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NHS Fife has established a review group to look at the options for the delivery of inpatient care across Fife as part of their wider palliative care model. It is not possible to speculate on future service configuration, or, whether a hypothetical proposal would constitute major service change, in advance of this work concluding.

Should the review result in formal proposals to change current services, I will expect the Health Board to engage appropriately with local stakeholders in line with national guidance (Informing, Engaging and Consulting People in Developing Health and Community Care Services - February, 2010:

www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2010_04.pdf)

In line with this guidance, should any NHS board proposals be considered to constitute major service change, they must be subject to full, formal public consultation and, ultimately, Ministerial approval.

Scottish Government guidance on the Reshaping Care Change Fund for 2012-13, to be issued later in 2011, will require Partnerships to say what constitutes support to carers locally so they can clearly demonstrate that at least 20% of their Change Fund is dedicated to supporting carers to continue to care for older people.

There are a total of nine in-patient beds in the Palliative Care Ward in Queen Margaret Hospital. NHS Fife has established a review group to look at the options for the delivery of inpatient care across Fife as part of their wider palliative care model. It is not possible to speculate on future service configuration in advance of this work concluding.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03568 on 8 November 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 establishment of the Change Funds is a starting point in the wider alignment of public service budgets on a preventative spend basis. Decision making about the change funds will be taken locally in line with the guidance that will be developed by the relevant joint Groups. Local government is fully committed to the preventative approach and to making an appropriate financial contribution to the change funds. The expenditure in total across the Spending Review period is broken down as £310 million for the Change Fund for older people’s services; £272 million for the Early Years and Early Intervention Fund and £7.5 million for the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund.

The figures published in the Draft Budget on 21 September 2011 for the local government finance settlement include the income from the public health supplement, which will be used to support preventative spend.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03568 on 8 November 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.

It is estimated that the public health supplement will raise £30 million in 2012-13 and £40 million in each of 2013-14 and 2014-15.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03473 on 27 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03598 on 8 November 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.