- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 24 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government in what ways obese people have received psychological services or counselling as part of their treatment process in each of the last five years.
Answer
Guidance issued by the government to accompany its funding of NHS weight management programmes recommends these programmes should include physical activity, dietary change and behaviour change components. Health boards decide what approach to take locally and while the government does not hold detailed information on how psychological interventions for obese people are applied across primary care, specialist weight management or specialised surgical services, the government is aware that boards have incorporated psychological interventions listed in the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network clinical guidelines 115 on the management of obesity.
Approaches differ depending on the patient, their needs and who referred them as they may already be engaged with a psychology service. Weight management programmes have access to some level of psychological provision from the least intensive cognitive-behavioural components incorporated within the standard weight management programme to intensive individual psychological assessment and therapy. Patents can be seen individually or as groups dependent on an assessment of their required level of support.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 23 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-24760 by Shona Robison on 17 March 2015, whether GPs can complete their training with no input or experience in mental health.
Answer
No. The training pathway which enables a GP to be entered on the GMC’s list of registered general practitioners is through the accumulation of awareness and competencies across very broad training curricula.
In terms of mental health, three essential requirements must be demonstrated by trainees to show that they can apply the core competencies in a real life work setting: i) contextual (e.g. legal issues, continuity of care, and others); ii) attitudinal (e.g. how own beliefs and value systems may influence interactions with patients); and iii) scientific (e.g. the evidence base for the care of people with mental health problems and learning disability).
These competencies are regularly assessed throughout the training pathway and unless the trainees are assessed as having required the competencies to a satisfactory standard, they will not be able to receive their Certificate of Completion of Training.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 April 2015
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 29 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to ensure early diagnosis and appropriate ongoing support for mental health patients.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 29 April 2015
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the use of psychological therapies in treating obesity, in light of the recommendation in SIGN guideline 115 on managing obesity.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-25137 on 21 April 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revise the National Care Standards for Care Homes for Older People.
Answer
Following consultation on a review of the national care standards, all of the national care standards will be revised.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to produce guidelines on the use of antipsychotics for older people with dementia.
Answer
Clinical guidelines on the appropriate use of antipsychotics to help manage stress and distress symptoms exhibited by all people with dementia are contained in the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network national clinical guideline for the management of people with dementia (SIGN 86).
Revised polypharmacy guidance published by the Scottish Government in March 2015 reinforces the principles on the appropriate review and reduction of the use of antipsychotics in people with dementia and identifies three groups which practitioners should prioritise for review: people in care homes, those with vascular dementia, and those with dementia who also have a history of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease or other vascular risk factors.
The Scottish Government’s first Standards of Care for Dementia in Scotland (2011) set out clear standards on responding to stress and distress in people with dementia in all care settings. Managing symptoms should involve the development of a multidisciplinary and integrated care plan and psychoactive medication should only be used where there is no appropriate alternative and where there is clear benefit to the person receiving the medication.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) youngest and (b) oldest age is at which a person will be considered for bariatric surgery.
Answer
There are no specific upper or lower age limits for bariatric surgery. It is not generally recommended in children or adolescents, but may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Decisions to treat will be jointly made between clinicians and patients, taking account of relevant guidance and the patient’s individual circumstances, including their fitness for surgery.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what steps is it taking to encourage the use of psychological therapies as a regular component of obesity treatment.
Answer
The government provides £3.5 million for NHS weight management programmes. These programmes must follow the evidence based recommendations of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network national clinical guideline 115 on the management of obesity. Guidance issued with the funding recommends weight management programmes should include physical activity, dietary change and psychological or behavioural change components. Boards need to agree locally what approach to take drawing on evidence and experience to date in delivering sustainable weight loss.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to address obesity.
Answer
Our commitment to tackling obesity is set out in our prevention of obesity route map, one of a coherent group of policy frameworks and guidance which includes: Improving Maternal and Infant Nutrition: A Framework for Action; Better Eating, Better Learning – A New Context For School Food; Recipe for Success and a ten year Physical Activity Implementation Plan. The government continues to update and support the necessary action across a broad front that makes it easier for people to be more active and have a healthy diet.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 27 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revise the (a) Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and (b) Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in terms of issues relating to force, restraint and covert medication.
Answer
The Scottish Government is currently considering its response to the Scottish Law Commission’s Report on Adults with Incapacity, which was published in October 2014 and relates to deprivation of liberty, and will be consulting on it in due course. Scottish Ministers have indicated that a review of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 would be useful to examine issues around the operation of the Act but any review would follow consideration of the Scottish Law Commission’s report.
A Bill to amend the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 is currently before the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Government will consider whether it will be appropriate to address reference to the use of force, restraint and covert mediation through the Act’s Code of Practice.
