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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-24099

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the establishment of a national NHS staff bank.

Since 2016, through the Bank, Agency and Rostering Group (and its predecessor the MASNET group) the Scottish Government has engaged with NHS Boards on Staff Bank developments. Through this, Staff Banks have expanded to include nursing, medical, AHP and administration staff, and to work on a regional basis, allowing staff the opportunity to work across NHS Board boundaries. Representation on this groups includes Scottish Government, NHS Employers and Staff Side representation.

The case for a national Staff Bank has been fully considered. Evidence shows that in most cases such a service would provide limited benefit due to the fact the majority of staff prefer to work within their local radius. There are however areas where technological advances mean a national bank would be of benefit. Such a case is the Radiology Reporting Service, which will launch in late summer 2019, allowing Radiology staff the opportunity to provide additional reporting capacity across NHSScotland through the use of a national IT connectivity platform that enables images taken anywhere in Scotland to be reported on from anywhere in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-24103

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the report, Student Academic Experience Survey 2018, by the Higher Education Policy Institute and AdvanceHE, on student support at universities, colleges and other institutions and their preparedness to contact parents where students display mental health concerns.

The Scottish Government, in its Ten Year Mental Health Strategy (2017 – 27), recognised the unique challenges students face. The findings and comments in the Survey reflect these challenges. The Scottish Government is already investing in student mental health and wellbeing through its support for NUS Scotland’s Think Positive initiative. All universities and colleges are also being asked to develop a strategy for mental health and work with NUS Scotland and their local student association to develop a Student Mental Health Agreement. In addition, colleges have access to a ring-fenced £50.5m Access and Inclusion Fund which they can use to ensure that every student has an equal chance of completing their studies, including students requiring mental health support.

A Student Mental Health and Well-Being Working Group has been established to collaboratively support the implementation of the 2018-19 Programme for Government commitment to provide more than 80 additional counsellors in Further and Higher Education over the next four years, with an investment of around £20 million. Representatives from the university and college sector, including Colleges Scotland and Universities Scotland, NHS Scotland and Health and Social Care Partnerships are included in this Group, alongside other key stakeholders. I am sure the Group will want to consider contact permissions.

Question reference: S5W-24109

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time to access cognitive therapy has been for people with an eating disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5W-24104

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with universities, colleges and other institutions regarding the provision of (a) mental health, (b) general practice and (c) sexual health clinic services for students.

A Student Mental Health and Well-Being Working Group has been established to collaboratively support the implementation of the 2018-19 Programme for Government commitment to provide more than 80 additional counsellors in Further and Higher Education over the next four years, with an investment of around £20 million. Representatives from the university and college sector, including Colleges Scotland and Universities Scotland, NHS Scotland and Health and Social Care Partnerships are included in this Group, alongside other key stakeholders. Part of the remit of the Group is to also support improved local partnerships between colleges and universities and NHS Scotland, Health and Social Care Partnerships, local authorities and the third sector.

We also provided funding to Universities Scotland for the preparation and distribution of 50,000 stickers, which will provide information for students on where to get help in respect of Gender Based Violence and mental health issues and will be for use in student accommodation, student’s unions, sports areas and teaching and learning areas. These were launched on the 9 May 2019.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that sexual health services in Scotland are all-inclusive and accessible to all individuals and groups. It is the responsibility of NHS Boards and Local Authorities to ensure that young people have access to appropriate sexual health services in their local area. The Scottish Government has funded the Sexual Health Scotland website, which provides a source of information and advice and signposting to local services to young people in all parts of Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-24096

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients who have started an initial consultation through the NHS have gone on to have surgery in the private sector in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S5W-24094

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many appointments to see a migraine specialist there have been in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5W-24108

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with an eating disorder have been referred by the NHS to a dietician in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5W-24107

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many people with an eating disorder have been supported by the NHS in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Information is not held centrally on numbers supported by the NHS with an eating disorder. However, the numbers of patients admitted to hospital with an eating disorder, broken down by NHS Board since 1999 can be provided.

