Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. 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.

I wrote to NHSScotland Chairs and Chief Executives on 22 February 2013, reminding them that boards should frequently review their behaviours and practices to ensure they have a culture which actively encourages and supports members of staff to raise concerns. The culture should also ensure that staff are not penalised or persecuted in any way for raising concerns in good faith.

The Partnership Information Network (PIN) Policy, Preventing and Dealing with Bullying and Harassment in NHSScotland, provides guidance to NHS Boards on the development of a clearly defined policy and procedure for dealing with bullying and harassment complaints. The PIN Policy also highlights the importance of promoting the policy to staff, training for managers and of senior managers monitoring the application of the policy.

The Dignity at Work toolkit, Give Respect Get Respect, provides guidance to NHS Boards on promoting Dignity in the Workplace. The toolkit includes a description of bullying and its effect.

Culture, values and behaviours will be a fundamental cornerstone of the 2020 Workforce Vision which we aim to launch at the NHS event in June 2013. This will present a further opportunity to restate our commitment to providing a working environment in the NHS in Scotland which is free from bullying and harassment.

The use of confidentiality clauses in compromise agreements is entirely an issue between individual NHS boards and their employees. Certain conditions have to be met in order for a compromise agreement to be legally binding, including a requirement for the employee to have received advice from a relevant independent adviser as to the terms and effect of the agreement. Any clause which sought to prevent an individual from raising a protected whistleblowing disclosure would be illegal under the Employment Rights Act and would therefore be unenforceable.

I wrote to NHSScotland chairs and chief executives on 22 February 2013, reminding them that boards should frequently review their behaviours and practices to ensure they have a culture which actively encourages and supports members of staff to raise concerns. I also told them that I expect Boards to ensure that confidentiality clauses and non-derogatory statement clauses are not being used to suppress the reporting of concerns about practice in NHSScotland, and to ensure that these clauses are used appropriately.

The majority of GP practices in Scotland operate as independent contractors under the terms of a UK General Medical Services contract and there is a contractual obligation on GPs to provide information to prove incapacity to work to Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), or their agents that is not chargeable to patients. It is only when GPs agree to provide services out with their NHS contractual terms and conditions, that they are entitled to charge a professional fee as remuneration for doing so.

NHS boards are required to provide medical reports to the DWP, on behalf of patients, to support claims for benefits. The following link gives guidance on the provision of reports and fees by hospitals and NHS consultants:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pip-assessment-guide.pdf

Matters relating to welfare, employment and tax benefits, including the implementation of current reforms are the responsibility of the UK Government.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and COSLA meet to discuss a range of issues from time to time.

On 21 November 2012, the Scottish Government signed an agreement with COSLA, to adopt a collaborative approach to supporting councils in their response to welfare reform. As part of this agreement, we hold regular joint political meetings to review progress on our collective efforts. A meeting is scheduled to take place on 28 February 2013.

Pricing of branded medicines is currently a reserved matter. The proposals for Value Based Pricing for medicines licensed from 1 January 2014 are being taken forward by the UK Government’s Department of Health. The Scottish Government is supportive of the principle of Value Based Pricing and the Scottish Government continues to work with the Department of Health on its development and on successor arrangements to the current Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) in relation to medicines licensed prior to 1 January 2014.

The operational arrangements for managing the Rare Conditions Medicines Fund to cover the cost of successful Individual Patient Treatment Requests (IPTRs) for high cost, low volume orphan medicines within the NHS in Scotland are still in development.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12543 on 27 February 2013. 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.