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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-20963

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 22 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has review its system for dealing with complaints from the public about its handling of routine matters, such as concerns regarding maladministration.

Question reference: S5W-20931

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what support the NHS provides to people who are identified as being at a higher risk of developing diabetes.

Excess weight is the main modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes and NHS Boards have a role in supporting patients to make changes to their diet and lifestyle to manage this risk.

Our Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan published in July 2018 strives to make a significant impact on the prevention and remission of type 2 diabetes.

As part of this plan we have committed to invest £42 million over five years to give people with, or at risk of, type 2 diabetes support and better access to effective weight management services through the implementation of the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Framework.

The Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan can be accessed here: www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781787810556 .

The full Type 2 Diabetes Prevention, Early Detection and Early Intervention Framework can be accessed here: https://www2.gov.scot/Resource/0053/00538389.pdf .

Question reference: S5W-20738

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS operations have been cancelled in each of the last 12 months due to a lack of sterilised surgical equipment.

The Scottish Government does not centrally hold specific figures on cancelled operations due to lack of sterile equipment, however we do collect information on planned cancelled operations based on "capacity or non-clinical reason" by hospital. This data is a collection of:

No beds available, general ward, ICU, HDU.
Staff not available, staff are ill, not available due to an emergency operation taking clinical priority.
Equipment not available, equipment dirty.
Theatre session overran therefore patient cancelled.

Please note that this category does not provide a breakdown of each specific reason. Mr Briggs can obtain this information by sending a request to individual health boards.

Question reference: S5W-20675

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

The prevention of cardiovascular disease is one of the six priorities identified in the Scottish Government’s Heart Disease Improvement Plan (2014).

We know that a significant proportion of cardiovascular disease is preventable and influenced by behaviours. That is why we are taking decisive action in a number of areas to address these. One of the top priorities is encouraging physical activity as there is clear evidence to link this with the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Our Physical Activity Delivery Plan, ‘A More Active Scotland’, sets out the actions the Scottish Government and partners are taking to support and encourage people in Scotland to be more active, more often.

Being overweight and obesity can result in increased risk for cardiovascular disease, so our ambition is to halve child obesity in Scotland by 2030, and significantly reduce diet-related health inequalities. Taking a preventative approach, will contribute to reducing the likelihood of children becoming overweight or obese in young adulthood and later life.

Our new Alcohol Framework, sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm, building on existing measures to change Scotland’s relationship with alcohol, including world-leading minimum unit pricing and we are also actively progressing work to reduce smoking rates - our vision is for a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034.

Question reference: S5W-20677

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what targets are in place to reduce the (a) prevalence of cardiovascular disease and (b) number of acute coronary syndrome events.

The Heart Disease Improvement Plan, published in August 2014, sets out the aims and priorities for improved prevention, treatment and care of heart disease in Scotland. There are six key priorities and key actions needed to deliver improvement. There are no specific targets as the Plan is overseen by the National Advisory Committee on Heart Disease, supported by the Scottish Government and its clinical advisors using quality improvement methodology. The Scottish Health Survey however, monitors health in Scotland and is an important tool in measuring progress of the Plan. Coronary Heart Disease mortality has decreased by over 40% over last ten years which shows that our strategy for tackling heart disease is delivering real improvements for patients.

To further support the Plan, the Scottish Government has recently contracted to be part of the UK National Cardiac Audit Programme. This will allow Scottish data on performance in secondary and tertiary cardiac care to be audited and benchmarked.

Question reference: S5W-20725

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what services (a) it and (b) its agencies have used from the US-based organisation, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in each year since 2007; how much each service has cost, and how much has been paid in travel and subsistence expenses to the officials dealing with these.

The Scottish Government has a strategic partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) based in the USA. This current framework contract has been in place since 2018 and covers all public services in Scotland and relates to quality improvement work. The previous partnership was from 2013 to 2018. Prior to 2013, individual public sector organisations contracted directly with the IHI under separate arrangements, the details of which are not held centrally.

Prior to the introduction of the first framework contract, the Scottish Government paid for quality improvement support from IHI in relation to the Early Years Collaborative.

The costs incurred by the Scottish Government with IHI under this framework contract each calendar year since 2013 are as follows:

2012	£46,800.00	Early Years collaborative support
2013	£171,846.95
2014	£792,540.31
2015	£359,700.76
2016	£286,398.31
2017	£291,206.53
2018	£295,428.57
TOTAL	£2,243,921.43

Costs incurred by agencies are an operational matter for the relevant Chief Executive.

Information on expenses incurred by officials is not held in the format requested.

Question reference: S5W-20676

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to undertake an audit of care for (a) cardiology and (b) lipidology services.

Scotland has now formally contracted to be part of the UK National Cardiac Audit Programme. This will allow Scottish data on performance in secondary and tertiary cardiac care to be audited and benchmarked to support a quality improvement approach to data collection. This will cover acute treatment of heart attacks, implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators, cardiac surgery, management of adult congenital heart disease and, in due course, follow-up of heart attack patients and management of heart failure. We anticipate being able to move forward with this soon.

We do not have plans to audit lipid services. The National Advisory Committee for Heart Disease (NACHD) are considering how a national Familial Hypercholesterolemia strategy may be developed and taken forward. Any potential audit of lipid services will be included as part of these discussions.

Question reference: S5W-20736

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 16 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve (a) respite and (b) residential care options for people with neurological conditions, and what action it can take to ensure that they are not placed in older people's care homes if it is considered that other options would be preferable.

Integration Authorities have been established to ensure a greater emphasis on community-based and more joined-up and anticipatory care which will benefit a wide range of people including people with neurological conditions.

Further to this we have developed a draft National Action Plan on Neurological Condition, which is currently open for public consultation. We want to ensure that people living with neurological conditions have consistent access to the best possible care and support. This plan sets out a vision for driving improvement in the care, treatment and support available to people living with neurological conditions – and their carers - in Scotland.

Within the draft plan are a number of commitments to support Integration Authorities to improve services and support for people with neurological conditions, including respite care.

Question reference: S5F-02970

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 January 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2019

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to a letter reportedly signed by all stroke clinicians in Scotland calling for the urgent introduction of a thrombectomy service.

Question reference: S5W-20731

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to develop national standards to support people with chronic pain, and what steps it is taking to establish a chronic pain waiting time action plan.

Current guidelines on the treatment of chronic pain will be taken from authorative professional sources such as the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN)

SIGN will be carrying out a scoping exercise this year to look into whether SIGN 136: Management of Chronic Pain should be updated.

The Waiting Times Improvement Plan which was launched in October 2018 will ensure that all patients have swift and safe access to the full range of services from NHSScotland. The Plan will direct investment of more than £850 million to substantially and sustainably improve waiting times in the face of rising demand for services. Officials are working with all territorial Health Boards to ensure that they have appropriate plans in place to support the implementation of the Improvement Plan.