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-18894

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 8 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to (a) develop counselling services, (b) develop advice and assistance in securing appropriate assurance and insurance, (d) set up a proactive publicity campaign to find recipients and (d) develop improved access to palliative care and symptom management services for people who acquired hepatitis C as a result of NHS treatment.

These recommendations stem from the Ross Report of the Expert Group on Financial and Other Support which was published in 2003. The hepatitis C (HCV) landscape in Scotland has evolved significantly since 2003, most notably via the Scottish Government’s Hepatitis C Action Plan, which has been recognised globally as a model of best practice. As a result of the action plan we have significantly increased clinical services for people affected by hepatitis C. We have more than doubled the number of people being treated for the virus every year and we have witnessed a 33% increase in the annual number of new diagnoses between 2006-07 and 2009-10.

The availability and effectiveness of antiviral therapies for hepatitis C has also evolved, and continues to do so. Most cases of hepatitis C can be effectively treated with current therapies, and the number of people who can clear infection through treatment is likely to continue to increase as new therapies become available over the next few years.

The Hepatitis C Action Plan recognised the importance of social support. Action 1 in the plan was for NHS boards to established multi-disciplinary Managed Care Networks (MCNs). These MCNs include representatives from social work, the voluntary sector, mental health as well as people living with and affected by hepatitis C. The Scottish Government also continues to provide direct funding to third sector organisations such as Hepatitis Scotland, Waverley Care, the Hepatitis C Trust, Haemophilia Scotland and the Scottish Infected Blood Forum. These organisations provide advice and support to those infected with HCV and raise awareness of the disease.

The Scottish Government does not recommend particular insurers but can provide lists of insurance companies and brokers that have been found helpful in relation to HCV. Since the publication of the Ross Report, both the Skipton Fund (2004) and Caxton Foundation (2011) have been established to make ex-gratia payments to certain people who were infected with HCV through treatment with NHS blood or blood products. The payments from the Skipton Fund and Caxton Foundation help individuals pay for premiums if they wish. The Scottish Government fully funds all Skipton Fund and Caxton Foundation costs for qualifying persons within Scotland.

In relation to proactive awareness raising campaigns the Scottish Government funded a national awareness raising campaign in 2008-09. The campaign sought to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of HCV amongst the public and professionals, and to encourage testing.

In 2009 the Penrose Inquiry team called for patients who contracted HCV through receiving blood products and their family members to contact the Inquiry to provide statements. This call for evidence was widely advertised across Scotland, including within pharmacies and GP surgeries.

Question reference: S4W-18889

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 8 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many structured settlements the Central Legal Office has made in each year since 2002.

The number of clinical negligence cases that have settled by either a Structured Settlement or Periodical Payment Order since 2002 is as follows:

Year	Structured Settlement	Periodical Payment Order
2002	-	-
2003	1
2004	-	-
2005	-	-
2006	-	-
2007	-	-
2008	-	-
2009	-	-
2010	-	-
2011	-	3
2012	-	2
2013	-	-

Source: NHS National Services Scotland Central Legal Office

Question reference: S4W-18893

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 8 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its legal advice regarding its powers to (a) award compensation and (b) make ex-gratia or other payments to the recipients of infected blood, as recommended in the Report of the Expert Group on Financial and Other Support.

Question reference: S4W-18895

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 8 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how much it provided to the Association for the Victims of Medical Accidents in 2012-13 to contribute to the cost of providing a service in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-18890

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 8 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it will follow up A Study of Medical Negligence Claiming in Scotland with regard to deliberations on the introduction of no-fault compensation.

The No-fault Compensation Review Group, chaired by Professor Sheila McLean, Glasgow University, was established in 2009 to consider the potential benefits for patients in Scotland of a no-fault compensation scheme. The group’s report:

(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/Policy/No-Fault-Compensation/ReviewGroupVol1), which published in February 2011, set out its views on the essential criteria for a compensation scheme and recommended that consideration should be given to the establishment in Scotland of a no-fault scheme for clinical injury, along the lines of the system in operation in Sweden. The group’s recommendations go much wider than covering NHSScotland healthcare treatment alone, suggesting that were such a scheme developed, it should cover all clinical treatment injuries that occur in Scotland. The report also explored how a no-fault system might contribute to wider issues and this included how it might link with the complaints process. The report also suggested improvements to the current legal system for handling clinical negligence claims and where appropriate, these are being considered and taken forward as part of the Scottish Government’s Courts Reform Bill.

A Study of Medical Negligence Claiming in Scotland was published in June 2012 (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/06/234). This was undertaken by the researchers from Manchester University who supported the No-fault Compensation Review Group.

A public consultation on the No-fault Compensation Review Group’s recommendations: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/08/4456

was undertaken by the Scottish Government between August and December 2012 in order to seek wider views, help in our understanding of the practical implications and assist in consideration of the scope and possible options for taking this forward. The responses to the consultation are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/02/4882.

I hope it will be possible to make an announcement shortly on the government’s proposed way forward.

Question reference: S4W-18892

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 8 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many ex-gratia payments NHS trusts and boards have made in each year since 2002-03 in relation to lesser injuries experienced by victims of medical accidents.

Question reference: S4W-18891

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 8 January 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the complexity of the complaints system in the NHS, in light of the findings in A Study of Medical Negligence Claiming in Scotland.

The NHS Complaints procedure was reviewed as part of the Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011, which introduced a right to give feedback, comments, raise concerns and make complaints. A revised good practice guidance for handling and learning from feedback, comments, concerns and complaints about NHS health care services was provided in March 2012 and is available at:

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2012_08.pdf.

I also refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18890 on 8 January 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

Question reference: S4O-02695

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 December 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that women with post-natal depression are treated in an appropriate timescale.

Question reference: S4O-02552

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the European Commission regarding the food and drink sector.

Question reference: S4W-17612

Asked by: Richard Lyle, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 29 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct the NHS to amend all forms that include questions on ethnicity to include the term “showpeople" next to the term "Gypsy/Traveller".

The Scottish Government has no plans at this time to instruct NHS Scotland to include showpeople as a specific category in forms that include ethnicity questions. Harmonised ethnicity questions have been developed to promote consistency. A Scottish Government guidance note: asking questions on ethnic group, is available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/resource/0039/00394314.pdf.

The number and description of the categories in the guidance aims to represent the vast majority of ethnic groups as far as that can be achieved given our diverse population. However, provision is made in the forms for people who do not feel that they are properly represented by the categories listed to enter a category that they believe best describes their particular ethnicity.