Alex Cole-Hamilton

3 Sep 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescales are for developing a service to deliver thrombectomy procedures.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Directors of Planning Thrombectomy Advisory Group are progressing development of a National Planning Framework for the provision of thrombectomy for stroke in Scotland. It is anticipated the framework will be completed by spring 2019. The framework will …

31 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason a person employed as a manager in after-school care is required to have a graduate qualification, regardless of their experience level, and whether it has any plans to review this.

Answer · Maree Todd: The single most important driver of quality in a child’s Out of School Care experience is a dedicated, highly skilled, and well-qualified workforce. Initial and continued training enables managers and staff to fulfil their own potential, and support our child…

28 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of NHS Board Projected Staff in Post Changes for 2018/19, whether it will provide a breakdown for mental health staff.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: NHS Projections are published at national level, broken down by main staff group and NHS Board. No further breakdown of staff groups is available. Over the next four years we are investing £35 million to recruit 800 additional mental health workers in key se…

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many times in each year since 2012 have tenants have been charged illegal letting agent fees, also broken down by (a) fee or (b) charge type.

Answer · Ash Denham: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.  

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the percentage of patients experiencing temporary kidney failure following hip and knee arthroplasty operations has reportedly risen from 0.29% in 2000 to 2.21% in 2017.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The recorded rise in Acute Kidney Injury has been the subject of a number of detailed audits at individual patient level across Health Boards in Scotland. The reason for the recorded rise is thought to be multi-factorial and the reasons include the following:…

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons people newly diagnosed with dementia may not be referred for post-diagnostic support.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government does not collect or publish this information. Integration Joint Boards are responsible for designing, commissioning and delivering dementia post-diagnostic services. The Scottish Government wants to go faster to extend post-diagnostic …

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people newly diagnosed with dementia did not receive post-diagnostic support following a referral in each year since the LDP standard was introduced, broken down by the reason for this.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government does not collect or publish this information. The official performance data on the Scotland Perform’s website includes the number of people referred for post-diagnostic support in performance years 2014-15 and 2015-16 and the equivalen…

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of people newly diagnosed with dementia who are referred for post-diagnostic support have received it in each year since the LDP standard was introduced, and in accordance with it stating that they will receive a minimum one-year support.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Performance data has been published for performance years 2014-15 and 2015-16. In 2014-15, 6,362 people were referred for post-diagnostic support. All of the other information requested is currently on the Scotland Perform’s website, including the equivalent …

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been newly diagnosed with dementia in each year since the LDP standard was introduced, and what assessment it has made of how many of these were not referred for post-diagnostic support in each year.

Answer · Clare Haughey: The Scottish Government does not collect or publish this information. The Scottish Government published a first report on estimated annual diagnosed incidence of dementia in 2016, commissioned fromNHS National Services Scotland's Information Services Division…

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the (a) use and (b) value of properties renovated through the (i) Town Centre Housing Fund and (ii) Empty Homes Loan Fund; how many properties renovated through each fund (A) are and (B) are not classed as affordable, and what information it has on the subs…

Answer · Kevin Stewart: All 75 Town Centre Housing Fund units were for affordable housing. The proposed rent levels for these units were requested at application stage and considered during the assessment process, including assumed annual rent increases. No subsequent assessment has…

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many vacant and derelict town centre buildings have been brought back into use as affordable housing through the Town Centre Housing Fund in each year, broken down by how many people each property accommodates.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Six derelict town centre buildings providing 75 units were brought back into use through the Town Centre Housing Fund in 2013-14. The breakdown per unit is: Angus Council, Commonwealth House, Carnoustie - 4 units social rent Clackmannanshire Council, Ann St…

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many loans have been provided to owners through the Empty Homes Loan Fund in each year to help them renovate empty properties, and what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) total loan value has been in each year.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Empty Homes Loan Funding was provided by the Scottish Government to beneficiary organisations, mainly local authorities and housing association. They hold comprehensive information about individual owners.  

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has (a) been allocated to and (b) remained unspent from the Empty Homes Loan Fund in each year.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: £4.4 million was allocated, as loan funding, to 17 Empty Homes Loan Fund projects in 2012 to help renovate empty homes and make them available as affordable housing. Beneficiaries have reported that approximately £1.5 million has been paid out to date.  

17 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has (a) been allocated to and (b) remained unspent from the Town Centre Housing Fund in each year.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: £2.7m was allocated to the Town Centre Housing Fund in 2013-14 as a one year only fund. £2.55m was spent from this budget as one project did not proceed.

