Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not currently hold information on the number of missed appointments during 2018-19. This information will be published later this year and will be available at: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Hospital-Care/Publications/

The number of Did Not Attends (DNA) for new outpatient appointments in Scotland between April 2018 to December 2018 (inclusive) was 83,332.

I refer the member to the answer to S5W-23295 on 30 May 2019. 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 .

The national clinical decision support (CDS) discovery project has considered how a national proposal to CDS Platform might benefit clinical decision across NHS services. Radiology has been part of that project. SG officials have recently met with representatives of the Scottish Radiology Transformation Project (SRTP) CDS steering group to discuss key interdependencies and associated risks between a proposed National Decision Support Platform and the radiology project providing CDS to that speciality. Radiology colleagues are considering future options for the STRP and an SG decision on a national platform is due over the Summer.

A review is currently being scoped to provide due diligence over the consideration of the business case for a National Decision Support Platform. I will be happy to update the member on the outcome of the review once it is concluded.

No decision has yet been taken about the future business case for a National Decision Support Platform. A review is being scoped to consider all the implications involved with proceeding including alignment with the National Digital Platform, key projects that are dependent on a National Decision Support Platform, benefits (including clinical), and financial sustainability.

A sub-group of the National Infertility Group has been working on developing guidelines and pathways, including patient access criteria, for fertility preservation and storage for medical reasons. This work is ongoing and the group expects to report to the National Infertility Group over the summer to consider next steps.

Around 1 in 4 people are likely to be affected by mental illness at some point in their lives. Most people who use mental health services receive treatment do so without being subject to an order or certificate under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003. Mental health law in Scotland is based on rights and principles and offers patients significant safeguards where compulsory treatment is necessary.

Data collected by the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland pertains to those who are receiving care and treatment subject to orders under the 2003 Act. Even where someone is subject to an order under mental health legislation, they may still give their consent to treatment.

The Health and Social Care Standards set out the quality of care we can expect to receive and reflect the way that everyone should expect to be treated. The Standards are designed to be flexible and to be considered alongside any review of legislation and best practice without the need for further amendment. We therefore have no plans to amend the Standards.

If a person's independence, control and choice are restricted the Standards make clear that this should be kept to a minimum, carried out sensitively, and comply with relevant legislation and current best practice. Relevant legislation for the use of chemical restraint makes clear that consent is required where an individual has capacity. Where an individual does not have capacity, the use of chemical restraint must only be applied in exceptional circumstances to the benefit of the individual.

The Scottish Government commissioned a Review of Screening in 2017 to examine the management and overall delivery of the six national screening programmes in Scotland to improve resilience, effectiveness and efficiency, and to ensure that screening services are ready to address future priorities and challenges.

The Review recognises the scale and complexity of the challenges around national screening programmes, and made a total of 23 recommendations. Ministers have accepted the Review in full and work is underway to develop an implementation plan for these recommendations.

The review report will be available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) reference 60693.

The following table highlights data from Higher Education Statistics Agency HESA records, from the Scottish Funding Council, showing Scotland-domiciled people who have entered pre-registration nursing and midwifery training since 2016-17.