Questions and answers

Question reference: S3W-39389

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS boards have placed a ban on hiring agency staff and, if so, how this is affecting service delivery.

Question reference: S3W-39359

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have received IVF treatment in each of the last three years and what progress has been made in reducing waiting times for treatment.

Due to concerns about breaching strict confidentiality rules set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), this information is not currently collected or held centrally by Information Services Division. The activity and success rates of each of the units in Scotland is reported directly to the HFEA and the latest published data for 2008 is available at:

http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

The National Infertility Group was established in April 2010 to help ensure equity and consistency of NHS infertility services, including waiting times, across Scotland. The group will, as part of its work, make recommendations to ministers on waiting times for IVF treatment.

Question reference: S3W-39368

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what capital investment projects there have been in the NHS, including the level of investment, since 2007.

Over the three years of the current spending review period capital investment in NHSScotland has totalled £1.676 billion, an increase of 19.9% on the previous three years. NHS boards operate within delegated limits for the delivery of capital projects. For the majority of NHS boards, the delegated limit is £5 million with projects below that value being approved locally at NHS board level. Accordingly, only details of capital projects with a value in excess of £5 million are held centrally. Capital projects completed or currently in construction since 2007 with a value in excess of £5m are detailed in the following table:

NHS Board	Project	Final Cost £ million	Completion Year
Ayrshire and Arran	Girvan Community Hospital	20.00	2010
Dumfries and Galloway	Acute Mental Health Services	27.2	2012
Fife	St Andrews Community Hospital and Health Centre	27.00	2009
	Cupar Community Health Services	9.8	2012
	General Hospital and Maternity Services (Non PFI Elements) “ Victoria Hospital	21.3	2014
	General Hospital and Maternity Services “ Victoria Hospital	170.0	2011
Forth Valley	Clackmannanshire Community Hospital	20.49	2009
	Forth Valley Royal Hospital	300.00	2010
Grampian	Aberdeen Dental School	20.00	2009
	Forresterhill Energy Centre	12.5	2011
	Chalmers Hospital/ Health Centre	15.3	2012
	Aberdeen Emergency Care Centre	110.0	2013
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	ACADS (Stobhill and Victoria Hospital)	172.8	2008
	Local Forensic Psychiatric Unit at Stobhill	17.00	2007
	Modernising Mental Health Services at Gartnavel Hospital	17.00	2007
	Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre	86.70	2008
	Modernisation and Upgrading of Maternity accommodation including New Build at the Southern General Hospital (comprising of a new neonatal unit)	27.87	2009
	Barrhead Health Centre	17.6	2010
	Renfrew Health Centre	17.9	2010
	Glasgow Royal Infirmary Tower - laboratory strategy	17.0	2011
	New South Glasgow Hospitals Project	841.7	2014
Highland	Nairn Primary Care and Hospital Development “ Phase 1	14.3	2009
	Migdale Community Hospital	8.3	2011
	Mull and Iona Progressive Centre	5.0	2011
Lanarkshire	Carluke Health Centre	13.60	2010
	Adults with Complex Needs - Caird House	8.1	2010
	Coatbridge - Dental and Integrated Resource Centre	13.7	2010
	Learning Disability Assessment and Treatment Centre	7.3	2010
	Airdrie Resource Centre	27.0	2012
Lothian	Midlothian Community Hospital	29.60	2010
	St John''s Elective Surgical Centre Phase 2	6.4	2010
	Chalmers Hospital	9.6	2011
	Royal Victoria Building	43.6	2012
	Musselburgh Primary Care Centre	18.3	2012
Tayside	Loch Leven Health Centre	7.62	2009
	Perth Dental Treatment Training Centre	7.6	2010
	Macmillan Palliative Care Unit, Perth	5.9	2010
	Nuclear Medicine - Ninewells Hospital	10.4	2011
	Mental Health Developments (Non Profit Distributing)	95.0	2012
Scottish Ambulance Service	Replacement of Emergency Vehicles	25.5	2009
State Hospital	Redevelopment of State Hospital	92.0	2012
Golden Jubilee National Hospital	Delivering West of Scotland Regional Heart and Lung Centre (Phase 2 Development of level 4)	15.6	2008

Question reference: S3W-39345

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to expedite the discharge of older patients with complex needs from acute hospitals.

