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-24897

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS Grampian patients had to travel to other NHS boards for treatment in the last year.

The number of Grampian patients who had treatment in a different NHS board area during the calendar year 2014 was 2,150. This represents 1.5% of NHS Grampian’s overall annual acute activity of around 139,000 inpatients and day case discharges. This information relates to acute surgical specialties and is derived from Information Services Division Scottish morbidity returns for inpatient and day cases.

It is important to note that it is not unusual for patients to be treated in another health board area, particularly if a patient requires to be seen at a regional or national centre.

Question reference: S4W-24898

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS Grampian patients have been treated in private hospitals in the last year and at what cost.

The number of Grampian patients treated in a private hospital during the year ending December 2014 was 1,209. This information relates to acute surgical specialties and is derived from Information Services Division (ISD) Scottish morbidity return for inpatient and day cases. It should however, be noted that there are data quality issues around the NHS Grampian information and ISD are actively working with the board to improve data quality.

In relation to the information on the cost of NHS Grampian’s patients being treated in the private sector, I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23170 on 28 November 2014. 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.

NHS Grampian have been investing to build additional capacity in their own services by making available £18 million in 2013-14 to build new theatres and employing more doctors and a further £7 million in 2014-15 to support improvements, including in the specialties of orthopaedics, general surgery and urology.

The Scottish Government policy is that NHS boards should use NHS funding to build sustainable capacity. The use of the private sector should only be used in the margins to deal with short-term capacity issues.

Question reference: S4W-24915

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 27 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-21209 by Margaret Burgess on 30 May 2014, whether it will provide an update on how much was awarded in 2014-15.

The amount of Affordable Housing Supply Programme funding paid to individual registered social landlords was:

Housing Association Grant (£ million) – Aberdeenshire

Grant Recipient	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15*
Aberdeenshire Council	2.105	0	1.393
Castlehill Housing Association	0.542	n/a	n/a
Cornerstone Community Care	0.230	0.073	0
Grampian Housing Association	0.937	1.738	0
Langstane Housing Association	0.146	0	0
Sanctuary Housing Association	n/a	n/a	1.295
Total	3,961	1,812	2.688

*spend so far in 2014-15

Housing Association Grant (£ million) – Aberdeen

Grant Recipient	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15*
Aberdeen City Council	0.848	0.044	3.303
Castlehill Housing Association	0	0.251	0.515
Tenants First Housing Association	2.362	3.114	0
Grampian Housing Association	0	0	2.072
Langstane Housing Association	0.491	0.627	0.453
Total	3.702	4.037	6.343

*spend so far in 2014-15

Note: the 2014-15 spend data is not the year-end figure. For example, Aberdeenshire Council will claim on spend at the end of March 2015, and have indicated this will be £5.848 million. Likewise in Aberdeen City Council (on 18 March 2015) we are holding claims to be processed worth £1.481 million for Langstane Housing Association. We therefore anticipate the final spend figure for 2014-15 to be significantly higher in each council area.

Question reference: S4W-24896

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 20 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what resources it will provide to the University of Aberdeen dental school to address the concerns highlighted in the recent inspection report by the General Dental Council.

Question reference: S4O-04148

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils on the Aberdeen City Region Deal bid and what assistance it will provide to support the bid.

Question reference: S4O-04095

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Creative Scotland's project funding was spent in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire in the last year, and how many projects in Aberdeen received support.

Question reference: S4W-24485

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many support staff have been employed by NHS Grampian in each of the last five years, also broken down by (a) role and (b) grade.

Question reference: S4W-24440

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what infrastructure projects (a) have commenced since April 2014 and (b) are due to commence in 2015.

Question reference: S4W-24487

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 25 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the take up rate of Keep Well Health Checks has been at NHS Grampian, and how this compares with the rest of the country.

Question reference: S4W-24486

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 25 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the adult population in Aberdeen has been registered with an NHS dentist in each of the last five years, and how this compares with the rest of the country.