment of other rights. The Scottish Government is therefore committed to ensuring everyone in Scotland has the opportunity to eat well and maintain a healthy diet as a…

30 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to implement the findings of its 2018 consultation regarding the promotion of junk food.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: An analysis of responses to the Reducing Health Harms of Foods High in Fat, Sugar and Salt consultation will be published by the autumn. The Scottish Government will reflect on the findings from the consultation in considering what actions to take going forw…

26 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23848 by Jeane Freeman on 5 July 2019, what it is doing to mitigate the effects on local communities of contracts being handed back.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Local authorities have the statutory responsibility to provide social care services that meet the local needs of their population, as per the direction and ambition provided within their partner Integration Authority’s Strategic Commissioning Plan. If a contr…

26 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce the National Child Measurement Programme in Scotland, which was introduced in England in 2005, in order to tackle childhood obesity.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: In Scotland, as part of the wider Child Health Programme , a system is in place for collecting and reporting on obesity levels in children.The most recent report ‘Body Mass Index of Primary 1 Children in Scotland’ is available here . The purpose and key …

25 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a recent YouGov poll, which found that the cost of childcare has risen, what it is doing to ensure that childcare is provided through a diverse range of sources.

25 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a recent YouGov poll, which found that the cost of childcare has risen on average by £720 a year since 2016 and that people are turning to family members to meet the financial burden, what plans it has to reduce the costs of early learning and childcare.

Answer · Maree Todd: Funded entitlement to early learning and childcare is helping to reduce childcare costs for families. All 3 and 4 year olds and around a quarter of 2 year olds are currently entitled to up to 600 hours of funded early learning and childcare per year. From Aug…

25 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to make the process for fostering and adoption easier and quicker, in light of the number of adoptions reportedly falling by 13% in 2018.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is aware of the importance of making these processes easier and quicker where possible without detracting from the crucial safeguarding of children that these processes seek to ensure. The Scottish Government recognises that permanent,…

25 Jul 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reduce the length of time that children and young people wait to be adopted, in light of 22% reportedly having been waiting for over a year in 2018.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to working in partnership with the adoption sector to ensure that we improve the outcomes of adopted young people and their families. Adoptions are completed as quickly as is appropriate and possible, without detracting fr…