Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is aware that the announcement made by Four Seasons Healthcare Group may be unsettling for residents, families and employees at Four Seasons homes. We understand the announcement is part of a continuing process in the company’s financial restructuring, and that the care homes will continue to deliver care as normal by existing management/care teams. We have been assured that the group’s key priority remains to provide quality care.

The Scottish Government has been closely monitoring the situation with the Care Inspectorate and COSLA. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and Cllr Currie from COSLA will be meeting with Four Seasons representatives on 28 May to seek reassurances from Four Seasons of their commitment to finding the best possible solution for employees and services users. An initial meeting of the national planning group hosted by COSLA involving Four Seasons, Health and Social Care Partnerships, the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Government, took place on 13 May. A follow-up meeting of this group involving a wider number of stakeholders including the unions is planned for 28 May.

The Care Inspectorate will continue to monitor the services and quality of care at all Four Seasons homes in Scotland to ensure everyone who relies on their services continues to experience care which meets their needs, rights and choices.

The review will be stakeholder-driven and evidence-led and it is crucial that people, particularly those with lived experience, have an opportunity to make their views known.

This Government is determined to ensure that the views of patients, those with lived experience and those that care for them are front and centre of the work to be taken forward so that they can help shape the future direction of our legislation.

How the review is undertaken is a matter for the Chair, but the views of people with lived experience of compulsory care and treatment and their families and representatives must be central to the work of the review.

IVF Waiting Times data are collected for first cycle to screening appointment. "Information Services Division collect IVF data to inform the target for NHSScotland; that eligible patients will commence IVF treatment within 12 months by 31 March 2015." Data from July 2014 can be found at www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Waiting-Times/IVF-Waiting-Times/ .

While it will be for the Chair to determine how the review is best taken forward, we have been clear that the principal aim of the review of the Mental Health Act is to improve the rights and protections of people with a mental disorder and remove barriers to those caring for their health and welfare.

In order for this to happen, the review will need to consider and take account of the developments in mental health law and practice on compulsory detention and care and treatment since the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force.

From that work, we expect recommendations that give effect to the rights, will and preferences of the individual by ensuring that mental health, incapacity and adult support and protection legislation reflects people’s social, economic and cultural rights, including UNCRPD and ECHR requirements.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-23060 on 15 May 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

I refer the member to the answer to recent question S5W-23053 on 16 May 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

The vast majority of people who access mental health care and treatment do so on a voluntarily basis. Very few people are ever treated against their will; when they are, it is because it is necessary to protect them or to protect other people.

While it will be for the Chair to determine how the review is best taken forward, we have been clear that the principal aim of the review of the Mental Health Act is to improve the rights and protections of people with a mental disorder and remove barriers to those caring for their health and welfare.

The review will take a human rights approach and will be stakeholder-driven and evidence-led. How the evidence is gathered will again be a matter for the Chair; however, we would expect this comprehensive review to have examined and analysed relevant literature before considering its final recommendations. It is also crucial that people have an opportunity to make their views known, particularly those with lived experience.

There is no body of scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that there is a link between excessive sugar consumption and the increase in the number of autistic people.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of autistic people, their families and carers through the Scottish Strategy for Autism .

There are no current plans to undertake further research into the number of autistic people in Scotland. The Micro segmentation Project published in March 2018 has established a robust national Scottish autism prevalence rate of 1.035%. More information can be found at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/03/3640 .

The Scottish Government have recommended that this prevalence figure should be used as the most accurate prevalence estimate available. The report provides accurate data for the number of autistic individuals, together with numbers with and without an intellectual disability, in every age range for the whole of Scotland and for every Council or Health Board area.

The Scottish Government funds research through the Chief Scientist's office.

Researchers can apply to the Chief Scientist Office for funding. The CSO's Translational Clinical Studies Committee and the Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committees each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of the application process are published on the CSO website. http://www.cso.scot.nhs.uk/funding-2/

Applications looking at excessive sugar consumption and its suppression of the enzyme, glutamine synthetase may be submitted to the CSO funding committees. In common with all other applications, these would go through the CSO's standard independent peer review process.