- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26211 by Neil Gray on 2 April 2024, whether the total of 19 positions that have reportedly been advertised on the recruitment portal, Oriel, for August 2024, is the maximum number of radiology training places for 2024, and, if this is the case, for what reason the number of training places is not higher.
Answer
Answer expected on 7 May 2024
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 2 April 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what the total number of radiology training places has been in financial year (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22, (d) 2022-23 and (e) 2023-24.
Answer
The number of medical training places is calculated by the training year they are advertised/filled rather than by financial year. Most posts start in August to September of each year, with a smaller number from a subsequent recruitment round starting in February. The figures quoted in the following table are specific to training years, with data for 2024 not yet available.
Year | Posts Advertised | Posts Filled |
2019 | 26 | 26 |
2020 | 39 | 39 |
2021 | 34 | 34 |
2022 | 37 | 37 |
2023 | 36 | 36 |
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm whether the parents of adults with learning disabilities may be required to meet costs of around £720 to successfully renew guardianship orders.
Answer
It is difficult to confirm costs in guardianship cases as the circumstances will differ in each case.
When registering a guardianship order renewal, the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) will charge a £95 fee. This fee covers the administrative processing of the renewal application. There is also a lodging fee of £138 charged by the Sheriff Court (from 1 April it will be £141). There may also be a fee for the medical examination, however this will depend on the doctor that is used and whether they charge for such a service.
The parents will need to seek legal assistance from a solicitor to navigate the renewal process, in which they will incur additional costs in the form of legal fees for the services provided by the legal professionals. These fees can vary depending on the complexity of the case and the amount of assistance required.
The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) are responsible for administering legal aid in Scotland. SLAB will assess eligibility based on financial circumstances of each case. If individuals were to meet the criteria, SLAB can provide funding for representation in legal matters, reducing or eliminating the costs associated with renewing their guardianship order.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what advice it offers to local authorities in relation to circumstances in which a family requests support from a local authority social care service to protect the welfare and financial interests of a loved one because they have not been able to renew a guardianship order due to any cost barriers.
Answer
If a family cannot afford to renew a guardianship order, the local authority can offer support by providing non-legal advice on the Adults with Incapacity (AWI) (Scotland) Act 2000, suggesting independent advice sources, and conducting needs assessments for both the individual and the carer. The Scottish Government has published AWI codes of practice for local authorities. Chapter 7 highlights the responsibilities of local authorities in this domain and their duty to apply for a guardianship where one is necessary and no application is being made or likely to be made.
Last winter Scottish Government published its good practice guidance for AWI delayed discharge based on engagement with majority of local authorities. This highlighted the most efficient ways to facilitate moves of adults lacking capacity from the hospital estate to more suitable accommodation. This included the guardianship process and ensuring the adults rights, will and preference are first and foremost.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that a person is unable to meet the financial costs of renewing a guardianship order for a family member, what support is available to safeguard the welfare and financial interests of the family member.
Answer
Eligible individuals may qualify for legal aid to help cover the costs associated with legal representation and court fees involved in renewing a guardianship order. Legal aid is means-tested, and eligibility criteria apply.
Organisations such as Citizens Advice Scotland and the Scottish Legal Aid Board provide financial assistance and support services to individuals and families facing financial difficulties in legal matters, including guardianship renewals.
Local authorities may provide guidance to individuals who are unable to afford the costs of renewing a guardianship order. Social work departments or welfare services within the local authority can offer support and advice on available resources.
Under Section 57(2) of the Adults with Incapacity (AWI) (Scotland) Act 2000, if a guardianship order (or renewal) is deemed necessary by the local authority and no application has been made or is anticipated, the authority must initiate the application process.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications were made to renew guardianship orders in financial year (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22, (d) 2022-23 and (e) 2023-24 to date; of these, how many (i) were successful, (ii) were unsuccessful and (iii) are still to be decided, and whether it can provide a breakdown of these figures in relation to submissions to support people with a learning disability.
