Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is committed to providing services that can call at Reston and East Linton subject to the completion of the stations by the promoters and the granting of necessary track access rights, however, the date of December 2016 was not given as a confirmed date for the stations and the services commencing. Rather this was the earliest possible date based on the programme information available at that time.

Guidance Supporting people bereaved by suicide: A good practice guide for organisations that respond to suicide was published by NHS Health Scotland in 2013 http://www.chooselife.net/uploads/documents/67-SupportingPeopleBereavedBySuicide.pdf. NHS Health Scotland also developed, with Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland, a blended learning course More questions than answers – supporting people bereaved by suicide which supports the implementation of Supporting people bereaved by suicide.

In addition, the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) published guidance After a Suicide. This guidance – which is available on the SAMH website – was developed in association with, and funded by, NHS Health Scotland, who produce and distribute it free of charge.

The robot assisted surgery service based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, is not yet fully up and running as surgeons are still in training. To date, 20 or so cases have been completed since the robot was installed in August 2015.

The service is expected to become fully operational in January 2016, when it is anticipated that around 156 robot assisted radical prostatectomies will take place each year. These cases will primarily be men from the north of Scotland (Grampian, Highland and Tayside).

In addition, any man who is deemed clinically appropriate for robot assisted surgery for prostate cancer should be able to access the robot in Aberdeen, should they choose to do so, regardless of where in Scotland they live.

With the assistance of a £1 million capital contribution from Scottish Government, a further robot assisted surgery service, based at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, is expected to be fully operational by summer 2016.

NHS Lothian has also been offered £1 million capital to support the introduction of a third robot assisted surgery service in the east of Scotland within the next two years.

This information is not held centrally, therefore we are unable to provide it.

This information is not held centrally. Travel costs are either paid for, or reimbursed, by NHS boards.

This information is not held centrally. Decisions on applications to travel for treatment outwith the UK are matters for the patient’s local NHS board.

The Scottish Government is enhancing specialist support for people in dementia living in care homes and continues to invest around £500,000 per year in developing the dementia workforce which includes training and supporting staff providing specialist support for people with dementia living in care homes. To date over 800 Dementia Ambassadors are working in care homes, 70% of which are working in residential care and covering 350 services.

The Care Inspectorate regulates and inspects registered care homes and care services in Scotland to make sure that they meet the right standards – including specialised services such as mental health, learning disabilities and dementia. They are all care homes and can be more flexible about the services they offer. They can meet all aspects of accommodation, support and care including nursing and end-of-life care.

The Scottish Government is continuing to support people with learning disabilities living in care homes through the implementation of The keys to life in Scotland, and the development of a strategic plan, with identified outcomes to support the delivery of The keys to life – the Scottish learning disabilities strategy. This will concentrate on outcomes and key activities to support their achievement including supporting work with partners to ensure that people with learning disabilities are protected from neglect, exploitation and abuse.

National health and social care policy in Scotland is placing increasing emphasis on supporting people at home wherever possible. This applies to adults with learning disabilities, including those with the most complex needs. However, it is recognised that residential care for people with learning disabilities is still a choice and in some circumstances the best option to meet their outcomes. There is however, a need to ensure that the quality and consistency of these care homes ensures good outcomes for the residents. That is why the Scottish Government has asked Scotland Excel to develop a national framework agreement for the procurement of residential care.

We also worked with the Care Inspectorate to ensure care homes for adults with learning disabilities, as part of their inspections, asked about their awareness of two important reports: the Scottish Government’s The keys to life strategy for people with learning disabilities and recommendations from the report into Winterbourne View Hospital. This work will enable the Care Inspectorate to develop a more detailed inspection focus area in future inspections.

The Scottish Government is enhancing specialist support for people in dementia living in care homes and continues to invest around £500,000 per year in up skilling the dementia workforce which includes training and supporting staff providing specialist support for people with dementia living in care homes. To date over 800 Dementia Ambassadors are working in care homes, 70% of which are working in residential care and covering 350 services.

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The number of people bereaved by suicide are not held centrally, nor is it clear how such would be determined as any death by suicide can have an impact on a wide range of people beyond immediate family.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-28349 on 17 November 2015 which provides information on useful current guidance which is available for use in supporting people who have been bereaved by suicide. NHS Health Scotland undertakes regular updates of all guidance and publications it produces, to ensure the information is up to date and still relevant. 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.