Seòmar agus comataidhean

In 2018-19, the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is being supported with additional investment of £31.8 million, increasing the Board’s resource budget to £2,154.5 million. The Board’s latest monthly report sets out that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is working towards a balanced financial position for 2018-19 and as such is not anticipating a requirement for brokerage. It is not unusual for Boards to report a projected adverse variance against budget over the course of the year which then reduces through the year as further savings are delivered and patterns of expenditure becomes more certain.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with all Boards at a national, regional and local level to ensure that they continue to work towards a balanced and sustainable financial position, whilst ensuring that there is no impact on patient care. This will include more than £850 million of investment to substantially and sustainably improve NHS waiting times by the Spring of 2021.

In addition, as announced in October, a new 3-year financial planning and performance framework will be introduced which will require NHS Boards to deliver a break-even position over a 3-year period, and a clean slate will be provided for those Territorial Boards with outstanding brokerage. This will provide additional financial flexibility for NHS Boards to deliver the measures set out in the in the health and social care delivery plan.

Information provided by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde advises that 12 beds have been identified in Vale of Leven Hospital for this winter.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are making full use of the activity they have been allocated by the Golden Jubilee in the current year.

As you will be aware the Scottish Government has committed to expand the Golden Jubilee National Hospital to help meet future need. The Golden Jubilee will be significantly expanding its current capacity over the coming few years to help meet future capacity demand for the west of Scotland Boards, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

There is a fundamental difference why Fair Start Scotland contracts apply for a longer period of time. This is because many of the people who participate in Fair Start Scotland require a much longer period of support. Fair Start Scotland offers 12 to 18 months of pre-employment support and up to a year of in work support, depending on an individual’s needs.

Whilst both Fair Start Scotland and the Employability Fund are designed to offer person centred support, tailored to the needs of the individual, the Employability Fund is designed to support people who require less intensive support, over a shorter, sharper period.

We have recently begun the journey to examine a more effective employability system, and whilst it is not envisaged that we will radically alter elements of the system that we have in place now, if it is felt to be an issue of significant concern, it is incumbent on us to listen to that.

As I explained in my answer to question S5W-19293, Scottish Water presented its consultation report to a multi-stakeholder group on
‎25 October 2018. It is currently awaiting feedback from these stakeholders. Scottish Water intends to publish the updated ‘Shaping the future of your water and waste water services’ document in 2019 alongside its Strategic Plan.

Separately, the Scottish Government will publish a summary of responses to the consultation ‘Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021’ by the end of the year.

In 2008, Scottish Government issued guidance for the development of local delivery plans, which included a target for NHS Boards to reduce the annual rate of increase of defined daily dose per capita of antidepressants to zero by 2009/10, and put in place the required support framework to achieve a 10% reduction in future years. It was set as a proxy measure to focus attention on improving the evidence based prescribing of antidepressants and to improve access to non-drug treatments for individuals with depression and anxiety. This target drove a range of improvement work across Scotland and helped us to develop our understanding of the reasons for the increase in antidepressant prescribing.

It became clear that we could not be sure that implementing evidence-based prescribing behaviour and improving access to non-drug treatments would lead to a reduction in antidepressant use. With this better understanding, it was considered inappropriate to continue with the target. In 2010 it was agreed that a target to deliver faster access to mental health services by delivering 18 weeks referral to treatment for psychological therapies should be included in HEAT from April 2011.

We are continuing to track antidepressant prescribing across Scotland to see what impact improving access to psychological therapies has on prescribing behaviour. The Medicines in Mental Report is published annually by Information Services Division Scotland and is available online. http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Prescribing-and-Medicines/Community-Dispensing/Mental-Health/ .

The Scottish Government has worked hard to reduce the stigma faced by people with mental health problems. As this stigma declines we would expect more patients to seek help from their GPs for problems such as depression. People with mental illness should expect the same standard of care as people with physical illness and should receive medication if they need it.

Any prescribing is a clinical decision for a patient’s doctor and there is good evidence that GPs assess and treat depression appropriately. We are also committed to improving access to alternatives, such as psychological therapies, that increase choice and best accommodate patient preference.

The information requested is currently being collated, classified and verified before publication and I will place a copy in the Parliaments Reference Centre bib number 60173.

The answer to this PQ is available in SPICe (BIB No 60200)

Support for people coming off antidepressant medication is available from a range of sources. In the first instance, individuals should go to the prescriber, or their GP for help. Problematic medication withdrawals are best managed by routine, day time services that provide continuity of advice and contact. Emergency advice is unlikely to be necessary but is available from standard out of hours and NHS 24 services. Telephone support is also available from Breathing Space for people with anxiety and depression.