- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 20 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the ownership of personal data collected by private companies as part of their role delivering public services or providing services through public procurement.
Answer
The Scottish Government takes the privacy of citizen’s data very seriously and is committed to ensuring that the personal data that we control complies with the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulations. Scottish Government commercial contracts comply with current Data Protection Laws. Where the Scottish Government is deemed to be the Data Controller under Data Protection Laws, the Scottish Government will exercise overall control of the personal data. Where the supplier is deemed to be the Data Controller under Data Protection Laws, the supplier will have control over some or all of the data and is directly responsible for compliance with Data Protection Laws. In terms of intellectual property rights, Scottish Government commercial contracts normally secure the ownership of data by the Scottish Ministers and any licencing of such data would be in accordance with data protection laws. Both data protection and intellectual property rights are matters reserved to the UK Government, which means that the Scottish Government has no powers to make or amend legislation in this area.
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 15 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the incidents at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow that were reported in March 2018, how the bacteria got into the water, and which areas of the hospital were affected.
Answer
On 20 March 2018 the then Cabinet Secretary, Shona Robison MSP, announced to Parliament that she had asked Health Protection Scotland (HPS) to undertake a thorough investigation of this incident. The investigation into the source of the outbreak is on-going, however there have been no patient cases since 14 September 2018.
A report will be provided to Parliament in due course which will address the incident in full and the outcomes will be used to inform learning for NHSScotland.
Wards 2A and 2B, the haemato-oncology unit in the Royal Hospital for Children, have been affected by this incident.
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients were affected by the incidents of bacteria in the water at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow that were reported in 2015, broken down by the ward they were on and its speciality.
Answer
The incident reported by the Board in 2015 affected 18 patients, all of whom were in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This unit cares for both medical and surgical neonates.
Health Protection Scotland conducted a thorough investigation, which concluded that this incident did not relate to bacteria in the water.
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the incidents at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow that were reported in 2015, what the consequences were for patients of the incidents of bacteria in the water; how many were prescribed prophylactic antibiotics; whether the water is now clear of bacteria in the areas that were affected; how long the water was contaminated for; whether the ward is a safe environment for patients; who was responsible for ensuring that the water was safe before the hospital opened, and who has been responsible for this since.
Answer
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have confirmed that 18 patients were affected by the incident in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in 2015. One of these patients, a very premature infant with complex medical problems, developed a blood stream infection and died as a result. A further 2 patients died of causes unrelated to the incident and the remaining 15 patients were discharged home . The Scottish Government do not hold information centrally on the number of patients who were prescribed prophylactic antibiotics.
The Health Protection Scotland investigation concluded that this incident did not relate to bacteria in the water and the NICU was safe for patents and their families.
Prior to the hospital opening, the Project Director and Project Team were responsible for ensuring water safety. Decisions were based on reports and advice from the appointed commissioning engineers. The Director of Properties, Procurement and Facilities Management is now responsible for water safety.
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to arts and culture facilities in Glasgow.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2018
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the number of occupational therapists in schools to help improve mental health provision for children and young people.
Answer
We have made absolutely clear the commitment of this government to promoting and supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing, through wide ranging commitments in our Programme for Government.
Those commitments build on the responsibilities of education authorities to identify, provide for, and to review the additional support needs of their pupils, under the Additional Support for Learning Act. The Act enables education authorities to seek help from other agencies in delivering these duties. This includes support for improving the mental health of pupils provided by occupational therapy services.
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of how occupational therapy can be more effectively delivered in schools, colleges and universities to help deal with mental health problems among young people.
Answer
We have made absolutely clear the commitment of this government to promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. There are a range of professionals, including occupational therapy services, who have a valuable contribution to make to supporting and improving children and young people’s mental health. Education authorities and schools can utilise a spectrum of support services, including occupational therapists, to meet the needs of their pupils.
To support students in colleges and universities the Scottish Government has supported the NUS Scotland’s “Think Positive” project, which focusses on the importance of early intervention. Additional funding for the project was announced in March 2018, to; help institutions create a Student Mental Health Agreement, launch a small grants scheme (up to £250), encourage innovation, and organise events to share best practice in student mental health support.
Further, The Programme for Government includes commitments to provide counsellors in schools and further and higher education to provide support and to develop and maintain positive mental health and wellbeing for children and young people.
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reduction in the frequency of (a) dental checks and (b) scale and polish treatments proposed in the Oral Health Improvement Plan might have on oral (i) health and (ii) cancer outcomes, and what evidence it considered when developing this proposal.
Answer
The Plan articulates a move to a preventive care system where patients would be seen according to their oral health need. This means that patients may be seen more frequently than currently if they have poor oral health and some less frequently if their level of oral health and general health justifies it. This model is supported by National Institute and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidelines on the frequency of dental check-ups.
The model of care we propose also includes an Oral Health Risk Assessment and personalised care plan for adult patients in relation to oral cancer, gum disease and decay according to their degree of risk. This is a considerable enhancement on the current check-up regime.
Patients who need a scale and polish will continue to receive this treatment. Recent evidence from the iQUAD study led by the University of Dundee and the Health Services Research Unit in the University of Aberdeen has informed the policy. In the future the emphasis will be on treating periodontal disease. For patients with periodontal disease or a high risk of developing it, the intention is to ensure these patients receive a clinically proven programme of periodontal care.
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether a decision has been made regarding the cystic fibrosis drug, Orkambi, which was being considered for assessment under the new ultra-orphan medicine pathway that took effect on 1 October 2018.
Answer
Yes. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has determined, further to a request from the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, that Orkambi ® is not suitable for assessment under the new ultra-orphan pathway. The SMC has come to this view having regard to the approximately 900 people in Scotland who suffer from cystic fibrosis. The ultra-orphan pathway is intended for conditions with a prevalence of 1 in 50,000 or less, equivalent to around 100 people in Scotland. The SMC takes decisions independently of Ministers.
The Scottish Government continues to call upon the manufacturer of Orkambi ® , Vertex Pharmaceuticals, to make a new submission to the SMC, at a fair price that allows general access on the NHS. Clinicians may also apply for individual patients to have access to the medicine, through the Peer Approved Clinical System (PACS) Tier Two, which has been in place since June 2018. The Scottish Government is collecting information from Health Boards about the use of PACS Tier Two and plans to publish statistics as part of the previously announced reviews of the new process six and twelve months after its commencement.
- Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government which bacteria was identified during the incidents that were reported at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow in March 2018, and whether it is the same bacteria that was identified during similar incidents in November 2015.
Answer
On 20 March 2018 the then Cabinet Secretary, Shona Robison MSP, announced to Parliament that she had asked Health Protection Scotland (HPS) to undertake a thorough investigation of this incident. This investigation is on-going and once it has concluded a report will be provided. This report will address the incident in full and the outcomes will be used to inform learning for NHSScotland.
Regarding the incident in 2015, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that HPS conducted a thorough investigation of the incident and concluded that it was not related to bacteria in the water.
