Dorothy-Grace Elder

3 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for removal of the most toxic ha'ardous waste from landfill sites prior to implementation of the EC Directive on the landfilling of waste in 2001 and whether this will be done on a phased basis.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: There is no requirement for hazardous waste to be removed from landfill sites before implementation of the Landfill Directive. However, the Directive will mean that co-disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes at landfill sites will no longer be possible…

3 Oct 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for alternative waste management options once the EC Directive on the landfilling of waste comes into effect in 2001.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The EC Landfill Directive came into force on 16 July 1999 and is due to be transposed into national legislation within two years from that date. The Directive contains several requirements and deadlines for action.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The <I>National Waste Stra…

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-5668 by Mr Jim Wallace on 7 September 2000, whether information contained in the review relating to medical records and patient statistics is commercially confidential information and, if not, how such information can be obtained.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">There is no information contained in the review that relates to medical records or patient statistics.

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the target number of nurses to be trained in prescribing a limited range of medicines is by the end of 2001.

Answer · Susan Deacon: By the end of 2001, 2941 nurses should have been trained in prescribing a limited range of medicines.

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for radiotherapy treatment at Glasgow Western Infirmary.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Radiotherapy treatment waiting times are not measured in this way. Cancer centres give high priority to starting treatment as soon as possible after clinical decisions on treatment options have been made.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Information on minimum and maximum w…

27 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it is planned to review the linear accelerators at Glasgow Western Infirmary.

Answer · Susan Deacon: State of the art linear accelerators and treatment planning computers for the delivery of radiotherapy in Scotland's five cancer centres are being provided through a phased programme, agreed in consultation with Cancer Centre Directors. £13.2 million from the…

27 Sep 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1879 by Ross Finnie on 8 June 2000, what further action has been taken in relation to the possibility that crops contaminated with GM seed have entered the human and animal food chains.

Answer · Ross Finnie: As I made clear in my earlier answer, the crop sown in 1999 had already been harvested and had possibly entered the food chain prior to the discovery that the seed had been contaminated. As I also made clear in that answer, we have advice from the Food Standa…

26 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9206 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 19 September 2000, how many attacks were perpetrated against workers in children's homes in Glasgow in each of the past five years.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: Information on attacks specifically against workers in children's homes is not available centrally. The member may wish to approach Glasgow Council for this information.

26 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9623 by Susan Deacon on 19 September 2000, who holds the information requested on whether the standard set by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland of one breast care nurse per 150 breast cancers is being met and why this information is not held …

Answer · Susan Deacon: The draft standards drawn up by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland are currently being reviewed following recent pilot visits to a number of NHS Trust throughout Scotland.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">In undertaking its accreditation assessments of services again…

26 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to implement a system of free or subsidised public transport for women and men travelling to NHS facilities for cancer screening or treatment.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on patient travelling expenses schemes was provided in response to question S1O-2151 and applies equally to patients with cancer as for any other disease.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">So far as screening is concerned, the majority of breast and cervical canc…

26 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9630 by Susan Deacon on 19 September 2000, whether it will provide details of the media campaigns launched since 1 July 1999, specifying the cost of each and the criteria by which the success of each campaign is measured.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive does not hold information in relation to all health boards' individual breast cancer screening media campaigns.

26 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9629 by Susan Deacon on 19 September 2000, whether it will provide details on the four specific breast cancer projects it has funded and the funding allocated to each.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Details of these four projects and other breast cancer projects can be found in the National Research Register, which can be accessed through the Department of Health website at <A HREF="http://www.doh.gov.uk/research">www.doh.gov.uk/research</A>.

26 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9616 by Susan Deacon on 19 September 2000, whether it holds any information on numbers of breast reconstruction nurses and who holds the information requested in question S1W-9616 in the detail required.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Breast reconstruction nurses are employed by NHS Trusts. Information on the numbers employed by each Trust and whether these positions are full or part time can be obtained from individual Trusts.

26 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to aid support groups for self-harmers.