Answer
The number of applications for renewal of guardianship orders for the years requested (statistics from the Office of the Public Guardian) are in the following table:
2019-20 | 830 |
2020-21 | 634 |
2021-22 | 936 |
2022-23 | 1165 |
2023-24 to date | 1294 |
The number of renewals that were unsuccessful is as follows:
2019-20 | 6 |
2020-21 | 9 |
2021-22 | 5 |
2022-23 | 2 |
2023-24 to date | 0 |
The Office of the Public Guardian do not record how many applications are granted, how many are still to be decided and whether an application is in relation to someone with a learning disability.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) maximum, (b) minimum and (c) average cost was for a person to renew a guardianship order in the last five financial years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not have access to specific data regarding the maximum, minimum, or average costs for individuals renewing a guardianship order over the past five financial years.
The costs associated with renewing a guardianship order can vary significantly depending on various factors such as the complexity of the case, the involvement of legal and medical professionals, and the specific needs of the individual in question.
While we can identify certain standard fees like the £138 Court lodging fee and £95 Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) fee, additional expenses such as medical assessments and legal representation can fluctuate based on individual circumstances and preferences.
Non-means-tested legal aid is available in certain cases.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether financial support, in the form of legal aid, can be awarded to families to help meet the costs associated with the renewal of guardianship orders for parents of adult children with learning disabilities.
Answer
Legal aid, via the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) can provide financial support to families renewing guardianship orders for adults with learning disabilities. This assistance may cover legal representation costs, including solicitor fees and court expenses, depending on financial eligibility criteria. The support aims to alleviate the financial burden associated with navigating the renewal process, ensuring access to legal assistance for families in need.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the 21 recommendations set out in the Transvaginal Mesh Case Record Review by Professor Alison Britton are now fully embedded within healthcare services in Scotland.
Answer
The report of the Transvaginal Mesh Case Record Review underlined what was already an important agenda for the Scottish Government: to improve care and services for women who are experiencing complications as a result of a transvaginal mesh; and, to ensure that the NHS continually reinforces good practice in confirming and recording patient consent and the treatment offered to patients. Progress continues in a range of connected activities relevant to Professor Brittons’ recommendations.
The recommendations made align with the practice that is embedded in the operation of the Complex Mesh Surgical Service, and through NHS Scotland more generally. We continue to work with NHS colleagues to ensure that women can access the care that they need, are fully supported by their GP and other clinicians, and have access to information they need to make informed decisions about their care.
The Chief Medical Officer wrote to Health Board Medical Directors on 10 October to draw their attention to the report of the Review and to the failings it identified, and to require them to seek assurance through local clinical governance committees that measures are in place locally to prevent a recurrence of the failings identified, and to assure the quality of processes connected to patient consent and record keeping. With regards to more recent patient records she reviewed, Professor Britton herself noted she was encouraged by the improvement in practice, with increasingly robust consent processes in place.
Work continues in other areas including enhancing information available to patients, credentialing of clinicians in mesh removal and improved data gathering.
The Scottish Government therefore considers that it is taking appropriate action to embed the report’s recommendations with regards to healthcare services in Scotland.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 March 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many mesh removal procedures in total have been carried out in Glasgow through referral to the National Complex Mesh Surgical Service since the centre was established, and how many of these procedures are considered to have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.
Answer
The National Complex Mesh Surgical Service assesses patient needs and, where appropriate and subject to shared decision making and informed consent, performs mesh removal surgery. To date, 135 mesh removal procedures have been undertaken by the Service. Many women make the choice following assessment and discussion with the specialist team to follow a conservative pathway of care and do not undergo surgery.
The needs of patients and their goals may differ and therefore their definition of success will vary too. The removal of mesh is often only part of the treatment journey, with further reconstructive surgery depending on clinical need taking place at a later date. Patients may also have other needs which require to be addressed by other members of the clinical team.
The service is required to comply with normal clinical governance mechanisms in place within NHSGGC to provide an assurance that the service being delivered is safe and of an appropriate quality.