This administration has worked closely with local NHS and local authority partnerships to tackle delayed discharges over the last four years, greatly reducing the number of patients delayed over the six week discharge planning period, and achieving a zero level at the April census in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Our Joint Improvement Team has been made available to work with partnerships with specific problems.

There are some cases where it is not appropriate to discharge a patient within six weeks, such as where there are concerns about someone''s capacity. However, we are working towards reducing the length of these delays with local partnerships, the Mental Welfare Commission and Scottish courts, amongst others.

Question reference: S3W-39348

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the calls from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), the UK Faculty of Public Health and the Royal Society for Public Health for a ban on industrial trans fats, whether it will review its position on this matter.

The current position is to support industry to take voluntary measures which has seen average consumption of trans fats drop to below 1% and to only support placing a limit on trans fats if the evidence supports that there would be a significant health benefit in doing so the Food Standards Agency Scotland has confirmed that there is no new evidence to support a change of position.

We will continue to keep trans fats levels under close review, actively monitoring outputs of ongoing work and new research in Scotland, the UK and internationally.

Question reference: S3W-39365

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications have been of the increase in Minor Ailments Service prescriptions in the last four years.

The number of patients registered for the Minor Ailment Service (MAS) is steadily growing and registrations have risen from 556,840 to 722,209 people over four years. It is used mainly by patients aged under 16 and over 60.

The Gross Ingredient Cost of items dispensed under the MAS in 2009-10 was £2.87 million with an average cost per item of £2.03. Patients appreciate the MAS which plays an important part in improving access to NHS healthcare advice and treatment and it helps free up GP time to see patients with more serious complaints.

Further statistics on the MAS are available on the NHS National Services Scotland website at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5033.html.

Question reference: S3W-39331

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason it transferred the budget line for cervical cancer screening to miscellaneous other services.

Question reference: S3W-39321

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason there are targets to measure performance against budget for only three of its key spending priorities for health and sport outlined in the draft budget for 2011-12.

The Draft Budget 2011-12, sets out the health priorities for 2011-12. The Local Delivery Plan Guidance 2011-12 sets out the HEAT targets and standards for NHSScotland at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/17273/LDPGuidancePDF201112.

Where HEAT targets and standards can help support delivery of the priorities set out in the draft budget, then they are underpinned directly by HEAT targets and standards. For example there are HEAT targets on reducing waiting times; healthcare associated infections; and financial breakeven.

The following table lists the Scottish Government''s priorities for 2011-12 and the HEAT targets and standards that support these priorities.

Priorities Set Out in Draft Budget 2011-12	Supporting HEAT Targets and Standards
Protect frontline healthcare services;	Supported by all HEAT targets and standards.
Implement Scotland''s first National Dementia Strategy in full and take forward the work to improve post-diagnostic information and support and to improve the care in general hospital settings;	Directly supported by HEAT Standard: Maintain the number of people with a diagnosis of dementia on the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) dementia register and other equivalent sources.
Support older people and those with long term conditions to remain independent in their own homes or in the community, by a focus across NHS boards and local authorities on supported self management, reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and speeding discharge after a crisis;	Directly supported by HEAT target: Reducing the need for emergency hospital care, NHS boards will achieve agreed reductions in emergency inpatient bed days rates for people aged 75 and over between 2009-10 and 2011-12 through improved partnership working between the acute, primary and community care sectors.
Support NHSScotland to eliminate waste and drive modernisation programmes;	Directly supported by HEAT target: NHS boards to deliver a 3% efficiency saving to reinvest in frontline services
Support NHSScotland to achieve productivity and efficiency gains without compromising quality through the implementation of the new Efficiency and Productivity plan;