Number of patients admitted to hospital with eating disorder diagnoses1 by health board of treatment, 1999 - 2017

	19 99	20 00	20 01	20 02	20 03	20 04	20 05	20 06	20 07	20 08	20 09	20 10	20 11	20 12	20 13	20 14	20 15	20 16	20 17
Ayrshire & Arran	22	14	12	17	15	16	16	21	21	22	20	23	23	17	23	17	15	26	16
Borders	*	5	10	5	6	*	5	8	7	8	*	8	11	11	12	8	6	12	10
Dumfries & Galloway	15	16	10	13	10	9	6	*	9	9	9	13	13	7	12	22	17	19	19
Fife	14	19	14	14	11	9	12	10	21	15	23	10	13	10	18	16	16	18	26
Forth Valley	19	17	15	12	10	12	13	10	7	12	9	8	12	13	13	7	5	10	20
Grampian	30	25	22	26	32	44	39	37	44	35	55	40	51	59	54	80	60	48	64
Greater Glasgow & Clyde	71	56	65	64	64	51	56	78	79	71	69	66	61	90	94	108	103	112	115
Highland	14	18	14	17	16	22	20	18	20	20	25	18	36	33	29	39	40	27	39
Island Boards 2	5	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	6	6	*	5	9	*	*	7	5
Lanarkshire	16	20	18	15	21	16	33	22	21	13	15	16	24	35	28	23	24	41	31
Lothian	39	65	55	59	59	75	68	69	75	76	76	73	63	106	101	110	105	103	92
Other 3	-	-	-	-	*	-	8	16	11	7	*	13	16	*	9	32	50	54	44
Tayside	25	14	13	23	15	25	14	18	24	22	26	31	29	40	32	32	31	32	28

Source: SMR01, SMR04

Notes

* - Denotes values which have been suppressed to protect patient confidentiality.

1 - An eating disorder diagnosis is based on current classifications in Chapter V of the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders.

The codes used to identify an eating disorder diagnosis are F50.0 through F50.9.

2 - Due to small numbers, the Orkney, Shetland, and Western Isles health boards have been grouped under Island Boards to protect patient confidentiality.

3 - Due to small numbers, the National Facility, Non-NHS Provider/Location, and State Hospital health boards have been grouped under Other to protect patient confidentiality.

Question reference: S5W-24170

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people have been admitted into acute NHS settings from care homes in each year since 2007, also broken down by NHS board.

The number of admissions from care homes to NHS hospitals for each NHS Board is shown in the following table, by calendar year. It should be noted that an individual patient may be counted more than once if they were admitted from a care home on multiple separate occasions.

NHS Board of Treatment	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
NHS Ayrshire & Arran	483	419	1,023	1,245	556	813	684	636	813	1,084	1,704	1,444
NHS Borders	365	296	312	236	216	234	193	185	175	167	113	85
NHS Dumfries & Galloway	16	175	462	452	492	464	380	464	411	484	477	441
NHS Fife	983	969	1,121	1,068	1,003	1,123	1,171	1,154	1,309	1,334	1,242	1,218
NHS Forth Valley	526	455	438	304	278	322	374	355	293	297	287	219
NHS Grampian	1,183	1,081	1,177	1,162	1,004	972	745	633	597	593	545	592
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	1,523	1,346	1,464	1,489	1,534	1,303	397	332	441	274	253	526
NHS Highland	617	734	654	612	524	511	494	391	379	365	334	370
NHS Lanarkshire	584	597	497	419	263	151	105	102	95	91	101	107
NHS Lothian	480	259	210	218	289	250	236	218	228	212	206	155
NHS Orkney	5	*	39	54	37	38	35	36	43	48	32	43
NHS Shetland	77	50	44	45	72	71	68	53	63	91	93	109
NHS Tayside	942	917	1,071	1,322	1,182	1,191	1,208	1,278	1,213	1,192	927	617
NHS Western Isles	11	*	72	95	109	64	49	20	15	12	11	22

Source : SMR01, ISD Scotland

* Indicates values that have been suppressed due to the potential risk of disclosure to help maintain patient confidentiality

Question reference: S5W-24190

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many dedicated community nurses there have been in each NHS board in each year since 2007.

The number of dedicated community nurses by NHS Board from 2007 to the most recent published data as at 31 March 2019 is on the ISD website, available here:

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2019-06-04/Non-Medical_Trend_M2019.xls

The link above shows the number of nurses who have a location of service delivery recorded as (i) hospital, (ii) community, (iii) combined hospital / community, (iv) other or (v) prison. This information can be found by selecting the Nursing & Midwifery tab where the drop down can be used to select community.

Further notes:

Further information on the statistics, including information on how the data are collected and notes to aid interpretation, is given in the 'FAQs' section of the Workforce Statistics website at http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce/ .