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The access review and quality improvement work is part of the Quality Outcomes Framework. As agreed with the Scottish General Practitioners Committee, the funding is freed up from GP practices no longer undertaking the existing programme of reviewing referrals and admissions.

The Scottish Government recognises the issues with IT for GP practices, and are proposing a period of greater stability and allowing time for the 2013-14 changes to embed and deliver the expected patient and service benefits. In addition we are working with our GP IT suppliers to ensure that as the GP contract develops in the future, that the IT infrastructure supports this more effectively.

In the meantime we continue to work with the Practitioner Services Division of NHS National Services Scotland to ensure the necessary requirements are in place as early as possible within the contract year.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish General Practitioners Committee have agreed to work together, to develop proposals on how the publication of GP NHS net earnings relating to the contract should be implemented for 2015-16 (i.e. publication using the latest available data).

One of the issues for consideration will be whether publication of GP net earnings can take place on a like for like basis with other healthcare professionals. Publication of this information will be a contractual requirement (in line with arrangements for others in the NHS). Publication will be on a national basis, and would have in mind the privacy of individuals.

Most general practices in Scotland are independent contractors and they are not obliged to report whether their individual GP(s) work(s) full time or part time.

The Primary Care Workforce Survey 2013, a survey of Scottish general practices and GP Out of Hours Services , published on 24 September 2013, provides a ‘snapshot’ of GPs, their designation, gender, age group, total weekly sessional commitment and an indication of whether they combined their ‘In Hours’ responsibilities with any work during the Out of Hours period.

The survey is not based on all GPs in general practice, only those working in practices that responded to the survey (approximately 63% of practices responded in 2013). We are reliant on practices assisting us by completing the survey in order to help us collect comprehensive information.The ‘full time’ or ‘part time status is only in respect of the GPs’ commitments during the in-hours period and as at 31 January 2013, just over half (50.6%) of GPs in post had full time commitments during the in-hours period (where “full time” was defined as a commitment of eight or more sessions per week). Any additional commitments during the Out of Hours period is not captured in these figures. Further information is available in the Official Statistics report and accompanying Excel tables published by the Information Services Division (ISD) of National Services Scotland at: www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/General-Practice/Workforce-and-Practice-Populations/Workforce/primary-care-workforce-survey-2013.asp. This includes a breakdown of sessional commitments amongst GP partners as compared with other GP designations. The Workforce Survey Advisory Group (WSAG) report on the survey: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/10/9584 included a recommendation to repeat the survey every two years, with the next one proposed for late summer/early autumn 2015. The official response to the WSAG report can be accessed at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/11/8695

The demands placed upon health and social care services, and the circumstances under which they will be need to be delivered will be radically different, bringing new challenges for everyone in the health and social care environment.

The Scottish Government’s 20:20 vision for health and social care, puts primary care firmly at the heart of its ambition to ensure that people are able to live longer and healthier lives.

As part of the local delivery planning process, health boards have been asked to provide strategic assessments of primary care. As these assessments develop over the coming years we expect health boards to ensure that resources are in place to properly deliver health services in their area which will deliver the 20:20 vision.

The Scottish Government recognises that the number of GPs aged over 55 in the workforce has increased.

Pensions are a reserved matter. Whilst, for most individuals, early retirement is a life choice based on their personal and financial circumstances, NHS boards have a duty to plan and deliver appropriate health services for their communities and workforce. The potential for retirements from the general practice profession is one of the elements that is taken into account in planning for the future delivery of primary medical services. However, a number of GPs who take early retirement also choose to come back and do locum work part time, so are not necessarily completely lost to general practice.

The 2013 GP Workforce Survey was published on 24 September 2013 and can be accessed at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/General-Practice/Workforce-and-Practice-Populations/Workforce/primary-care-workforce-survey-2013.asp

Formal police cautions do not apply in Scotland.

In the financial year 2011-12 one person received a police formal warning, six received a fiscal fine and one person was convicted in court where the main offence was under section 6(1) of the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010.

In 2012-13 three people received a fiscal fine and four people were convicted in court for the same main offence.

£29 million, previously allocated to NHS boards for delayed discharge, was transferred to the overall local government settlement in 2008-09. We expect NHS boards and local authorities to work within their combined resources to deliver the expected delayed discharge standards.

The Scottish Government reviews hospital readmission rates every three months, on both a national and a hospital basis. The measures reviewed are rates of surgical readmissions within seven days, rates of surgical readmissions with 28 days, rates of medical readmissions within seven days and rates of medical readmissions within 28 days. Where a specific hospital has a significantly higher than expected rate of readmission (compared to other hospitals) the corresponding NHS board is asked to investigate so as to gain assurance about the quality of care being delivered and to learn any lessons for improvement. For the same reasons the Scottish Government also invites all NHS boards to continuously review their latest information on readmissions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19021 on 14 January 2014. 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.

In addition, we anticipate that, following the enactment of the Public Bodies (Joint Working)(Scotland) Bill, new integrated health and social care partnerships will be able to make better use of joint resources in order to make further reductions to the level of delayed discharges. The Bill sets out a duty on health boards, local authorities and the new integrated partnerships to focus strategic planning for the use of integrated budgets on preventative and anticipatory care, which can help to reduce the likelihood of delayed discharge.