- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS-issued pagers, or so-called bleeps, are currently in use, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The information requested is not collected or held by the Scottish Government and would require to be obtained directly from Health Boards.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought feedback from NHS staff on their experiences of using NHS-issued pagers, including what alternative technologies they would recommend.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34097 on 12 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on patient safety of any continued reliance on pagers in the NHS.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34097 on 12 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what cybersecurity measures are in place to detect and block access to pornography or other inappropriate content on its devices and networks.
Answer
The Scottish Government uses industry leading firewall and perimeter security technology to categorise websites and to either allow or block access to those categories accordingly. Access to certain categories is entirely blocked from all devices connected to the Scottish Government network. This covers all internal and external Scottish Government network access and blocks not only direct access attempts to prohibited websites, but also indirect access or referrals from other websites that are not blocked. The blocked category list includes all websites classified as pornographic.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact on hospital capacity of patients that are deemed “surgically fit for discharge” but refuse to leave.
Answer
As discussed in answer to question S6W-34114 on 12 February 2025, the standard definitions of delayed discharge in use across NHS Scotland since 2016 do not identify patients as surgically fit for discharge, and the reasons for delayed discharge (when patients remain in hospital after being declared clinically ready for discharge) do not allow a direct count of patients who have refused to leave hospital.
As such, using the data we have at a national level it is not possible to analyse the impact of refusal to leave hospital on hospital capacity, and no such analysis has been undertaken.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that nurses are protected from assault in the workplace.
Answer
Abuse towards NHS staff is unacceptable, and Health Boards must take appropriate action against anyone who assaults a staff member. It is an employer's duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees.
The Scottish Government continues to work closely in partnership with Health Boards to identify ways to protect staff and deter perpetrators at a national level.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to support nurses who have been victims of assault in the workplace.
Answer
No-one should be the victim of abuse or violence while at work and assaults on NHS staff are completely unacceptable. We encourage Health Boards to support criminal proceedings, where appropriate, against anyone who assaults staff. NHSScotland staff can access a range of services to care for their physical and mental health. This includes employee assistance programmes, trauma counselling services and pastoral support, to ensure a safe working environment.
The wellbeing of our health and social care workforce remains a key priority and we are working to ensure that the right level of support is offered across the system. Scottish Government funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies, self-service resources through the National Wellbeing Hub and the National Wellbeing Helpline delivered by NHS 24 to support their wellbeing. We also provide access to confidential mental health services through the Workforce Specialist Service.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many assaults on nurses have been reported in each year since 2018, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
This is a matter for NHS boards and Police Scotland. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to NHS boards regarding the use of pagers in critical care and emergency situations.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34097 on 12 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 12 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to phase out the use of pagers in the NHS and replace them with more modern communication technology devices.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-34097 on 12 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers