- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many Smartcards are used each day on trains, and how much passengers spend using these.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. However the most recent ScotRail figures we have shown that for the four weeks to 3 March 2018, 633,000 passenger journeys took place using Smart.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 17 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent Citizens Advice centres from closing.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the excellent work that Citizens Advice Bureaux do in helping some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The Scottish Government includes funding to support the most vulnerable people as part of the block grant which we provide to all local authorities as part of the annual local government finance settlement. This provides flexibility to local authorities and it is for each of them to allocate their resources in the way that best meets local needs. Each Bureau is responsible for putting together its own package of funding, including any core funding from the local authority and project funding from other sources. I commend Bureaux for their use of a variety of approaches to identify funding streams, and I encourage Bureaux to continue to work closely with potential funders and Citizens Advice Scotland to develop sustainable plans for the future.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of special constables has reportedly decreased over the last five years.
Answer
The recruitment and retention of Special Constables is a matter for Police Scotland.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides for non-emergency medical transportation for people who require it.
Answer
Individual NHS Boards are responsible for paying for or reimbursing the cost of patient travel, in accordance with their own patients’ travelling expenses scheme policies and within their overall baseline budgets which are increasing by 3.7% in 2018-19 for frontline Boards. In addition, in 2018-19, a new Neonatal Expenses Fund of £1.5 million will include support for travel and subsistence costs for families whose babies are born prematurely and require long term admission to a neonatal unit.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken regarding (a) the costs and (b) any social benefits of medical facilities partnering with ride-sharing companies to provide transportation to and from appointments.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not facilitate non emergency transport to healthcare facilities. This is a matter for individual frontline NHS Boards, in conjunction with the Scottish Ambulance Service and local authorities.
There are also a number of community based initiatives to provide hospital transport to patients throughout Scotland and it is a matter for individual operators to decide what types of services they offer.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what cost-benefit analysis it has undertaken regarding subsidies for all travel to and from hospitals.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15440 on 10 April 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to facilitate non-medical emergency transportation for people who require it.
Answer
As part of its core funding from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Ambulance Service delivers the Patient Transport Service for patients who have a need for assistance from skilled clinical staff during transport to healthcare appointments.
If the Scottish Ambulance Service feel that a patient does not have a clinical need for patient transport, they will be signposted to information regarding alternative transport providers, where applicable.
There are a number of community based initiatives to provide transport to patients and some Health and Social Care Partnerships will link with voluntary organisations or community groups who provide transport via volunteer drivers. Information on accessing these Services is often available to patients at their local GP practice.
Also, under the National Health Service (Travel Expenses and Remission of Charges) Regulations 2003, travel expenses incurred by patients to attend hospital appointments can be reimbursed for individuals who are on certain types of benefits or a low income. This is based on an assessment of each claimant's ability to pay in light of their financial circumstances at the time a claim is made or a charge was paid.
All of these services and systems are in place to support patients throughout Scotland in travelling to and from healthcare appointments.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on hospital transportation, excluding ambulances, in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15440 on 10 April 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates face transportation barriers when accessing healthcare.
Answer
The Scottish Government has ensured that there are a range of options available to patients requiring either clinical or financial travel assistance.
This includes the Patient Transport Service provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service for those requiring clinical assistance and, for those requiring financial assistance, the Patient Travelling Expenses Scheme and the specific Highlands and Islands Travel Scheme. In addition, all Health Boards have the discretion to reimburse patient traveling expenses where it is viewed to be an extension of treatment costs and deemed to be clinically necessary.
There are also a number of community based initiatives to provide hospital transport to patients and some Health and Social Care Partnerships link with voluntary organisations or community groups to provide transport.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost was of patient taxis for non-emergency medical transport in 2017.
Answer
The information requested is not held by the Scottish Government. Individual Boards are responsible for paying for or reimbursing the cost of patient travel, in accordance with their own patients’ travelling expenses scheme and within their overall baseline budgets, which are increasing by 3.7% in 2018-19 for frontline Boards.
Boards are required to make best use of resources, including setting policies on the most appropriate and cost effective means of patient transport whilst ensuring that patient care and safety is at the centre of all decisions made.
