Seòmar agus comataidhean

This is a matter for Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS).

HIS advise that they are confident that they had a robust approach to collating and verifying the data published on 28 April 2014 within their report, Chronic Pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?

HIS further advise that this involved all NHS boards initially providing the data, being in regular dialogue with HIS about their data as the report was being prepared over the period October 2013 to February 2014 and providing formal verification of data accuracy. All NHS boards were sent a copy of the draft report and given four weeks to examine their data prior to publication. All NHS boards provided verification of the accuracy of the data they provided.

The Independent Living Fund (ILF) is administered through the Independent Living Fund, a non-departmental public body of the Department for Work and Pensions. Therefore the Scottish Government does not hold the figures requested. However the information can be found at the ILF website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/301888/user-profiles-0314.pdf

The Scottish Government will provide new funding of £5.5 million to the newly established Scottish Independent Living Fund to open the fund to new members. We will work with disabled people and groups representing disabled people, to develop the process of the new arrangements. Based on this, eligibility criteria will be developed. Therefore we cannot say how many people will utilise this funding.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-20932 on 13 May 2014. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

The Healthcare Improvement Scotland ‘Chronic pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?’ report noted that there were some staff vacancies during the period of the data collection which may have had an impact on service delivery at the time of reporting. At the date of publication (28 April 2014) a number of these vacancies had been filled.

Staff vacancies are an on-going consideration for NHS boards across all services and well established processes are in place to ensure that identified vacancies are filled.

The supporting information published alongside Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s ‘Chronic pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?’ report, which is available at:

http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/our_work/long_term_conditions/chronic_pain/where_are_we_now.aspx, notes that all of the chronic pain Service Improvement Groups/Managed Clinical Networks will make plans publicly available on their local pages of the new national chronic pain website from April 2014. The website can be accessed via: www.chronicpainscotland.org

NHS boards are required to include chronic pain service improvement in their local delivery plans for 2014. The Scottish Government will monitor progress through the NHS board annual review process.

Yes, the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Programme is offered to all newborns in Scotland and has been since April 2005.

Information on the levels of funding for each NHS board chronic pain service is not held centrally. Scottish Ministers have made it clear that we expect chronic pain services to be the delivered through existing funding provided to boards in their annual allocations. The detailed planning and delivery of services is a matter for individual NHS boards taking account of their resident populations and assessment of needs.

The Scottish Government recognises the challenge of providing specialist chronic pain services for children and young people. All of the Service Improvement Groups/Managed Clinical Networks were asked to consider the needs of children and young people when establishing their local groups and where services are not available locally how they link to those provided in the larger centres. A dedicated sub-group of the National Chronic Pain Steering Group has been established to consider the needs of children and young people.

The Healthcare Improvement Scotland ‘Chronic pain Services in Scotland: Where are we now?’ report provides boards with a range of information to assist in the planning and delivery of services including information on the demographics of those accessing chronic pain services.

The musculoskeletal model and associated quality improvement work being rolled out nationally is designed to help people access early self-management support or appropriate intervention to facilitate early recovery and return to work. There is an evidence base that this early intervention prevents loss of function and will help to reduce the number of those suffering from chronic pain.

The retention of police officers is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.

Police Scotland has set out in its recently published Corporate Strategy, plans to diversify its workforce through the promotion of attractive, inclusive and responsible practices. Police Scotland also set out in its 2013 Equality and Diversity Report, that Police Scotland will continue its commitment to the principles of positive action in respect to recruitment, retention, progression and development in order to achieve an equitable work environment.