Chamber and committees

All inspection reports produced by the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate may have requirements and recommendations. NHS boards are invited to review draft inspection reports to check for factual accuracy. Any factual accuracy amendments that are accepted will lead Healthcare Improvement Scotland to correct the report. If necessary, they may reflect the correction in the requirements and recommendations.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is not a special health board. HIS was set up under the terms of the Public Services Reform Act (2010) as a health body, independent of the organisations it inspects (both NHS and non NHS) and reports independently of Scottish Government.

The information requested is not held centrally.

In 2011-12, 11 people left NHS Health Scotland via voluntary redundancy and 6 via early retirement, which they applied for via the open voluntary redundancy scheme.

In 2012-13, 4 people left NHS Health Scotland via voluntary redundancy.

Ambulance Service activity is published annually in the Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland Cost Book and this can be found at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Finance/Costs/

The most frequently reported side effects have included mesh exposure, pain, sexual problems, mesh erosion and occasionally injury to nearby organs such as the bladder or bowel.

Information is not held centrally on the number of women who have been affected by side effects.

Two clinicians working in Scotland have reported adverse incidents about transvaginal mesh products to the Incident Reporting and Investigation Centre of Health Facilities Scotland, which is part of NHS National Services Scotland.

No information is held on the number of clinicians in Scotland who have reported adverse incidents or concerns about transvaginal meshes to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority.

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Ambulance Service have advised that they do not use private ambulance services, or other private sector transport (including taxis), in place of ambulances or patient transport.

The Scottish Ambulance Service has a Memorandum of Understanding with the British Red Cross Society (BRCS), which helps the Service respond to patient needs, for example, during adverse weather. The BRCS make ambulance vehicles available should these be required. The Service also works with the BRCS during periods of anticipated high demand, such as the festive period and other key dates during the year such as pay days. This arrangement delivers an additional layer of resilience and support at times of peak demand.

The Service works with approximately 200 volunteer car drivers across the country, who undertake patient transport journeys where this is clinically appropriate, particularly in remote and rural areas.

This is an operational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service, the information requested is not held centrally.