Parliamentary questions

Christine Grahame

3,532 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

7 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9957 by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 September 2004, whether the #9,882,454 cost of negligence claims in 2003-04 was met by NHS boards or by insurers and, if the cost was not met by insurers, how much has been paid in premiums (a) by each NHS board and (b) …

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In 2003-04 the cost of £9,882,454 for clinical negligence claims was met by theClinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme (CNORIS) and NHS boards.The cost of clinical negligence claims is generally met from (CNORIS) which is a risk management…

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which New Futures projects have been recommended to secure mainstream funding by the New Futures Advisory Management Group and which such projects (a) have and (b) have not secured mainstream funding.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The enterprise networks are working with individual projects to raise awareness of new funding sources. To date, 20 projects advise they have secured some level of funding beyond 2005. Many others are currently involved in discussions with potential funders. …

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average post-operative survival rate has been for patients undergoing a (a) heart-lung, (b) heart and (c) lung transplant in each year since 1999.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Because of the small numbersinvolved, and on grounds of patient confidentiality, it is not possible to providethe information in the form requested specifically for patients in Scotland.The 1 year transplant survivalestimates following heart‑lung…

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time has been for an assessment for a (a) heart-lung, (b) heart and (c) lung transplant in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As the length of time someone has to wait for such an assessment is directly related to the person’s condition, the average waiting time would not be meaningful.

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time for a heart-lung transplant has been in each year since 1999.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is not possible to give an average waiting time because of the small number of patients involved. The length of time a person has to wait for a transplant is dependent on a suitable donor organ becoming available.

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people carried donor cards in each year since 1999 (a) nationally and (b) in each NHS board area.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is not possible to provide the information requested, as people are not required to register their decision to carry an organ donor card.

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been waiting for a heart-lung transplant operation in each year since 1999.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A total of six patients with a Scottish postcode have been placed on the waiting list for a heart-lung transplant since 1999. Because of the small number of patients involved, it is not possible to give the figure for each year on grounds of patient confident…

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many heart-lung transplants there have been in Scotland in each year since 1999 and how many patients were referred outside Scotland for such transplants in each year.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As there is no heart-lung transplant programme in Scotland, almost all Scottish patients receive their transplant at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. A total of eight patients with a Scottish postcode have received a heart-lung transplant since 1999.…

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where information can be accessed by the public to determine whether a GP practice has closed its patient list; whether there is any guidance or regulations requiring a GP practice to give notice that its list is closing and, if so, what these requirements are.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information is provided by practices themselves. Any patient who has moved to a new location and wishes to join the list of a practice, or who wishes simply to change doctor, is free to apply to any local practice. A practice is required by the National Healt…

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of days is that a patient waits between requesting an appointment and seeing a GP, broken down by (a) GP practice and (b) NHS board.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-8036 answered on 18 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.pa…

6 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many unscheduled readmissions to hospital following discharge there have been in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002, (e) 2003 and (f) 2004 to date, broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) hospital.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available centrally.However, emergency admissions, within 28 days of discharge, can be identified and are presented in a table Emergency readmissions, within 28 days, to Scottish hospitals a copy of which has bee…

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the Waverley railway project outline business case sent to it by the Waverley Railway Partnership on 8 June 2004.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive will respond to the Waverley Railway’s outline business case once it hasconsidered the implications of the delay to the Parliamentary Bill.

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33327 by Ross Finnie on 31 January 2003, how the #3 million for local anti-litter initiatives was allocated, broken down by local authority, and how it monitors the effectiveness of these local schemes.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The £3 million for local anti-litter initiatives as answered in question S1W-33327 relates to indicative figures received from local authorities as part of the £95 million End Year Flexibility funding for Quality of Life activities for 2002. Councils made the…

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-466 by Ross Finnie of 10 June 2003, how many prosecutions there have been for litter and fly tipping offences in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004 to date, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the table. The data for 2003 and 2004 have not yet been published; 2003 data are expected to be published towards the end of 2004.Persons Proceeded Against in Scottish Courts where the Main Offence was a Litter Off…

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-464 by Ross Finnie on 10 June 2003, what stage the development of performance indicators under the Keep Scotland Beautiful project has reached.

Answer · Ross Finnie: 2003-04 reports have been collated by Keep Scotland Beautiful and have been issued to local authorities following completion of the first year operation of LEAMS. However, it has been decided by Audit Scotland that as the first year was run essentially as a p…

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4566 by Ross Finnie on 11 December 2003, what progress has been made regarding a European prohibition on the commercial movement of puppies and kittens under eight weeks unless accompanied by their mother.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Commission proposal to amend the welfare conditions of animals during transport did not receive sufficient EU-wide support and was not adopted, therefore the proposal to ban the commercial transportation of puppies and kittens under eight weeks of age unl…

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9753 by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2004, which rivers or waters in the Borders area were monitored; where the monitoring sites are located, and when there were last reports from these sites.

Answer · Ross Finnie: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information is not held centrally.

2 Sep 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9744 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 August 2004, how many out-patients in each NHS board area were waiting more than (a) 18 months and (b) two years for an NHS appointment, broken down by individual speciality, in the quarters to (i) March 1999, (ii) June…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested for NHSScotland is set out in the following tables.Every year NHSScotland undertakes 4 million out-patient appointments, of which around 1 million of these are first outpatient appointments. Nearly 90% of patients receive thei…

31 Aug 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will reinstate the Scottish Key Indicators Package for Performance (SKIPPER) database and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The SKIPPER package was originally developed by ISD Scotland, in the mid 1990s, as a means of supporting NHSScotland in planning and performance management. It is based on old pre-web technology and is expensive to maintain, distribute and support. Difficulti…

31 Aug 2004 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9744 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 August 2004, how many out-patients in each NHS board area were waiting for (a) less than nine, (b) less than 13, (c) less than 26 and (d) more than 52 weeks for an NHS appointment, broken down by individual speciality f…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested for NHSScotland is set out in the following tables.Every year NHSScotland undertakes 4 million out-patient appointments, of which around 1 million of these are first out-patient appointments. Nearly 90% of patients receive the…