- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 28 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government what policy advisers it seeks advice from in relation to health and wellbeing and how much they are paid.
Answer
The civil service are the primary source of health and wellbeing policy advice provided to Scottish Ministers. The costs of the Scottish Administration are published in the Scottish Government’s accounts.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government what targets are set to measure the performance of NHS 24 and whether they are being met.
Answer
As part of the Local Delivery Plan (LDP) process NHS 24 agree with the Scottish Government the annual performance levels they are expected to deliver. The 2013-14 LDP can be found at:
http://www.nhs24.com/AboutUs/NHS24Board/Local-Delivery-Plan
NHS boards are accountable for their performance to patients and the public, and to Scottish Ministers, and each year undertake a public annual review and publish an annual report. Information related to this, including the NHS 24 self-assessment document and the follow-up letter from the annual review can be found at:
http://www.nhs24.com/AboutUs/NHS24Board/AnnualReview
http://www.nhs24.com/AboutUs/NHS24Board/AnnualReport
This information demonstrates that NHS 24 have consistently achieved or exceeded almost all of their performance targets over recent years.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that organisations established to help develop its integration in health and social care programme are advised of human resources issues.
Answer
The Scottish Government has established two working groups to support partnerships in bringing together a workforce for integration. The first, the Workforce Development Strategic Group is looking at the culture, behaviour and language of the workforce and the second, the HR Working Group, is looking at the technical complexities of bringing a workforce together.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government whether it would introduce pay bargaining bodies and mechanisms for (a) health and (b) social care workers in an independent Scotland.
Answer
NHS pay is set with reference to the recommendations of the NHS pay review body (for Agenda for Change staff) and the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review Body (for doctors and dentists). The Scottish Government values the advice of these UK bodies and would anticipate continuing to make use of either these or equivalent bodies going forward, although no specific discussions have taken place with the UK Government on this issue.
With regard to direct pay bargaining, Scotland already has highly developed NHS partnership arrangements. Any direct negotiation on pay is already taken forward through these structures and this will continue to be the case in the future.
Terms and conditions for social care workers in Scotland are currently a matter for individual employers. We have no plans to change this.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS 24 has shelved any new IT systems since 2007 and, if so, how much it had spent on their development.
Answer
This is an operational matter for NHS 24, but they advise that no IT systems have been shelved.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government how many working hours have been lost to absence at NHS 24 in each year since 2007, broken down by reason.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government what meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has had with NHS 24 senior management since 1 March 2013.
Answer
I meet with the chairs of all NHS boards on a monthly basis, this includes the chair of NHS 24, and Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with the NHS 24 senior management team about a range of matters.
Specific information about ministerial meetings and engagements is published periodically and can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/People/14944/Events-Engagements
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) abolishing and (b) replacing the NHS pay review body.
Answer
The Scottish Government values the independent advice of the NHS pay review body. We will take a view at the appropriate time as to whether to continue to access advice from the current body, or whether a Scottish specific body would best serve the needs of Scotland.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent recommendation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, what plans it has to vaccinate all (a) babies, (b) infants and (c) children with the Bexsero vaccine, and what steps it has already taken to implement such a programme.
Answer
The Scottish Government is given independent advice by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the independent expert advisory group who advise the four UK countries about all aspects of immunisation. The JCVI recently recommended a carefully planned immunisation programme for Meningitis B at 2, 4 and 12 months of age, as part of the primary infant immunisation schedule. The JCVI further advised that a targeted carriage study be undertaken in adolescents to assess the impact of the Bexsero vaccine on the acquisition of meningococcal carriage.
I am delighted that the JCVI has identified the importance of introducing a vaccine against Meningitis B. This disease can be devastating for children and their families and I am very keen that we take the necessary steps to tackle its effects. I welcome the JCVI’s announcement, and officials will be working to ensure that the vaccine can be introduced as quickly as possible into Scotland’s routine childhood immunisation schedule. The first step will be for the Department for Health to begin the process of procuring the vaccine for the four UK countries.
- Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2014
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 4 April 2014
To ask the Scottish Government whether it would set up an organisation similar to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration in an independent Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government values the independent advice of the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body. We will take a view at the appropriate time as to whether to continue to access advice from the current body, or whether a Scottish specific body would best serve the needs of Scotland.