Questions and answers

Question reference: S3W-22006

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive in how many cases the NHS has been guilty of clinical negligence in each year since 1997 and how much compensation was paid each year, also broken down by NHS board.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11099 on 14 April 2008 which contains the data requested for the financial years 1996-97 to 2006-07. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The following table details the number of clinical negligence cases that settled in 2007-08 together with the sums paid out in those settlements.

Health Board	Settled Cases (No.)	Sums Paid (£)
Ayrshire and Arran	15	363,985
Borders	8	1,650,348
Dumfries and Galloway	4	98,696
Fife	11	507,829
Forth Valley	9	82,186
Grampian	14	1,979,524
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	48	5,826,852
Highland	6	898,000
Lanarkshire	22	1,805,088
Lothian	25	905,907
Tayside	16	198,229
Scottish Government Health Directorates	3	128,000
Scottish Ambulance Service	1	70,000
Total	182	14,514,644

Question reference: S3W-22005

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s decision to transfer 30 continuing care beds from St Margaret of Scotland Hospice to new facilities at Blawarthill Hospital by 2012, what assurances it has received that these facilities will be available on time and within budget.

A preferred bidder for Blawarthill Hospital was appointed in May 2007 to take forward the development of the Blawarthill Hospital site in order to provide:

60 NHS continuing care beds staffed by the NHS;

60 care home beds;

16 very sheltered housing units, and

eight disabled housing units.

Negotiations with the bidder continue and, assuming these are concluded, it is expected that new NHS facilities will be available early, in 2012.

Question reference: S3W-21799

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to reduce the number of maternal and neonatal fatalities.

In partnership with Information Services Division, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland produces an annual report on stillbirths and neonatal deaths The Scottish Perinatal and Infant Mortality and Morbidity Report. This report includes information on numbers, rates, causes and associated factors for all stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Scotland. It identifies trends and makes recommendations for practice where appropriate.

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland also oversees the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Health in Scotland. This enquiry is conducted by a multidisciplinary committee of health professionals and examines all maternal deaths in Scotland. The committee reaches a consensus as to the cause of death and a view is taken about the standard of care provided and recommendations are made for practice where appropriate. This information contributes to the UK Confidential Enquiry which produces the triennial report Saving Mothers Lives under the auspices of the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health.

Measures with recommended standards to render childbirth as safe as possible for both mothers and babies are contained in guidance from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives.

Question reference: S3W-21800

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to assist people coming to terms with a maternal or neonatal fatality.

Maternity and Neonatal Units have explicit guidelines surrounding the occurrence of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and maternal deaths. Health professionals from maternity units, including midwives and neonatal nurses, as well as primary care teams where appropriate, provide support at a local level immediately to other members of the family following a fatality.

The involvement of a bereavement counsellor may be suggested and relatives may be referred to an appropriate voluntary sector organisation.

Question reference: S3W-21798

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) maternal and (b) neonatal fatalities there have been in each year since 1999, also expressed as a proportion of births in each year.

The information requested is available on the General Register Office for Scotland website, Vital Events Reference Tables for 2007:

http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/vital-events/index.html.

Births, Marriages and Deaths - Preliminary Annual Tables for 2008 (published 12 March 2009):

http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data/preliminary-return/index.html.

(a) Maternal fatalities. The numbers of women''s deaths for which the cause was pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium are shown in the Vital Events Reference Table 6.1 (1997 to 2007) and in Births, Marriages and Deaths - Preliminary Annual Table P4 (figures for 2005 to 2008).

(b) Neonatal fatalities. The numbers of live births, neonatal deaths (deaths in the first four weeks of life) and the neonatal death rate per 1,000 live births are shown in Vital Events Reference Table 1.2 (figures for 1996 to 2007) and Births, Marriages and Deaths - Preliminary Annual Table P2 (figures for 2008).

Question reference: S3W-21143

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 18 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the condition rating of each primary and secondary school building for each local authority in the west of Scotland.

Question reference: S3W-21142

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 17 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to answer to question S3W-20360 by Jim Mather on 11 February 2009, whether it will list the (a) total population of people of all ages, (b) number of staff employed and (c) ratio of local authority employees to total head of population in each local authority.

The information requested is set out in the following table. Part (a) shows the latest estimates of total population by local authority. Part (b) shows the latest statistics on the number of staff employed by each local authority. This includes both full-time and part-time staff.

