Parliamentary questions
Dorothy-Grace Elder
645 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
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, why the information requested regarding whether the 10 extra cancer treatment consultant posts have all been successfully filled, on whether the target for eight out of the 10 extra consultants to be emplo…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The answer given to question S1W-20103 reflected the difficulty in obtaining full information timeously at the time of drafting of the answer. I am pleased to give the information requested, which I have now been able to obtain.<P>Following the answer given t…
6 Feb 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that there is no "postcode prescribing" of Herceptin to clinically suitable patients for the treatment of secondary breast cancer in Glasgow.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The treatment of a patient is a matter of clinical judgement, informed by the individual circumstances of that patient and evidence about the effectiveness of the available medicines.<P>The Health Technology Board for Scotland will issue advice on the prescri…
1 Feb 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21522 by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 January 2002, why, if Hercepetin is currently supported by NHS Greater Glasgow and by other NHS boards across Scotland within locally agreed protocols and based on individual clinical assessments, NHS Lothian makes fun…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for individual NHS boards.
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21522 by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 January 2002, whether it will undertake to gather and hold centrally information concerning drugs dispensed in hospitals in order to determine whether NHS boards are adhering to Health Technology Board for Scotland gui…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22468 today. NHSScotland should take account of advice and evidence from the Health Technology Board for Scotland and ensure that recommended drugs or treatments are made available to meet clinical need. …
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21522 by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 January 2002, why data on drugs dispensed in hospitals is not held centrally, given that a central body, the Health Technology Board for Scotland, is responsible for providing advice on the clinical and cost effectiven…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The need to collect information on drugs dispensed in hospitals has been recognised. <I>The Right Medicine: A Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care in Scotland</I>, published on 4 February, gives a commitment for the Scottish Executive Health Department to explore…
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21523 by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 January 2002 and given that local management in NHS Greater Glasgow supports the use of Herceptin for the treatment of secondary breast cancer, whether this drug is currently being prescribed on the NHS to any of the p…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As stated in my answer to question S1W-21523 on 21 January 2002, NHS Greater Glasgow supports the use of Herceptin, which is a licensed medicine currently being prescribed by NHS doctors in accordance with agreed local protocols. Individual treatment decision…
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the #15 million Department of Health funding for the National Translational Cancer Research Network (NTRAC), whether any funding is being made available to help patients in Scotland access experimental treatments and, in particular, experimental chemotherapy, given that the e…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NTRAC is an English initiative designed to support translational research into the prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment of cancer. NTRAC will receive £15 million over five years and will set up eight centres of excellence in England. Most of the clinical tr…
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received from the National Translational Cancer Research Network (NTRAC) about any plans to extend NTRAC in order to include centres of scientific and clinical excellence based in Scotland and, if NTRAC has no such plans, what plans it has to assist patients in acc…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The NTRAC is funded by the Department of Health in England, whose support will not extend to Scotland. However, Scotland already has established centres in translational research such as the Dundee CRC Cell Transformation Group, Glasgow CRC Beatson Laboratori…
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to assist patients in accessing new and experimental treatments in advance of any appraisals and guidelines on such treatments issued by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence or the Health Technology Board for Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) provides evidence-based advice from Health Technology Assessments that take account of clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness, organisational issues, and patient issues. This usually occurs when the product …
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans the Health Technology Board for Scotland has to issue guidance on Herceptin to NHS boards prior to the publication of any National Institute of Clinical Excellence appraisal and guidelines on the drug.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) has no plans to issue advice to NHS boards on the use of Herceptin for the treatment of breast cancer prior to the publication of the NICE Guidance.<P>In line with its usual process, HTBS will issue a Comment wi…
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) (a) has access to evidence submitted in respect of technology appraisals by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and (b) contributes in any way to discussions and judgements by NICE on such appraisals; if so, why HTB…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) does not have access to all evidence submitted for NICE Technology Appraisals conducted up until the Fifth Wave of the NICE work programme, nor does it contribute to the discussions and judgements concerning the…
29 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Health Technology Board for Scotland is a consultee in the technology appraisal process of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and, if so, whether it is a consultee in respect of the institute's eight "fifth wave" technology appraisals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: From the Fifth Wave of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) work programme, the Health Technology Board for Scotland is a full consultee on all NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance. These are due to be published by NICE after May 2002.
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why Capecitabine is currently not available to cancer patients in hospitals in the west of Glasgow.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Capecitabine is available on NHS prescription for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Its use depends on the clinical judgement of specialists experienced in the management of cancer, informed by advice and evidence about its use.
