Chamber and committees

We are committed to improving survival rates from Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) and are working in partnership with a range of public and voluntary organisations to deliver the aims in Scotland's strategy for OHCA, published in March 2015. The Strategy aims to have 500,000 people in Scotland trained in the use of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and increase survival rates by 10% across the country by 2020. Learning CPR is important in increasing bystander CPR, which in turn is essential to improving survival rates.

'Save a Life for Scotland' (SALFS) is the public-facing campaign to increase the number of people CPR trained and comprises a partnership of public and voluntary organisations.

Many schools already deliver CPR training and it is for schools and local authorities to decide if and how they want to take this learning forward. A priority for SALFS is working with schools to support CPR education. SALFS aims to link up schools seeking help with those providing CPR training in their area. SALFS have also worked with Education Scotland to create a pack for schools outlining CPR resources available from partner organisations. This will be a central starting point for schools and youth groups seeking CPR training. These resources are available on the Education Scotland GLOW website and via the SALFS website (www.savealife.scot).

The Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Strategy for Scotland (the Strategy) was produced through collaboration between, the Scottish Ambulance Service; Scottish Fire and Rescue Service; Police Scotland; British Heart Foundation; Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland; Resuscitation Research Group; University of Edinburgh and Scottish Government.

The Strategy sets out the commitment to improve outcomes after OHCA, with the ambition that by 2020 Scotland will be an international leader in the management of OHCA. This is underpinned by the two main aims of the Strategy, which are to increase survival rates by 10% across the country and to equip an additional 500,000 people with CPR skills by 2020. Success will depend on the commitment and action of many individuals and organisations. Achieving the ambition will involve optimising the elements in the system of care or the “chain of survival” i.e. readiness to intervene in OHCA; early recognition and call for help; CPR; early defibrillation; pre-hospital resuscitation; post resuscitation care; and aftercare. The actions and improvements in the chain of survival are being delivered by a wide range of public and voluntary organisations working in collaboration and together with communities. These utilise and build on the existing work by public services, communities and individuals.

Data on the capacity of mother and baby inpatient units at St John’s and Leverndale Hospital, and the NHS boards from which people were admitted, is not held by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government expect that health boards and health and social care partnerships (HSCPs) will deliver mental health care and treatment in a person-centred manner to meet each individual’s needs.

In its Perinatal Themed Visit report in 2016, the Mental Welfare Commission made 13 recommendations to improve the recognition and treatment of perinatal mental health issues. One of these, to establish a national Managed Clinical Network, was for the Scottish Government, which we have agreed to. We will therefore fund the introduction of a Managed Clinical Network (MCN) to improve the recognition and treatment of mental health problems in the perinatal period.

The Scottish Diabetes Group (SDG), our national advisory group and its subgroups have agreed national glycaemic levels and have been holding quality improvement meetings to promote and share good practice throughout our diabetes communities in order to achieve these.

Further to this, work is progressing to develop early intensification strategies and new national structured education packages for people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

The Scottish Government has increased the number of insulin pumps to over 3,200 since 2010 supported by funding of £7.5m. This represents an almost fourfold increase against the baseline figure of 696 in December 2010.

The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP recently announced that the Scottish Government would invest £10m during the lifetime of this Parliament, to further increase the provision of insulin pump therapy and Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM).

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-05462 on 22 December 2016. 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 question S5W-04565 on 21 November 2016. 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.

In February 2012, the Chief Executive Letter (CEL 04 (2012)) required Health Boards to increase insulin pump therapy in line with national clinical guidance.

The commitment to provide insulin pump therapy to 25% of under 18s and for people of all ages with type 1 diabetes to more than 2,000 was met by 1^st April 2015 supported by £7.5m of Scottish Government funding.

Since the CEL, the number of people with insulin pumps has increased to over 3,200.

Following the achievement of CEL 04 (2012) the Minister for Public Health, Maureen Watt, wrote individually to all NHS Boards in June 2015.

The letter highlighted the importance of consistent delivery of insulin pump therapy as part of diabetes management. It also asked NHS Boards to make sure that people who are clinically suitable are identified and initiated onto pump therapy at the earliest opportunity.

The additional investment of £10m recently announced will support NHS Boards in meeting those expectations.

Our Type 1 subgroup of the Scottish Diabetes Group (SDG) has reviewed early intensification strategies and evaluated the outcomes.

A national curriculum is being developed, outlining what patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes should understand at set checkpoints. This will include lesson plans and support materials. This will link with the creation of a ‘national expectations of care’ document which will include the setting of early glycaemic targets.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-05462 on 22 December 2016. 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.

Data on the number of mothers that have received mental health support outside of their board area is not held by the Scottish Government. However, the Scottish Government expect that health boards and health and social care partnerships (HSCPs) will deliver mental health care and treatment in a person-centred manner to meet each individual’s needs.

In its Perinatal Themed Visit report in 2016, the Mental Welfare Commission made 13 recommendations to improve the recognition and treatment of perinatal mental health issues. One of these, to establish a national Managed Clinical Network, was for the Scottish Government, which we have agreed to. We will therefore fund the introduction of a Managed Clinical Network (MCN) to improve the recognition and treatment of mental health problems in the perinatal period.