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: S4W-28429

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 25 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what awareness campaigns are in place that target specific demographics to help address the knowledge gap that is believed to have led to almost two thirds of women aged 50 to 64 being unaware that the human papilloma virus (HPV) causes cervical cancer.

The Scottish Government know that cervical screening can detect cervical changes before they become cancerous and reduces the incidence of cervical cancer. Every woman in Scotland between 20 and 60 years of age is invited to be screened every three years. As well as information on screening, each invitation includes information on how the human papilloma virus causes cervical cancer.

Additionally, through our on-going £30 million Detect Cancer Early programme, we aim to increase the proportion of cancers detected at the early stage through raising awareness of cancers, the importance of knowing about screening programmes and the benefits of earlier treatment.

Question reference: S4W-28430

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what investment it will make in self-testing kits for cervical cancer, which a reported 53% of women who had delayed a cervical screening said they would prefer to use.

On screening issues like this, the Scottish Government is guided by the independent, expert advice provided by the UK National Screening Committee. The committee regularly reviews national screening programmes against international evidence and technology to ensure they remain relevant and fit for purpose.

The committee has not recommended the use of self-testing kits however they are currently reviewing whether to change the primary screening test within the programme to testing for human papilloma virus. If there is any change to the recommendation this will be considered carefully.

Question reference: S4W-28428

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to tackle the contributing factors leading to fewer women over the age of 50 attending cervical screening.

The Scottish Government fully supports the objective of increasing uptake in the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme and work is already taking place to help address areas of low uptake.

For example, NHS boards have responsibility for publicising screening within their local area and for working closely with their communities to increase screening uptake. Indeed work of this nature is already taking place within NHS boards. Recent local initiatives have included out of hours clinics and sessions specifically designed for regular defaulters. As part of the forthcoming changes to the age range and frequency of the screening programme, some awareness raising work is being developed with NHS Health Scotland and NHS boards

Furthermore, the Scottish Government’s on-going Detect Cancer Early social marketing campaigns aim to raise awareness and encourage participation in the national cancer screening programmes and help people become more confident about recognising and reporting changes in their body.

Question reference: S4W-28438

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the recommended maximum waiting period is between a GP referral for breast screening and an appointment at a clinic; what the average waiting time is (a) nationally and (b) in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGCC); whether it considers that there are enough consultants in NHSGGC to deal with referrals, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

General Practices (GPs) in Scotland do not directly refer into the national breast screening service. GPs may refer a symptomatic patient to a breast clinic through a routine or urgent suspected cancer pathway.

Data on waiting times from referral to a breast clinic appointment (a) nationally and (b) in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is not held centrally.

Patients who are referred through the urgent suspected cancer pathway are subject to the 62-day standard which covers the whole patient pathway from referral to treatment. Latest published statistics for Quarter 2 (April – June) 2015 show that 97.5% of breast cancer patients across Scotland and 94.6% NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde received treatment within the 62-day standard (95% standard).

The overall number of consultants in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is up 27.8% under this administration. However, the Scottish Government expects NHS boards to have rigorous recruitment processes in place to ensure that posts are filled appropriately and all NHS boards are expected to ensure they have the correct mix and number of staff to ensure they can provide safe, effective care for their patients.

Question reference: S4W-28427

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2015
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 19 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards about reversing the declining rate of cervical screening across all age groups and, in particular, among women (a) aged 55 to 59 and (b) under 30.

Question reference: S4O-04795

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport's position is on the performance of the A&E department at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow.

Question reference: S4O-04666

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 1 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Alzheimer’s Research UK's prediction that one in three people born in 2015 will develop the disease, and what impact this will have on future dementia treatment and care policy.

Alzheimer Research UK’s latest prediction on the scale of the challenge we face across the world on dementia presumes increasing prevalence of dementia over time primarily because more people are living longer.

Other research, such as by the Medical Research Council in 2013, finds a lower number of people with dementia and concludes that rates of dementia across the UK are falling due in part to a decline in the rates of vascular dementia as a result of improvements in the primary prevention and better management of chronic conditions such as diabetes.

Both factors are in play, meaning it is difficult to accurately forecast what the position on dementia prevalence will be in 80 to 100 years. Irrespective of variable predictions on scale, there is no doubt that dementia is one of the foremost public health challenges world-wide and in Scotland our national work on dementia and health and social care integration is supporting local service re-design to meet that challenge, now and in the future.

Question reference: S4W-27547

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27186 by Shona Robison on 25 August 2015, in light of the reported decline in performance in the three weeks up to 6 September 2015, whether the support team (a) has completed its work and (b) is still at the hospital.

Like all sites across Scotland the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) can expect performance to fluctuate from week to week, especially as we head towards winter. However, I remain confident that the staff continue to work hard to ensure the level of improvement we have seen since the support team were on site in June 2015 will be maintained and improved upon.

Performance against the four hour A&E target at the QEUH in the week ending
13 September 2015 was 94.9%, compared to 78.6% in the week ending 14 June 2015 – an overall improvement of over 16 percentage points. While the support team formally disengaged from the site on 26 June 2015 the local teams continue to build upon actions and recommendations made while the support team were on site.

Additionally, since the launch of the new six essential actions approach in May 2015 we have progressed a number of actions. For example, we have:

Recruited the national team in June and July 2015. They have a range of skills and professional expertise to work with local team across Scotland;

Funded NHS boards to recruit local teams dedicated to implementing the six essential actions on each site;

Implemented appropriate site management structure – in essence there is a single manager responsible for all emergency and elective services and targets;

Strengthened structured planning and hospital safety huddles to ensure a whole system focus;

Enhanced use of discharge lounges and discharge hub facilities.

The national team maintain close relationships with the locally appointed teams across Scotland. Amongst other sites, the national team are currently working with staff at the QEUH to help embed the six essential actions, which complements the work of the support team, to ensure sufficient capacity is in place to support flow throughout the hospital as we head into winter.

This is a two year programme that will take time to bring about sustainable benefits across Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-27532

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of consultants who now practice abroad after being trained in Scotland in each of the last five years, broken down by speciality.

Question reference: S4W-27529

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many consultant posts are being advertised, broken down by (a) speciality and (b) NHS board.