Chamber and committees

Section 1(1) of the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 refers to the “assaulting or impeding of certain providers of emergency services”. The number of people prosecuted and convicted in Scottish Courts for offences under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 Section 1(1) is given in the following table:

Persons prosecuted and convicted in Scottish courts for offences under the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 Section 1(1)¹

1. Where the main offence

Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings Database

It is not possible to provide the detail requested regarding the type of emergency workers involved (under Section 1(3) of the Act), as this information is not held by the Scottish Government.

Guidelines on the prescribing of antipsychotic medications will be informed by best clinical practice and by national Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines: SIGN 86 for the management of dementia and SIGN 98 for Autism Spectrum Disorder. The current SIGN guideline for autism spectrum disorder is currently being updated to incorporate new evidence on pharmacological interventions. Publication is expected in the spring of 2016.

These guidelines are produced in collaboration with patients, carers and members of the public and requests for change can be addressed to the SIGN executive team within Health Care Improvement Scotland and can be made by anyone with an interest in dementia or learning disability.

While some recommendations made in Sir Kenneth Calman's report have been implemented, including 55 extra medical undergraduate places in Scottish medical schools from 2007-08, introduction of a graduate entry course in Scotland was put on hold because of emerging concerns about potential medical workforce oversupply in Scotland, and in light of then planned consultation in response to the Tooke report on the future structure of postgraduate medical education, which would inform future medical workforce supply modelling in Scotland.

As part of developing our strategic vision for the future delivery of integrated care services, we are considering a range of options that will help contribute towards the future sustainability of the Scottish medical workforce.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28039 on 3 November 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The GP retainer scheme is intended to help doctors under the age of 55, with well-founded reasons for not making a substantive current commitment to working in general practice, to maintain the skills and confidence working within a practice to enable them to return to a more substantive post when circumstances permit.

Practices have the ability to apply to employ a GP retainer and there is no cap on the number of practices that can apply. Recruitment is organised by the practice. The cost of employing the retainer is paid by the practice with partial subsidy from the health board.

The following table shows the number of GP retainers in post from 2010-14.

The Scottish Government is actively considering workload as part of the Scottish GP contract negotiations for 2017.

The UK Government recently announced the national living wage and we are working with stakeholders to understand the impact of this to the care sector.

The Scottish Government has increased payments for Free Personal and Nursing Care in line with inflation annually since April 2008.

Increases in payments are calculated on the gross domestic product deflator.

In April, we provided funding of £10 million per year, as part of a tripartite £20 million agreement with local authorities and providers to enable care providers to improve the quality of care in care homes for older people. This is part of our approach to tackle issues of recruitment and retention in the sector. We have, and will continue to work with COSLA, Scottish Care, Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland and other key stakeholders to further progress fair work practices, including making progress towards paying the living wage, throughout the sector.

The UK Government recently announced the national living wage and we are working with stakeholders to understand the impact of this to the care sector.

We are committed to improving the quality of care in Scotland and to working to promote social justice, including through the mechanism of addressing low pay in the care sector.

In April, we provided funding of £10 million per year, as part of a tripartite £20 million agreement with local authorities and providers to enable care providers to improve the quality of care in care homes for older people. This is part of our approach to tackle issues of recruitment and retention in the sector. We have, and will continue to work with COSLA, Scottish Care, Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland and other key stakeholders to further progress fair work practices, including making progress towards paying the living wage, throughout the sector.

NHS Continuing Healthcare has never been subject to a specific funding stream so no funding has ceased as a consequence of our publication of new guidance. Rather, healthcare is provided by NHS boards from their overall funding allocations as provided by the Scottish Government.

Nursing care is provided free of charge whatever the setting. People eligible to NHS Continuing Healthcare prior to June 2015 will continue to have their entire costs met by the NHS as long as they remain eligible under the previous guidance.

The UK Government recently announced the national living wage and we are working with stakeholders to understand the impact of this to the care sector.

Charges for non-residential care are determined by local authorities. Independent and third sector residential care providers are responsible for setting their own care home fees to self-funding residents.

Free personal care is available for everyone aged 65 and over in Scotland who have been assessed by the local authority as needing it.

In April, we provided funding of £10 million per year as part of a tripartite £20 million agreement with local authorities and providers to enable care providers to improve the quality of care in care homes for older people. This is part of our approach to tackle issues of recruitment and retention in the sector. We have, and will continue to work with COSLA, Scottish Care, Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland and other key stakeholders to further progress fair work practices, including making progress towards paying the living wage, throughout the sector