Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-27283

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what provision the NHS has made for future damages claims from adults who were inappropriately prescribed puberty blockers as children.

As indicted in the answers to S5W-27279 and S5W-27280 on 20 February 2020 and S5W-27281 on 9 March 2020 and S5W-27282 on 14 April 2020 the term “Puberty Blockers” is non-specific and could be applied to a range of medicines used for a variety of conditions. For example in children whose puberty started abnormally early, to promote the development of long bones and increase adult height in children of short stature and children diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

There is no separate provision made for such circumstances, usual inappropriate prescribing policy will apply.

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

Question reference: S5W-27281

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 9 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what clinical basis children are being prescribed puberty blockers.

As indicated in answers to PQ 27279 and 27280 on 20 February 2020 the term “Puberty Blockers” is non-specific and could be applied to a range of medicines used for a variety of conditions.

For example in children whose puberty started abnormally early; to promote the development of long bones and increase adult height in children of short stature and children diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

In the case of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria in Scotland, the Young People’s Gender Services at Sandyford in common with current practice of other European centres work within the clear guidelines from UK Endocrine Society and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

Puberty blockers will only be issued following a specialist assessment and careful consultation with young people and their families, including potential benefits and risks. If a young person and their family choose to commence on puberty blockers they are seen for regular follow-up for psychological review and support from Sandyford staff and medical monitoring from Endocrinology.

Decisions on the type of treatment to prescribe are for clinicians to make in discussion with their clients.

Question reference: S5W-27434

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 2 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what in-year underspends in the Scottish Budget have accumulated for the financial year 2019-20.

Question reference: S5W-27284

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans, like NHS England, to establish an independent expert group to consider the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.

Question reference: S5W-27280

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost to the NHS has been of prescribing puberty blockers in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-27279

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been prescribed puberty blockers in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5O-04174

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting times are for an urology appointment at NHS Tayside.

Question reference: S5W-27138

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 4 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what pathways are in place for children diagnosed with autism to access specialist support.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of autistic people through the Scottish Strategy for Autism.

All NHS Boards in Scotland are expected to deliver the clinical standard set out in clinical guidance document SIGN 145: Assessment, diagnosis and interventions for autism spectrum disorders.

All NHS Boards provide children’s diagnostic services, although Scottish Government recognizes service provision varies across Scotland. Scottish Government commissioned the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) to support Health and Social Care Partnerships across Scotland to incorporate best practice and improve services in the redesigning of autism diagnostic services.

NAIT is supporting NHS Boards to examine diagnostic pathways for autism and establish regional experts to assist with improving tiered autism specialisms across health boards as recommended by the NHS NES Autism Training Framework.

Question reference: S5W-27136

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 4 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is to access a paediatrician appointment in the NHS Fife area.

Table 1: Median waiting time in days and the number of patients seen for a New Outpatient appointment, in Medical Paediatrics for NHS Fife. (Completed Waits)

Quarter Ending	Number Seen	Median Wait (Days)
31 December 2019	760	43.0
30 September 2019	847	36.0
30 June 2019	842	34.0
31 March 2019	830	27.0
31 December 2018	865	25.0
30 September 2018	825	36.0
30 June 2018	872	39.0
31 March 2018	818	45.0
31 December 2017	826	47.0
30 September 2017	826	55.0
30 June 2017	684	49.0
31 March 2017	753	40.0
31 December 2016	696	34.0
30 September 2016	742	43.0
30 June 2016	655	46.0
31 March 2016	565	44.0
31 December 2015	576	47.5
30 September 2015	566	47.0
30 June 2015	611	47.0
31 March 2015	705	37.0

Source: ISD Waiting Times Warehouse

Question reference: S5W-27137

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 4 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many paediatric clinics are run in NHS Fife each month.