Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-30051 on 4 March 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

As made clear by the statement of the Chair of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on 15 January 2016 (available at: www.nhsggc.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/news/2016/01/chairmans-statement/), there are no such formal proposals.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, who hold the responsibility for the planning and provision of local services, made the Scottish Government aware of its plans to re-provide the activity from ward six at the Vale of Leven Hospital in late November 2015, following the approval of these plans by the board's Acute Services Committee.

The redesign plans, made to ensure that services are as efficient as possible and due to be implemented in April 2016, will allow the majority of patients currently treated on ward six to be treated in the hospital’s surgical day bed unit, with extended operating hours. The remaining patients (those who require an inpatient stay) will be accommodated in the Lomond Ward at the Vale. As such, the plans will have no effect on the level of surgical service and after care received by local people at the hospital.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-30051 on 4 March 2016. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

No: as set out in the relevant national guidance (available at: www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2010_01.pdf), only proposed major service change in the NHS is subject to ministerial approval.

Details of hospital catchment areas are not held centrally. Specific information may be available from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who are responsible for the planning and provision of local services.

Integration joint boards will be required to set a budget that allocates their share of the integration funding included within the local government settlement, to meet as a minimum the settlements’ commitments in relation to social care, i.e. in relation to the living wage and changes to the charging thresholds.

Resource transfer arrangements have been superseded by the resource delegation arrangements required by the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014. The legislation requires agreement to be reached on budgets for delegation to integration authorities by 1 April 2016.

The £250 million of integration funding provided for in the local government settlement will be allocated to health boards, to whom ministers will give written direction to delegate the full sum to their integration authorities. Integration authorities will then allocate their share of the resources to their local authorities to meet the commitments set out in the settlement.

The integration joint board Section 95 officer is responsible for the proper administration of its financial affairs. In terms of the living wage commitment, the Section 95 officer must prepare a budget for approval by the integration joint board that includes an allocation to its local authority partner for social care services that is sufficient to meet the cost of the living wage commitments. More generally, the Section 95 officer must provide assurance to the integration joint board that the commitments in relation to social care spending set out in the letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy of 27 January have been met.

The sanctions set out in the letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy of 29 January 2016 apply to local authorities.

The £250 million investment will help to alleviate the issue of a two-tiered workforce. Currently care workers employed by local authorities are already paid the living wage. This additional investment will help enable councils to support the joint aspiration for care workers, including in the independent and third sectors, to be paid £8.25 an hour.