Chamber and committees

This information is not held centrally.

The Scottish Government notes the recent report by the MS Trust and recognises the vital role that specialist nurses play in providing support to those who live with multiple sclerosis (MS). That is why we have invested an extra £2.5 million in the Specialist Nursing and Care Fund on a recurring basis, which has already led to an increase in the number of MS specialist nurses across the country.

This information is not held centrally: it is for independently contracted general medical practices and dental surgeries to decide how best to communicate with their patients. There are no current plans to introduce a national text appointments service for GP surgeries or dentists. Decisions at practice or NHS board level allow solutions to integrate with existing processes and systems, and to be responsive to local circumstances.

In Scotland NHS boards receive funding for the costs of medicines from their Scottish Government baseline funding.

I also refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03150 on 7 October 2016. 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

The average cost to the NHS in Scotland of an attendance at an A&E outpatient consultant-led clinic in 2014-15 was £112. The average cost of an A&E attendance across NHS Lothian was £88 in 2014-15.

A number of bisphosphonate medicines are licensed and have been accepted for use in Scotland for the treatment of osteoporosis and also for the reduction of bone damage when cancer has already spread to the bone. At this time no bisphosphonate has a license to reduce the risk of cancer spreading to the bone.

Where a medicine does not have a license for a specific condition NHS boards in Scotland have guidance and procedures in place for off-label prescribing. A decision to recommend a drug off-label should be based on the clinical judgement of the prescriber concerned and must take account of safety and efficacy risks.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-03198 on 7 October 2016. 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

Additionally, I would also like to clarify that it is the role of the Scottish Government to provide policies, frameworks and resources to NHS boards to allow them to deliver services that meet the assessed needs of their local populations. Within this context, the actual provision of healthcare services, including staffing, is the responsibility of local boards, taking into account national guidance, local service needs and priorities for investment. We expect all NHS boards to regularly review services (including levels of staffing) to ensure they continue to reflect local needs and provide the best quality healthcare services.

The work referred to in S5W-02524 and in S5W-00568 answered on 17 June 2016 is currently underway and it would not be appropriate to prejudge the outcome of this work.

In the meantime, Transport Scotland continues to assess the need for localised improvements on the A720 and has allocated over £2M for improvements on this route during 2016-17. A further £110K has already been spent on a scheme which was designed to improve lane discipline and safety at Sheriffhall Roundabout.

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

The Scottish Government remains committed to undertaking improvements at Sheriffhall roundabout. We continue to progress the option assessment process to identify a preferred option for the grade separation of Sheriffhall roundabout. The junction improvement options under consideration will be presented to the public for comment later this year and it is expected that the option assessment process will be completed by the end of 2016-17.

Delivery of the scheme itself can only commence when the scheme is approved under the statutory procedures and thereafter a timetable for construction can be set in line with available budgets.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to meeting its international human rights obligations, including those arising under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

We have recently consulted on a Disability Delivery Plan which addresses key aspects of the rights identified by the Convention and will report to the UN (via the UK) on Scotland’s performance against treaty obligations as part of the Universal Periodic Review process (in 2017) and in due course also to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (date of examination yet to be set).

The Scotland Act 1998 requires all Acts of the Scottish Parliament to be compatible with core rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Equality Act 2010 sets the legal framework for tackling discrimination across Great Britain. The public sector equality duty at section 149 of the Act requires Scottish Ministers to have due regard to the need to – eliminate discrimination which is unlawful under the Act, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations.