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Capital projects currently in procurement or construction which involve BAM Construct UK are summarised below.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is not a procuring body. It works with other public bodies on the financing, procurement and delivery of public sector infrastructure investment projects across Scotland. I have however asked Barry White, Chief Executive of SFT, to list capital projects in procurement or construction on which they are currently advising and where BAM Construct UK are an appointed contractor. His response is as follows:

 As regards other public bodies, information of this type is not held centrally by the Scottish Government for all national devolved public bodies or elected local authorities in Scotland. I have however provided information where held in the following table:

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03196 on 18 October 2011. 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/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

NHS 24 have advised that costs to date for the digital television channel have been £171,000. This includes £100,000 for the licence (to 31 March 2012) and £71,000 in development costs for the various portals to existing information sources, such as NHS 24 information, NHS inform and Care Information Scotland, as well as for the smartphone and ipad applications.

On an ongoing basis the annual licence will be £100,000 for the channel to deliver health information services to the whole of Scotland. Additional developments to the existing platform will be supported by NHS 24’s Health Information web services team. Patients across Scotland will benefit from being able to access these services directly from home.

With around 24 million GP and practice nurse appointments being booked in surgeries across Scotland every year, NHS 24 anticipate that the development of the GP appointment booking system, and with repeat prescription ordering also being available using digital television, this service has the potential to significantly reduce administration costs to NHS Scotland in the longer term.

The requested information is not held centrally.

The requested information is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03017 on 18 october 2011. 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 government’s spending plans are designed to deliver a step change in the way we fund and deliver public services based on the growing body of evidence demonstrating the benefits of a focus on prevention. To improve sustainability and unlock resources, we will work with our partners to accelerate progress and build prevention into the design and delivery of all public services. As a contribution to this three Change Funds will be established to drive the further integration of services and the sharing of vital resources. Through this approach, which will comprise new and existing expenditure, it is expected that around £150 million/£200 million/ £220 million will be available over the course of the spending review period.

The Scottish Government’s Quality Strategy commits us to ensure that healthcare services are not only person-centred, but also effective and safe. As such, the introduction of any new health technology should be guided by those principles.

An assessment of the clinical and cost effectiveness of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and its safety, was a central part of the National Planning Forum’s (NPF) original review of TAVI in February 2011.

The NPF concluded that there was insufficient evidence at that point in time, to support a recommendation that a TAVI service should be established in Scotland, on the basis that the long term outcomes are unknown, there is only limited evidence of clinical efficacy and no evidence of cost effectiveness. This conclusion is supported by the most recent findings of the Scottish Health Technologies Group.

The National Institute for Health Research has also commissioned a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) looking at cost effectiveness. Publication of this HTA in December will trigger a further review by the Scottish Health Technologies Group.

As agreed at the time of the original review of TAVI in February 2011, NHSScotland will take this emerging evidence into account in its future consideration of the provision of TAVI by the end of February 2012.

Meantime, we expect that NHS boards should continue to ensure that local arrangements are in place so that people with severe aortic stenosis get access to appropriate clinical treatment. As part of those arrangements, where it is considered clinically appropriate by their doctors, patients can get access to TAVI treatment through consideration by an individual case panel.

I have asked that NHSScotland continues to review further evidence on transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) as it emerges.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently consulting on draft Interventional Procedures Programme guidance on the safe and efficacious use of TAVI in the UK. The guidance is expected to be made available in November 2011.

The National Institute for Health Research has also commissioned a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) looking at cost effectiveness. Publication of this HTA in December will trigger a further review by the Scottish Health Technologies Group.

As agreed at the time of the original review of TAVI in February 2011, NHSScotland will take this emerging evidence into account in its future consideration of the provision of TAVI by the end of February 2012.

As the question relates to local government I have asked COSLA to consider the question and provide a response. Officials from COSLA replied to the member on 23 September 2011.