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<>We welcome this report and are pleased to see that Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) acknowledge the commitment we have made through the Mental Health Strategy (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2012/08/9714), to “undertake work to develop appropriate specialist capacity in respect of developmental disorders as well as improving awareness in general settings. As part of this work we will review the need for specialist inpatient services within Scotland” (Commitment 33).

In developing specialist capability in respect of developmental disorders we will along with our partners consider the contents of the report and if appropriate engage with HIS. We would also expect NHS boards to consider the contents of the report when they are redesigning or making provision of services to meet the needs of their local population.

NHS boards are responsible for the administration of drugs, including responsibility for reducing the incidence of adverse events concerning drug administration, in their board area.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are undertaking specific initiatives to improve their systems and processes to increase the number of checks and ensure clarity of prescribing and charting. Incident reporting and auditing are used to identify errors and to identify lessons for dissemination, or improvements to guidance. Greater Glasgow and Clyde have also identified a number of education initiatives aimed at Medical, Nursing and Pharmacy staff.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran are undertaking specific initiatives to improve their systems and processes, they have highlighted that they are the first Scottish site to have implemented the Hospital Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (HEPMA) which is recognised to significantly enhance medicines safety. NHS Ayrshire and Arran are using incident reports and Significant Adverse Event Reviews to support learning for staff and continuous improvements. Medicines events are reviewed by a Medicines Risk Protection Group which has a remit to review and recommend improvements to policies and procedures.

National initiatives to support NHS boards to reduce drug administration errors include work on medicines reconciliation undertaken as part of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme, and support for the development of electronic prescribing as part of the E-Health strategy.

My officials are working closely with the UK Government’s Department of Health and the other devolved administrations so that, where it can be achieved, a consistent approach is taken in transposing the European Cross-border Healthcare Directive into domestic legislation throughout the UK. This includes the timetable for consultation.

All four UK administrations planned to launch their consultations on the implementation of the Directive in the autumn, but due to the NHS reform proposals in England and the need for further discussions with the European Commission on the terms of the Directive, this has not proved possible.

However, the Scottish consultation document will now issue early in 2013 and I will ensure that a copy is placed with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

As I have previously stated I want a zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment in NHSScotland. I expect all allegations of bullying and harassment to be fully investigated in line with the Preventing and Dealing with Bullying and Harassment PIN Policy published in December 2011.

Yes. The number of journeys made by ministers to these countries is included in the information which is proactively published in each year since 2007 on the Scottish Government website which is updated on a regular basis and I attach a link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/People/14944/travel/visitsoverseas

The number of journeys made by officials to these countries in each year since 2003 is set out in the following table:

	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011 -12	2012-13 (Nov)
Switzerland	3	2	2	9	5	12	13	9	11	9
Norway	13	11	48	25	32	38	36	33	20	26
Sweden	12	8	8	12	9	8	31	1	9	6
Denmark	4	17	22	19	16	43	47	40	19	10

No. The Scottish Government proactively publishes information on overseas visits carried out by Scottish Government Ministers on the Scottish Government website which is updated on a regular basis and I attach a link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/People/14944/travel/visitsoverseas

The Scottish Government does not propose to amend the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 in this way.

Most of the provisions of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 relate to the exercise of functions of a particular body. Some of the provisions of the Act apply to more than one body. These include the requirements to provide information on certain expenditure (section 31) and the exercise of functions (section 32) and the duties imposed on scrutiny bodies in relation to user focus (section 112) and co-operation (section 114). Where the Act imposes a requirement on a public body (whether specifically in relation to that body or more generally) it is the responsibility of the body itself to comply with the provisions.

This government has a sustained focus on improving the quality of public services and continuous improvement in the performance of our public bodies.

There are a wide range of provisions in the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 which apply to both individual and to groups of public bodies. We do not compile information on the compliance of public bodies across all the provisions in the act.

<>I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08947 on 13 September 2012. 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.