Chamber and committees

The information requested is set out in the following table:

Dates of Chronic Pain Steering Group meetings:

Further information on the Steering Group, including meeting papers, can be found on the Chronic Pain page of the NHS Knowledge Network website at:

http://www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk/pain/steering-group.aspx

There is currently an MCN for Chronic Pain operating in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

In addition, Chronic Pain Service Improvement Groups have been established in NHS Fife and NHS Lanarkshire and we continue to encourage NHS boards to establish service improvement groups or MCNs for chronic pain.

It is for NHS boards to develop and deliver healthcare services to meet the needs of their local population.

However, we continue to advocate a managed clinical network (MCN) approach to the development of chronic pain services and see the existing Network in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as setting an example for other boards to follow.

The Chronic Pain Steering Group has been working to establish a quality improvement infrastructure to support chronic pain service improvements in NHS boards, including work to establish a chronic pain service improvement group or MCN in each NHS board.

We would therefore be pleased to receive applications for two year funding from any board wishing to develop an MCN approach to chronic pain services, including setting up local service improvement groups.

The regulation of independent healthcare services is a matter devolved to the Scottish Parliament and is carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland on behalf of Scottish ministers.

The independent healthcare services regulated by HIS do not include private health clinics, so there is no requirement for them to register.

Information is not held centrally in the form requested.

All adverse incidents reported to the Incident Reporting and Investigation Centre (IRIC) of National Services Scotland are reviewed and, where appropriate, an in depth investigation into the cause undertaken. Adverse incidents can arise from a number of causes which include either a failure or fault with a medical device, incorrect use or issues with the packaging, storage or instructions for use.

Information from both adverse incident reports and investigations is shared with the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) who assess the most appropriate form of remedial action including issuing a medical device alert, or discussions the manufacturer and issue of a Field Safety Notice.

This information is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04931 on 23 January 2012 respectively. 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 tender for HIV prevention services in the NHS Grampian area was scheduled to be advertised on 6 February 2012, with the contract due to be awarded on 7 March 2012. The contract award notice will be published on 9 April 2012 with the expectation that the service will commence as soon as possible after that date.

The Scottish Government does not collect this type of operational data. It is for the Scottish Ambulance Service to categorise calls, or re-categorise as necessary, according to the best and most up to date clinical information available. This has always been the case and will not change following the recently announced settlement on rest breaks.

It is anticipated the annual cost of the recently announced longer term agreement will be in the region of £5 million. The transitional arrangements from 17 January 2012 to the end of June 2012 are anticipated to cost £1.875 million at most. Although the quicker staff move to their new working arrangements, the less that sum will be.

The information requested is not held centrally.