Chamber and committees

Emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) is widely available free of charge across Scotland from community pharmacies, sexual health clinics and GPs.

Through the Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework, the Scottish Government aims to reduce the health inequalities gap in sexual health and we are working with NHS boards to ensure good access to sexual health services for all, but especially those who are most at-risk of poor sexual health outcomes.

Information on patients resident in Scotland who were treated in hospitals in England for each financial year from 1999-00 to 2011-12 has been provided. This information is for all inpatients and day cases (elective and emergency admissions).

Information on the cost is not collected centrally.

Count of Finished Admission Episodes^1,2,3 carried out in an English NHS hospital for patients whose NHS Board of Residence is in Scotland; financial years 1999-00 to 2011-12.

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre.

1. All in.patient and day case admissions are included, elective and emergency.

2. Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector is included.

3. A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.

The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework was published in August 2011 and contains five high level outcomes. The Scottish Government views the reduction of unintended pregnancies to be a priority and thus Outcome 1 of the Framework looks to achieve “fewer unintended pregnancies”.

The use of data published by ISD has been useful in supporting Scottish Government to make an assessment of the impact of policy on unintended pregnancy, for example, the fall in the number of terminations of pregnancy over the past three years and the rise in the uptake of effective, longer acting reversible methods of contraception.

The Scottish Government is working through the Framework with NHS boards, local authorities and third sector agencies to support a reduction in the number of unintended pregnancies by ensuring that everyone has; sex and relationships education appropriate to their age and stage of development; access to sexual health services including contraception services and; the skills to negotiate sexual relationships based on mutual respect.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing participation in sport and physical activity at all levels across Scotland capturing the enthusiasm and excitement of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Our key ambition for ensuring a lasting legacy of the Games is the development and roll out of community sports hubs across all 32 local authorities. The hubs will bring together sport and physical activity in a local community and help deliver more and better co-ordinated activities to help deliver a healthier, more active nation. 159 community sports hubs will be developed throughout Scotland by 2015. Currently there are 105 hubs up and running, with 11 in the north east of Scotland and a further eight hubs in development.

The development of the hubs is augmented by the £10 million Legacy 2014 Active Places Fund which is designed to support communities develop more and better places locally to be active.

I have exchanged correspondence with Earl Howe concerning Value Based Pricing and have received further assurances that the UK Government and Devolved Administrations will continue to work closely together in developing a value based pricing approach. Officials are also in regular contact with the Department of Health and I can confirm that arrangements are currently in hand for me to meet with Earl Howe, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for Medicines and Pharmacy policy, at the next available opportunity.

While we have received no formal proposal for the reopening of the Formartine and Buchan railway line, the Scottish Government is keen to improve access to the rail network across Scotland.

In considering proposals to reopen former railway lines and stations, it is necessary for the Scottish Government to take a strategic view and fully consider the impact on the whole network. Determining the potential benefits to new passengers against the negative impact on existing passengers, while robustly assessing the value for money and affordability are essential. The long-term demand, the operational and engineering feasibilities, subsidy implications to the Scottish Government and initial capital costs must be considered in detail.

I understand that promoters of the Formartine and Buchan line are currently discussing their proposals with the North East of Scotland Transport Partnership (Nestrans). Transport Scotland would be happy to offer advice, if Nestrans decide that the proposal merits further consideration.

We are working closely with representatives of the Scottish venison sector to identify opportunities to substantially increase both the production and processing of venison in Scotland.

An initial assessment of the economic benefits of increasing the production of venison has been completed and suggests that there is clear potential for growth within the venison sector.

The information gathered for Dermatology referrals records the number of patients who were referred and attended their appointment.

The following tables are split into three due the changes in the past 13 years in how waiting times are measured and collected.

Source: ISD Scotland SMR00.

Ref: IRS2013-00167.

Notes:

1. Data is derived from a subset of records comprising Scottish residents who received a new outpatient appointment at a consultant-led outpatient clinic in an acute specialty following referral from a GP or dentist. It excludes patients with ASCs - Availability Status Codes.

