Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-29630

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many drug-related deaths there have been during the COVID-19 outbreak.

National Records Scotland (NRS) are responsible for publishing the Scottish drug death statistics on an annual basis. The last publication made by NRS was in July 2019.

We are currently awaiting details from them with regards to the date of publication for the 2019-2020 drug death statistics, which will include information on the number of recorded drug-related deaths during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Drug Death Taskforce (DDTF) and officials are in regular contact with Police Scotland around suspected drug deaths during this time.

Question reference: S5W-29616

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many communications have been received by the NHS Scotland confidential alert line in each month since it was established.

Question reference: S5W-29617

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government which cancer screening lab teams have not been used during the COVID-19 outbreak.

During the COVID-19 outbreak all cancer screening lab staff have continued to work on a variety of activities, including ongoing processing of tests which were returned prior to the pause of the screening programmes and assisting with testing for COVID-19.

There is ongoing work to prepare for the resumption of screening which includes lab staff preparing to start work on new tests as soon as they are received.

Question reference: S5W-29732

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in establishing a specialist adolescent learning disability CAMHS unit in NHS Lothian.

NHS Lothian was selected to develop proposals for the national Adolescent Learning Disability (LD) Unit following a tendering process.

The LD Service proposal was considered by the Corporate Finance Network and NHS Board Directors of Finance in November and December 2019. The proposals have now been submitted to NHS Board Chief Executives and they have noted the request for designation of the inpatient units, giving their approval in principle.

There are still several planning and approval processes to complete before the capital and other support for the LD Unit is established.

Question reference: S5W-29735

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when a national clinical network will be in place to support development of the National Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit and community services, linking with multiagency partners across Scotland.

There are no current plans to establish a National Child Psychiatry Clinical Network. I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29736 on 18 June 2020 for information about plans for a Managed Clinical Network for LD Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, which will also include within its remit, support for under 12s using the National LD Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit.

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 .

Question reference: S5W-29736

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to develop the full range of community child and adolescent mental health services for those with a learning disability.

The Scottish Government is working with NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on an application for a new Managed Clinical Network (MCN) for National Child and Adolescent Learning Disability Services. The responsibilities of the Network will include developing standards and pathways for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Learning Disability community services.

Question reference: S5O-04437

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to minimise waiting times for delayed operations.

Question reference: S5W-29609

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the capacity is for carrying out tests at COVID-19 testing sites, as opposed to laboratory test processing capacity, broken down by (a) NHS Scotland (i) fixed and (ii) mobile testing sites and (b) UK Government (i) fixed and (ii) mobile testing sites.

We now have active maximum weekday NHS testing capacity for around 8,600 tests a day, and weekend capacity of around 6,900 tests a day, with capacity for testing in all 14 NHS Health Boards. The NHS testing capacity figure is supported by non-NHS labs including: University of Edinburgh, University of Aberdeen, and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service. NHS Scotland’s testing capacity is not divided between fixed and mobile testing sites.

Data on testing capacity at each of the UK Government Testing Programme’s individual centres and mobile testing units is owned by the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care. The Scottish Government does not currently have permission to publish this data.

Question reference: S5W-29635

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what support has been provided during the COVID-19 outbreak to prisoners who are bi-polar prisoners, and what impact this has had on prison staff protocols.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

NHS Health Boards are responsible for the treatment and care of those with mental conditions in Scotland’s prisons, this includes those who may have a bipolar disorder. SPS are working with partners, including NHS, to support those in custody during this time.

If any person in custody wishes access to a member of the Mental Health Team, then they are able to self-refer. A Healthcare Professional will conduct an assessment within 7 to 14 days of a self-referral being submitted.

SPS staff are experienced in dealing with and supporting people who have mental health conditions. Where SPS staff have any immediate concerns regarding an individual’s mental health or risk of suicide, they can request an urgent assessment by the Mental Health Team. Where someone is identified as at risk of self-harm or suicide, SPS staff will initiate a concern form and interview the individual concerned. Those at risk of suicide are managed under SPS’ suicide prevention process, ‘Talk to Me’.

Self-help support leaflets, designed by SPS Psychologists, have been issued to everyone in custody and these provide information and tools which can be used to maintain a sense of wellbeing during the current pandemic.

All prisons continue to have Chaplains on site and they are available to talk to individuals who request pastoral support.

Question reference: S5W-29409

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 17 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many retired medics returning to support the NHS have been employed during the COVID-19 outbreak.

As at 5 June 2020, 19 medics who declared themselves as retired on an Expression of Interest form through the Accelerated recruitment Portal have subsequently been employed.

Retired medics who have been granted a temporary license to practise may seek employment either through a health board, the Accelerated Recruitment Portal, or both.

In addition to staff made available through the portal, local recruitment activity already begun in NHS Greater Glasgow has already led to 1,517 appointments and in NHS Lothian to 760 offers of employment.

Over 1500 staff have been made available to NHS Scotland Boards through the Accelerated Recruitment Portal so far, which has also supported the placement of over 4,600 nursing and midwifery students and over 560 medical graduates in boards to assist with our response.

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