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-21138

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many people who are awaiting inpatient appointments to access orthopaedic procedures have been waiting for (a) 100 to 199, (b) 200 to 299, (c) 300 to 364 and (d) at least 365 days.

Procedure level waiting times for inpatients awaiting orthopaedic appointments are not centrally held. However we do collect information on Speciality level Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery waiting times. For a breakdown on waiting times for orthopaedic procedures I would advise Mr Findlay to request this information from individual Health Boards.

Due to technical problems experienced with the submission of data to ISD, the latest data for all inpatient admissions for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery is for 31 March 2017. At this time the number of patients waiting between (a)100 to 199 days was 1670, (b) 200 to 299 days was 262, (c) 300 to 364 days was 22, (d) at least 365 days was 17.

I am aware that too many patients across Scotland, including those waiting for an orthopaedic procedure, are waiting too long for treatments and appointments. That is why I published the Waiting Times Improvement Plan in October 2018. Overall investment will support reforms to increase capacity, increase clinical effectiveness and efficiency as well as implementing new models of care.

Question reference: S5O-02870

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to alleviate the reported parking problems at St John's Hospital.

Question reference: S5W-21116

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 29 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20853 by Clare Haughey on 21 January 2019, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what the average waiting time is to see a psychologist in NHS Lothian, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.

Question reference: S5W-20913

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances would meetings between the First Minister and (a) individuals, (b) groups, (c) businesses or their representatives and (d) other third parties at the First Minister's private residence not be recorded in the published ministerial diaries.

Question reference: S5W-20912

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the First Minister has held since May 2016 with (a) individuals, (b) groups, (c) businesses or their representatives and (d) other third parties at the First Minister's private residence that have not been recorded in the published ministerial diaries.

Question reference: S5W-20914

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on updating its procedures to ensure that all meetings between the First Minister and (a) individuals, (b) groups, (c) businesses or their representatives and (d) other third parties at the First Minister's private residence are published in the ministerial diaries.

The Scottish Government does not record any meetings that the First Minister undertakes at her private residence in a non-ministerial capacity. Details of meetings held by the First Minister in her capacity as First Minister can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/

Notes of personal meetings at a Minister’s private residence are not recorded by their Private Office. It is the responsibility of each Minister to decide whether and what action is needed after such meetings or phone calls, to avoid conflict or the perception of a conflict of interests.

The proactive publication of Ministerial diaries concerns all meetings and engagements undertaken in a Ministerial capacity but does not cover personal meetings at private residences, unless the Minister deems the details of these meetings are to be published for public interests.

As is the case with all procedures, Scottish Government procedures in relation to the recording of meetings are updated as and when required.

Question reference: S5W-21040

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the St Louis-based obstetrician-gynaecologist, Dr Dionysios Veronikis, has offered to come to Scotland to remove surgical mesh from patients and train other surgeons on how to do this.

In Scotland, removal of mesh implants is presently undertaken by the ‘Mesh Complication Service’ in two specialised centres in NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

https://www.baus.org.uk/patients/glasgow.aspx

The two Scottish centres work collaboratively and offer a full complement of surgical treatment. The surgeons are committed to both high quality clinical care and governance. The vital importance of shared decision making is recognised, thus ensuring that patients are able to give fully informed consent.

Any need for further professional development will be identified – as necessary – by Health Boards, other UK specialised centres and professional bodies. Health Boards may consider offers of assistance but, clearly, all those suggested must be of appropriate professional standing and must possess relevant clearance by the General Medical Council to practice in the UK.

Question reference: S5W-20854

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 21 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is to access orthopaedic procedures in NHS Lothian.

Latest published data show that the median waiting time in days for elective Orthopaedic inpatients and day cases in NHS Lothian for quarter ending June 2018 was 99 days.

I am aware that too many patients across Scotland, including the Orthopaedic service within NHS Lothian are waiting too long for treatments and appointments. That is why I published the Waiting Times Improvement Plan in October 2018. Overall investment will support reforms to increase capacity, increase clinical effectiveness and efficiency as well as implementing new models of care.

I expect all boards, including NHS Lothian to show improvements by March 2019. So far this year NHS Lothian have received £7.4 million to reduce the number of patients experiencing long waits.

Question reference: S5W-20855

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 21 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many children who would ordinarily have been treated at the children’s ward out-of-hours service at St John’s Hospital, Livingston, have had to be transferred to Edinburgh for treatment in each month since July 2017 when the service was closed.

The information requested is copied in the following table which was provided by NHS Lothian.

As I made clear in my statement to Parliament in September, NHS Lothian fully share my commitment to reinstating the inpatient service at St John's as soon as possible and this will continue to receive the highest level of priority. As previously advised, I will also update Parliament on progress by the end of January.

NUMBER OF CHILDREN TRANSFERRED* FROM ST JOHN’S TO RHSC

By Month: July 2017 to 14 th January 2019

MONTH	2017	2018	2019
January		60	22
February		60
March		51
April		62
May		49
June		33
July	47	23
August	41	40
September	67	54
October	57	46
November	93	69
December	83	78

Total Transfers – 1035 **

* This includes all children transferred to RHSC, whether or not they were admitted

** Of the 1035 children transferred since July 2017, 892 required to be admitted to an inpatient bed

Question reference: S5W-20853

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 21 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is to see a psychologist in NHS Lothian.