2. Other providers of NHS treatment are included in the NHS Scotland total but not explicitly shown.

Table 2: Number of New Outpatient Dermatology appointments following referral from a GP/GDP by NHS Board of Treatment, quarter ending March 2008 – March 2010 ^1,3,4

Source: ISD Scotland Waiting Times Warehouse.

Ref: IRS2013-00167.

1. Scottish residents seen at a new NHS appointment at a consultant/dentist-led outpatient clinic following referral from their GP or dentist (GDP).

2. Other providers of NHS treatment are included in the NHS Scotland total but not explicitly shown.

3. Data is based on the Waiting Times Data Warehouse position as at 26^th October 2012 (i.e. the data used for publication that was released on 26^th November 2012).

4. It should be noted that the numbers of attendances at an outpatient clinic increase by approximately 15,000 between year ending 2007 and 2008 this may be due to the different data sources used.

Table 3: Number of New Outpatient Dermatology appointments following referral from all referral sources by NHS Board of Treatment, quarter ending June 2010 – September 2012 ^{1, 3}

Source: ISD Scotland Waiting Times Warehouse

Ref: IRS2013-00167

1. Data based on Scottish residents seen at a new NHS appointment at a consultant/dentist-led outpatient clinic following referral from any source. From 31 March 2010 the national standard was expanded to cover new outpatient referrals from all sources.

2. Other providers of NHS treatment are included in the NHS Scotland total but not explicitly shown.

3. Data is based on the Waiting Times Data Warehouse position as at 26^th October 2012 (i.e. the data used for publication that was released on 26^th November 2012).

(b) Melanoma referrals

Table 4: Number of urgent referrals for melanoma, by NHS Board -

Yearly data (note partial data for 2012¹)

Source: ISD Scotland

Ref: IRS2013-00167

Data is only available up to 30 September 2012, therefore the 2012 figures are incomplete. Data up to 31 December 2012 will be available after the next Cancer Waiting Times publication on 26 March 2013.

Table 4 shows data for urgent referrals submitted with a suspicion of cancer by a GP or GDP, or direct referral to hospital (self, GP or NHS 24 referral to A&E or other), or referral from a National Cancer Screening Programme.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04773 on 19 January 2012 for a breakdown of hospital and community administration costs by health board and which defines administration reporting, for years ending 31 March 1999 to 2011. All answers to 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.

There has been a steady increase in the coverage of the costs book in terms of the costs being included as administration costs such that, in 2010-11, 94% of costs were analysed whereas in 1999-2000, 62% of costs were covered. This means that costs are now analysed which were not previously reported, so the figures are not directly comparable with those published in previous years.

Due to changes in the way administration costs are reported, for example admin costs for a number of functions such as pharmacy, catering, property maintenance and transport which previously were omitted, are now classified as administration, are another reason why figures are not directly comparable on a year to year basis.

Other significant changes which have been made over the years include:

2008-09 - costs of the board’s health promotion and health education functions were included in administration costs for the first time;

2006-07 - NHS Argyll and Clyde was dissolved and the functions were transferred to NHS Highland and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (previously NHS Greater Glasgow);

2003-04 - Boards central function costs which are reported in note 6 of the Annual Accounts which were included in the Costs Book for the first time (approximately £70 million).

The 2009-10 figures for NHS Lanarkshire and for NHS Tayside were re-stated in Scottish Health Service Costs, year ended 31 March 2011. The 2008-09 figure for NHS Dumfries and Galloway was re-stated in Scottish Health Service Costs, year ended 31 March 2010.

There was an exceptional item in 2009-10 accounts of NHS GG&C which means the 2009-10 figure is not comparable since additional items were included in the 2011 admin costs that were not included in 2010. If you adjust for this additional £25m relating to NHS GG&C in 2009-10, the overall administration costs for NHS Scotland actually reduce in 2010-11.

The administration costs for hospital and community services provided by the 14 Territorial Boards, the Golden Jubilee National Hospital and the State Hospital for 2011-12 are detailed in the following table:

Administration costs¹ by Health Board, year ending 31 March 2012

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT