Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19223 on 28 June 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the administrative, management and other operating costs of each Integration Joint Board.

The Scottish Government receives quarterly financial reporting from IJBs which includes information regarding funding and expenditure. This exercise began in 2018 and no data collection was performed by the Scottish Government in respect of IJB funding or expenditure prior to this. The reports consolidate information already in the public domain as published by individual IJBs, and are published on the Scottish Government website. They can be found here: NHS Scotland and Integration Authorities consolidated financial reporting: 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Should the information requested not be available from this resource then a direct enquiry should be made with the relevant IJBs.

As well as the full public consultation, the development of the Bill was a result of extensive engagement with key stakeholders including a number of bodies and organisations representing the legal and the consumer perspective.

This engagement informed the consultation proposals and the measures in the Bill aim to provide for a proportionate approach that balances and delivers the key priorities of stakeholders.

To date, the Scottish Government has allocated £2.132 million in support of the Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Pathways programme. The proposed allocation for this current financial year is £2 million.

NHS Scotland’s Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), launched in 2021, is playing a central role in working with Health Boards to sustainably improve and transform Scotland's health care system through innovation, collaboration and clinical leadership.

Hosted by NHS Golden Jubilee and commissioned by the Scottish Government, CfSD brings together existing transformation programmes with an innovation team to support the rapid rollout of new techniques, innovations and safe, fast and efficient pathways for Scotland’s patients.

From 2021-2023, we invested £8.6 million in CfSD programmes and £7.2 million in core staffing to support the transformation programmes, including:

• The Detect Cancer Early (DCE) Programme
• Clinically led Specialty Delivery Groups (SDGs)
• Once for Scotland pathways including Active Clinical Referral Triage (ACRT), Discharge Patient Initiated Reviews (PIR) and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)
• The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway, including Cytosponge and Colon Capsule Endoscopy (CCE)
• The National Green Theatres Programme

The CfSD, which is supported by almost 60 WTE staff, work with experts and patients from across Scotland to ensure that people receive the right care, from the right people, at the right time. It also works with partner organisations on a number of national workforce development programmes, including Accelerating the Development of Enhanced Practitioners. Further details on the CfSD’s work can be found here: The national Centre for Sustainable Delivery (nhscfsd.co.uk)

In developing the Bill, the Scottish Government engaged extensively with key stakeholders, including legal stakeholders such as the Scottish judiciary as well as carrying out a full public consultation exercise. This engagement has culminated in careful consideration of a wide range of views by Scottish Ministers.

This has led to the Bill as introduced into the Scottish Parliament which will implement a modern regulatory framework that will best promote competition, innovation, and the public and consumer interest in an efficient, effective, and efficient legal sector, while also improving the transparency and accountability of legal services regulation and the legal complaints system.

The Scottish Government very much recognise the importance of an independent legal profession and is committed to maintaining that independence.

The Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill retains and builds on the current oversight role of the Lord President of the Court of Session in respect of the legal regulatory framework in Scotland as well as providing necessary checks and balances. The Bill incorporates safeguards that deliver a balance between the independence of the legal profession with their duty to work in the public interest.

The Scottish Government is committed to continue engagement with stakeholders representing both the consumer and the legal perspective as the Bill proceeds through Parliament.

A person can attend any minor injuries unit in NHS Fife subject to opening times, with or without an appointment.

The Scottish Government continues to work with boards to reduce pressure on hospitals through the Unscheduled Care Collaborative programme, which supports health boards to implement a range of measures to reduce waiting times and improve patient experience. Through this approach, the Redesign of Urgent Care aims to improve patient safety by scheduling urgent appointments to EDs and MIUs and avoiding unnecessary waits, however we are clear that anyone can still attend any ED or MIU without an appointment.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many GP practices are able to send prescriptions to a community pharmacy by (a) fax only, (b) email only and (c) either fax or email: NHS Boards are responsible for these arrangements.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Aggregated data for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Waiting Times published by Public Health Scotland does not contain information on the reasons referrals were not accepted. Data on reasons referrals were not accepted will be held by individual NHS Health Boards.