Table 1: Total Population, Local Authority Staff and Ratio of Staff to Total Population by Local Authority

Local Authority	(a) Total Population (2007)	(b) Staff Employed Local Authority (Head Count) 2008 (Q3)	(c) Ratio of Staff to Total Population
Aberdeen City	209,260	11,492	1 in 18
Aberdeenshire	239,160	13,831	1 in 17
Angus	109,870	5,765	1 in 19
Argyll and Bute	91,350	5,271	1 in 17
Clackmannanshire	49,900	2,869	1 in 17
Dumfries and Galloway	148,300	8,214	1 in 18
Dundee City	142,150	8,267	1 in 17
East Ayrshire	119,570	6,789	1 in 18
East Dunbartonshire	104,850	4,935	1 in 21
East Lothian	94,440	4,902	1 in 19
East Renfrewshire	89,260	4,796	1 in 19
Edinburgh, City of	468,070	20,116	1 in 23
Eilean Siar	26,300	2,559	1 in 10
Falkirk	150,720	8,010	1 in 19
Fife	360,500	22,454	1 in 16
Glasgow City	581,940	31,841	1 in 18
Highland	217,440	12,726	1 in 17
Inverclyde	81,080	4,760	1 in 17
Midlothian	79,510	4,734	1 in 17
Moray	86,870	5,121	1 in 17
North Ayrshire	135,760	7,454	1 in 18
North Lanarkshire	324,680	17,884	1 in 18
Orkney Islands	19,860	2,137	1 in 9
Perth and Kinross	142,140	6,084	1 in 23
Renfrewshire	169,600	8,844	1 in 19
Scottish Borders	111,430	5,774	1 in 19
Shetland Islands	21,950	3,825	1 in 6
South Ayrshire	111,690	5,654	1 in 20
South Lanarkshire	309,500	15,795	1 in 20
Stirling	88,190	4,440	1 in 20
West Dunbartonshire	91,090	6,266	1 in 15
West Lothian	167,770	8,419	1 in 20

Source:(a) General Register Office for Scotland Mid Year Population Estimates (June 2007). (b) Scottish Government Joint Staffing Watch Survey Quarter 3 2008 (September 2008).

Question reference: S3W-21586

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 16 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20359 by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 February 2009, whether it will provide figures for the year ending 31 December 2008 and, if these figures are not available, when they will become available.

Scottish Morbidity Record information is continually submitted to the Information and Statistics Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland by NHS boards. Data for the year ending December 2008 which meets ISD''s data completeness protocols is now available and is provided in the following table.

ISD continues to work with the Scottish Government, NHS boards, and independent health care providers to improve the quality of this data, and ensure high levels of completion. It is intended that this information should be published on a regular basis, when the data is of sufficient quality and completeness.

Apparent increases in independent sector activity in some health boards to the year ending 31 December 2008 can be attributed to (a) improvement in the collection of these data in recent months, particularly at independent locations other than private hospitals (e.g. private nursing homes; hospices; homes run by local authorities or charities), and (b) the opening of the Scottish Regional Treatment Centre at Stracathro Hospital in 2006. However, as submission levels are believed to vary by location and over time, the figures should be considered of limited use and should be interpreted with caution.

Table

NHSScotland In-Patient and Day Case Episodes - Numbers of Records that have been Submitted for Private Health Care¹ in Scotland; by NHS Board of Residence; Year Ending 31 December²

	2008
NHS Board area of residence
Ayrshire and Arran	308
Borders	39
Dumfries and Galloway	164
Fife	270
Forth Valley	525
Grampian	966
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	307
Lanarkshire	325
Lothian	1,115
Highland	26
Orkney	3
Shetland	1
Tayside	351
Western Isles	-
Scotland	4,409
England/Wales/Northern Ireland	5
No Fixed Abode	1
Not Known	3
Outside UK	-

Source: ISD Scotland [Form SMR01] Date: 5 March 2009.

Notes:

1. Comprises the following: private hospitals; private nursing homes; hospices; other independent providers (including homes run by local authorities or charities).

2. It is emphasised that the figures shown are based on incomplete returns. Submission levels are believed to vary by location and over time. For this reason, the figures will be of limited use and should be treated with caution.

