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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-25923

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether issues relating to fatigue and wellbeing in relation to NHS staff are included in the curriculum of medical courses at Scottish universities.

The GMC’s ‘Promoting Excellence: Standards for Medical Education and Training’ sets out requirements for the management and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and training. University medical schools encompass GMC requirements which includes a requirement for medicals schools to minimise the adverse effects of fatigue and workload.

Student mental health and wellbeing is a key priority for the Scottish Government and we are investing £20m in the sector over the next 4 years so that colleges and universities can access and recruit additional mental health councillors.

Universities will also be required to have a mental health strategy openly available and to work alongside student associations to ensure this is implemented.

Question reference: S5W-25924

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it gives to NHS boards on the inclusion of rest facilities for NHS staff in the building of new hospitals.

Each NHS Board is responsible under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and its subsequent regulations, to provide appropriate staff rest facilities. They are best placed locally to determine the particular requirements for safe staff working, including quantity and mix of rest facilities.

To assist NHS Boards in determining their needs in all healthcare facilities, Health Facilities Scotland (HFS) provide over 150 guidance documents on their website www.hfs.scot.nhs.uk/publications-/guidance-publications which covers a wide range of issues including rest facilities. For example, 'Facilities for surgical procedures (HBN 26) (2004)' states: '5.59 Anaesthetist on-call facilities are required within the department. Facilities should include a bed, en-suite shower/WC, clothes storage, a hand-wash basin, a desk and chair, and a computer with connection to IT services. Additionally, 'Accident and emergency facilities for adults and children (SPHN22) (2007)' states: '4.11 For senior on-call staff, a minimum of one single en-suite bed/sitting room that provides overnight accommodation is required within the department. The planning team should decide on the number, size and location of rooms following local consultation'.

The Scottish Government believes that this guidance provides sufficient clarity as to what rest facilities need to be provided for medical staff and this would be provided and managed locally by NHS Boards.

Question reference: S5W-25907

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is issued by (a) NHS Education for Scotland and (b) medical schools regarding fatigue among medical staff.

NHS Education for Scotland`s Thriving in Medicine is a collection of online resources to support doctors, including ways to address and combat fatigue: https://www.scotlanddeanery.nhs.scot/trainee-information/thriving-in-medicine/ .

The GMC’s Promoting Excellence: standards for medical education and training sets out requirements for the management and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and training. University medical schools encompass GMC requirements which includes a requirement for medicals schools to minimise the adverse effects of fatigue and workload.

We continue to improve working practices for junior doctors to limit the impact of fatigue. This includes ensuring no more than seven days or shifts are worked in a row, banning working seven consecutive night shifts, and requiring all junior doctor rotas to contain a minimum 46-hour rest period following a run of full shift night working.

Question reference: S5W-25925

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on accessible rest facilities for staff being available in hospitals.

Question reference: S5W-26306

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) short-visit, (b) full and (c) other type of school inspections have been carried out in each of the last five years.

The following table sets out the number of (a) short; (b) full and; (c) other school inspections undertaken in the last five academic years.

	2014-15 2	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18 3	2018-19
Short	0	9	23	46	125
Full	141	134	138	136	127
Other 1	52	53	65	50	49

Source: Education Scotland. All figures include local authority schools, grant-aided schools and independent schools.

Notes

1 “Other” includes Further inspections of schools where the original inspection had identified the quality of education was not good enough; Quality Improvement and Professional Engagement visits of independent schools for which a report is published; post registration inspections of independent schools and; section 66 inspections instructed by Scottish Ministers.

2 For academic years 14-15–16-17

1. Inspection of schools in Guernsey are included in the full inspection figures

2. All through schools are included twice in recognition that they include both primary and secondary sector.

3. For academic years 17-18 -18-19

1. Inspection of Guernsey schools is included within “other” figures

Question reference: S5W-26177

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25824 by Michael Matheson on 30 October 2019, when the sensors will be fitted.

Question reference: S5W-26222

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 15 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the City of Edinburgh Council about the safety of scaffolding at the annual Christmas market.

Question reference: S5O-03772

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what plans it has to make provision in future years to offer the flu vaccination to its contractor staff.

Question reference: S5W-26199

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 14 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the provisions in the UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill assert or imply the licensing of journalism or journalist products and sales.

Question reference: S5W-26198

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 14 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the permissions and exceptions in the UEFA European Championship (Scotland) Bill translate from print into digital.