- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 7 January 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting has been for people with pancreatic cancer to begin treatment in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold data on average waiting times for Pancreatic Cancer.
Tables 1 and 2 present information on the median wait in days for NHSScotland eligible referrals with a newly diagnosed primary Upper Gastrointestinal Hepatopancreatobiliary cancer for both the 62 and 31 day standard.
Table 1. Median wait (days) from Date of Receipt of Referral to Date of First Treatment for 62 Day Standard, for Upper GI - Hepatopancreatobiliary cancer 1 , by Board of Receipt of Referral and calendar year.
| | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
NHS Scotland | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 19 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 21 |
NHS Borders | 12.5 | 19.5 | 17 | 30 | 22 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 23.5 | 18 | 15 | 27 | 22 |
NHS Fife | 18 | 14 | 16.5 | 20 | 22 |
NHS Forth Valley | 15 | 16.5 | 16 | 13.5 | 13 |
NHS Grampian | 17 | 16 | 19 | 17.5 | 14 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 20.5 | 24.5 | 24.5 | 20.5 | 23 |
NHS Highland | 13 | 18.5 | 14 | 18.5 | 22 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 15 | 16.5 | 14.5 | - | 12 |
NHS Lothian | 21 | 23.5 | 22 | 32 | 34.5 |
NHS Orkney | - | - | - | - | 29 |
NHS Shetland | 13 | - | 21 | 34 | - |
NHS Tayside | 42 | - | - | - | - |
NHS Western Isles | 15 | 28 | 21 | 28 | 14 |
- denotes where median was not calculated as number of eligible referrals was less than 3 . |
Table 2. Median wait (days) 2 from Date of Decision to Treat to Date of First Treatment for 31 Day Standard, for Upper GI - Hepatopancreatobiliary cancer 1 , by Board of First Treatment and calendar year.
| | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
NHS Scotland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Golden Jubilee National Hospital | - | - | - | - | - |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NHS Borders | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NHS Fife | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NHS Forth Valley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NHS Grampian | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.5 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
NHS Highland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
NHS Lothian | 2 | 3 | 5.5 | 6 | 4 |
NHS Orkney | - | - | - | - | 0 |
NHS Shetland | 0 | - | - | 0 | - |
NHS Tayside | 7 | - | - | - | - |
NHS Western Isles | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- denotes where median was not calculated as number of eligible referrals was less than 3. |
1. Upper GI Hepatopancreatobiliary cancer (ICD-10 C22-C25). The Cancer Waiting Times database does not hold individual ICD-10 codes, only cancer type. Therefore, this information cannot be broken down any further. Cancer of the Pancreas is identified by ICD-10 C25
2. For eligible referrals for the 31 day standard a large proportion had either type of first treatment of Supportive Care or Watchful wait/active surveillance (37% of eligible referrals in 2013, 36% in 2014, 38% in 2015, 40% in 2016 and 47% in 2017). These types of first treatments generally begin immediately after the decision to treat has been made, therefore the date of decision to treat and date of first treatment can be the same day.
Source: ISD Scotland
Ref: IR2018-01968
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 7 January 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the call by Pancreatic Cancer UK for people with the condition to begin treatment within 20 days of diagnosis.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to introduce a differential target for pancreatic cancers. In Scotland there are 2 cancer waiting times standards these are:
- a 31-day target from decision to treat until first treatment for all new cancers
- a 62-day target from urgent referral with suspicion of cancer, including referrals from national cancer screening programmes, and direct to A&E until first treatment.
Cancer waiting times performance statistics are published quarterly by ISD. There is a 5% tolerance on each of the standards.
Pancreatic cancer waiting times are not individually collected. Data on their parent group (Upper Gastrointestinal cancers) published for July - Sept 2018 indicates that:
- 97.7% of patients received treatment within 62 days of urgent referral with a median wait of 30 days.
- 99.3% of patients received treatment (regardless of route of referral) within 31 days of decision to treat with a median wait of 1 day.
A Clinical Review of Cancer Waiting Times was completed in May this year, with recommendations to improve waiting times for the diagnosis and treatment of those people with cancer in Scotland. These recommendations will be taken forward with advice from an Implementation Group.
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 20 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that some adults in Fife are waiting up to 11 months to be seen by a mental health specialist, and what plan it has to conduct a review of NHS Fife’s adult mental health support.
Answer
Recent data show that the average wait for treatment for psychological therapies in NHS Fife was 10 weeks (Jul-Sept 2018). However, some people are still waiting far too long – 7.4% waited over a year to be seen. We are deeply disappointed that despite mental health being a key priority for this Government a number of NHS Boards, including NHS Fife, are still not meeting the 18 week waiting times standard for access to psychological therapies.
