Questions and answers

Question reference: S5F-02546

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2018

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland's call for an increase in the use of the thrombectomy procedure.

Question reference: S5W-18330

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17584 by Jeanne Freeman on 20 July 2018, what its position is on introducing lactate or other tests to help to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

Decisions regarding the care and treatment of individual patients are always a matter of professional judgement for the clinician responsible for a patient’s care. Lactate tests are used when clinically appropriate and interpreted in the context of a patient’s clinical condition. Regarding the use of other antibiotic tests, I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-17584 on 20 July 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 .

Question reference: S5W-17739

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its policy guidelines on the recording of waiting times for patients whose operations are rescheduled.

The Scottish Government's policy is clear the waiting time for a patient's operation is measured from the time the patient and consultant agree treatment and stops when the patient's operation is undertaken. Therefore impact of rescheduling an operation will not impact a patient's actual waiting time. The Scottish Government has also made clear to NHS Boards that any patient who has an operation cancelled must have their operation rescheduled as quickly as possible and offered the next available admission date.

Question reference: S5W-17904

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether pregnant women expecting one baby should be offered regular growth scans, as is the case for those expecting multiple babies.

All women are offered two ultrasound scans during pregnancy as part of the screening programme. The first is offered between 11-13 weeks and the second, a foetal anatomy detailed scan is offered around 20 weeks. Any additional ultrasound scans offered will be based on individual risk assessment in line with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance.

Question reference: S5W-17905

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the use of growth scans and Doppler ultrasound scans could reduce the stillbirth rate.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline on antenatal care for routine pregnancies advises that routine Doppler ultrasound should not be used in low-risk pregnancies. A recent Cochrane review (2015) found that there is no conclusive evidence of health benefits to mother or baby to support the use of routine Doppler ultrasound scans for low risk or unselected pregnant women. NICE continues to assess studies and evidence which are published in this area with a view to keeping advice on use of scans in pregnancy up to date. Scottish Government has no plans to offer Doppler scans to all pregnant women.

Question reference: S5W-17910

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of which overseas patients are eligible for free primary care checks and care under the new GP contract.

Under the general medical services contract all overseas visitors are eligible to register as patients of a general practice and receive free treatment.

It is a long-standing principle that everybody in Scotland is entitled to register with a general medical practice and receive primary medical services without charge. Patients should register on a permanent or temporary basis depending upon on their length of stay in a practice area and not upon their legal status to remain in the UK. GPs are paid for this work as with any other patient.

Question reference: S5W-17903

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 22 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether all pregnant women should be offered Doppler ultrasound scans.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline on antenatal care for routine pregnancies advises that routine Doppler ultrasound should not be used in low-risk pregnancies. A recent Cochrane review (2015) found that there is no conclusive evidence of health benefits to mother or baby to support the use of routine Doppler ultrasound scans for low risk or unselected pregnant women. NICE continues to assess studies and evidence which are published in this area with a view to keeping advice on use of scans in pregnancy up to date. Scottish Government has no plans to offer Doppler scans to all pregnant women.

Question reference: S5W-17911

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 21 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of how GPs should check the eligibility of overseas visitors to free NHS care, and whether they are able to charge a fee for overseas visitors not entitled to free NHS care under the new GP contract.

All overseas visitors are eligible to register as temporary or permanent patients of a general practice and receive free treatment. As such, GPs do not need to check the eligibility of overseas visitors to free NHS care and, as under the previous contract, are not able to charge a fee for services provided under a general medical services contract.

It is a long-standing principle that everybody in Scotland is entitled to register with a general medical practice and receive primary medical services without charge. Patients should register on a permanent or temporary basis depending upon on their length of stay in a practice area and not upon their legal status to remain in the UK. GPs are paid for this work as with any other patient.

Question reference: S5W-17703

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 16 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to make the theft, vandalism or misuse of community defibrillators a specific offence, and what its response is to reported concerns about the incidence of these.

Question reference: S5W-17762

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 16 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged 65 and over have received the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination, and what the uptake has been in relation to all those eligible to receive it, in each of the years that it has been available.

The estimated uptake rate of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination in people aged 65 and over is set out in the following table. Data is only available from 2010-11 onwards:

Year	Percentage uptake estimate
2015-16	67.9%
2014-15	75.7%
2012-13	77.7%
2010-11	74.3%

Uptake rate of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination is estimated from returns to Practitioner Services Division (PSD) for GP payments. It is likely that these figures are an under-estimate as in some cases GPs may not have claimed for payment. As these figures are an estimate it is not possible to provide figures for the number of people that have been vaccinated.

For the 2017-18 season, HPS have developed a more accurate and robust system which uses data from GP systems, but these are not yet available.

Chamber and committees