Chamber and committees

Surveillance of streptococcal group B infection in Scotland (including invasive disease) is based on laboratory confirmed reports received through the electronic reporting system, Electronic Communication of Surveillance in Scotland. Therefore Health Protection Scotland is already aware of laboratory confirmed cases and has been monitoring trends in Scotland for some years. The notifiable disease provisions in the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 requires clinicians to notify diseases based on clinical diagnosis as an early warning before the case is confirmed, in case any public health action can be taken promptly to prevent further cases. The Scottish Health Protection Network will keep under review the list of notifiable diseases and organisms currently in the Public Health etc. (Scotland) Act 2008 on an on-going basis and if considered appropriate, based on any added benefits, may suggest adding group B streptococcal infection on the list as a notifiable disease.

The Scottish Government does not have information on rents in private sector housing, broken down by local authority area.

The main source of the Scottish Government’s rent data for private sector housing is the Rent Service Scotland, Market Evidence Database. Information from this source is published annually on rent levels by 18 Broad Rental Market Areas and by five different property bedroom sizes, which are used to inform Local Housing Allowance rates in Scotland. This data source has not been designed to provide information on rent levels by 32 separate local authority areas.

In November 2014, the Scottish Government published comprehensive rent data from this source for the first time, covering annual data and rent changes from 2010. The latest Private Sector Rent Statistics, Scotland (2010-15) publication in November 2015 is available on the Scottish Government Housing and Regeneration Statistics webpages at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration.

Comprehensive information from this data source is not available prior to 2010.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) undertakes a rolling programme of surveillance to monitor progress towards the Scottish Dietary Goals (SDGs). Data on deprivation is presented as quintiles of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation and analysed in three year blocks. The most recent results by deprivation are available for 2009 to 2012. Data for 2013 will be available at the end of November 2015.

Differences in diet by deprivation have shown a generally consistent pattern since monitoring began in 2001. Households in the most deprived areas consume significantly less fruit and vegetables, oil rich fish and fibre and consume more added sugars than households in the least deprived areas.

The lack of progress towards meeting the SDGs is apparent amongst households in both the least and most deprived areas and there is no evidence to suggest that the gap in intake between the most and least deprived households has decreased or increased compared to previous years.

The latest Food Standards Scotland report is available at:

http://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/monitoring-progress-towards-scottish-dietary-goals-2001-2012-report-1.

Research shows that the rate of early onset group B streptococcus (GBS) in the UK is comparable to those countries which have population based screening programmes.

The 2012 UK National Screening Committee review highlighted some questions over the benefits of possible prevention methods. To address this, the NSC commissioned a study comparing the different approaches to preventing early onset GBS infection in babies. These approaches include the current high risk management strategy used in the UK, and potential screening strategies used elsewhere. The outcome will inform the next policy review due in 2016.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting people living with diabetes, as well as their families and carers. We want to ensure that everyone who requires care has access to the highest standards of care in every setting, in an NHS facility or their own home. That is why we published the Diabetes Improvement Plan in 2014. It is for each individual NHS board to plan and deliver services to meet the needs of their local population, taking account of available evidence and good practice guidance. We expect NHS boards to ensure that patients who have diabetes have appropriate access to a range of professionals, including specialist nurses, to ensure optimum management of their condition. The number of diabetes specialist nurses in Scotland has increased by over 12% from 93 in September 2010 to 105 in September 2015.

There is already strong international evidence that high levels of inequality impact negatively on a wide range of economic and social outcomes. The Scottish Government will continue to publish a range of statistics on inequalities on a regular basis and there will be an updated Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation published in summer 2016.

There is already a growing body of international evidence indicating that high inequality has a negative impact on long-term economic growth and prosperity. That is why tackling inequality is a central pillar of Scotland’s Economic Strategy, which recognises that improving Scotland’s economic competitiveness and tackling inequality are mutually supportive objectives.

The Scottish Government produces statistical measures on a number of dimensions of inequality such as health, income and wealth, which are published on a regular basis. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation also provides data on various aspects of inequalities at local geographies, which set out the scale of inequalities both between and within local authorities.

The number of whole time equivalent (WTE) clinical nurse specialists with the specialty of diabetes employed by each NHS board has increased by 12.1 WTE, or 12.9 per cent since September 2010, and is shown in the following table:

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System, Information Services Division Scotland.

The following symbol has been used:

- nil

Due to the multidisciplinary nature of the role, a nurse may work in more than one specialty, although only one specialist area is recorded for each nurse. The figures shown do not include those who spend part of their time working in diabetes but have been recorded against another specialty.

NHS Health Scotland published evidence-informed guidance National guide on suicide prevention in rural areas in 2013 to assist local rural and remote areas in mapping existing support, discussing, planning for and deciding on priorities for actions to prevent suicide. This guidance can be found at: http://www.chooselife.net/Publications/publication.aspx?id=74.

Following any bereavement, bereaved people will receive advice and support from agencies including their GP, the local registrar’s office and the police, on actions which they require to take in relation to the death of their loved one. In addition, where death by suicide is concerned, helpful advice on practical issues, the grieving process and sources of support is available from the Scottish Association for Mental Health's After a Suicide booklet. After a Suicide was developed in association with – and funded by – NHS Health Scotland, who produce and distribute it free of charge.