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This information is not held centrally. NHS Information Services Division publishes quarterly workforce statistics which details current vacancy information for consultant grade specialists. The data tables can be accessed via the following link: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2017-12-05/Consultant_Vacancies_S2017.xls

The following tables shows the number of people from Scotland who have received treatment in hospitals in other parts of the UK in each year since 1999. The data across the UK is not directly comparable due to differences in data definitions.

Information is provided in the following table on the number of finished admission episodes for patients resident in Scotland who have received healthcare from the NHS in England since 1999.

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital (England)

Information is provided in the following table on the number of patients resident in Scotland who have received healthcare from the NHS in Wales since 1999.

Source: Patient Episode Database Wales (PEDW), NHS Wales Informatics Service

Information is provided in the following table on the number of patients resident in Scotland who have received healthcare from the NHS in Northern Ireland since 1999.

Source: Hospital Inpatient System, Northern Ireland Health Department

All patients making a new or unplanned return attendance at A&E departments are included in the A&E statistics, regardless of the condition they present with.

In terms of the average waiting time for patients with stomach or gastro concerns, this information is not centrally available.

NHS Lothian are in the process of developing their business case and it will be submitted as soon as possible.

Implementation of HPV primary screening is underway and is expected to be introduced to the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme during 2019-20.

The Full Business Case (FBC) for the introduction of HPV primary screening was developed in consultation with a range key stakeholders including experts and professionals from across the Cervical Screening Programme. The FBC was also shared and approved by NHS Board Chief Executives and the Scottish Screening Committee

Stakeholders, including NHS Boards and charities, are represented on a number of working groups supporting implementation.

Health Protection Scotland have reported data on community acquired cases of clostridium difficile (C. diff) since January 2017 and so cannot be provided back to 1999. The following link provides recent information on cases of community acquired C. diff. 

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The use of GP phone and video call consultations is a local decision made by NHS Boards and their contractors. Once the new GMS Contract is introduced GP practices will provide agreed information on consultation rates, consultation types, health care professional being consulted and complexity within consultations. This will be done using the Scottish Primary Care Information Resource (SPIRE) electronic extraction unless the practice wishes to collect the information itself.

This information is not centrally held.

Our Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care, which was published in December 2015, emphasised the importance of people having care plans in place to enable those who would benefit from palliative and end of life care to get access to it.

The Scottish Government wrote to all GP services in September 2017 to note the importance and value of fully completing Key Information Summaries to support person centred anticipatory care planning.

Scottish mental health and incapacity legislation is based on rights and principles. Our mental health legislation promotes patients’ rights and provides safeguards which include that any function should be carried out for the maximum benefit of the patient, with the minimum necessary restriction on the freedom of the patient and having regard to the views of the patient.

Our legislation is compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) and has never been found, in part or in whole, by the European Court of Human Rights to be incompatible with the Convention. In addition, the Human Rights Act 1998 ensures that every public authority in Scotland is obliged to act compatibly with the Convention and enables human rights cases to be taken in domestic courts.

We have recently implemented the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2015 and are undertaking a range of work through the Mental Health Strategy to move forward Scottish mental health and incapacity legislation.

During the passage of the 2015 Act, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was influential. For example, measures were taken to strengthen the provisions in the existing 2003 Act. These promote supported decision making so that users are able to exercise their capacity. This includes:

• more autonomy for patients in the right to have a named person (often a relative or friend);

• promoting the right to make an advance statement setting out what treatments they would or would not like to be given; and

• promoting the right to support from an independent advocate.

The Scottish Government is working with partners including the Mental Welfare Commission, the Office of the Public Guardian and professional and human rights bodies to develop changes to the Adults with Incapacity Act (2000) in relation to deprivation of liberty, and to assess compliance with UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. A full public consultation on reform of the Adults with Incapacity legislation has just been launched.

We have also commenced the review to consider how the provisions of the 2003 Act fulfil the needs of people with learning disability and autism.

A number of potential savings in upfront costs incurred in year one have been identified in 2018-19. These savings include procurement fees, legal advice and contract start-up costs. This was year one spend only, and will not be carried through into future years.

Procurement for Year 2 is currently underway