Chamber and committees

Marine Scotland have a Harbour repair fund which can be used for urgent repairs to fisheries ports/harbours/piers/landing sites. This is a modest fund with a yearly budget of £400k, and support can only be given to the owner/operator of the harbour.

In 2008, Scottish Government issued guidance for the development of local delivery plans, which included a target for NHS Boards to reduce the annual rate of increase of defined daily dose per capita of antidepressants to zero by 2009/10, and put in place the required support framework to achieve a 10% reduction in future years. It was set as a proxy measure to focus attention on improving the evidence based prescribing of antidepressants and to improve access to non-drug treatments for individuals with depression and anxiety. This target drove a range of improvement work across Scotland and helped us to develop our understanding of the reasons for the increase in antidepressant prescribing.

It became clear that we could not be sure that implementing evidence-based prescribing behaviour and improving access to non-drug treatments would lead to a reduction in antidepressant use. With this better understanding, it was considered inappropriate to continue with the target. In 2010 it was agreed that a target to deliver faster access to mental health services by delivering 18 weeks referral to treatment for psychological therapies should be included in HEAT from April 2011.

We are continuing to track antidepressant prescribing across Scotland to see what impact improving access to psychological therapies has on prescribing behaviour. The Medicines in Mental Report is published annually by Information Services Division Scotland and is available online. http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Prescribing-and-Medicines/Community-Dispensing/Mental-Health/ .

The answer to this PQ is available in SPICe (BIB No 60200)

The Scottish Government has worked hard to reduce the stigma faced by people with mental health problems. As this stigma declines we would expect more patients to seek help from their GPs for problems such as depression. People with mental illness should expect the same standard of care as people with physical illness and should receive medication if they need it.

Any prescribing is a clinical decision for a patient’s doctor and there is good evidence that GPs assess and treat depression appropriately. We are also committed to improving access to alternatives, such as psychological therapies, that increase choice and best accommodate patient preference.

Support for people coming off antidepressant medication is available from a range of sources. In the first instance, individuals should go to the prescriber, or their GP for help. Problematic medication withdrawals are best managed by routine, day time services that provide continuity of advice and contact. Emergency advice is unlikely to be necessary but is available from standard out of hours and NHS 24 services. Telephone support is also available from Breathing Space for people with anxiety and depression.

The information requested is currently being collated, classified and verified before publication and I will place a copy in the Parliaments Reference Centre bib number 60173.

Scottish Government, including the CMO, and partners such as HPS and National Procurement produce and distribute specific communications for GPs in the run up to the season to assist practices in planning. This year communications included updates to GPs highlighting the JCVI recommendations and a request to review their eligible patient numbers to identify the quantity of vaccines required for their eligible groups.

More vaccine was ordered this season than last in Scotland, but there can be local mismatches between supply and demand for a variety of reasons. Health Protection Scotland coordinates a national group to smooth any local supply issues for GPs, within the overall volume of stock that is held within Scotland. This group is meeting regularly to support the NHS Boards and their practices. This group has observed that there appears to have been a higher early demand in some GP practices this year for the vaccine provided for those under the age of 65. This demand is being managed within the available supply. Scottish Government has also provided additional funding to allow extra vaccine to be procured and provided to GPs which are now being distributed.

Deliveries of flu vaccines to GP practices begin in September and continue throughout the season.

Seasonal flu vaccination is offered to all those at increased risk of the complications of flu on the basis of advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Eligible individuals who were unable to be vaccinated would be at higher risk of contracting the flu or serious flu-related consequences. Flu is not currently circulating to any significant degree in Scotland. This means there is still time for people to be vaccinated.