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The NHS procurement process complies with the Scottish Government Procurement Journey. This is public sector wide guidance which provides all contracting authorities with information on how to procure, including appropriate steps to ensure separation of duty.

We require Boards to have SFIs, updated annually and these must include a section on declarations of interest.

a) NHS Scotland has a mature shared service capability within National Services Scotland, via the National Procurement Organisation. This has increased the value of national/shared procurement arrangements significantly over the last 10 years with the annual value of national/shared procurement arrangements increasing from approximately £350m p.a. in 2005 to approximately £1.3bn p.a. in 2016. Additionally the National Distribution Centre provides a single logistics service for NHS Scotland with a stock holding of approx 9000 products and a throughput of approximately £150m per year.

b) Savings of £35m - £40m are secured every year from the use of national arrangements. These savings are for re-investment in frontline services.

Under this Government, the number of Qualified Nurses and Midwives has increased by over 2,100 WTE, or 5.2%, to 43,166.2 WTE.

The number of staff working in NHS Scotland has increased by over 11,000 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE), or 8.7 per cent, to 138,125.4 WTE.

Further information on: a) the latest published NHS Nursing and Midwifery staff in post figures by board can be found in the data tables of the workforce statistics website at: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2016-09-06/Nursing_and_Midwifery_SIP_J2016.xls

Further information on: b) the latest published overall NHS staff figures by board can be found in the data tables of the Workforce Statistics website at: https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2016-09-06/Overall_staff_J2016.xls

Health boards manage their own expenditure and there may be times when a board opts to use local activity as opposed to the national solution that is in place. The Scottish Government does not hold specific details of this as this is managed directly by the Health boards.

In accordance with current legislation we can no longer presume a retiral age as this is discriminatory. As a result, information relating to numbers of Mental Health staff expected to retire in 2016-17 is not available.

However, despite record levels of staffing in NHS Scotland, we acknowledge that we need to plan carefully to prepare for the challenges we face. That is why we have committed to producing a National and Regional Workforce Planning system that will help deliver a sustainable Health and Social Care system.

Personnel employed within procurement across NHSScotland hold a wide variety of qualifications ranging from NVQ/SVQ certificates to degrees in law, engineering, business studies and clinical competencies. Approximately 30% hold accreditation with the Chartered Institute of Procurement (CIPS) with a number of others studying for the qualification. Not all posts require CIPS and based on the nature of the role the job specification will describe the required minimum qualification and/or experience requirements.

That information is not held centrally by Scottish Government.

NHS National Procurement are the appointed Centre of Expertise for auditing procurement processes at each Health Board as part of the annual capability review. In addition to this, all Health Boards have Internal Auditors, who will include procurement in their routine programme of work.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information regarding the latest audit for each Health Board – this information is retained locally.

The welfare of NHS staff is critically important with every health board required to have policies in place and to comply with national policies on managing health at work. The Scottish Government is actively addressing the sickness absence challenge.

Under this Government, the number of qualified Nurses and Midwives have increased by 5.2% to over 43,100 Whole Time Equivalent.

It is for health boards to plan and deliver clinical services and ensure that they have the correct staff in place to meet the needs of their services and ensure high quality patient care.

This level of sickness absence information is not held centrally. NHS National Services Scotland, Information Services Department collect and publish sickness absence data at a national and board level once a year:

https://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2016-06-07/Sickness_Absence_M2016.xls

The independent Scottish Health Council (SHC) works with NHS Boards and communities across Scotland to promote and support the involvement of people in NHS Scotland: that includes instances where changes to NHS services are being considered by a Board or Boards. The Health Council's support and advice on potential service changes is offered within the context of the well-established and long-standing process set out in the national guidance: "Informing, Engaging and Consulting People in Developing Health and Community Care Services" (CEL 4(2010)). Specific communications with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on proposals in respect of Lightburn and Vale of Leven Hospitals are a matter for the independent SHC.