Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-26517

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 5 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has commissioned into the impact of the language used in, and how best to frame, messaging regarding healthy weight, nutrition and physical activity.

Public health messaging on diet, weight and physical activity is an important and sensitive area of work to which we will be giving more attention, drawing on the evidence and learning from other policies. Over the coming year, with NHS Health Scotland and other stakeholders, we will be considering what action national agencies and frontline services should take to ensure our messaging will be effective in promoting positive health change without stigma or discrimination.

More generally, the Scottish Government commissions market research where necessary to ensure that communications are informed by audience insight. Communications are also informed by behavioural insights and evidenced models of behaviour change.

As part of a wellbeing pilot project to tackle underlying causes of various health risk behaviours, including physical inactivity and poor diet, we have commissioned independent qualitative market research with target populations to inform how messages are framed and the language used. The research has highlighted factors that contribute to people undertaking behaviours that are bad for their health and the communication approaches that will be most effective in encouraging behaviour change to improve health outcomes. The findings will inform the development of a mental health and wellbeing pilot campaign in February 2020.

Question reference: S5O-03900

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government about the UK and Ireland staging the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Question reference: S5W-26439

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26177 by Michael Matheson on 18 November 2019, what processes have been developed to ensure continued driver safety in the intervening period.

The safety of road users is our number one priority.

Until the sensors to detect whether there is a risk of ice forming are installed, specialist weather forecasting and close observation of the structure will indicate whether physical measures will need to be taken to clear any ice. In the rare circumstances where ice does form, traffic management will be implemented to facilitate ice clearance, and road users will be alerted in advance to minimize disruption.

Question reference: S5W-26482

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25487 by Jeane Freeman on 25 September 2019, what further announcements it plans to make on the roll-out of HEPMA (Hospital Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration).

Question reference: S5W-26481

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the role that automated medicine cabinets can play in reducing deaths linked to medication errors in the NHS.

Automated or semi-automated medicines cabinets are used to promote quicker access to medicines, allow automatic ordering of medicines and release nursing time. There is limited published evidence that these cabinets reduce deaths linked to medication errors. This is more likely to be addressed by access to clinical decision support systems provided through Hospital Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (HEPMA) implementation.

Question reference: S5W-26480

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it records information on how many medication errors are made every year in the NHS, and, if so, whether it will provide the figures for each year since 2007.

Question reference: S5W-26479

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it is taking to improve the administration of medicines by NHS boards.

Question reference: S5W-26528

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for each NHS board to achieve full implementation of hospital electronic prescribing and medicines administration (HEPMA).

Question reference: S5W-26494

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the submissions that have been made to inform the work of the Mental Health Legislation Review.

Question reference: S5W-26507

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported delays in accessing cardiology appointments at NHS Dumfries & Galloway; what discussions it has had with the health board on this, and what support it will provide it with to improve the situation.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway's cardiology service has a small volume of activity and operates with a visiting workforce. As a result there will be occasions when there are spikes in waiting times however performance has consistently remained within the expected levels for outpatient appointments. In the last year performance has remained at or above 97% of patients receiving an appointment within 12 weeks from referral.

Scottish Government Officials have regular contact with NHS Dumfries and Galloway on their waiting times performance and we have provided £2.65m of additional funding to the Board this financial year to support them to build on their current performance levels.

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