Parliamentary questions
Dorothy-Grace Elder
645 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the arrangements will be for HM Treasury writing off Glasgow City Council's Housing debt and when this debt would be written off.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The arrangements for dealing with local authorities' residual housing debt following a whole stock transfer were set out in the answer given to question S1W-18180 on 28 September 2001.
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessments have been conducted into the current provision of services for chronic pain sufferers outside hospital settings.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25335.
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what range of services are currently available in each NHS board area to assist chronic pain sufferers and whether these services offer (a) multi-disciplinary and (b) in-patient services and (c) meet the needs of carers.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer to the information sent to the Public Petitions Committee on 29 August 2001, which indicated, by health board area, the location of pain management clinics and the range of services provided. I am not aware of any significant change since this informa…
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to undertake a needs analysis of chronic pain services.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Executive has no plans to commission a formal needs assessment of chronic pain services. Any specific problem areas drawn to the Executive's attention will of course be followed up with the NHS board concerned.
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessments have been conducted into the services required to assist chronic pain sufferers.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is for health boards and trusts to assess the health care needs of residents in their areas, and to arrange provision of the treatment indicated on the basis of clinical advice.
24 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the audit of chronic pain services will be published.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Executive will be looking at the provision of chronic pain services through NHS boards' health plans, but there are no plans to publish a formal audit.
15 Apr 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to alter the current practice of local licensing boards in respect of street trader licences whereby a reason does not have to be given for refusing an application for such a licence.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Paragraph 17 of Schedule 1 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 requires a licensing authority to provide reasons for refusing an application for a street trader's licence, if requested to do so by relevant parties within 28 days of the date of its dec…
6 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the availability in the west of Scotland of capecitabine for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer is constrained by any budgetary considerations.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Capecitabine is available on NHS prescription for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Decisions about its use depends on the clinical judgement of specialists experienced in the management of cancer.
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a review of the recommendations set out in The Account Commission for Scotland's report Temporary Measures - Managing Bank and Agency Nursing Staff.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Audit Scotland has advised that they are currently carrying out a review of ward based nursing in NHSScotland and this report is due out this autumn. The report will include a follow up on trusts' implementation of the main recommendations in <I>Temporary Mea…
4 Mar 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22150 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 February 2002 on the availability of drugs to clinicians, whether Capecitabine for metastatic colorectal cancer has been approved by the Area Drugs and Therapeutics Committee for West Glasgow Hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Local management confirm that the Greater Glasgow Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee has approved the use of Capecitabine for metastatic colorectal cancer. The use of this treatment for individual patients depends on the clinical judgement of the specialist…
28 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4965 by Susan Deacon on 17 March 2000 on the steps taken by the Scottish Partnership Forum (SPF) on the employment of bank and agency nursing staff, whether the SPF has recommended any action to be taken in regard to the use of such staff by the Nort…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Partnership Forum (SPF) heard presentations from three of the larger users of bank and agency staff, North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust, Lothian University Hospitals Trust and Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Primary Care Trust and commended…
28 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22137 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 February 2002, whether the increases in the use of temporary nursing staff, including bank and agency staff and in the costs incurred by the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust indicate that the trust is not c…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: North Glasgow University Hospital NHS Trust has advised that it is meeting the guidance issued by the Accounts Commission for Scotland (now Audit Scotland) in its report entitled <I>Temporary Measures managing bank and agency nursing staff</I>. <P>All NHSScot…
28 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when Audit Scotland issued its guidance to NHS trusts on the use of agency nursing staff and whether the 18% increase in the use of agency nursing staff in 1997-98 was consistent with NHS Trusts complying with that guidance.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Accounts Commission for Scotland (now Audit Scotland) published its report entitled <I>Temporary Measures</I> managing bank and agency nursing staff in February 2000. It is not known whether the increase in agency nurses in 1997-98 would have been consist…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to include bank nursing staff in the collection of data on the number of temporary staff employed by the NHS in Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Common Services Agency, Information and Statistics Division (ISD) currently collect information on the number and cost of bank nursing staff and this can be seen on the ISD website:<P><A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/NHSiS_resource/workforce/workf…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to centralise information on the number of bank and contract nursing staff employed by NHS health boards.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As part of its work, the Facing the Future Group will be looking at improving the data on the nursing workforce in its widest sense.
