Chamber and committees

A table has been supplied to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre which provides the information you have requested (Bib number 59907).

The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland? was published in 2017 and aims to ensure the best outcomes for all pregnant women and their babies. One of its recommendations is that all women should have an appropriate level of choice in relation to place of birth and there are a number of choices that should be available to all women including birth at home, birth in an alongside or freestanding midwifery unit and hospital birth (recommendation 15).

An Evidence Review was published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland on 8 May 2018 which looked at the cost-effectiveness of C-reactive protein testing in primary care. National and international studies were reviewed and it was concluded that, while published evidence is available, it is not strong enough to support widespread adoption of C-reactive protein testing.

Regarding other tests, Procalcitonin is used mainly in intensive care units and trials are on-going in other settings. It is an expensive and non-specific test with conflicting evidence as to its usefulness.

In relation to fungal infections, The Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group has requested a cost-effectiveness analysis of biomarker tests to inform antifungal treatment in Critical Care and Haemato-oncology which is expected to be completed in late 2018 or early 2019.

The Evidence Review was published at:

http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/technologies_and_medicines/shtg_-_evidence_notes/evidence_note_80.aspx .

Data relating to antibiotic use are available in the Scottish One Health Antimicrobial use and Antimicrobial Resistance Annual Report 2016, published by Health Protection Scotland in November 2017. The full report can be viewed at: http://www.hps.scot.nhs.uk/haiic/amr/resourcedetail.aspx?id=3378 .

These data demonstrate an overall reduction in antibiotic use driven by reductions in community prescribing and show that antibiotic resistance in key organisms is generally stable. The next report will be published in November 2018. National programmes of work are in place to address antimicrobial resistance and support antimicrobial stewardship.

The number of Clinical Nurse Specialists employed by NHSScotland is published annually by ISD Scotland, by specialty. Data prior to 2009 is unavailable.

Data from September 2009 to September 2017 can be found at: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2017-12-05/Clinical_Nurse_Specialists_S2017.x

The new 2018 GP Contract, jointly agreed with the BMA and supported by £110m investment in 2018-19, supports GPs to comply with GDPR by recognising that contractors are joint data controllers along with their contracting NHS Board. The contract clarifies GP contractors’ and Health Boards’ responsibilities and will ensure GP contractors are not exposed to liabilities beyond their effective control.

Data provisions in the new contract were informed by the work of an Information Sharing Short Life Working Group, carried out with the assistance of the Information Commissioner’s Office in Scotland and in collaboration with experts in managing patient data, including the Caldicott Guardians, BMA, RCGP, NHS Central Legal Office and NHS National Service Scotland.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The subjects taught by teachers in Scotland's schools can be found in the results of the School Staff Census (Tables 2.8, 3.9, 4.8 and 5.2):

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/teachcenssuppdata

The number of Scottish domiciled enrolments at Scottish Higher Education Institutions studying health professional courses are included in the following table.

Waiting times data for CAMHS treatment was not collected prior to 2012. The following table shows waiting times from 2012 for NHS Scotland as a whole and also by geographical health board. Waiting times are given in weeks.

Waiting times for patients who have been seen/treated by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for financial years 2012-13 to 2017-18.

Scottish Government is continuing discussions with Information Services Division regarding further IVF data collection, including third cycle data, within the confines of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

Information on the number of people who have been referred to private weight management programmes in each NHS board area in each year since 2007 is not held centrally.