Answer · Iain Gray: All applications from support groups are given equal consideration by local authorities, the NHS and the Scottish Executive.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Guidance on the best organisation of screening, services and support for those who self-harm was published within th…

14 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to liaise with the NHS and private medical facilities in order to establish a single central medical register of diagnosis and treatments.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-9846.

14 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to liaise with private medical facilities in order to establish a central medical record of diagnosis and treatments in the private sector.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-9846.

14 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the NHS to ensure that medical records maintained by the NHS are complete and that diagnostic criteria are standardised throughout Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The principal data on secondary-sector healthcare in Scotland come from the Scottish Morbidity Records (SMR), individual patient-based episode records prepared in hospitals. Diagnostic information in these records is recorded using the 10th revision of the In…

13 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to tackle child tooth decay in Glasgow and reduce the figure of 66% of children who have experienced tooth decay and what the comparative figures are for all health board areas outside Glasgow.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Greater Glasgow Health Board and Greater Glasgow Primary Dental Care Trust have a number of local measures in place to improve the oral health of children e.g. the Possilpark Pre-5 Programme. In addition, the Scottish Executive published on 18 August <I>An Ac…

13 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6705 by Mr Jim Wallace on 24 May 2000, whether any existing legislation, other than road traffic legislation, would enable failure to report to the police any injury to cats through road accidents to be treated as a criminal offence, or whether it pl…

Answer · Jim Wallace: Failure to report such injuries to cats is not a criminal offence. We have no plans to make it an offence.

13 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it proposes to take in relation to violence against NHS staff.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Occupational Health and Safety Strategy <I>Towards a Safer Healthier Workplace</I> committed the NHSiS to provide a safe working environment for staff based on risk assessment. To back that up the Scottish Executive made £0.5 million available to the NHSi…

13 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are to end slopping out and expedite in-cell sanitation at Barlinnie Prison following Her Majesty's Chief Inspectorate of Prisons Annual Report 2000.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Plans to end slopping out at Barlinnie Prison must await the outcome of the fundamental review of the SPS Estate. As an interim…

13 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were drug tested in prison in each year from 1990 to 1999, how many have been tested to date in 2000 and how many tested positive in these periods.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Drug test results as a consequence of clinical and treatment programme testing are not collected centrally. A national drugs in…

12 Sep 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the installation of soft drinks and confectionery vending machines in schools would have on its dental health policy and its Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Diet Action Plan, "Eating for Health", which sets out the framework for improving Scotland's diet, highlights the impact of sugary drinks and confectionery on children's dental health. We are, therefore, continuing to work with health boards, loc…

7 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to monitor whether there is age discrimination in the NHS.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A range of mechanisms exists for monitoring the quality of care which the NHS in Scotland provides for older patients. This includes the work of the Scottish Health Advisory Service, regular meetings with bodies such as Age Concern and the Scottish Branch of …

5 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to encourage women from deprived areas to come forward for mammogram screening.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A range of initiatives are undertaken by health boards to encourage women from deprived areas to come forward for breast screening, such as more mobile screening in inner city deprived areas and media campaigns.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Attendance for breast screeni…

5 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to specific breast cancer projects from August 1999 to July 2000.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Executive Health Department allocated £457,861 to four new projects related to breast cancer in the period August 1999 to July 2000.

5 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many breast reconstruction surgeons serve each health board.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Information collected by the NHS in Scotland does not provide figures for breast reconstruction surgeons, as such surgeons will be recorded under the specialties of general surgery or plastic surgery. The majority of breast reconstruction operations are carri…

5 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many breast screening units (mobile and static) serve the West of Scotland Breast Screening Service.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The West of Scotland Breast Screening Service is currently served by two static units and four/five mobile units.

5 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many breast lump clinics serve the Greater Glasgow Health Board.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-9619, on 19 September.

5 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the drug Trastu'umab (Herceptin) will be made available to health boards for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The treatment of patients with breast cancer is a matter for specialists experienced in the management of cancer and the question of whether individual patients might benefit from treatment with Trastuzumab (Herceptin) is a matter for the clinical judgement o…