Chamber and committees

It is the responsibility of NHS boards to plan and deliver clinical services, including paediatrics. However, in preparing their workforce plans, boards are required to consider relevant local issues and demographic changes and assess the resultant demands and implications for service delivery.

Prior to 2009, the annual decisions in respect of the number of trainee places across Scotland for each specialty, including paediatrics, was based on information submitted to the Scottish Government by boards in respect of projected future medical workforce requirements. Trend information on number of leavers and the age profile of the medical establishment was also factored into national modelling.

Since 2009, the Scottish Government has been working in partnership with NHSScotland to move away from a service delivered by trainee doctors to one which is delivered predominantly by trained doctors.

In 2009, boards were asked to develop models of care to reflect the proposed reduction in trainee doctors under the Reshaping the Medical Workforce Project. They were invited to consider which activities undertaken by trainee doctors were directly service related, were training related and which only a doctor could deliver. Boards were then asked to consider the best way to replace or redesign all of these activities and assess the workload required to be done by doctors, how many and at which grade.

This information was analysed by the National Reshaping Medical Workforce Project Board, supported by the Reshaping Governance Working Group, and informed advice to Ministers in respect of specialty trainee intake for the years 2010 to 2012 and to give indicative numbers for entry in 2013 and 2014. A working assumption of 1% growth per year was applied to most specialties, including paediatrics, on the basis of predictions for future growth (and the subsequent number of trainees required to supply future consultant requirements).

Every year since, the working group has liaised with boards and NHS Education for Scotland on projected future medical workforce requirements and reviewed relevant working assumptions, before submitting its recommendations to the project board, which in turn forwards its advice to ministers. To date, the 1% growth assumption has been considered appropriate and been applied in respect of paediatrics.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11487 on 7 December 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

As set out in CEL 4 (2010), for those changes considered to be major, ministerial approval on the board’s decision will be required.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11485 on 7 December 2012.

Following the period of restricted inpatient services at St John’s Hospital, beginning on 9 July 2012, the unit returned to full operation by the first week in August.

A new training rotation began on 01 August 2012, and trainees returned to support out of hours services at St John’s.

In late October 2012, at a routine meeting with Scottish Government officials and the South East Heath Boards, an indication was given that gaps were beginning to appear in the middle grade trainee rotas for February 2012.

In November 2012, following further confirmation of emerging gaps, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing met with NHS Lothian and the Dean of Postgraduate Medicine for the South East and agreed that the Scottish Government would provide funding to support appointments to up to four fixed term Clinical Fellows posts to improve the resilience of children’s services in Lothian and an international recruitment campaign for trained staff to help maintain neonatal and paediatric services across the region.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11450 on 6 December 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11450 on 6 December 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11450 on 6 December 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11450 on 6 December 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The information requested is being collated. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 54547).

In addition Healthcare Improvement Scotland has advised that they will be posting the data in relation to NHS board service provision on the Chronic Pain Managed Knowledge Network website.

In relation to waiting times, I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-10791 on 14 November 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Information Services Division publish national waiting times data on their website which is available at: http://www.isdscotland.org/Publications/index.asp.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-11254 on 6 December 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

This is a matter for individual boards. However, I would expect boards to deliver services to the highest standards.