Question reference: S3W-21145

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 16 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what services have been removed from each hospital in the NHS (a) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) Ayrshire and Arran areas since 1997 and when each was removed.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Ayrshire and Arran have provided the following information on services which have been removed from hospitals in their areas since 1997.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Hospital Site	Year		Description of Service Move
Acute Hospital Services
Belvidere Hospital		1999		Hospital closed “ remaining elderly continuing care beds closed
Blawarthill Hospital		2000		30 elderly continuing care beds closed
Blawarthill Hospital		2003		30 elderly continuing care beds closed
Canniesburn Hospital		2003		Plastic Surgery relocated to Canniesburn Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary
		2003		Oral/Maxillo-Facial Unit transferred to Institute of Neurosciences at the Southern General Hospital
Canniesburn Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary		2007		Paediatric Plastic Surgery out-patient services re-located to Royal Hospital for Sick Children
Cowglen Hospital		2001		Hospital and remaining elderly continuing care beds closed. Physical Disability Rehabilitation Unit relocated to Southern General Hospital
Drumchapel Hospital		2004		30 elderly rehabilitation beds closed (15 reopened in 2007)
Glasgow Dental Hospital and School		2007		Paediatric dental services re-located to Royal Hospital for Sick Children
Glasgow Royal Infirmary		2007		Haemato-oncology service moved to new Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Gartnavel
Glasgow Royal Infirmary		2007		Cardiothoracic Surgery in-patient/out-patient service moved to new West of Scotland Heart and Lung Centre, Golden Jubilee National Hospital
Inverclyde Royal Hospital		2003		Dermatology in-patient service moved to Royal Alexandra Hospital***
		2003		Consultant-led maternity service replaced by Community Maternity Unit***
		2006		Cardiac Cath Lab service moved to new West of Scotland Heart and Lung Centre, Golden Jubilee National Hospital
Lightburn Hospital		2007		30 bed rehabilitation ward closed
Mansionhouse Unit		2008		30 elderly continuing care beds closed
Merchiston Hospital		2009		Islay Cottage (In-patient Disability continuing care) closed and services re-provided at Southern General Hospital
Queen Mother''s Maternity		2009		A number of Ante-natal services for women with low risk pregnancies moved to West Maternity Care Centre (at Western Infirmary)
Rutherglen Maternity		1998		Hospital closed and in-patient obstetrics moved to Rottenrow Maternity and Southern General Hospital
Rottenrow Maternity		2001		Facility closed and services moved to the new Princess Royal Maternity
Royal Alexandra Hospital		2008		Dermatology in-patient service moved to Southern General Hospital
Ruchill Hospital		1998		Communicable diseases service moved to Brownlee Centre, Gartnavel General Hospital
Southern General Hospital		2009		Ophthalmology in-patient services moved to all-Glasgow in-patient eye service at Gartnavel General Hospital
Stobhill Hospital		2000		Vascular in-patient service moved to Glasgow Royal Infirmary
		2001		Orthopaedic in-patient elective services moved to Glasgow Royal Infirmary
		2003		Renal in-patient service moved to Glasgow Royal Infirmary
		2003		Ophthalmology in-patient services moved to Gartnavel General Hospital
		2004		Gynaecology in-patient services moved to Glasgow Royal Infirmary
		2006		ENT in-patient services moved to Gartnavel General Hospital
Vale of Leven Hospital		2004		Consultant-led A & E replaced by Medical Assessment Unit and Minor Injuries Unit***
Vale of Leven Hospital		2004		Consultant-led maternity service replaced by Community Maternity Unit***
Victoria Infirmary		2003		ENT in-patient services moved to Southern General Hospital
		2003		Histopathology service moved to Southern General Hospital
		2004		Gynaecology in-patient services moved to Southern General Hospital
		2005		Haematology in-patient service moved to Southern General Hospital
		2005		Acute stroke service moved to Southern General Hospital
		2008		Microbiology lab services moved to Southern General Hospital
Western Infirmary		1999		Short stay medical receiving ward closed to make way for an improved assessment area
		2000		Dermatology in-patient service moved to Southern General Hospital
		2004		Gynaecology in-patient services moved to Southern General Hospital
		2007		Specialist Oncology services moved to new Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Gartnavel
		2007		Cardiothoracic Surgery in-patient/out-patient service moved to new West of Scotland Heart and Lung Centre, Golden Jubilee National Hospital
Mental Health and Learning Disability Services
Gartnavel Royal Hospital		2008		Remaining two in-patient wards at ˜old'' Gartnavel Royal Hospital main building closed and relocated to new build Gartnavel General Hospital
Gartnavel Royal Hospital		2009		In-patient services for adolescents relocated to new build Skye House at Stobhill
Lennox Castle		2002		Hospital closed
Lenzie Hospital		2000		Hospital closed
Merchiston Hospital		From 1990s		Phased reduction of Learning Disability Service***
Woodilee Hospital		2001		Hospital closed

Note: ***Undertaken or initiated by NHS Argyll and Clyde.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran

Hospital Site	Year	Description of Service Move
Ballochmyle Hospital, Cumnock	1997	Continuing care beds moved to the East Ayrshire Community Hospital in Cumnock
Girvan Hospital	1998	No longer offered in-patient maternity services from 1998
Isle of Arran Memorial Hospital	2000	Ceased to have an island-based surgeon and anaesthetist in 2000 to ensure compliance with new guidelines from the Royal College of Surgeons.
Strathlea Resource Centre	2004	Services for people with a learning difficulty moved to Arroll Park Resource Centre in Ayr with 16 new assessment and treatment beds for people with a learning disability
Holmhead Hospital	2005	Continuing care beds moved to the East Ayrshire Community Hospital in Cumnock
Brooksby Hospital, Largs	2006	Continuing care beds closed
Ayr Hospital	2006	Children''s in-patient services moved from Ayr Hospital to Crosshouse Hospital
Ayrshire Central Hospital	2006	Maternity services moved to Ayrshire Maternity Unit at Crosshouse

Question reference: S3W-21521

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 March 2009
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that drinking water from coolers at (a) schools, (b) leisure centres, (c) hospitals and care homes and (d) companies from all sectors meet safety and hygiene standards.

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