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS trusts and health boards have introduced a whistle-blowing policy to protect staff who disclose information about malpractice or maladministration in line with the Auditor General's report Overview of the National Health Service in Scotland 2000/2001.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The information requested is not held centrally. The Auditor General's Report on the overview of the National Health Service in Scotland indicates that most health bodies have either introduced or are taking steps to develop appropriate procedures. To assist …
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22137 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 February 2002, whether the increase in agency nursing and recharge staff costs has contributed to the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust's deficit of #9.5 million and whether such an increase in costs indicat…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The £13.5 million for agency and recharged costs shown in the 2000-01 Annual Report, arose as a result of a change in accounting methodology. Had a consistent approach between 1999-2000 and 2000-01 been maintained, the reported increase would have amounted to…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22141 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 February 2002, when information from the Implementation Group established to take forward its Action Plan Facing the Future on the employment of full-time nursing staff will be available.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: On 26 February, I announced an additional £3.5 million for the <I>Facing the Future</I> initiative, to help improve the recruitment and retention of nurses, together with measures which have already been taken forward by the implementation group. A copy of th…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22137 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 February 2002 on the employment of bank and agency nursing staff, whether the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust is meeting the guidance issued by Audit Scotland on the employment of such nurses.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All NHSScotland trusts and island health boards have been reminded they should use the recommendations in the Accounts Commission Report when considering employing a bank or agency nurse. North Glasgow University Hospital NHS Trust has advised that it is meet…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has implemented any of the recommendations contained in The Accounts Commission for Scotland's report Temporary Measures - Managing Bank and Agency Nursing Staff.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The majority of the recommendations in the Accounts Commission Report are for NHSScotland employers to take forward. The Scottish Executive Health Department has, however, been fully supportive of the report's recommendations and has written on two occasions,…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why NHS trusts in the central belt spend an average of eight times as much on agency nursing staff than trusts elsewhere.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Agency nurses are generally used to overcome a particular requirement and to meet the needs of patient care. Each NHS trust, irrespective of its location will have its own reasons for using an agency nurse in a particular situation. Information on the reasons…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include the number of bank nursing staff employed by the NHS in the monitoring carried out by the Information and Statistics Division on the use of temporary nursing staff in the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Common Services Agency, Information and Statistics Division (ISD) currently collect information on the number and cost of bank nursing staff and this can be seen on the ISD website:<P><A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/NHSiS_resource/workforce/workf…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to help the eight NHS Trusts with accumulated deficits of #53.9 million in 2000-01.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive made £90 million of additional funding available on 19 September 2001. The distribution of these funds to NHSScotland resulted in all operational cumulative deficits as at 31 March 2001 being eliminated providing a clean slate for the n…
15 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22140 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 February 2002 on the fall in the number of cases of negligence against the NHS in Scotland, whether the increase in the budgetary provision for such claims from #3.5 million in 1999-2000 to #6.5 million in 2000-01 was …
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The figures of £3.5 million and £6.5 million are the actual value of negligence cases settled against the NHS in 1999-2000 and 2000-01, respectively. The cost of settlements has remained relatively constant over the last four years with an average of £4.6 mil…
14 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS trust was unable to provide The Accounts Commission for Scotland with data from its local audit for the year 1997-98 concerning its expenditure on bank and agency nursing staff.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Audit Scotland has advised the department that all data in the Accounts Commission's Report on bank and agency nursing staff, entitled <I>Temporary Measures</I> was anonymised. Each NHS employer included in the review received a local report from their extern…
14 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why only 22 trusts provided information to Audit Scotland on the amount spent on bank and agency nursing between 1995-96 and 1997-98.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Of the 36 NHSScotland employers mentioned in the Accounts Commission Report, <I>Temporary Measures</I>, 35 are NHS trusts and one is a health board. Audit Scotland have advised the department that, at the time, only 22 of the 36 employers were able to provide…
14 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22137 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 February 2002 on the compliance of NHS trusts with guidance from Audit Scotland on the employment of bank and agency nurses, whether all 36 trusts confirmed that they were complying with the guidance.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Of the 36 NHSScotland employers mentioned in the Accounts Commission Report <I>Temporary Measures</I>, 35 are NHS trusts and one is a health board. The data in the report is based on pre trust reconfiguration information, the reconfiguration of trusts in Apri…
6 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total bill was for the NHS of employing agency nursing staff in (a) 1998-99, (b) 1999-2000, and (c) 2000-01.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the cost of agency nursing and midwifery staff used by the NHSScotland was collected for the first time for the financial year 2000-01. The cost of agency nurses for the financial year 2000-01 is £19,028,372. Data for 2000-01 has recently been …
6 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20103 by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 January 2002, when it will be able to provide the information sought on the number of trainee radiographers in 2000-01.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The higher education institutions have advised that the pre-registration student radiographer training population in 2000-01 for levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 training was 351.
6 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20103 by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 January 2002, when it will announce whether the 10 new cancer treatment consultant posts announced by Susan Deacon on 25 September 2000 have been filled.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22799.