Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-14071

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the national treatment target numbers are for hepatitis C for each of the next three years.

The new annual national targets for hepatitis C (HCV) treatment initiations are at least 2000 for 2018-19, 2500 for 2019-20, 3000 for 2020-21 and 3000 for each subsequent year. These are all minimum targets.

The Scottish Government is committed to the elimination of hepatitis C as a public health concern. The updated recommendations of the HCV Treatment and Therapies Sub-Group of the National Sexual Health and Bloodborne Virus Advisory Committee will form the basis of an elimination plan, which will be published later this year.

Question reference: S5W-14102

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people outwith the target group have been treated for hepatitis C in each year for which information has been available.

In 2016-17, 42 % of people treated for hepatitis C (HCV) had no liver disease or mild liver disease and so were outwith the priority group of those with moderate to severe liver disease. For the first 6 months of 2017-18 the latest data indicates that 54% of people treated for hepatitis C had no liver disease or mild liver disease.

The principles developed by the HCV Treatment and Therapies Sub-Group of the National Sexual Health and Bloodborne Virus Advisory Committee state that patients should have an expectation that the likelihood of cure as a result of their initial treatment is at least 90% and this should be achieved with minimal possible side effects. All infected people are eligible for treatment regardless of disease progression, but the recommended treatment may vary dependent on HCV genotype and individual circumstances.

Question reference: S5W-14098

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many parking spaces have been made available for medical professionals at each NHS hospital site in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S5O-01775

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry will publish its report.

Question reference: S5W-13986

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 31 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13628 by Aileen Campbell on 18 January 2018, whether it will provide the information requested regarding whether ministers (a) were consulted beforehand regarding, (b) approved and (c) agreed with the actions of an official from its Strategic Planning and Clinical Priorities department in informing the Information Services Division (ISD) by email on 8 March 2017 that they did not want information published on return chronic pain patients, in light of the reported recent decision by the UK Statistics Regulator that ISD should resume its efforts to obtain this information, with ISD's full agreement.

Question reference: S5W-13992

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 30 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the incidence of influenza in winter 2017-18 has been reportedly higher for a number of years, and how it plans to learn lessons from the outbreak to reduce its incidence in future.

Influenza viruses change all the time, and each season more than one strain of flu virus will circulate. Different flu strains may have a different impact on population groups within Scotland, and this in turn can lead to variation in the impact on health services from year to year. This year, to date, influenza A(H3N2) has been the dominant strain, and this more severely impacts the elderly.

The annual variation in circulating viruses presents a significant challenge. We do not know which flu viruses will be circulating but we do have a robust surveillance programme in place, monitored by Health Protection Scotland to provide early intelligence.

At the end of each flu season an annual review is undertaken across the UK with a combined annual report produced by Public Health England with contribution from Health Protection Scotland and each of the other Devolved Administrations. This work informs activities and planning for the following season. This year’s annual report will be published in the summer.

Question reference: S5W-14014

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in implementing the recommendation in the report, Review of Access to New Medicines, to “make greater use of National Procurement in NSS to lead negotiations on behalf of NHS Scotland on the cost of new medicines”.

The Scottish Government is committed to taking forward the recommendations from Dr Brian Montgomery’s Review of Access to New Medicines.

I wrote to the Health and Sport Committee on 16 November 2017 to provide an update on the Scottish Government’s progress on implementing the recommendations and I plan to provide the Committee with a further update in Spring 2018 as we continue to take this work forward at pace in collaboration with our stakeholders.

Question reference: S5W-13996

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it decided on the investment figure of £30 million over the next three years for improving infrastructure and reducing risk at GP-owned premises, as stated in the the 2018 GMS Contract in Scotland.

The National Code of Practice for GP Premises sets out the measures the Scottish Government will provide to assist GPs who own their premises. These measures include interest-free secured loans to be resourced through the new GP Premises Sustainability Fund.

The secured loans will be for an amount of up to 20% of the Existing-Use Value of the premises.

All GPs who own their premises will be eligible to receive a GP Sustainability Loan by 31 March 2023.

As the estimated Existing-Use Value of the GP owned estate is around £200 million, the fund is likely to require £8 million a year (£200 million divided by 5 years multiplied by 20%) to ensure loans are available to all GPs who own their premises by 31 March 2023.

£30 million over the next three years represents substantial progress towards the commitment that the Scottish Government will support a shift, over 25 years, to a new model in which GPs will no longer be expected to provide their own premises.

Question reference: S5W-12597

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how higher taxes in Scotland could impact on the recruitment and retention of NHS staff.

Our tax plans for 2018-19 were announced as part of the Budget and were formulated to protect and promote the level of public services the people of Scotland expect; to ensure the lowest earning taxpayers are protected and don’t see their taxes increase; to make the tax system more progressive and reduce inequality: and, together with our corresponding decisions on spending, to support the economy.

If the Scottish Government were to match the UK government plans for tax in devolved areas in 2018-19, this would result in a reduction in available public spending of £501 million, which is the equivalent of around 12,000 nurses.

Question reference: S5W-13828

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered setting disaggregated survival rate targets for less survivable cancers, as recommended by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce.

Our cancer strategy, ‘Beating Cancer: Ambition and Action’ and the accompanying £100 million investment over the coming years serves as a blueprint for the future of cancer services in Scotland, improving the prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare for all people with cancer, including those with less survivable cancers.

Two of the overarching aims of the cancer strategy are for more people to survive cancer for 1, 5 and 10 years, and to close the gap in survival between Scotland and the best countries in Europe; and we are determined to make this happen.

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