Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is given independent advice by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the independent expert advisory group who advise the four UK countries about all aspects of immunisation. The JCVI recently recommended a carefully planned immunisation programme for Meningitis B at 2, 4 and 12 months of age, as part of the primary infant immunisation schedule. The JCVI further advised that a targeted carriage study be undertaken in adolescents to assess the impact of the Bexsero vaccine on the acquisition of meningococcal carriage.

I am delighted that the JCVI has identified the importance of introducing a vaccine against Meningitis B. This disease can be devastating for children and their families and I am very keen that we take the necessary steps to tackle its effects. I welcome the JCVI’s announcement, and officials will be working to ensure that the vaccine can be introduced as quickly as possible into Scotland’s routine childhood immunisation schedule. The first step will be for the Department for Health to begin the process of procuring the vaccine for the four UK countries.

NHS 24 advise that all frontline staff are provided with a time allocation each month, which varies depending on individual needs, to complete personal development activities including call review and continuing professional development (CPD). Part of this time supports a blended learning approach in CPD delivery for frontline staff through mandatory clinical eLearning and eAssessment modules reflecting the service delivery profile of the organisation.

The current mandatory eLearning or eAssessment modules for nurses, team leaders, pharmacy advisors and clinical service managers are:

Adult Support and Protection

Chest Pain

Child Protection

Meningitis

Recognition of the Acutely ill Adult

Recognition of the Acutely ill Child

 

All Call Handlers and Mental Health Nurses must complete:

Adult Support and Protection

Child Protection

 

Successful completion of these core modules are a key component of the organisation’s patient safety and governance programmes. Updated versions of the modules are launched in April of every year.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-20038, on 13 March 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/39875.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-20023, on 13 March 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/39875.aspx.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland is independent from the NHS boards and independent healthcare services which it inspects.

No action has been taken to amend the official report in respect of the comments made by me on 17 December 2013.

The role of Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) is to further improvement in the quality of healthcare provided by NHSScotland and independent healthcare services. They support healthcare providers to deliver high quality, evidence-based, safe, effective and person-centred care; and to scrutinise those services to provide public assurance about the quality and safety of that care.

HIS also carries out a programme of inspections to provide assurance that the care of older people in acute hospitals is of a high standard. HIS are also responsible for the inspection and regulation of all independent healthcare services in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-20061 on 18 March 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-20061 on 18 March 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.

<>On page 572 of Scotland’s Future: your guide to an independent Scotland (available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/11/9348) the Scottish Government states: ‘The current Scottish Government proposes that, from the date of independence, the Scottish Parliament will keep its current single chamber structure. This is similar to other comparable states which also have single chamber parliaments, such as New Zealand, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.’

Audit Scotland provides the Auditor General and the Accounts Commission with the services they need to check that public money is spent properly, efficiently and effectively. On this basis Audit Scotland is a public sector ‘regulator’ which includes responsibility for NHSScotland. As part of their role, Audit Scotland carry out or manage the annual audit reports for NHSScotland as well as national reports, impact reports and Section 22 reports where appropriate.

Through Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), NHSScotland already has a robust scrutiny and inspection process, which is driving improvements in patient care. HIS, in carrying out their inspections, are independent of the NHS boards they scrutinise. HIS are required by law to carry out their scrutiny and inspection activity in line with a plan agreed with Scottish Ministers. However in reporting their findings they do so impartially and independently.

There are no plans at present to introduce new regulatory mechanisms.