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The Scottish Government having discussed the situation with NHS Lothian understand the Board's decision to delay opening of the new hospital.

Their decision has been made in order to protect the commissioning period to ensure that the new facility is fully safe and ready to accept patients and staff. This follows their recent review of construction progress and quality. During any commissioning period there are significant works to carry out such as fully equipping the hospital, staff recruitment familiarisation and induction, snagging where required, testing of equipment and facilities and adequately stocking of the hospital. The Board wish to ensure a smooth transition of their clinical teams to the new facility reducing any risk to patient and staff safety.

The Scottish Government will be working closely with the Board to ensure that no further delays arise and agree with the Board's decision at this point in time not to set a definite specific revised date for opening. NHS Lothian will be closely monitoring the situation over the next few weeks and once they have certainty, will release a new opening date.

The Scottish Government has completed the first round of stakeholder engagement regarding the Single National Formulary (SNF). An event for the NHS service was held on the 16 May 2017, and NHS National Procurement Scotland were in attendance. The event included a workshop for all attendees to give their views regarding the vision and possible structure of the SNF, and NHS National Procurement Scotland participated in this. There has been no further involvement in the development, implementation and management of the SNF. The role of National Procurement Scotland with the SNF has yet to be agreed.

Information on the cost to each Local Authority of conducting financial assessments for social care services for people over 65 is not held centrally.

The Effective Prescribing Programme was established by NHS National Services Scotland, NHS Boards and the Scottish Government to facilitate and support the quality of prescribing and medicines use. The following are the current areas of focus:

• Implementation of Prescribing Strategies

• Effective use of biological medicines

• Clinical consensus to guide best practice in prescribing in particular clinical areas

• Effective use of prescribing support tools

• Effective use of liothyronine

Future areas have yet to be considered and agreed.

Registration arrangements at GP practices in Scotland regarding who can register a baby or child are based on national regulations. (GMS Schedule 5, Part 2, Regulation 15).

The regulations state that an application for registration with a GP practice may be made on behalf of any child:

• by either parent, or in the absence of both parents, the guardian or other adult person who has care of the child,

• by a person duly authorised by a local authority, where the child is in the care of a local authority under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995(1); or

• by a person duly authorised by a voluntary organisation, by which the child is being accommodated under the provisions of that Act.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government

The 2005 universal core program, Health for All Children (Hall 4) sets out the minimum routine screening, surveillance and health promotion checks which all children and young people should receive. A New Look at Hall 4 (2011) sets out the way forward for the successful delivery of Health for All Children (Hall 4) in the early years. This now requires to be delivered in the context of duties and provisions set out in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, supporting guidance and the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) policy. The programme set out in Hall 4 can be delivered by any member of the primary care or wider Child Health Support Team, including General Practitioners, Family Nurses, Early Years Support Workers or Health Visitors.

The Universal Health Visiting Pathway, published in October 2015, outlines a core home visiting programme as a minimum standard to be offered to all families with pre-school children. The programme consists of 11 home visits to all families, 8 of which are in the first year of life. It also sets out 3 Child Health Reviews between 13 -15 months, 27-30 months and 4-5 years. We expect full implementation of the universal health visiting pathway by 2020.

The 27-30 month review, introduced in April 2013 is offered to every child in Scotland reaching the appropriate age. The most recent publication of statistics on the child health 27-30 month review was published in February 2017. Figures for 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 are provided in the accompanying excel workbooks. ?

Registration arrangements at GP practices in Scotland are based on national regulations.

The regulations are clear that either parent can apply for registration on behalf of a child. There is nothing in the regulations to say that it has to be the child's mother, rather than the father. The regulations also allow for a non-parental guardian to be able to register a child.

The Scottish Government published a respiratory prescribing strategy in 2014. Work is underway to develop an updated version. This is being led by officials and colleagues from NHS Scotland. It is intended that the strategy be published later in 2017.

Generally GPs should not refuse a person registration unless there are exceptional circumstances. According to the national regulations either parent can apply for registration on behalf of a child. The regulations also allow for a non-parental guardian to be able to register a child.

One possibility where a parent (either mother or father) would not be allowed to register a child with a GP practice is if the child lived outwith the practice area (i.e. they are living with the other parent or another guardian). This would be reasonable grounds for refusal under the regulations.

It is also possible that in certain circumstances i.e. a custody dispute, a court could make an order prohibiting one parent from registering the child, or an order saying where the child should be registered.