- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported recommendations by the NICE medical technologies advisory committee for England and Wales that AposHealth footwear should be available for people (a) with osteoarthritis if their standard surgical care has produced a sub-optimal result and (b) who are eligible for total knee replacement surgery but are unable or would prefer not to undergo this procedure.
Answer
AposHealth for osteoarthritis of the knee is being reviewed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and their draft guidance on AposHealth is currently out for consultation, with an expected publication date of March 2023.
Although NICE medical technology guidance does not have official status in Scotland, the Scottish Government is awaiting publication of the NICE guidance before deciding next steps.
The Scottish Government are aware that living with chronic pain and painful musculoskeletal conditions can be extremely challenging and debilitating, which is why we are committed to ensuring people experiencing chronic pain can access appropriate support, when they need it.
The Scottish Government’s Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery – Implementation Plan was published in July 2022 and sets out the Actions we will take to improve the quality and coordination of care for people with chronic pain. We want people living with chronic pain to take control of their condition to improve their quality of life and be more empowered to participate in decisions on their care.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11633 by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022, whether any public funding has been used to facilitate treatment for mesh survivors in the USA in the period since a contract was signed with Gynaecologic and Reconstructive Surgery of Missouri, in July 2022, and, if so, what the total sum of any such support is for (a) travel and (b) other costs.
Answer
Expenditure on clinical and associated travel costs arising from mesh removal surgery undertaken by the independent providers will be incurred following receipt of invoices from the contracted providers and travel agency. Separately, administrative costs have arisen in the NHS from the process of referring patients to the providers in question, however it is not possible at present to break these down in the manner requested.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether any Scotland-specific analysis of AposHealth footwear has been commissioned, and whether it will consider offering this as a treatment option in each NHS board region.
Answer
AposHealth for osteoarthritis of the knee is being reviewed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The draft medical technologies guidance on AposHealth is currently out for consultation with an expected publication date of March 2023.
Whilst NICE medical technology guidance does not have official status in Scotland, the Scottish Government will await publication of the NICE guidance before deciding next steps. This could include commissioning the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) – who provide the equivalent of NICE medical technology assessments for Scotland – being asked to review and adapt guidance for NHS Scotland.
SHTG has a remit to provide evidence support and advise NHSScotland on the use of new and existing health technologies. However, it is ultimately a decision for individual NHS Boards to decide whether to offer this as part of their treatment options for patients or not.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the analysis reported by the NICE medical technologies advisory committee for England and Wales that states that a footwear device from AposHealth, to support people with osteoarthritis in their knee, may have the potential to save the NHS £1,958 per patient, with the cost of the footwear estimated at £875 per patient.
Answer
The Scottish Government are awaiting publication of the guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) before deciding their next steps in relation to whether we ask the Scottish Health Technologies Group (SHTG) to review and adapt the guidance for NHS Scotland. The draft guidance by NICE medical technologies has an expected publication date of March 2023.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 5 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what recent communication it has had with (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) all other NHS boards in relation to the shingles vaccination programme and ensuring that every person aged between 70 and 79, as per the eligibility criteria, is able to take up the offer of an appointment to receive the vaccine.
Answer
The Scottish Government published the shingles Chief Medical Officer (CMO) letter on 31 August, providing information on the 2022-23 shingles vaccination programme. The CMO letter is shared with NHS Immunisation Coordinators to action the recommendations. The CMO letter states eligibility for the 2022-23 programme, outlining that the routine vaccination of those aged 70 year olds should be continued alongside and an active call and recall of 71–79 year olds who have not previously been vaccinated.
NHS Health Boards are responsible for organising shingles vaccination for their population. NHS GG&C will locally contact individuals eligible for Shingles Vaccination to offer an appointment.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 5 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many doses of the Zostavax shingles vaccine have been ordered for this winter, and how many doses will be made available to each NHS board.
Answer
Vaccine supply for the shingles vaccination programme is procured on a four nations basis by UK Health and Security Agency. NHS Health Boards order the volume of vaccine required, which is then delivered to vaccine holding centres, where Health Boards can access the vaccine to deliver their vaccination clinics at any time of the year.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 22 August 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it and Forestry and Land Scotland will be taking to protect the Scottish Wildcat during its breeding season.
Answer
The Scottish wildcat and its breeding places are fully protected under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 .
All management activity on Scotland’s National Forests and Land is independently certified to international standards of best practice and all Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) forest operations adhere to the principles of sustainable forest management outlined in the United Kingdom Forestry Standard. All FLS work is planned and delivered according to these policies with significant consideration given to all protected species including Scottish wildcats.
At a site level, all operations are carried out in accordance with existing legislation and best practice. FLS directs particular care and attention to avoid deliberate and reckless actions that could impact negatively on wildcats. All work sites are subject to pre-operational surveys by FLS Environment staff and camera traps are routinely deployed for periods of two weeks or more. Where evidence of cats is found, mitigation is enacted. This includes rescheduling of works, such as harvesting, to avoid the wildcat breeding season as specified in FCS Guidance Note 35d: Forest operations and wildcats in Scotland.
Furthermore, FLS frequently seeks advice on mitigation from wildcat experts in NatureScot and Saving Wildcats, and has recently funded research on wildcat biology to inform forest management.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 July 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 August 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when Transport Scotland expects to have in place the necessary regulations under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 that will allow local authorities to ban pavement parking, and whether there is now a confirmed date for when local authorities will be able to enforce the ban.
Answer
Transport Scotland are continuing to consult with local authorities and others to develop both the secondary legislation required to allow them to enforce the National pavement parking prohibition and the Parking Standards Guidance, which will underpin the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.
Additionally we have been consulting with the public on some areas contained within secondary legislation where local authorities will need to undertake an assessment to consider whether they wish to exempt, subject to certain criteria, any areas of pavement from the prohibition. The analysis report of the responses to this consultation, which closed on 11 March, is available to view at https://consult.gov.scot/transport-scotland/scotlands-pavement-parking-prohibitions/ .
As such, the majority of the secondary legislation is likely to be in place by late 2022, including those giving local authorities the powers to exempt sections of pavement. We have always stated that we will give local authorities 12 months to assess their streets and get the required signs and lines in place following the completion of those exemption regulations.
Some other aspects of the implementation process, such as the powers to issue Penalty Charge Notices and a drivers right to appeal such a notice, will not be in place until early in December 2023.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2022
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 August 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in its work with local authorities on the assessments to be undertaken by each local authority in determining the particular streets and locations that should be exempt from pavement parking prohibition when it takes effect.
Answer
Scottish Ministers have to date provided £2.4m of funding to local authorities to allow them to undertake their required road assessments. Additionally, Transport Scotland have consulted with Local Authorities and the public on the proposed Ministerial Directions and secondary legislation, which will detail procedures Local Authorities must follow to exempt any areas of footway from the pavement parking prohibition.
Transport Scotland has also consulted with local authorities on the proposed Parking Standards Guidance, which will formally be issued to all local authorities once the exemption order procedures are in place.
It is currently envisaged that the exemption order procedure regulations will be laid in Parliament in the latter part of September and come into force in early December, if approved. Following this, local authorities will have an additional 12 months to complete their assessments and put any exemption orders in place.
-
Current Status:
Withdrawn
