Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-22606

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many community-based baby and child cardiac liaison nurses each NHS board has.

The requested information is not held centrally by ISD.

ISD Scotland publishes quarterly data on the NHS workforce. Nursing and Midwifery Sub Job Family data has been published on the ISD website and is available at: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2019-03-05/Nursing-and-Midwifery.asp

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) data has been published on the ISD website available here: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2018-12-04/Clinical_Nurse_Specialists_S2018.xls .

ISD Scotland data on CNS categories is incomplete because of data quality concerns in a number of NHS Boards. ISD Scotland is working with these NHS Boards on their concerns.

The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) specialty categories used nationally were historically agreed between Scottish Government and NHS Boards. At present there is no specific category for child cardiac liaison nurses.

As well as working with Boards on data quality, ISD Scotland is also reviewing the CNS definition, role and specialty categories and has confirmed that it intends to recommence the publication of CNS data in December 2019.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with ISD Scotland and NHS Boards to ensure improved recording.

Further information on the statistics, including information on how the data are collected and notes to aid interpretation, is given in the 'FAQs' section of the Workforce Statistics website at http://www.isdscotland.org/workforce/ .

Question reference: S5W-22531

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the timescale will be for the full roll-out of the new clinical decision support system in the NHS.

Question reference: S5W-22530

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the research by Dr Kathrin Cresswell of the University of the Edinburgh into how useful GPs, involved in a pilot study, found the new clinical decision support system.

The Scottish Government commissioned the Digital Health and Care Institute (DHI) to lead on this work. It was the DHI that commissioned the University of Edinburgh to conduct this research. They have now received it and are in the process of liaising with other partners on these findings in order to prepare a formal recommendation to the Scottish Government on next steps. The Scottish Government are anticipating receiving this in May and can consider future developments at that point.

Question reference: S5W-22631

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what work is carried out with people who have (a) blood and (b) other types of cancer regarding their experiences of living with the condition and how this impacts on their physical and mental wellbeing, and how the NHS uses this to inform the action that it takes to improve their quality of life.

The Cancer Strategy, Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action, has set out a number of specific actions to support people living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis. This includes a commitment to support access to health and social care services during and after treatments for all types of cancer, for example through Link Workers to provide support in local communities, and initiatives such as Macmillan's Improving the Cancer Journey. Further to this, the Scottish Government has partnered with Macmillan Cancer Support to perform a Scottish Cancer Patient Experience Survey, the results of which will be released at the end of April 2019 and will be reported at local and national level. Within the report will be a dashboard where health boards can access their particular results.

Question reference: S5W-22346

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 23 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21616 by Joe FitzPatrick on 27 February 2019, whether it will provide an update on the timescale for the development and publication of the Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland, and what consultation will take place with patients and other stakeholders as part of this process.

Work on the Respiratory care Action Plan for Scotland is being taken forward with a wide range of stakeholders across the respiratory community and third sector, such as the British Lung Foundation and Chest Heart Stroke Scotland, ensuring that the patients voice is heard throughout its development.

At this stage our expectation remains to publish the Plan in late 2019, at which stage it will be available for consultation.

Question reference: S5O-03131

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Electoral Commission regarding the provision of a free mailshot for local government election candidates.

Question reference: S5W-22467

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 17 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding whether the (a) covert administration of medication and (b) use of chemical restraint is compatible with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

As you are aware, we are taking forward work in order to strengthen support for people with mental health conditions and have committed to undertake an independent review of the Mental Health Act. Taken together with the ongoing work on capacity and adult support and protection legislation, we now have a comprehensive programme of activity amounting to an overarching review of the legislative framework affecting people with a mental disorder.

The principal aim of the review of the Mental Health Act is to improve the rights and protections of persons with a mental disorder and remove barriers to those caring for their health and welfare. It will do this by:

reviewing the developments in mental health law and practice on compulsory detention and care and treatment since the Mental Health Act came into force;
making recommendations that gives effect to the rights, will and preferences of the individual by ensuring that mental health, incapacity and adult support and protection legislation reflects people’s social, economic and cultural rights including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) requirements; and
considering the need for the convergence of incapacity, mental health and adult support and protection legislation.

All the legislative review work will consider what is needed to address any incompatibilities with UNCRPD and ensure Scotland continues to meets its international commitments.

Question reference: S5W-22468

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 17 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to amend the code of practice for the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 so that it no longer permits the use of covert medication.

Our mental health legislation promotes patients’ rights and provides safeguards and provides for support to patients in expressing their will and preferences. The principles include that any function should be carried out for the maximum benefit of the patient, with the minimum necessary restriction on the freedom of the patient and having regard to the views of the patient.

Covert medication must never be given to someone who is capable of deciding about medical treatment. In the case of adults, there is a presumption in favour of capacity and individuals must be supported to enable decision-making so far as possible. Individuals should be given as much information as possible to enable them to make a decision regarding medical treatment.

The Code of Practice which accompanies the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 explains that the use of covert medication is permissible in certain, limited circumstances e.g. to safeguard the health of an adult who is unable to consent to the treatment in question, where other alternatives have been explored and none are practicable. Practitioners are also referred to guidance documents covering Consent to Treatment and Covert Medication. We have though been looking to reform AWI legislation and are proceeding with a comprehensive programme of non-legislative changes to practice and guidance. We are developing a strategy for supported decision-making to enable people with impaired capacity to have the support they need to make their own decisions about their life and care, we will provide a comprehensive training programme for professionals across health, social care and the law, we are improving the provision of support for guardians and attorneys and we are revising the current codes of practice and guidance to provide clarity on the law as it stands.

Question reference: S5W-22349

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 17 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest waiting time has been for accessing one-to-one cognitive behavioural therapy in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S5F-03235

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 April 2019

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide details of the scope and remit of the Scottish Government's new task force to tackle drug deaths.

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