- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 20 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to the recent Mental Welfare Commission report, which shows a rising number of young people with mental illness are being treated in non-specialist wards, from 66 admissions in 2016-17 to 90 admissions in 2017-18.
Answer
We welcome the publication of this annual report from the Mental Welfare Commission. The report’s findings are always of great help to our work to improve services for children and young people.
We agree with the report’s recommendations to improve the efficiency of bed use, and the provision of intensive psychiatric care. Action 19 of the Mental Health Strategy commits to developing a protocol for admissions to non-specialist wards which is currently being finalised. The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Taskforce will also consider pathways into specialist services for young people as part of our work under Action 20 of the Mental Health Strategy.
Additionally, a new national secure child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient facility will be built by NHS Ayrshire and Arran, with an intended opening date of late 2020.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 20 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recommendations made by the Wessely review of the Mental Health Act 1983, and how this might impact on the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, particularly regarding the rights of patients to be given more opportunities to challenge detention and legally challenge their treatment.
Answer
The Wessely Review recommends many of the aspects which are already provided for in Scotland’s existing mental health legislation. The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 is based on rights and principles and provides safeguards which include that any function should be carried out for the maximum benefit of the patient, with the minimum necessary restriction on the freedom of the patient and having regard to the views of the patient. We have made changes to ensure that people with a mental disorder can access effective treatment quickly and improved legislation through the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2015 to strengthen support for decision making and promote rights.
Most people who use mental health services receive treatment without being subject to an order or certificate under the 2003 Act. If a person needs to be detained, the Act offers patients significant safeguards where compulsory treatment is necessary. Safeguards include a right to appeal, access to independent advocacy and an efficient and independent Mental Health Tribunal which grants and reviews orders for compulsory treatment. Also, the Mental Welfare Commission monitors the use of Scottish mental health law, including compulsory treatment. The Commission has the power to intervene in particular cases if there is evidence of improper care, treatment or practices.
We are making significant investment in the range of mental health support available, which will see issues tackled earlier and, where possible, in the community, while ensuring speedier access to specialist care for those who need it.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 13 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been detained under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in each of the last five years.
Answer
The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland has a statutory responsibility to monitor the use of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. As part of meeting that responsibility, it publishes an annual overview of the use of the 2003 Act. These annual reports include statistics on the number of episodes of compulsory treatment for mental disorder in Scotland. The most recently published report is for the period 2016-2017 and can be found at the following link:https://www.mwcscot.org.uk/media/409318/mha_monitoring_report2016-17_may2018.pdf
In the report, table 2.1 provides figures on the total number of episodes of compulsory treatment across Scotland for the past ten years. Note that the number of individual people given compulsory treatment is not held by the Commission, so the data relates to the number of orders or certificates granted and therefore does not take account of individuals who may be given compulsory treatment on multiple, separate occasions during the reporting period or those who may have several consecutive orders/certificates apply to them as part of one instance of treatment. During the 2016-2017 period, 73% of episodes lasted for 28 days or less.
Previous reports can be found on the Commission's website and statistical information for 2017-2018 will be provided in the Commission’s next annual monitoring report which is due for publication before the end of December 2018.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 13 December 2018
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to a recent survey, which suggests that 51% of teachers believe that their job has a detrimental impact on their mental health.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 13 December 2018
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 29 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comment by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland that treatment for people with chronic chest disease is a "postcode lottery" with more than 129,000 people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Answer
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a key recommendation in national clinical guidelines, which we expect NHS Boards to follow.
The Scottish Government recognises that pulmonary rehabilitation is an important element of respiratory disease care as it has well established evidence base for its benefits in helping to support self-management and reduce exacerbation and hospital admissions.
Access to pulmonary rehabilitation will form an important part of our Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 November 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2018
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that the number of children being treated for depression in Scotland has doubled in a decade.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2018
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 15 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing to the Scottish Infected Blood Forum and Haemophilia Scotland of 27 September 2018, when it expects to obtain core participant status in the UK Infected Blood Inquiry.
Answer
The Scottish Government was designated as a core participant in the UK Infected Blood Inquiry by the Inquiry Chairman on 1 November 2018.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 1 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the work that is underway to develop an enhanced national mental health pathway for those coming into contact with justice system who are in mental health crisis or distress, as referred to in its paper, Mental Health Strategy: 2017-2027 - 1st Progress Report, in response to the goal of supporting “efforts through a refreshed Justice Strategy to help improve mental health outcomes for those in the justice system”.
Answer
The recruitment of staff for the enhanced mental health pathway has begun. In addition, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service are currently undertaking a call sampling exercise from members of the public. This will inform the development of the pathway model through NHS24 and how those in crisis or distress can be provided with the most appropriate support. The pathway is expected to go live from spring 2019.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that data on the prevalence of health conditions, previously captured by the Quality Outcomes Framework, will continue to be made publicly available, and what will be done to ensure that this is available from the year 2016-17 onwards so that trends can continue to be monitored.
Answer
The data on prevalence of health conditions previously captured by the Quality and Outcomes Framework is now captured through Primary Care Information (PCI) dashboards. Prevalence data aggregated at GP Cluster level and above is publicly available by request from NHS National Services Scotland Information Services Division.
- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 31 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether, under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, it is mandatory for doctors, nurses, social workers and mental health officers to make people with learning disabilities and those with a mental illness aware of their right to independent advocacy and how to access it.
Answer
Section 328(1) of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 Act defines mental disorder as mental illness, personality disorder or learning disability however caused or manifested.
Section 259 of the 2003 Act places a duty on Local Authorities and Health Boards to secure the availability, to every person in its area who has a mental disorder, of independent advocacy services and to take appropriate steps to ensure that those persons have the opportunity of making use of those services.
There are additional specific requirements in respect of patients who are subject to compulsory powers under the 2003 Act. Section 260 of the 2003 Act places a requirement on the managers of the hospital in which the patient is to be detained to take all reasonable steps to ensure that, at various stages throughout the operation of compulsory measures, patients are aware of, and understand their rights to independent advocacy. Section 260 also places a requirement on managers to provide the patient, together with any named person, appropriate material to aid their understanding of these services and provides that managers take appropriate steps to ensure that the patient has the opportunity of making use of such advocacy services.
However for some orders under the 2003 Act, e.g. Short Term Detentiton Certificates, Compulsory Treatment Orders etc there is a specific duty placed on mental health officers to inform the patient about the availability of independent advocacy and to take appropriate steps to ensure that the patient has an opportunity of making use of those services.
