Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-26354

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to gather data on staff and associate specialist doctor vacancy rates to better inform its long-term workforce planning strategy.

We currently have the highest medical staffing levels ever, with all NHSScotland medical doctors up 23.6% in this government and record numbers of consultants.

As part of a series of planned improvements to NHSScotland workforce planning arrangements, the Scottish Government is working closely with NHS boards and Information Services Division Scotland to review how vacancies are currently recorded and reported nationally for consultants, nurses and midwives, and allied health professionals.

NHS Board HR Directors will discuss and agree the next steps later in 2015 and share further information with interested parties in due course.

Question reference: S4W-26353

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the vacancy rate is for staff and associate specialist grades, including specialty doctors, broken down by NHS board.

We currently have the highest medical staffing levels ever, with all NHSScotland medical doctors up 23.6% under this government and record numbers of consultants.

The information requested is not held centrally. Information Services Division (ISD) Scotland collects current vacancy data on consultants, nurses and midwives and allied health professionals. The latest vacancy information for these specialties as at 31 March 2015 is published on the ISD website:

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2015-06-02/Consultant_Vacancies_M2015.xls

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2015-06-02/Nursing_and_Midwifery_Vacancies_M2015.xls

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/publications/2015-06-02/AHP_vacancies_M2015.xls

Question reference: S4W-25976

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Prison Service regarding recruiting and retaining staff at HMP Grampian.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows:

“Recruitment and retention within HMP and YOI Grampian is an operational matter for SPS. HMP and YOI Grampian is fully up to staffing complement for the prisoner numbers it is currently dealing with. There are plans in place to recruit additional staff as we increase the prisoner numbers. SPS has kept the Scottish Government appraised of this progress.”

Question reference: S4O-04487

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 18 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is a comprehensive strategy for GP recruitment in the NHS Grampian area.

Under this government, the number of GPs employed in Scotland has risen by seven per cent to nearly 5,000 – the highest ever on record. We have also increased funding by 10 per cent and there are more GPs per head of population in Scotland than in England.

On 29 May 2015, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport visited Aberdeen to meet with GPs, local MSPs and NHS Grampian to hear directly from those involved about how best to support GPs to find new ways of working that address workload and staffing difficulties.

The health board has already begun work to address existing issues and we will be expecting them to engage closely with GPs and the local community as they begin to develop sustainable, ‘future-proofed’ primary care services.

Question reference: S4O-04515

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Grampian for children and adolescents who need to access mental health services.

Question reference: S4W-25975

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the difficulties with recruiting and retaining staff in Aberdeen that were highlighted in the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report, Local Policing+ Inspection Programme - Inspection of Aberdeen City Division.

<>The Scottish Government has regular discussions with Police Scotland on a range of matters. Recruitment, retention and deployment of police officers and police staff are a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority and I expect them to take action on the recommendations and issues highlighted in the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland report, Local Policing and Inspection Programme - Inspection of Aberdeen City Division.

Question reference: S4W-25877

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 11 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to NHS Grampian for the funding of alcohol and drug partnerships in 2014-15.

Question reference: S4W-25876

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 June 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 10 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent on trunk road maintenance by Transport Scotland in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeenshire in each of the last three years.

Maintenance spend figures are not recorded on a local authority basis. The trunk roads in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire are the A90 and A96. Spend per annum on the full length of the routes is listed in the following table:

	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
A90 (Perth to Fraserburgh)	£9 million	£10.5 million	£8.5 million
A96 (Inverness to Aberdeen)	£4.7 million	£5.7 million	£5.0 million

Question reference: S4W-25787

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-23173 by Shona Robison on 28 November 2014, whether it will provide an update on the progress being made with replacing the Lowit Unit at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.

The North of Scotland Tier 4 Network was set up in autumn 2013 with a senior network nurse based in Grampian since then. When NHS Grampian closed the Lowit Unit to inpatients on 12 September 2014, patients continued to be seen by clinicians as out-patients in Aberdeen and some in their own schools and homes. Similar arrangements have been put in place by the board for new patients.

NHS Grampian has been strengthening and developing pathways for children and young people with severe mental health conditions, eating disorders, mental illnesses with serious self-harm risk and complex challenging behaviour problems. There has been early involvement of some patients, families and children and adolescent mental health services staff and this is now entering a wider comprehensive engagement and consultation process. The regional young inpatients unit has been operational since mid-April 2015.

Question reference: S4W-25788

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-23173 by Shona Robison on 28 November 2014, in light of the closure of the Lowit Unit at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, what provision it has made for peer and adult engagement.

During this transitional period, clinical services to meet the needs of patients, some of whom may have previously attended the former Lowit Unit, are being delivered in different ways and settings – in outpatient clinics, home visits and schools.

Once the redesigned services are fully operational, there will be an improvement and increased relevance to peer engagement. This will also offer an opportunity to improve and ensure appropriate and relevant engagement between children and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) clinical staff and parents/carers.

CAMHS and paediatric services in NHS Grampian continue to work closely to try and improve assessment and treatment for any children admitted to the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital with both physical and mental health needs.