Chamber and committees

NHS boards are expected to provide high quality sexual health services that are appropriate to the needs of their population and to the individual. This includes ensuring that the full range of contraceptive methods, including emergency contraception, is accessible to those who require them.

Scottish Government does not provide specific guidance on how emergency contraception should be provided except in the case of schools, where policy states that emergency hormonal contraception should not be made available.

There are no plans to review this guidance.

Whilst Health Facilities Scotland engineers carry out testing of equipment used for decontamination (e.g. ultrasonic cleaners, washer disinfectors and sterilisers) to ensure they comply with the relevant guidance and British/European/International Standards they do not review the cleanliness of medical tools or instruments.

It is for the operator of the decontamination unit to put in place arrangements to monitor the cleanliness of decontaminated tools or instruments. In the case of centralised decontamination units, it is the responsibility of the relevant NHS Board.

Health Facilities Scotland provides advice and support to NHSScotland on decontamination matters, including the provision of on-site support to NHS Boards.

Since December 2009, Information Services Division (ISD) has produced quarterly hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMR) for all Scottish hospitals participating in the Scottish Patient Safety Programme. This is published four times a year and can be found at

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Quality-Improvement/Quarterly-HSMR/.

This data is regularly reviewed by Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and Information Services Division (ISD).

In 2010, there were 2 hospitals (Queen Margaret Hospital, NHS Fife and Royal Alexandra Hospital, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde) which had HSMR values that triggered review. HIS wrote to these two NHS boards and asked them to develop local action plans. Implementation of these action plans is the responsibility for the individual NHS Boards, however they were reviewed by HIS and improvements in HSMR were recorded. Due to changes in service configuration HSMR data for the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the Vale of Leven Hospital are calculated together. This service has seen a reduction in HSMR of 13.5% according to the most recently published data up to the end of September 2012.

In February 2012, Monklands Hospital and in August 2012 Fife Combined Hospitals triggered HSMR reviews. HIS have written to these two NHS boards asking them to develop local action plans. These action plans were reviewed by HIS and the hospitals are implementing these locally. The implementation of these actions plans are expected to take 12 months and as such the HSMR review process continues. The most recent published data up to the end of September 2012 show reductions in the HSMR in Monklands Hospital of 11.9% and Fife Combined Hospitals has shown a reduction of 12.5%.

Most recently the Western Isles Hospital has triggered an HSMR review. HIS have written to the Western Isles and they have submitted their initial response to HIS for consideration.

The 62-day cancer access target was first introduced in 2000. In 2008, it was extended to include patients who screened positive in the bowel, breast and cervical screening programmes.

The Scottish Government continues to closely scrutinise performance across NHS Scotland and action plans are required from NHS boards where there are challenges to sustained delivery against the standard. Management information on performance against the cancer access standards is returned from NHS boards on a monthly basis. This includes information on performance for those patients urgently referred through the bowel screening programme. The information is scrutinised by the Scottish Government and reported to the Cabinet Secretary.

Performance support is offered to those NHS boards where there are challenges to sustained delivery of the 62-day and 31-day cancer access standards. Performance support can include on-site diagnostic visits to identify actions that should be incorporated into the NHS board’s detailed action plan for performance improvement. A plan of engagement and focus is then agreed with the NHS board to support delivery including further diagnostic visits and input or support at hospital meetings or reviews. There is engagement with executive and clinical leads within the NHS board and constituent organisations, drawing upon a range of expertise, support, good practice and data and providing links with other organisations and NHS boards.

Additional funding has been made available to support diagnostic capacity in endoscopy to meet the cancer access standards for those with bowel cancer.

The NHS resource budget is increasing by £293 million, or 2.7%, in 2013-14. This means that territorial health boards will see an overall increase of 3.3% in funding in 2013-14 – that represents a real terms increase of 1.3%.

The Unscheduled Care Action Plan is the most significant programme of change to emergency health care services ever to take place in Scotland. To give the programme momentum and to make sure improvements are delivered quickly, there will be £50 million spent over the next three years specifically allocated to bring forward schemes and invest in changes in line with the unscheduled care action plan.

This priority commitment will be met from a combination of the additional Scottish Government money being allocated to health boards this year and from efficiency savings.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-13290 on 12 March 2013. 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.

We are asking NHS boards to produce by June their own local plans in line with the national action plan. This will inform how the funds will be allocated, including what additional medical, nursing and other clinical staff are to be employed.

The planning and provision of healthcare services is a matter for NHS boards, based on their assessment of what is in the best interests of local people, as informed by national policies and frameworks.

NHS boards are being asked to produce by June their own local plans in line with the national action plan, which is predicated on patients getting the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Once we have assessed the local plans and had discussions with boards we will determine those services where the funds will be invested.

Separately in line with an announcement made in January, boards are to be invited to bid for additional funds to support consultant appointments in emergency care and will be informed of this by the end of April.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-13290 on 12 March 2013. 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.

NHS boards are being asked to produce by June their own local plans in line with the national action plan, which is predicated on patients getting the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Once we have assessed the local plans and had discussions with boards we will determine those services where the funds will be invested, and boards will be informed of the funds allocated.

Ten vacant town centre properties have been brought into residential use through the Town Centre Regeneration Fund.