Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-17753 on 2 August 2018. 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.

The number of trainee doctor posts within individual locations and units depends fundamentally on the extent to which a location can (a) meet the General Medical Council(GMC) training standards and (b) deliver all or part of an approved curriculum. These are known as training programmes which may require an individual trainee to undertake several different postings during which they will rotate within and across hospital sites, participating on rotas as appropriate to their training and experience.

In Scotland, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) has operational responsibility for the recruitment and monitoring of trainee doctors in GMC-approved training programmes, which it organises in collaboration with NHSScotland Boards, and is done so at a national or regional level and not specifically by posts within individual hospitals.

With the new training year commencing on 1 August 2018, NES advise that the current headcount of trainees commencing or continuing training across the 3 sites mentioned is 241. Of these, 58 will be placed at Inverclyde and 183 at Royal Alexandra Hospital (which includes rotation in a small number of specialties to the Vale of Leven). There is a round of recruitment yet to complete however NES project that after all rounds of recruitment are finalised, there will be 6 vacancies in placements rotating through Inverclyde Royal and 5 at the Royal Alexandra. Any remaining vacancies, with funding, will be passed to the NHS Boards for local recruitment.

I have asked Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to respond. His response is as follows:

Scottish Enterprise provides support for University Spinouts via the High-Growth Spinout Programme and the Enterprise Fellowships Programme. The High-Growth Spinout Programme (HGSP) supports the commercialisation of leading-edge technologies emerging from Scotland's universities, research institutes and NHS Boards.

Scottish Enterprise funded Enterprise Fellowships are delivered by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) and provide funding to allow individuals to concentrate solely on developing the commercial potential of their proposal.

I have asked Steve Dunlop, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to respond. His response is as follows:

Over the period covered by the financial years 2011-12 to 2017-18, Scottish Enterprise has spent an average of £1,969,981 per annum on the High Growth Spin Out Programme (HGSP). The High-Growth Spinout Programme (HGSP) supports the commercialisation of leading-edge technologies emerging from Scotland's universities, research institutes and NHS Boards.

In addition, Scottish Enterprise funded Enterprise Fellowships are delivered by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) and provide funding to allow individuals to concentrate solely on developing the commercial potential of their proposal.

Scottish Enterprise Annualised Enterprise Fellowship Expenditure since 2011

No. The local review is still underway and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde are continuing to engage with the Scottish Health Council on the appropriate level of ongoing stakeholder engagement, including the view as to whether the Board's emerging proposals might be considered major change.

Whilst it is important to note that no decisions have been made in respect of this review, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde advise that equality impact assessments have been carried out and published on its website. These can be accessed at: www.nhsggc.org.uk/media/249604/eqia-clyde-sector-breat-care-service.htm and www.nhsggc.org.uk/media/246367/breast-services-review.htm.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-17741 on 31 July 2018. 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.

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde has been reviewing local breast services since late 2016 to ensure that they are consistent with national policy and clinical best practice. The Health Board has confirmed that the early work in this review was informed by engaging with a group of patients who had recently undertaken breast cancer treatment, to ensure the relevant patient experience was taken into account. NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde advises that this patient group was identified by breast cancer nurses in each of the geographical sectors of the Board, including the Clyde area.

It is important to note that this review is still underway and that no service change decisions have been made. NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde has assured the Government that they have been liaising with the Scottish Health Council throughout the review to ensure that the development of their plans are fully informed by appropriate stakeholder engagement. Should formal proposals be developed that are considered major service change then they must be subject to full public consultation and, ultimately, Ministerial approval.

Health Boards should take all the available information into account when reviewing and developing healthcare services, in line with national policy and clinical best practice. We also expect Boards to inform this work through the meaningful engagement of local stakeholders. Both the Scottish Government and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been consistently clear about the commitment to providing comprehensive hospital, community and primary care services across Clyde, including at the Vale of Leven and Inverclyde Royal hospitals.

This review is still underway and no service change decisions have been made.

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde has assured the Government that they have been liaising with the Scottish Health Council throughout the review to ensure that the development of their plans are fully informed by appropriate stakeholder engagement. Should formal proposals be developed that are considered major service change then they must be subject to full public consultation and, ultimately, Ministerial approval.