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-19351

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 31 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the implementation of each action point in the Oral Health Improvement Plan.

The Oral Health Improvement Plan (OHIP) is a major piece of public health reform and when it is fully implemented it will provide the framework for improved oral care for the Scottish population. The nature and size of the improvement plan means that it is essential to undertake its implementation in stages. We must ensure that the pace of change is pragmatic and maintains stable service delivery for patients and dental practices while maintaining pace with the changes we need to make to implement the Plan in a reasonable timescale.

Initial work has identified a series of early priorities across the programme, for example we have already implemented Occupational Health arrangements, which will benefit all the staff working in dentistry. A key element of the implementation plan is for Directors of Dentistry in Health Boards to provide strategic leadership across all aspects of dental service provision. We can report that the majority of Health Boards have in place interim Directors and we are working to ensure that the substantive roles are in place as early as practicable.

We have also prioritised the development of a Community Challenge Fund, to enable third sector partners to work with communities in deprived areas to improve oral health outcomes. We can report that management arrangements for the Fund will be in place before the end of this year and actual schemes on the ground in spring next year.

Officials are also currently liaising with key stakeholders on arrangements for the care home based element of the new domiciliary care arrangements, including identifying the training programme requirements, which are planned to be in place in the Spring next year. The intention is to develop a programme for General Dental Practitioners with enhanced skills in domiciliary care to meet the oral health needs of older people resident in care homes.

Question reference: S5W-19350

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the consultation that it carried out with stakeholders and experts regarding the proposed changes to the Statement of Dental Remuneration.

Prior to the publication of the Oral Health Improvement Plan (OHIP) we consulted widely with both patients and dental professionals. This included an online consultation exercise, a series of roadshow events for dental professionals around Scotland, and a number of focus groups for members of the public. We received 427 responses to the consultation exercise; 564 dental professionals attended the roadshow events; and 113 members of the public participated in the focus group activities.

The results of the consultation can be viewed at: https://beta.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-oral-health-plan-scottish-government-consultation-exercise-future-oral/

As we take forward actions from the OHIP we will continue to consult with dental professionals, patients and other relevant stakeholders at appropriate stages of the implementation process.

Question reference: S5W-18985

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what financial loans it expects to have made to NHS boards by the end of 2018-19.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-17912 on 16 August 2018. 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

As at 31 August 2018, the indicative level of brokerage required for 2018-19 is unchanged.

The Health and Social Care Financial Framework, announced on 4 October, sets out the financial context for health and social care services over the next few years. To assist Boards with their planning, the Framework was accompanied by a new deal for territorial boards, providing additional flexibility by allowing them to break-even over a 3-year period. In addition, a clean slate will be provided to territorial boards with outstanding brokerage to support them in taking forward the measures set out in the health and social care delivery plan, whilst ensuring that patient care remains the priority.

Question reference: S5W-19245

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it was first advised of the reported issues regarding the ability of Healthcare Environment Services Ltd to dispose of human waste from hospitals; what action it has taken, and what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding this.

Authorities in England alerted Scottish Government to issues regarding the company’s management of clinical waste at its sites in England on 9 August.

Since then Scottish Government have been working with Scottish Environment Protection Agency(SEPA) and NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) to monitor the situation and have sought assurances with NHS Boards that they have contingency plans in place.

NHS Scotland, working with SEPA , have developed contingency plans which firmly maintain environmental protections. SEPA is clear that compliance is non-negotiable and is robustly monitoring sites in Scotland.

Scottish Government continues to monitor the situation in England and any potential impact on services in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-19246

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact would be on the NHS if the reported issues regarding the ability of Healthcare Environment Services (HES) Ltd to dispose of human waste from hospitals continues and the contracts that HES has with the NHS boards were subsequently breached.

Clinical waste collection and disposal continues as normal for NHS Scotland and we are not aware of any issues. In the event of disruption to clinical waste management services at NHS sites across Scotland, all NHS Boards have contingency plans ready to put into place.

The plans ensure that there is sufficient storage capacity for clinical waste to be stored safely on site for a period of 72 hours. Emergency waste management arrangements will be procured centrally in order to protect waste management services for the NHS across Scotland following the 72 hour period.

Question reference: S5W-19105

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 26 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17241 by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 July 2018, whether the expert advice from Health Protection Scotland has been received and, if so, when it will (a) issue a response to that advice and (b) make an announcement regarding whether it will introduce a strategy for the elimination of hepatitis C in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-19289

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 26 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the uptake rate has been for the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine by people over 65 in each year since it was offered.

Health Protection Scotland can only provide validated data for 2017-18.

In 2017-18 the uptake rate of PPV among over 65s was 67.9%

As set out in response to S5W-17762 on 16 August 2018, prior to 2017-18 uptake rates of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination was estimated from returns to Practitioner Services Division (PSD) for GP payments. Estimates are not fully validated.

Estimated figures were provided in response to S5W-17762 however, it is likely that these figures are an under-estimate as in some cases GPs may not have claimed for payment.

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: S5O-02504

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to help grow the life sciences sector.

Question reference: S5W-18990

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10637 by Aileen Campbell on 9 August 2017, whether it will provide an update on how many sexually transmitted diseases have been diagnosed, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5W-19183

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many patients have had feeding tubes fitted in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government does not hold any data on how many patients have had feeding tubes fitted.

Data from the Scottish Intensive Care Society Audit group's report "Audit of Critical Care in Scotland 2018 Reporting on 2017" showed that in 2017, the provision of enteral nutrition (which can include tube feeding) in Scotland Intensive Care Units was 37% and the provision of parenteral nutrition (i.e. intravenously) in Scotland Intensive Care Units was 8% in 2016.