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration has been given to the mandatory use by NHS boards of new drugs and devices in circumstances where patients are clinically suitable and for which guidelines have been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the Health Technology Board for Scotl…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards should take account of advice and evidence from the Health Technology Board for Scotland and ensure that recommended drugs or treatments are made available to meet clinical need. Likewise, individual clinicians should take account of evidence-based…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to instruct NHS boards to make any drugs available to clinicians before such drugs have been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the Health Technology Board for Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) will make recommendations to all NHS Boards and their Area Drug and Therapeutics Committees about the formulary status of all newly licensed medicines, all new formulations of existing medicines and any major new indica…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to recruit more staff to the Health Technology Board for Scotland on an annual salary above #35,000.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Technology Board for Scotland will continue to recruit specialist scientific staff to fill current vacancies in its in-house Appraisals Team. Some of these may be paid a salary above £35,000 depending on their experience and seniority, in line with…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all of the 25 Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) due to be conducted by the Health Technology Board for Scotland by December 2006 will be based solely on new drugs and devices or whether some of the HTAs will be based on existing drugs and devices.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) aims to have a balanced work programme. Its current assessments already include existing drugs and devices, and new devices, and deal with broad issues around the optimal organisation of healthcare in Scotland. …
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Health Technology Board for Scotland's target of conducting 25 Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) by December 2006 is adequate and whether these HTAs will be independent of guidelines issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Given the depth and breadth of Health Technology Assessments conducted by the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS), their advice from 25 Health Technology Assessments by December 2006 is expected to make a substantial contribution to improving Scotland…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Health Technology Board for Scotland is adequately informing the public and clinical communities about all stages of its assessment processes.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) informs the public and clinical communities about its assessments in a variety of ways. These include: involving health professionals and patient representatives throughout assessments in the Topic Specific Grou…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the Health Technology Board for Scotland conducts independent Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) rather than adapting HTAs for use within Scotland which have been conducted by other organisations.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) is conducting its own Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) details of which can be found at its website at <A HREF="http://www.htbs.org.uk">www.htbs.org.uk</A>. In addition to this, HTBS will use its expertise t…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to identify any barriers which may exist in connection with the involvement of the public in the Health Technology Board for Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive conducts quarterly review meetings with the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) to discuss progress on its work programme, including the involvement of the public in the board's work. Executive staff also attends HTBS meetings a…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the period by which the Health Technology Board for Scotland must deliver its comments on all National Institute of Clinical Excellence Technology Appraisal Guidance to the NHS in Scotland will be reduced from its current level of six to ten weeks to its target level of four to eight…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As stated in the Health Technology Board for Scotland's (HTBS) <I>Purpose, aims and objectives</I>, the board will comment on all National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidance within four to eight weeks from the 5th Wave of the NICE Work Programm…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether conducting three Health Technology Assessments by December 2002 is an adequate use of the funding allocated to the Health Technology Board for Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In addition to completing the three Health Technology Assessments currently on its work programme, HTBS will add further Health Technology Assessments to its work programme, continue to provide HTBS Comments on NICE Guidance (eight published last year and app…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage the employment of more full-time nursing staff in all NHS trusts.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Following the Nursing and Recruitment Convention held in November 2001, the Scottish Executive has published an Action Plan entitled <I>Facing the Future </I>which sets out a range of measures and initiatives aimed at encouraging the employment of more full-t…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any increase in cases involving (a) clinical and (b) medical negligence against the NHS in Scotland over the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There is no distinction drawn between clinical and medical cases. Over the last three years there has been a fall in the number of cases intimated to the NHSScotland.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=181><TR><TD WIDTH="43%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=1…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage increase there was in the level of agency nursing staff employed in (a) 1999-2000 and (b) 2000-01 compared with the previous year, broken down by each NHS trust.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The table shows the percentage increase, or decrease, in the average whole time equivalent of agency nursing staff in 2000-01 compared with 1999-2000 by trust. The percentage increase for 1999-2000 compared with 1998-99 is not available due to the reconfigura…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to monitor the number of agency nursing staff currently employed in NHS trusts.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Data on the number and cost of agency staff is already collected and for 2000-01 has recently been made available on ISD online, this can be viewed on:<P><A HREF="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/NHSiS_resource/workforce/workforce_statistics.htm">http://www.sh…
22 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the rise in agency nursing and recharged staff costs from #7,619,000 in 1999-2000 to #13,513,000 in 2000-2001 which has been incurred by the North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust, as detailed on page 11 of the Trust's Annual Report 2000-01, has given value to patients.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS trusts are generally expected to employ permanent nursing staff. There will, however, be occasions when this is not possible or practical. At such times, appropriately trained agency nurses are employed to ensure and maintain the delivery of quality patie…
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the use of Herceptin in HER2 patients in Scotland, given that Scotland has a higher percentage of such patients being treated privately than in England and Wales.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-21518 on 21 January 2002.
8 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Health Technology Board for Scotland will report its accounts for 2000-01.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) accounts for 2000-01 were published in the board's Annual Report, which is available from the HTBS website (www.htbs.co.uk).