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The report of the investigation into allegations of bullying at the Scottish Ambulance Service National Headquarters is published on the board’s website. It is available in the board’s January papers section at:

http://www.scottishambulance.com/TheService/PapersList.aspx?Month=January.

This is a matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service. The Scottish Ambulance Service has indicated they will of course be happy to discuss any general employee conduct issues with Ms Baillie.

The Scottish Government has no records of having received a complaint about the Director of Delivery of NHS Health Scotland.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has not issued any medical device alert on transvaginal mesh products. However, MHRA commissioned the University of York Health Economics Consortium to conduct a systematic review of the available literature.

The report of the review together with advice and information for patients and clinicians was published on 22 November 2012 and is available at the following website:

http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformation/Generalsafetyinformationandadvice/Product-specificinformationandadvice/Product-specificinformationandadvice%E2%80%93M%E2%80%93T/Vaginalmeshforpelvicorganprolapse/

The most frequently reported side effects have included mesh exposure, pain, sexual problems, mesh erosion and occasionally injury to nearby organs such as the bladder or bowel.

Information is not held centrally on the number of women who have been affected by side effects.

The Scottish Ambulance Service have advised that they do not use private ambulance services, or other private sector transport (including taxis), in place of ambulances or patient transport.

The Scottish Ambulance Service has a Memorandum of Understanding with the British Red Cross Society (BRCS), which helps the Service respond to patient needs, for example, during adverse weather. The BRCS make ambulance vehicles available should these be required. The Service also works with the BRCS during periods of anticipated high demand, such as the festive period and other key dates during the year such as pay days. This arrangement delivers an additional layer of resilience and support at times of peak demand.

The Service works with approximately 200 volunteer car drivers across the country, who undertake patient transport journeys where this is clinically appropriate, particularly in remote and rural areas.

The Scottish Government believes that out-of-hours primary care services are working effectively in Scotland. However, there are a range of reasons why people choose to attend an Accident and Emergency Department. We are developing a national framework on directing people towards appropriate services.

This is supported by broader work by the Unscheduled Care Expert Group on communication and engagement with the public, including recommendations on how all aspects of the system, including out-of-hours Primary Care Services can be provided and what the role of the proposed 111 number should be in supporting access.

There are no inspectors in the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate with the Regulation of Care Award. The Regulation of Care Award is a qualification required by inspectors regulating social care services. This qualification is not required for inspectors working in healthcare services.

All Healthcare Improvement Scotland inspectors are appropriately qualified. Inspectors in the programme of inspections for the care for older people all have a clinical qualification and inspectors working with the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) are required to have qualifications in health, public health and environmental health.

Officials are working with colleagues in National Services Scotland to identify options for implementing an implant register starting with hip replacements and which could be used for a range of implants.

NHS Health boards do not re-direct patients away from A&E. Medical staff offer the option to be treated at the hospital or go back to their GP, based on their professional clinical judgement.

Under the “Reducing A&E Attendances (T10) HEAT” Target, the Scottish Government Policy is to reduce the numbers of people attending A&E Departments in order to improve the quality of patient care and to promote patient safety.