- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 3 October 2019
To ask the Scottish Government which postholder in each NHS board is accountable for meeting the hepatitis C treatment targets and has responsibility for adequate case-finding measures being in place to meet these.
Answer
The Chief Executive of each board is ultimately responsible for all aspects of the performance of the board.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 3 October 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what strategies have been developed to deliver its target of eliminating hepatitis C by 2024, and whether these have been costed.
Answer
Health Protection Scotland has advised that by treating a minimum of 2,500 people during 2019-20 and 3,000 people each year thereafter, we can eliminate hepatitis C in Scotland by 2024. Case finding and treatment will be guided by the recommendations of the Hepatitis C Case Finding and Access to Care report. The largest cost in delivering hepatitis C elimination is the price of medicines, which is subject to commercial confidentiality.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 October 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to people who have limited or no internet access in being able to use online pharmacy services, and what its response is to reports that Boots has announced that it will be charging £5 per delivery of non-online prescriptions.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to increasing digital participation and ensuring that all of Scotland is able to enjoy the social, cultural and economic benefits of the internet. Home internet access has increased steadily over time, reaching an all-time high of 87 per cent of households in 2018. For those unable to access the internet at home, all of Scotland’s libraries provide free wi-fi access.
Community pharmacies are independent contractors which provide NHS services, and each one is responsible for its own day-to-day operational processes taking into account their business model. While some pharmacies will deliver prescribed medicines to patients’ homes, this is not provided as an NHS service and they offer the service at their own cost. Some may therefore choose to apply a charge for their home delivery services.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 October 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what proposals it has to help chronic pain clinics immediately, to improve staffing budgets and shorten continuing waiting times, in light of reported concerns that over 1,000 new patients are waiting longer than the 18-week statutory referral target, according to the most recent figures provided by ISD Scotland, and that many more return patients face longer delays that are not itemised.
Answer
We are working with chronic pain services across the whole patient pathway to ensure that people can receive appropriate and timely treatment and care. This will cover all services across primary and secondary care, including specialist chronic pain clinics, with a view to developing sustainable services.
Under the Waiting Times Improvement Plan we have made over £102 million available to Health Boards in 2019-20. These resources will help to reduce waiting times across Scotland in line with the activity agreed in Health Boards Annual Operational Plans, which will be published on Health Boards websites shortly.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 September 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24290 by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019, what steps it will take to ensure the provision of intensive home-based eating disorder treatment.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-25421 on 26 September 2019. 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 .
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 September 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21442 by Clare Haughey on 4 March 2019 and its discussions with CAMHS Lead Clinicians and CAMHS Regional Leads, what progress it has made on the regional provision of specialist eating disorder facilities and community services.
Answer
Scottish Government officials have been in discussions with the Royal College of Psychiatry’s Eating Disorders faculty over the course of 2019 in relation to a needs assessment, and a review of the existing evidence base.
As referenced in the answer to question S5W-25424, we understand that the Mental Welfare Commission intend to publish a needs assessment report in 2020. This report will outline the current availability of Eating Disorders services, and together with the SIGN guidelines, will inform future improvement work.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 September 2019
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to develop community-based intensive care teams for eating disorders.
Answer
The Scottish Government is clear in our engagement with NHS Boards that patients should be assessed according to their clinical need. Our expectation is that those who need immediate treatment, whether for an eating disorder or for any condition or disorder requiring access to mental health services, will receive that care quickly – whether that takes place in specialist settings, or via the work of community mental health teams.
Community mental health teams already provide a range of services for different conditions, including Eating Disorders, covering a range of intensities. The forthcoming SIGN guidelines for Eating Disorders will outline the evidence for treatment, and will be an important consideration to further inform how local areas respond to individual cases.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 26 September 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-03497 by Joe Fitzpatrick on 5 September 2019, which Integration Joint Boards (IJB) have formally signed up to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Independent Scottish Hospices; on what date they signed, and when it expects all IJBs to sign up to this.
Answer
The Integration Joint Boards (IJB) Chief Officers Group is currently working to build a picture of which IJBs have formally adopted the terms set out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) since its agreement earlier this year.
Although this work concluded earlier this year at a national level, timescales associated with local adoption of the MOU are expected to vary depending on the existing arrangements between individual Hospices and IJBs.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 September 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-24291 by Jeane Freeman on 5 August 2019, whether it plans to assess what additional resources will be required by NHS boards to enable them to provide assessment and access to treatment for all people with eating disorders on the basis of clinical need and in compliance with the forthcoming SIGN guideline, and how it will ensure that the level of NHS provision for people with eating disorders is consistent across the whole of Scotland.
Answer
I agree with the member’s aspiration that there should be an equitable and consistent provision of services for people with eating disorders across Scotland.
As referenced in the answer to question S5W-24291, we have committed to Scotland-specific clinical guidelines, produced by SIGN. Additionally, we understand that the Mental Welfare Commission intend to publish a needs assessment report in 2020, outlining the current availability of Eating Disorders services. These two pieces of work will inform the level of support and resources that will be required by NHS Boards.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 26 September 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made regarding police officers carrying naloxone as a means of reducing fatal overdose deaths.
Answer
As set out in the Scottish Governments Rights, Respect and Recovery strategy we continue to support Harm Prevention work on a national level; this includes the potential provision of naloxone to first responders such as the Police.
Dialogue is ongoing between the Scottish Government and Police Scotland, with the latter recently establishing a short life working group to address; along with partners, the subject of Police access and carriage.