- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many people (a) had to be hospitalised and (b) died as a result of paracetamol overdose in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer
In response to (a):
Table 1 shows the number of people admitted to hospital as an inpatient or day case as a result of paracetamol poisoning, which includes overdose. Note that these figures include overdoses that were coded as accidental, intentional and of undetermined intent.
Table 1: Number of people admitted to hospital for paracetamol poisoning
Financial year | Number of admissions |
2018-19 | 5,905 |
2019-20 | 6,307 |
2020-21 | 5,996 |
2021-22 | 6,060 |
2022-23 | 5,189 |
Source: Public Health Scotland
In response to (b):
National Records of Scotland publish an annual National Statistics report on Drug-related Deaths in Scotland, which was released on 22 August 2023. The publication can be found at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/deaths/drug-related-deaths-in-scotland/2022/additional-data
Within Table SUB2 of the additional tables published alongside the main report, there is a breakdown of drug poisoning deaths by year and substance, including specifically those drugs which were implicated in or potentially contributed to the cause of death. Table 2 provides an extract from this table, showing the number of drug poisoning deaths where paracetamol was reported to have been implicated in or potentially contributed to the cause of death for the most recent five years of published data.
Table 2. The number of drug poisoning deaths where paracetamol was reported to have been implicated in or potentially contributed to the cause of death
Year | Drug-poisoning deaths registered (paracetamol) |
2018 | 49 |
2019 | 40 |
2020 | 28 |
2021 | 41 |
2022 | 47 |
Please note that more than one drug may be listed on the death certificate as being implicated in or potentially contributing to the cause of death so the figures above will include those where paracetamol was listed either as the sole substance or alongside other substances on the death certificate. Where paracetamol is listed alongside other substances implicated in the cause of death, it is not possible to determine whether paracetamol was the main substance resulting in the death. For the purpose of these statistics, drug poisoning deaths include all those where the underlying cause was listed as ‘Mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use’ or ‘Poisoning by drugs, whether accidental, intentional, of unknown intent or as a result of assault’.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether the location of manufacturing of advanced medicines or medicinal products is taken into account in the NHS Scotland procurement process.
Answer
Procurements that are subject to the application of international trade rules are governed by general principles of non-discrimination, equal treatment, transparency and proportionality. To require that the location of manufacturing of advanced medicines or medicinal products is taken into account would need to have a very clear justification.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish Medicines Consortium methodologies remain fit for purpose in the assessment of gene-edited precision medicines where a single treatment may have lifelong benefit.
Answer
In Scotland, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) appraises the clinical and cost-effectiveness of newly licensed medicines. The SMC has a transparent and robust process that is fully described on its website. It is worth noting that any SMC appraisal is undertaken independently of Scottish Ministers and is based on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a medicine at a population level.
The SMC’s process allows companies to present a cost-effectiveness case which sets out the predicted health benefits of their treatment (including one-off treatments) over a person’s lifetime, and the SMC’s assessments follow standard methodology for such calculations. In addition, in the assessment of innovative medicines for rare conditions (including gene-edited precision medicines where a single treatment may have lifelong benefit), the SMC process involves additional flexibilities as outlined on its website. By way of an example, in 2021, the SMC was the first health technology appraisal body in the UK to accept a one-off gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what factors and processes aim to ensure that NHS patients have equal access to innovative medicines, including one-off gene-edited treatments for debilitating inherited conditions.
Answer
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) provides advice to NHS Scotland on a ‘once for Scotland’ basis about the value for patients of newly licensed medicines, including innovative cell and gene therapies such as one-off gene-edited treatments for debilitating inherited conditions.
For example, in 2021, the SMC was the first health technology appraisal body in the UK to accept a gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy. This ensures that NHS patients have equal access to innovative medicines that are clinically and cost-effective. The SMC has a transparent and robust process that is fully described on its website.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 5 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what advice was provided to MSPs and staff regarding the existence of a quarantine box for incoming emails, in addition to their inbox and junk mail.
Answer
The Quarantine mailbox provides a holding area for email messages that are automatically identified as potentially harmful (e.g., potential phishing and malware messages).
The IT Helpdesk initially sent out emails to all users to raise awareness of the Junk and Quarantine storage areas when it was introduced and most recently in 2020. Since then, the screens at the BIT Engagement desk at Holyrood have been used to remind Members about the existence of the Quarantine area, and staff have been available to offer advice and assistance on accessing the folder.
Staff in the BIT Office are currently investigating a means of more actively alerting Members and other users of the email system to any quarantined email messages. The alerts will take the form of a weekly roundup email reminding users to release or delete items as appropriate.
Once testing has been completed further communications will be issued by the IT Helpdesk.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding the maximum time that a family should be expected to wait for a post-mortem report following the death of a loved one.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2023
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Autumn Statement.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what impact UK Government annual financial settlements have on its ability to undertake long-term financial planning.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2023
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for Discretionary Funds to be released to colleges by the Student Awards Agency Scotland to enable this to be used to support students who are facing hardship.
Answer
On 6 October 2023 Student Awards Agency Scotland wrote to colleges and universities confirming the 2023-24 Higher Education (HE) Discretionary Funds allocations and guidance. The funds were issued to the sector during the week commencing 9 October 2023. Approximately £8m has been issued. Colleges and universities were notified on 17 th October that a further £4m will be issued in April 2024.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it and (b) local authorities will save from a reduction in employer contributions to the Strathclyde Pension Fund.
Answer
The Scottish Government will not directly save money as a result of the reduction to employer contribution rates to the Strathclyde Pension Fund. Instead, it is the individual employers, including local authorities, who will save.
The amount each scheme employer will save will depend on their pensionable pay-bill and the employer pension contribution rate they are required to pay. These rates have not yet been set for employers outside of the Main Employer Group (MEG) (the 12 local authorities participating in the Fund and arm’s length external organisations).
In very broad terms, the Strathclyde Pension Fund has estimated the overall financial impact on employer contributions in the MEG, to be a £366m saving in years 1 and 2, and £51m p.a. thereafter.