15 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of its £6 million investment in Hearthstone Investments for social housing that was announced in June 2015.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government investment has been provided to the Hearthstone Investment delivery partner, Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association and will be captured in wider analysis work on the impact of the More Homes Scotland approach, and the delivery of at …

14 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the updated NICE guidance published in October 2017, what plans there are to update the archived SIGN guidance on cataract surgery, which were last updated in 2002.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) has no plans to update its guideline on cataracts following the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's (NICE) publication of its guideline. SIGN does not routinely do this unless it had already p…

13 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a legal requirement for fire safety measures in common areas and stairwells of blocks of flats.

Answer · Ash Denham: Legislation already exists with regard to fire safety in common areas. Regulation 23, as applied by Regulation 24, of the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 states that duty-holders have an obligation to maintain the common areas and the facilities in t…

9 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times in each of the last three months nurses in the north of Scotland have been deployed away from their usual place of work to cover staffing shortages, and how many staff this policy could potentially affect.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: This information is not held centrally. The deployment of staff outwith their usual place of work is principally a matter for NHS Scotland health boards; boards have fully delegated powers in relation to employment issues. We are aware that boards within the…

2 Aug 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to meet NHS England to discuss its Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme, in which it is understood that 99% of patients are seen within 18 weeks.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Scottish Government officials are making arrangements to discuss the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme with the Mental Health Delivery Team in the Department of Health and Social Care. This team has oversight of IAPT policy. Follow up disc…

30 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, on average, how much insulin is prescribed in Scotland each week, and how much stock there is in reserve.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Weekly figures are not available, but NHS Information Services Division publishes monthly figures on dispensed prescription items in their community open data files. These files show number of paid items, paid quantity and gross ingredient cost broken down to…

30 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prepare for potential medicine stock shortages in the event of a no deal Brexit, and what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding this.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government continues to seek clarity from the UK Government about its plans to avoid medicine stock shortages in the event of a no deal Brexit. I wrote to the UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock on 10 July, to ask the UK Government to share with u…

20 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the rate of deaths in Scotland from (a) hepatitis C and (b) HIV acquired through contaminated blood (i) products and (ii) transfusions compares with the rest of the UK.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government does not have this information. Whilst the Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme does collect information on the number of scheme beneficiaries who have died since 1 April 2017, it does not have data on the number of those deaths caus…

20 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to review arrangements for tagging offenders convicted of housebreaking on liberation.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Under the current regime, decisions as to the use of electronic monitoring on liberation from detention or imprisonment are made by either the Parole Board for Scotland in relation to release on licence or by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) in relation to H…

20 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the requirement for nursery managers to have a degree-level qualification, regardless of their experience, in light of reported increasing demand and reducing staff members.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government has no plans to remove the requirement for managers of early learning and childcare (ELC) centres to hold or be working towards a degree level qualification. We are committed to expanding funded ELC provision by 2020, and quality is at…

20 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns, whether it has any plans to make the process easier for people who are eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to gain access to it.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: PrEP is readily available on the NHS to those in Scotland who are most at risk of acquiring HIV infection. Boards are working hard to meet the demand for PrEP. Anyone wishing to discuss PrEP should contact their local sexual health clinic. Information on the …

19 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the process is for setting the standard rate for refunding travel expenses by car, per mile, for patients travelling to NHS facilities for treatment; who sets the rate and when it was last reviewed.

Answer · Jeane Freeman: Guidance on patient travel expenses was issued to Health Boards in the NHS Management Executive Letter (1996) 70: www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/1996_70.pdf. Although the guidance allows for the reimbursement for travel expenses by car, the Scottish Government do…

13 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on providing eye gaze systems for people with neurological conditions who need such systems to communicate.

Answer · Clare Haughey: NHS Boards have a legislative duty to give children and adults, across all care groups, who have lost their voice or who have difficulty speaking, a right to the provision of communication equipment and support in using that equipment. It is for NHS Boards t…

6 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on some parents reportedly being told that their children cannot be prioritised on waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) following them threatening suicide, unless they make an active attempt.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Decisions about how urgently to assess referrals must be clinically driven, however any suggestion that services are not receiving or accepting referrals unless the individual is an immediate suicide risk is completely unacceptable. We are aware that young pe…

6 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason medication to treat ADHD cannot be prescribed by a nurse practitioner who has diagnosed it, which can lead to a further wait to see a doctor.

Answer · Clare Haughey: Medication for ADHD should only be initiated by a healthcare professional with training and expertise in diagnosing and managing ADHD. A range of non-medical healthcare professionals, including some nurse practitioners, can undertake additional training to e…

6 Jul 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on prioritising adopted children on waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), as is done in England.

Answer · Clare Haughey: All children and young people on waiting lists for CAMHS, including care experienced children, should be prioritised according to clinical need.