Chamber and committees

In Scotland we have a clear route for new drugs to be appraised through the long standing Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC).

Where SMC accept medicines for routine use in Scotland Health Boards are expected to make the medicine or its equivalent available to patients. Following an SMC decision not to accept a medicine, NHS Boards have systems in place which can provide access to newly licensed medicines on an individual patient basis and where the patient’s clinician considers this to be appropriate.

Decisions on whether to prescribe a medicine is a matter for the clinical judgement of the patient’s doctor, in consultation with the patient, informed by advice and guidance about the drug.

In recent years, the Scottish Government have made significant reforms and investment to improve access to newly licensed medicines. However, I do think that more can be done to build on the progress made to date which is why I asked Dr Brian Montgomery to conduct an independent review. I have received his report and I am considering his recommendations.

In Scotland, we have a clear and consistent route for new drugs to be appraised through the long standing independent Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). There are a number of medicines which have been accepted by the SMC for routine use within the NHS in Scotland for the treatment of cancer.

The Scottish Government is working with NHS Lothian to test approaches to identify how best to capture feedback from bereaved families, including the VOICES survey. Subject to the necessary ethics approval, this work will commence in Spring 2017. This is expected to support local service improvement and provide data to inform local strategy and policy development.

The trade in shark products is not illegal, however the importing of products of animal origin into the UK is subject to certain international controls (https://www.gov.uk/animal-products-import-and-export and, in the case of individuals, personal allowances (https://www.gov.uk/personal-food-plant-and-animal-product-imports.

Since 2009 the Scottish Government has banned the removal of shark fins at sea without exemption. The practice of shark finning is extremely wasteful and without the full carcass it is difficult to identify the species the fins have come from increasing the risk of endangered or prohibited species being targeted. Following lobbying from Member States, including the Scottish Government, the EU agreed in 2013 to cease issuing shark finning exemptions known as Special Fishing Permits.

In 2012, the Scottish Government extended protection for a number of shark, skate and ray species to prevent landing a number of species by recreational sea anglers also. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2012/63/made.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-04512 on 17 November 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 National Implementation and Advisory Group (NIAG) for the Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative Care (SFA) has met once since the publication of the Strategic Framework for Action on Palliative and End of Life Care was published in December 2015. Sub-groups of the NIAG have continued to meet throughout the year to progress the SFA.

The group was scheduled to meet on 26 September 2016, but due to the number of apologies received this meeting was postponed until 14 December 2016.

In 2015, the year before integration went live, the Scottish Government published statutory guidance on strategic commissioning setting out that each Partnership's strategic commissioning plan should be based upon a Strategic Needs Assessment of local people, including those with palliative and end of life care needs.

The strategic commissioning plan sets out how Partnerships will plan and deliver services for their area over the medium term, using the integrated budgets under their control. This includes palliative and end of life care services.

Within this wider context NHS boards remain responsible for the procurement of palliative and end of life services, including those provided by Hospices. Therefore the procurement arrangements set out CEL 12 (2012), remain relevant and applicable. There are therefore no plans to update and/or reissue the Chief Executive Letter, CEL 12 (2012).

This information is not centrally held in the form requested.

Information on NHS board expenditure is published by NHS Information Services Division (ISD) on an annual basis in the Scottish Health Service Costs Report (often referred to as the ‘Cost Book’). Expenditure on treatments provided by third sector organisations over the past five years broken down by NHS board is set out in the following table.

This information only relates to treatment and may not reflect the full spectrum of support and care that voluntary organisations provide to NHS boards.

Expenditure for treatments provided by Voluntary Organisations (£000)¹: 2010-11-2014-15

1. Expenditure for treatments provided by Voluntary Organisations as recorded in Costs Book (SFR 24.0, Line Number 471).

ALISS is available online at www.aliss.org so is accessible by all GPs. The service includes sources of support in the community across the full range of health and care services not just for mental health.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-04425 on 16 November 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