- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many disciplinary actions were undertaken in each NHS board in respect of the misuse of information and data security in the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answer
Numbers of discipline cases are required as part of the mandatory statistics for the workforce reports from NHS boards. The Scottish Government does not collect statistics centrally outlining why the discipline process was invoked. NHS boards would have to be contacted individually to seek information on whether there were any discipline cases in respect of misuse of information and data security.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-12022 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 April 2008, when it will respond to the reports on hospital car parking provided by NHS boards by 30 June 2008.
Answer
NHS board reports on their car parking schemes have been received and are currently being considered. A full policy statement will be made shortly together with proposals for updating the existing guidance.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the impact of extended hours in GP surgeries on the use of NHS24 between (a) 7.30 am and 9.00 am and 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm on Monday to Friday and (b) 8.00 am and 12.30 pm on Saturday.
Answer
NHS 24 is not required to specifically monitor call volumes in relation to changes to GP surgery hours. They do, however, constantly monitor volumes of calls both during and out with peak demand times.
The purpose of extended hours is to increase the opportunity for patients to access routine scheduled appointments with GPs. We are not expecting people to attend their GP surgery who would otherwise have phoned NHS 24 because of an unscheduled care requirement.
There are no plans to monitor the effect of extended hours on NHS 24 call volumes.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 1 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Category A calls to the Scottish Ambulance Service in Glasgow, or the smallest area including the city for which calls are recorded, were made in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007 in respect of drug overdoses due to heroin or other opiates (i) alone or (ii) in combination with other substances and what the outcome was in each case.
Answer
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has provided the following table, which sets out all overdose/poisoning related calls for Glasgow (postcode sectors G1 to G5).
The information is recorded by dispatch code so the SAS are unable to provide definitive numbers of heroin/opiate related overdoses as some may have been categorised as “not alert”, for example. On that basis, a full breakdown of relevant codes has been provided
| Chief Complaint (At Dispatch) | 2006 | 2007 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Abnormal Breathing | 23 | 33 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Antidepressants (Tricylic) | 5 | 1 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Cocaine (or Derivative) | 1 | 5 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Narcotics (Heroin) | 9 | 10 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Not Alert | 169 | 201 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Overdose (without Priority Symptoms) | 69 | 56 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Poisoning (without Priority Symptoms) | 4 | 5 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Severe Respiratory Distress | 1 | 1 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Unconscious | 91 | 129 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Unknown Status (3rd Party Caller) | 131 | 179 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Violent (Police Attending) | 49 | 31 |
| Overdose/Poisoning: Override | 0 | 2 |
| Total Overdose/Poisoning | 552 | 653 |
Notes
1. While all overdose/poisoning chief complaints are 999 emergency calls, the codes can be category A, B or C determinants.
2. The dispatch code is determined through questioning of a caller and is based on information available at the time of call. As such, the numbers within the specific heroin and cocaine determinant cannot be considered as a complete picture of overdose in respect of these two drugs as in many cases, the reason for overdose will not be apparent until paramedics arrive on scene.
3. SAS do not currently record incidents where drugs and/or alcohol have been a factor beyond that provided above. SAS cannot, therefore, provide any analysis on a combination of drugs or whether drugs were a factor in any other incidents.
4. SAS do not record details of “outcomes” for patients as their data systems only record ambulance service information; that is, up to the point at which they have completed treatment on scene or handed a patient over at hospital.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 30 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of reaching the target of zero delayed discharges by April 2008, whether targets on delayed discharges will be included in all local authority single outcome agreements.
Answer
Single outcome agreements will reflect the priorities of the local authority and under a common framework of national outcomes and indicators, local outcomes will take account of these priorities. Within the set of local indicators which local authorities can select from, community care retains coverage through a single overarching indicator, which is underpinned by four community care outcomes and 16 supporting measures, one of which is to sustain the position on delayed discharges. This suite of 16 measures is being promoted as the recommended set of performance management indicators for community care and local authorities have been encouraged to include these during the course of negotiating agreements with central government.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 30 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to augmenting the targets for delayed discharge to ensure that the number of beds blocked at any one time is kept to a minimum.
Answer
The targets to reduce to zero the number of patients delayed outwith the six week discharge planning period and to have no-one delayed in short-stay specialties have now become standards that we expect local authority/NHS partnerships to deliver at all times.
Six weeks is the agreed maximum timescale to complete patients’ discharge. However, discharge should take place as soon as it is safe and appropriate after treatment is complete.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 28 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care, by what date it expects (a) the British Association for Adoption and Fostering and The Fostering Network to have presented their recommendations for the assessment of kinship carers and (b) to have published regulations for the assessment and approval of kinship carers.
Answer
The reference group, led by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering and the Fostering Network will present their initial recommendations for the assessment and approval of kinship carers to Scottish ministers in the late summer.
Revised regulations, including regulations for the assessment and approval of kinship carers, will be laid before the Parliament once ministers have considered these recommendations and the independent analysis of responses to the consultation on the draft Looked After Children (Scotland) regulations.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 28 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care, by what date it expect all local authorities to be paying at least the minimum fostering allowances based on The Fostering Network’s recommended role and what actions it is taking to monitor implementation of the payment to (a) foster parents and (b) kinship carers.
Answer
We continue to support the payment of allowances based on The Fostering Network’s recommended rate of allowance. It is however up to individual local authorities to decide on an appropriate rate of allowance based on their local need and priorities.
One of the commitments within our historic concordat with COSLA is to pay approved kinship carers of looked after children a weekly allowance, at the same rate as the local authority’s foster carers. Progress against each of the commitments in the concordat will be reported annually by COSLA at the end of each financial year.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 28 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care, whether it will issue guidance to the Care Commission and the Social Work Inspection Agency on the appropriate limits on placement of children with foster parents.
Answer
As stated in
Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care, the appropriate placement limit depends on the circumstances of the individual carer. The Looked After Children (Scotland) regulations will require a fostering panel to approve the maximum number of children that a foster carer may have in their care at any one time.
We will issue guidance to support the updated Looked After Children (Scotland) regulations, which will be brought before Parliament later this year.
The Care Commission regulates all children''s social care services, including fostering and adoption services. The Care Commission will inspect local authority fostering services and monitor compliance with the regulations.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 28 July 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the publication of Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care, by what date it expects all local authorities to extend fostering placements to age 18.
Answer
At present, local authorities can extend fostering placements to age 18 and beyond if it is in the best interests of the young person in foster care and with the agreement of the foster carer.
We will support local authorities to do this through issuing guidance along with forthcoming revised Looked After Children (Scotland) regulations.
