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On the basis of IPTR monitoring information received from NHS boards for the period 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde received 14 IPTRs for cetuximab during this timeframe of which eight were approved.

This is an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees.

NHSScotland does not have any policies which would prevent, or condone the prevention of staff from raising valid concerns about patient safety and quality. Quite the opposite, each Health board has a robust “Implementing & Reviewing Whistleblowing Arrangements in NHS Scotland” PIN policy in place.

These policies encourage staff to raise concerns and any clause which sought to prevent an individual from raising a protected whistleblowing disclosure would be illegal and therefore unenforceable.

The National Confidential Alert Line provides an additional level of support to NHSScotland employees should they feel unable to report cases of patient safety or malpractice directly to their board, or, if they feel they have exhausted procedures in place.

As part of its contract the Alert Line is required to provide tailored advice to the caller and, dependent on the nature of the call and in agreement with the caller, report valid whistleblowing concerns to the relevant Health board or, where appropriate, to the relevant regulator. All cases referred by the Alert Line will be dealt with in line with established procedure.

Following the end of its one year contract, the Alert Line service will be independently evaluated. This will include, where possible, feedback from users and information on actions taken.

The financial implications of these changes to health board populations will be taken into account and reflected as part of the annual NHSScotland Resource Allocation Committee allocations process in due course.

This is an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees.

Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, any clause which sought to prevent an individual from raising a protected whistleblowing disclosure would be illegal and therefore unenforceable.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

It is for each board to decide how much it will spend on tackling bullying and harassment.

The Scottish Government invited all Scottish health boards to submit proposals for activity relating to dignity at work and cultural issues.

We are currently in the process of assessing bids and funding will be allocated shortly.

The NHSScotland staff surveys in 2006, 2008 and 2010 sought staff’s opinions on bullying and harassment in NHSScotland. The 2013 survey, which is currently underway and will run until 5 July 2013, will also address this issue.

The Scottish Government is clear that bullying and harassment is unacceptable. We are continually reviewing our strategies to help boards to deal with it. Since 2007 much has been done across NHSScotland to tackle bullying and harassment in the workplace and to promote expected standards of behaviours. This includes:

Development of the Dignity at work Toolkit;

Review of the Preventing and Dealing with Bullying and Harassment in NHSScotland Partnership Information Network (PIN) policy;

A Dignity at Work Day of Commitment and re-launch of the Dignity at Work Toolkit and guidance, and up to £200,000 available to health boards to further expand the Dignity at Work Toolkit and regular national staff surveys.

The latest NHSScotland staff survey launched on 27 May 2013 and will run until 5 July 2013. This survey aims to gather comprehensive views from staff about working for NHSScotland, including views on bullying and harassment.

The results of this survey will be available later this year.

The regulation of pricing of medicines is listed as a reserved matter under Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998. The proposals for Value Based Pricing of medicines licensed from 1 January 2014 are being taken forward in negotiations between the UK Government’s Department of Health and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

Once the conclusions of the negotiations are available to the Scottish Government we will be able to examine their impact on Scotland.