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The Scottish Government works in partnership with the professional organisations that represent both doctors and dentists.

We meet with representatives from the British Medical Association and the British Dental Association on a regular basis to discuss various issues including the evidence provided to and the recommendations made by the Doctors’ and Dentists’ Pay Review Body.

The Scottish Government has not commissioned or undertaken a review of community pharmacy contract arrangements in Scotland.

I am, however, pleased to announce that the Scottish Government has published today our vision and work programme for NHS pharmaceutical care for the next 10 years in the document, Prescription for Excellence: A Vision and Action Plan for the right pharmaceutical care through integrated partnerships and innovation. A copy can be obtained from the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/09/3025.

The vision and action plan covers a wide range of issues and associated actions relating to NHS pharmaceutical care and will consider options to introduce new statutory powers to take forward NHS board pharmaceutical care services planning. This would be underpinned by local needs assessment to enhance local healthcare planning taking into account, for example, equitable access to services in deprived and remote and rural areas, as well as specific public health needs. It will also drive new and innovative models of pharmaceutical care, and service frameworks which prevent perverse incentives.

The Scottish Government has today set out its vision and programme of work for NHS pharmaceutical care for the next 10 years in the document, Prescription for Excellence: A Vision and Action Plan for the right pharmaceutical care through integrated partnerships and innovation’. A copy can be obtained from the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/09/3025.

The Vision and Action Plan acknowledge that in some parts of rural Scotland where patients are unable to secure the dispensing services of a community pharmacy, the dispensing GP practice service plays a vital role in the provision of NHS medicines.

As the process for considering applications for new community pharmacies is laid down in legislation, it cannot be suspended without Parliament making changes to that legislation. However, the Vision and Action Plan published today contains a firm Scottish Government commitment to work with patients, dispensing doctors and appropriate stakeholders to explore how rural communities can be further supported in the delivery of pharmaceutical care.

As a first step towards meeting this commitment, I have decided to review immediately the relevant regulatory frameworks, and will consult with key stakeholders to bring forward amended legislation that best meets the needs of those rural communities. I will report on the outcome of this work and timetable for legislative amendments in due course.

The outcome of the longer term work, also announced in the action plan today, to explore new powers that will underpin NHS board pharmaceutical care services planning, will be crucial in driving new and innovative models of pharmaceutical care across all communities in Scotland.

I am pleased to announce that the Scottish Government has published today its vision and work programme for NHS pharmaceutical care for the next 10 years in the document, Prescription for Excellence: A Vision and Action Plan for the right pharmaceutical care through integrated partnerships and innovation. A copy can be obtained from the Scottish Government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/09/3025.

The vast majority of community pharmacies have a private consultation area and we actively encourage all pharmacy owners to strive to ensure that patients’ privacy is a priority. This has been supported in the past through Scottish Government investment. The Vision and Action Plan published today will seek to develop new and innovative models of pharmaceutical care through NHS Board pharmaceutical care services planning, underpinned with local needs assessment, driving a new approach to the provision of pharmaceutical care and the range of premises from which they are provided.

All pharmacy premises should already comply with General Pharmaceutical Council Standards for registered pharmacies, and in particular Standard 3.2, which requires that pharmacy premises protect the privacy, dignity and confidentiality of patients and the public who receive pharmacy services. This is reinforced in NHSScotland planning guidelines for Community Pharmacy Premises in Scotland (Health Facilities Scotland, Scottish Health Planning Note 36, 2007).

This information is not held centrally.

As the member will be aware work is currently being undertaken by health boards to address issues around unscheduled care.

Within the National Unscheduled Care Improvement Programme a significant amount of work is being undertaken by boards around unscheduled care pathways to ensure suitable assessment is available at the appropriate stage in the patient journey.

This information is not held centrally.

The information is not held centrally.

As the member will be aware work is currently being undertaken by health boards to address issues around unscheduled care.

The work of the National Unscheduled Care Improvement Programme will include a significant amount of work around unscheduled care pathways, particularly with regards to frail elderly patients to ensure suitable assessment is provided at the appropriate stage in the patient journey.

General practices are contracted to provide general medical services by their local health board and not the Scottish Government. It is a condition of that contract that the contractor shall at all times hold adequate insurance against liability arising from negligent performance of clinical services under the contract.

GPs who work in the out of hours service are either directly employed, so will have crown indemnity via the health boards Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme arrangements, or are "sessional" i.e. GPs paid a sessional rate for the shifts that they work. This latter group of GPs will not be regarded as employed and will need to use their own indemnity cover with a Medical Defense Union (which they need for their everyday practice anyway).

This information is not held centrally.

As the member will be aware work is currently being undertaken by health boards to address issues around unscheduled care.

As part of the National Unscheduled Care Improvement Programme a significant amount of work is being undertaken by boards around unscheduled care pathways to ensure access to a senior decision maker is available at all stage of the emergency care pathway.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Terms and conditions issues in NHSScotland are discussed and agreed in partnership between management and staff. It was recently agreed that staff on maternity leave should accrue public holidays and that this provision should be backdated to 1 April 2008. All staff who have been on maternity leave since that date are therefore entitled to accrue public holidays.