Priorities Set Out in Draft Budget 2011-12	Supporting HEAT Targets and Standards
Implement the Healthcare Quality Strategy;	Directly supported by a range of H, A and T targets and standards including: Deliver 18 weeks referral to treatment from 31 December 2011. Further reduce healthcare associated infections so that by March 2013 NHS boards'' staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (including MRSA) cases are 0.26 or less per 1000 acute occupied bed days; and the rate of Clostridium difficile infections in patients aged 65 and over is 0.39 cases or less per 1000 total occupied bed days.
Identify and eradicate harmful and wasteful variation;	Directly supported by HEAT target: Further reduce healthcare associated infections so that by March 2013 NHS boards'' staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (including MRSA) cases are 0.26 or less per 1000 acute occupied bed days; and the rate of Clostridium difficile infections in patients aged 65 and over is 0.39 cases or less per 1000 total occupied bed days.
Continue to reduce Healthcare Associated Infection;	Directly supported by HEAT target: Further reduce healthcare associated infections so that by March 2013 NHS boards'' staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (including MRSA) cases are 0.26 or less per 1000 acute occupied bed days; and the rate of Clostridium difficile infections in patients aged 65 and over is 0.39 cases or less per 1000 total occupied bed days.
Continue to protect and enable the most vulnerable in our society by addressing health inequalities and, through early interventions, to support our children;	Directly supported by HEAT target: Achieve agreed completion rates for child healthy weight intervention programme over the three years ending March 2014. At least 60% of three and four year olds in each SIMD quintile to have fluoride varnishing twice a year by March 2014.
Deliver the 18 week Referral to Treatment standard;	Directly supported by HEAT target: Deliver 18 weeks referral to treatment from 31 December 2011.
Continue to address the major public health challenges facing Scotland, including alcohol misuse, smoking, obesity, sexual health and Hepatitis C;	Directly supported by the H targets.
Invest a further £25 million within NHS boards to keep our commitment to abolish prescription charges;

Priorities set out in Draft Budget 2011-12	Supporting HEAT targets and standards
Continue to fund free personal care;
Deliver the Obesity Route Map Action Plan;	Directly supported by HEAT target: Achieve agreed completion rates for child healthy weight intervention programme over the three years ending March 2014.
Increase levels of physical activity and participation in sport;
Support people in Scotland to maintain their health through commencement of the implementation of the recently enacted tobacco control legislation and the implementation of the provisions of the Alcohol Etc (Scotland) Act;
Begin the roll out of abdominal aortic aneurism screening for men aged 65;
Continue to work to support measures which respond to the needs of equality communities and help to address the inequalities they experience;	Directly supported by HEAT target: Achieve agreed number of inequalities targeted cardiovascular health checks during 2011-12.
Commence delivery of the three-week waiting time target for alcohol misuse services;	Directly supported by HEAT target: By March 2013, 90% of clients will wait no longer than three weeks from referral received to appropriate drug or alcohol treatment that supports their recovery.
Reflect the importance of our person-centred approach to improving healthcare quality by gathering new information and taking related action on patient, carer and staff experience and patient reported outcomes, and through the enactment of the Patients'' Rights Bill;	Directly supported by a range of H, A and T targets and standards including: No patient will wait longer than nine weeks for inpatient and day case treatment (measured on month end Census).
Continue to focus on patient safety by rolling out our successful approaches across acute, mental health and primary care;
Maintain our commitment to research;
Begin the implementation of the 25 per cent reduction in management costs; and
Continue investment in new and replacement health facilities, IT and equipment.

Question reference: S3W-39366

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what treatment and support services are available to people with (a) progressive supranuclear palsy, (b) corticobasal degeneration; and (c) multiple system atrophy, broken down by NHS board.

Services for rare diseases such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are provided by the clinical neuroscience units in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. These services, which cover the whole of Scotland, are consultant-led, with nurse practitioner support and access to appropriate support such as physiotherapy.

In addition, there are long-standing commissioning arrangements to ensure people with MSA, CBD and PSP are able to benefit from highly specialised services across the UK, or further afield, when clinically indicated.

Voluntary organisations such as the Multiple System Atrophy Trust and the PSP Association also provide valuable support to people living with these conditions. The Neurological Alliance of Scotland, which receives some of its funding from the Scottish Government, acts as an umbrella organisation for all third sector bodies dealing with neurological conditions. We have also given a commitment to work with Rare Diseases UK on taking forward in Scotland the strategy Improving lives, Optimising Resources: A Vision for the UK Rare Disease Strategy, which it launched at the Parliament on 22 February 2011.

In addition, the Scottish Government strongly supports the implementation of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland''s clinical standards for neurological health services. These will drive local improvement of services for all those with a neurological condition, wherever in Scotland they live.

Question reference: S3W-39342

Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 February 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions have been attributed to weather-related falls since 1 December 2010.

Chamber and committees