Chamber and committees

The industrial action was targeted at routine GP and hospital appointments, including planned surgery and outpatient clinics. NHS Boards worked closely with the BMA local representatives to assess the impact of the industrial action. Management information collected on the day of industrial action shows approximately 3200 outpatient appointments and 450 inpatient and day cases were cancelled, and 60% of GP practices were affected to some degree. Doctors were available to ensure that urgent and emergency care was not affected, this includes cancer treatment and other ongoing treatment.

All NHS boards have robust business continuity plans in place to deal with disruptions such as those caused by industrial action and to ensure that core services are maintained. NHS boards worked closely with the BMA local representatives to assess the impact of the industrial action.

NHS boards worked locally with doctors to agree the level of services that would be provided on the day and to avoid unnecessary disruption to patients. Urgent and emergency care was not affected. Health boards confirmed that all patients whose appointments had been cancelled and rescheduled were informed by letter or telephone. GP practices were responsible for informing their patients of the level of services they would provide on 21 June. Doctors were available to ensure that urgent and emergency care was not affected, this includes cancer treatment and other on-going treatment.

Medical device alerts, including those about PIP silicone breast implants, are sent by MHRA directly to Health Facilities Scotland who distribute them to their network of equipment co-ordinators in NHS boards. Those co-ordinators are responsible for cascading alerts to the appropriate areas within their NHS board and the alert specifies what action or actions are to be taken.

Medical device alerts about PIP silicone breast implants were issued by MHRA on 31 March 2010 (MDA/2010/025), 4 October 2010 (MDA/2010/078) and 15 March 2012 (MDA/2010/011).

The first alert, issued in 2010, indicated that further advice about the clinical management of patients implanted with PIP silicone breast implants would be made available, and that advice was provided in the latter two alerts.

I have made it very clear that I expect private healthcare providers to provide an appropriate package of care to their patients. There are no plans to call a summit of private healthcare providers to discuss this issue.

We have advised SEPA that a map of artificial structures and natural features should be prepared by December 2014, in order to co-ordinate with the start of the consultation period on the draft Flood Risk Management Strategies.

My officials work with MHRA in a number of different ways, including regular communication by email and telephone, attending as observers the Committee on the Safety of Devices, as well as other ad hoc meetings to discuss issues of mutual interest.

No information is held by Scottish Government on the number of clinicians who have complained to MHRA about PIP silicone breast implants.

There have not yet been any meetings between me or my officials and Earl Howe.

My officials have met with Sir Bruce Keogh on three occasions when they attended as observers meetings of the Expert Group led by him on PIP silicone breast implants.

My officials attend as observers the MHRA’s Committee on the Safety of Devices at which PIP silicone breast implants was discussed as part of the agenda at two meetings within the last year.

Where there is a change of ownership of a care home, the Care Inspectorate already has the necessary powers to investigate a complaint regarding its operation, even if the same staff are employed by the new service provider.

Under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and the associated regulations, the new owner of the care home is required to apply to the Care Inspectorate for registration of the service. This is necessary because the registration of the new owner is distinct from the registration held by the previous owner regardless of the similarities between the providers.

These arrangements provide safeguards as the Care Inspectorate can scrutinise the new application and be satisfied that the proposed service meets all the necessary requirements and is able to provide care of the required standard and quality.

I attended the Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee (STAC) on 28 March this year to explain Scottish Government policy on public sector pension reform and set out the parameters within which discussions on future pension arrangements for NHSScotland staff should take place. STAC is a partnership organisation which contains representation from NHS employers, NHS trades unions and professional representative organisations and the Scottish Government. It is STAC’s role to discuss and agree terms and conditions issues specific to NHSScotland staff and, as such, it is for them to take forward any negotiations on the issue of NHS pensions in Scotland.

Since 28 March, STAC have established a Pensions Negotiating Group involving all key stakeholders which met for the first time on 15 May and is due to meet again on 29 June. A smaller Pensions Working Group to examine technical issues in detail and feed into the larger Negotiating Group has also been established and is meeting regularly. Both the design of the NHSScotland Pension Scheme from 2015 onwards and the increases in employee contributions imposed by the UK Government which are being phased in over a three year period from April 2012 are being discussed.