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-22364

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 20 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many clinical negligence claims were made against each NHS board regarding pressure ulcers or sores in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14 and in how many cases this was the underlying cause of death.

Question reference: S4W-22280

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the European Commission has given it notice that it has either failed to implement or only partially implemented directive 2011/24/EU.

Scotland has not been given notice. The UK Government and 11 other member states have received a request from the European Commission asking for notification of the measures taken to implement the European cross-border healthcare directive 2011/24/EU.

Together with the other UK countries, we are at present considering the additional information we will provide in validation of the provisions that have already been put in place in Scotland, which were notified to the commission at the end of October 2013.

Question reference: S4W-22279

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 15 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has fully implemented directive 2011/24/EU as it was required to do by 25 October 2013.

Question reference: S4W-22225

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 12 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to help patients meet the cost of travel to NHS appointments.

There are currently two schemes in place to assist patients with the cost of travel to hospital in Scotland. The first is a means tested scheme to help those in receipt of certain DWP benefits; and the second a non-means tested scheme to help patients that reside in the Highlands and Islands area.

More detailed information on this, and help with other health-related costs, is available in the Scottish Government leaflet Are You Entitled to Help With Health Costs.

Health boards also have the discretion to provide help to those not eligible under the schemes mentioned above, in circumstances where travel costs are viewed as an extension of the patient’s treatment costs, and deemed to be clinically necessary.

Question reference: S4T-00765

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 11 August 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest reports on waiting times to access support services that allow older people to live independently at home.

Question reference: S4W-22077

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 6 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to deal with any impact on farmers in Scotland arising from the difference with England in the levels of nitrate permitted in nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZ).

Efficient nitrogen fertiliser use has benefits for the environment, addressing climate change and contributing to farm business profitability. The Scottish NVZ Action Programme encourages farmers to maximise the efficiency of nitrogen fertilisers. The Scottish Government considers there is no demonstrable negative effect on Scottish yields resulting from the different nitrogen fertiliser maximum application standards which apply in the Scottish and English NVZ action programmes.

Question reference: S4W-21922

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it will give to the National Contact Point and NHS boards on providing patients with access to information and advice on Article 7 (4) of EU directive 2011/24.

The purpose of the EU-wide network of National Contact Points (NCP) is to help smooth the path for patients looking to access treatment in a particular Member State under the European Cross-Border Healthcare Directive (2011/24), by providing information on: healthcare providers; treatment quality and safety; and access, to allow patients to make informed choices. Scotland’s NCP is provided via NHS informs website and helpline.

Funding decisions and arrangements for Scottish residents who choose to travel to another Member State for healthcare under the provisions of the directive are matters for NHS boards as state healthcare providers.

As confirmed by the European Commission, the general expectation is that patients who choose to exercise their rights under the directive will pay the overseas healthcare provider at the time of their treatment. They can then claim reimbursement, up to the amount the treatment would have cost had it been provided by the State at home, in Scotland that would be their local NHS board.

NHS boards are aware that under Article 7(4) the cost of treatment can be paid direct to the healthcare provider in another Member State. That is a decision for boards based on the individual patient’s particular circumstances.

It is in the best interests of patients considering treatment in another Member State under the directive, or the family member/independent representative acting on their behalf, to enter into early dialogue with their local NHS board before they travel. This provides an opportunity to discuss the process, eligibility and the level of reimbursement or funding they can expect to receive.

Question reference: S4W-21923

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients seeking cross-border NHS treatment under EU directive 2011/24 (a) paid for the treatment themselves or (b) had the cost of treatment paid for them under Article 7 (4) of the directive, broken down by NHS board area since October 2013.

Question reference: S4W-21921

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that all patients receive cross-border NHS treatment through Article 7 (4) of EU directive 2011/24.

Article 7 (4) of the European Cross-border Healthcare Directive (2011/24) sets out the amount that the home Member State must reimburse for treatment provided in another Member State. This has been transposed into Scottish legislation through the National Health Service (Cross-Border Health Care) (Scotland) Regulations 2013.

Article 7 (4) also sets out that reimbursement must be made to either the patient or the overseas healthcare provider, and that additional costs may be considered at the home Member State’s discretion. These are matters for NHS boards, taking into account the individual patient’s particular circumstances.

Question reference: S4W-21974

Asked by: Jim Hume, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when the next review will take place of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) clinical guidelines for the treatment of (a) depression and (b) anxiety.

Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines are derived from a systematic review of the scientific literature and are designed to accelerate the translation of new knowledge into action to meet the aim of reducing variations in practice, and improving outcomes. The range of evidence considered in the production of any particular guideline is based on the scope of the guideline and discussions with the multidisciplinary guideline development group. Any group or individual may propose a guideline topic to SIGN. Guideline topics are selected on the basis of burden of disease, the existence of variation in practice, and the potential to improve outcome. There are currently no plans for a review of the SIGN clinical guidelines on the non-pharmacological management of depression. SIGN has not produced a guideline on the treatment of anxiety and currently has no plans to do so.