We remain determined to drive improvements in access to mental health services. This is why we continue to invest in services, including £54 million over four years to help boards improve access and build capacity. We also set out plans in the Programme for Government to utilise technology to extend access for adults to a range of support services. Between 2016-17 and 2019-20, NHS Fife will receive a total of £2,390,323 for capacity building and workforce development to improve access to CAMHS and psychological therapies. Under Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy, which sets out our commitment to funding 800 additional mental health workers in key settings, NHS Fife will also receive a total of £5,716,858 between 2018-19 to 2021-22. This funding aims to ensure that local provision and support is at the heart of our plans.
We have no plans to conduct a review of NHS Fife’s adult mental health support.
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the single-person discount for Council Tax.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2019
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5O-02462 by Jeanne Freeman on 24 October 2018 (Official Report, c. 5) and S5W-20199 by Joe FitzPatrick on 5 December 2018, whether it will confirm what progress has been made in its discussions with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, and by what date it will announce its decision regarding whether it will invest in a universal and equal right to pulmonary rehabilitation for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Answer
In line with the Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities, which sets out that everyone has the right to have their needs taken into account when receiving NHS services in Scotland, there is already a lot of work underway to help people with long term respiratory conditions to live well.
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland are fully involved in the discussions that will inform the development of the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, which we aim to publish in 2019. The Plan will raise awareness and drive improvement in outcomes for people with all long-term respiratory conditions. Improving access to pulmonary rehabilitation for everyone who may benefit from it will form an important part of this Plan.
We have funded the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland to deliver A Local Information System for Scotland (ALISS). This is a web-based resource co-produced with a range of people that connects people living with long term conditions including COPD, with sources of help and support within their communities. ALISS currently has 5,186 services on its system. These range from local to wider national services. It can be accessed by individuals or care professionals.
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 5 December 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the call by Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland for it to invest in a universal and equal right to pulmonary rehab for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5O-02462 on 24 October 2018 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11724&i=106125
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reduce the single-person council tax discount to 10% and, if so, what its position is on introducing a concession for older people.
Answer
We have no plans to reduce the council tax single person discount.
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to receive in Barnett consequentials from the UK Budget, and what its position is on allocating funds from this to support reinstating the Levenmouth rail link.
Answer
As a result of the UK Budget 2018, the Scottish Government will receive additional Barnett consequentials of £959.6 million over the years 2018-19 to 2020-21, the majority of which arise from planned announcements around Health. Even with these consequentials, the Scottish Government Resource Block Grant will be almost £2 billion lower in real terms in 2019-20 when compared with 2010-11. UK Budget consequentials form part of the overall funding available to the Scottish Government, and Scottish Ministers will announce their plans for the 2019-20 Scottish Budget on 12 December 2018.
Transport Scotland is progressing the transport appraisal work for the Levenmouth Sustainable Transport Study in line with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and in close collaboration with Fife Council. The Levenmouth rail link is one of a number of transport options currently being considered as part of the ongoing transport appraisal work. A robust Strategic Business Case based on evidence from a completed transport appraisal would be needed to inform any investment decision to progress a transport project to the next stage of business case development.
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the Safe Drive, Stay Alive project has had on road safety in the Forth Valley area, and whether it will consider allocating additional funding outwith the local government settlement to support the initiative.
Answer
We recognise the import role that our road safety partners play in running pre driver interventions such as Safe Drive Stay Alive. Pre-drivers are a priority focus area and we are committed to improving the road safety knowledge, attitudes and safe behaviours of individuals before they start driving.
Transport Scotland commissioned TRL to carry out research on pre-driver interventions in Scotland. Key findings indicate that there is currently insufficient evidence to demonstrate their effectiveness. The report made a number of recommendations and can be found at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/review-and-assessment-of-pre-driver-interventions-in-scotland/
Whilst Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2020 offers structure and guidance in how partners, including the Scottish Government, work together, deciding which intervention is funded in each area is a matter for delivery partners.
- Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 November 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-18910 by Jeane Freeman on 27 September 2018, how consideration of evidence from acute stroke service reconfiguration elsewhere in the UK by the Thrombectomy Advisory Group will be used to improve aspects of acute stroke care, other than thrombectomy, such as access to thrombolysis and brain scanning.
Answer
The Thrombectomy Advisory Group is responsible for ensuring that the strategic vision for the implementation of thrombectomy services in Scotland is developed and delivered. We will ensure that decisions relating to the proposed service are made in the best interests of stroke patients across Scotland and that it aligns with the wider health and social care strategies. Thrombolysis and brain scanning are already reported on in the Scottish Stroke Care Programme Report and to improve services effectively, the Scottish Stroke Care Audit National Clinical Coordinator and Stroke Improvement Programme Lead and will continue to work closely with NHS Boards to ensure the Scottish Stroke Standards are implemented, monitored and reviewed.
