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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-05175

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle the reported workforce shortages being experienced by community pharmacies.

The community pharmacy network is a vital part of the primary care team. The Scottish Government continues to work with Community Pharmacy Scotland and other partners to ensure not only the stability of the network but also that a balance is maintained across the whole pharmacy workforce in the hospital, community, and GP practice sectors.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has committed to putting together a workforce forum which will meet in early 2022. The forum will look at the workforce challenges and bring together stakeholders from pharmacy education and pharmacy service provision to set a strategic workforce plan for the profession.

Question reference: S6W-05171

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering introducing sanctions for any community pharmacy that has breached its NHS contract.

The Scottish Government is not considering the introduction of sanctions for any contractor which breaches its NHS contract at present. The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009, set out the provision of NHS pharmaceutical services and requirements for those entered on the Boards Pharmaceutical List.

The Achieving Excellence in Pharmaceutical Care strategy, published in 2017, commits the Scottish Government to review contractual arrangements and as such may consider the introduction of sanctions as part of any future strategy framework.

Question reference: S6W-05173

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to allowing NHS boards to take over the running of any community pharmacies that are struggling to remain open.

The Scottish Government is not considering the possibility of allowing Health Boards to take over the running of community pharmacies that are struggling to remain open. Community pharmacies, along with other primary care contractors, are wholly independent private entities providing NHS services on behalf the Health Board. Any challenges faced by community pharmacy contractors in delivering existing pharmaceutical care services should be discussed with the Health Boards who will be able to consider actions to support service provision.

Question reference: S6W-05133

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce protected learning time and the necessary infrastructure in order for all pharmacists to receive support in professional development from foundation to consultant level.

There are no plans to introduce protected learning time at present. It is a decision for employers to allow staff time to study for additional qualifications.

To support delivery of the Community Pharmacy First Plus service, Community Pharmacist contractors receive backfill (up to £5750) to release community pharmacists to undertake their IP qualification (5 days face to face teaching + 12 days Period of Learning in Practice), clinical skills training (4 days) and also access to a maximum of 3 sessions at a CCC Teach and Treat Training Hub (backfill up to £750).

Question reference: S6W-05128

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to work with NHS boards and pharmacy contractors to define the standard of care that should be expected by patients across all sectors of pharmacy.

The pharmacy profession and provision of pharmaceutical care is regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council, who assure and improve standards of care for people using pharmacy services. The Achieving Excellence in Pharmaceutical Care strategy, published in 2017, setting out the priorities, commitments, and actions for improving and integrating NHS pharmaceutical care in Scotland up to 2022. The strategy sets the direction for how pharmaceutical care would be delivered in Scotland and the crucial contribution of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, working together with other health and social care practitioners, to improve the health of the population and impact on health outcomes.

Question reference: S6W-04707

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what environmental assessments were carried out at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where aspergillus infection was suspected; when each assessment was conducted, and whether any changes to practices and procedures were made as a result.

Because of the unpredictable lifecycle of this particular organism, it is not possible to routinely test buildings for an Aspergillus infection. Where water ingress creates the conditions for mould, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s staff work to remedy faults as soon as they are found and remove any mould with oversight from Infection Prevention and Control (IPC). Patients with Aspergillus are visited by an infection prevention and control nurse. Advice on the correct antibiotics to administer to patients is given by a Microbiology/ICD/antimicrobial pharmacist on request of the clinical teams.

Question reference: S6W-04660

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it does not keep a record of deaths from deep vein thrombosis.

Causes of death in Scotland are recorded by National Records of Scotland (NRS). The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) system, which is used in the UK to classify deaths, does not allow deep venous thrombosis to be separated from phlebitis (inflammation of a vein).

Figures from NRS are provided below, for which deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has been taken to refer to thrombosis of the deep veins of the leg. Deaths from DVT frequently occur from complications of the DVT, principally pulmonary embolism, so deaths from pulmonary embolism have been included in these figures. As mentioned above the ICD-10 does not allow DVT to be separated from phlebitis, so these figures may include a small number of deaths due to phlebitis.

Deaths attributed to deep vein thrombosis (DVT)* registered in Scotland, 2014 to 2020

	Year in which death was registered
	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
All Scotland	338	356	318	360	322	320	385

* deaths for which one of the following ICD-10 codes was allocated for the underlying cause of the death:

I26 - Pulmonary embolism
I80.1 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of femoral vein
I80.2 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of other deep vessels of lower extremities
I80.3 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of lower extremities, unspecified
I80.9 - Phlebitis and thrombophlebitis of unspecified site
O22.3 - Deep phlebothrombosis in pregnancy
O87.1 - Deep phlebothrombosis in the puerperium
O88.2 - Obstetric blood-clot embolism

Question reference: S6W-04668

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 23 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03934 by George Adam on 12 November 2021, how many items of correspondence each (a) cabinet secretary and (b) minister has received since January 2021, broken down by (i) month, (ii) portfolio and (iii) whether the correspondence was from (A) an MSP and (B) a source other than an MSP.

Question reference: S6W-04670

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 23 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03933 by George Adam on 12 November 2021, what the (a) longest and (b) average time has been for it to respond to correspondence to each (i) cabinet secretary and (ii) minister since January 2021, broken by (A) month, (B) portfolio and (C) whether the correspondence was from (1) an MSP and (2) a source other than an MSP.

Question reference: S6W-04669

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 23 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03933 by George Adam on 12 November 2021, what percentage of correspondence to (a) cabinet secretaries and (b) ministers since January 2021 was answered within 20 working days, broken down by (a) month, (b) portfolio and (c) whether the correspondence was from (A) an MSP and (B) a source other than an MSP.