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-05783

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many health visitors have been employed in the NHS in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Information on the number of Health Visitors employed by NHSScotland Health Board in each year since 1999 is published by ISD Scotland and can be found at the following links:-

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Historic-Data/WFE01_HB_REG.xls=

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2012-11-27/Nursing_and_Midwifery_SIP_S2012.xls?52391154

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2016-12-06/Non-Medical_Trend_S2016.xls

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2016-12-06/Health_Visitors_S2016.xls

Question reference: S5W-06554

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 3 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop the A720 as a smart motorway.

The Scottish Government is committed to making best use of available road capacity as we deliver an efficient transport system which can support sustainable economic growth. Work is underway to explore how best Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) can be applied on key parts of the trunk road network, including the A720.

This is in addition to on-going route specific work to identify required improvements to the A720.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S5W-06030 on 19 January 2017 for further information. 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-06168

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many expectant mothers have been turned away from maternity units due to capacity issues in each year since 1999, broken down by hospital.

Question reference: S5W-05973

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05450 by Aileen Campbell on 22 December 2016, by what date the £10 million investment will be made available to NHS boards.

Question reference: S5W-06242

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements have been put in place to ensure that (a) patients, (b) clinicians and (c) the pharmaceutical industry are able to inform the decisions of the Effective Prescribing Group.

Question reference: S5W-06246

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the future of the Southside GP surgery in Edinburgh.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, along with Scottish Government officials, met with Daniel Johnstone MSP, Health Board officials and a group of GP's from the South of Edinburgh, including representatives from the Southside GP surgery, on 17 November 2016.

Following discussions with NHS Lothian and Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership during 2016, the Southside partners decided to return their 17J contract to provide General Medical Services and the Board agreed to the practice converting to a directly managed 2C status from December 2016. The Board are currently considering options around the premises for the Southside Surgery.

Question reference: S5W-06247

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of people who attend A&E each year for emergency treatment as a result of a deterioration or crisis in their long-term condition.

Question reference: S5W-06238

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the remit and purpose is of the Effective Prescribing Group.

The Effective Prescribing Programme (EPP) has been set up by NHS National Services Scotland, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government to facilitate and support the quality of prescribing and medicines use. The EPP was established to accelerate change through clinical leadership, removing barriers to change and adding focus and pace.

The challenge of an aging population with increasingly complex multiple long term conditions requires that the NHS finds new and innovative ways of using its resources. An important guiding principle of this is, where possible, to adopt a ‘once for Scotland’ approach, ensuring best use of resources through joint working in order to improve patient healthcare outcomes.

The Effective Prescribing Programme Board (EPPB) sits within the governance arrangements of the member organisations. The EPPB reports, via the Scottish Association of Medical Directors, to the Sustainability and Value Board which in turn reports to NHS Chief Executives. The EPPB is chaired jointly by an NHS Medical Director and a Scottish Government official. All territorial Boards are represented on the EPPB.

Question reference: S5W-06243

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the minutes and decisions of the Effective Prescribing Group.

Question reference: S5W-06240

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) current and (b) future areas of focus are for the Effective Prescribing Group and its subgroups.

The Effective Prescribing Programme is currently focusing on: the clinical effectiveness of biological medicines; developing a clinical consensus approach to particular clinical areas; scaling up the holistic review of patients on multiple medicines; supporting the implementation of Prescribing Strategies; and Review of NHS Boards’ use of formularies to support effective use of medicines.

Future areas of focus have yet to be considered and agreed.