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-05995

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 23 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to encourage more people to take vitamin D supplements.

The Scottish Government has recently updated its advice on vitamin D supplementation for ages 6 months and over in line with the new Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition recommendations on vitamin D. The revised guidance is set out in full at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Health/Healthy-Living/Food-Health/vitaminD

We are currently considering how best to raise awareness of the new recommendations amongst the general public, particularly those most at risk of vitamin D deficiency. In addition, healthcare professionals play an important role in raising awareness of the importance of vitamin D with their patients and we are working with NHS Boards and other partners to ensure that healthcare professionals are fully aware of the new recommendations.

Supplements containing vitamin D are already available free of charge for pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children eligible for the Healthy Start scheme. In addition, the Scottish Government will offer free vitamins, which contain the recommended daily dose of vitamin D, to all pregnant women from Spring 2017.

Question reference: S5W-06074

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many night feeding machines are available for cancer patients, broken down by NHS board area.

Question reference: S5W-05993

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients requiring care packages self checked out of hospital without a care package in place in each year since 1999, also broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5W-06020

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS hospitals have contracts with law firms and how long these are for.

Question reference: S5W-06021

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of regulations covering advertising in NHS premises, in light of NHS hospitals in England hosting adverts for personal injury lawyers.

Question reference: S5W-06018

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether private companies are permitted to advertise in NHS hospitals.

As set out in Section seven of the Health and Medicines Act 1988, Health boards are permitted to generate income provided it does not significantly interfere with the provision of NHS services. This includes income generated through advertising. The Scottish Government believes the Act to be appropriate, and expects advertising to be discreet and respectful towards patients. Guidance on the issue is set out in NHS MEL (2000) 13, and associated documents, available at: http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/details.asp?PublicationID=167.

Question reference: S5W-06019

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what regulations cover advertising in NHS Scotland premises and how they are enforced.

Question reference: S5W-06017

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS Scotland hospitals generate income from advertising.

Question reference: S5W-06031

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement by the UK Government of a review of the health debt form, which means that patients are charged up to £300 by a GP for documentation to prove to debt collectors that they have mental health issues, whether it has plans to conduct a similar review.

The Scottish Government and BMA agree that a new GP contract should free up GP time to focus on those elements of medical care that really require GP involvement – including complex care for people with mental health problems and co-morbidities including mental ill health.

We are working with a range of partners to make sure people reach the most appropriate professional to meet their health care – and wider support – needs. For people in debt crisis with mental health problems, the most appropriate support may come from practice based mental health professionals, Occupational Therapists or support workers like Links Workers. The Scottish Government is committed to recruiting at least 250 Community Links Workers to work in GP surgeries and direct people to local services and support.

A meeting took place on place on 8 December 2016 between Ms Watt, Minister for Mental Health and voluntary sector representatives to discuss the inclusion of the Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form in the prescribed list of forms in the GP contract. It was agreed that a charity representative would open dialogue with credit agencies towards enabling completion of forms by health professionals rather than restricting to GPs.

Question reference: S5W-06016

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much money NHS Scotland generates from advertising in hospitals.