Parliamentary questions

Mrs Margaret Ewing

567 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

24 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the draft recommendations from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence in respect of the use of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease will be adopted in Scotland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The draft recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are preliminary and may change. On 8 August 2005, NICE wrote to the manufacturers of these drugs asking for more detailed information from clinical trials. …

24 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it made a submission to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence review concerning the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and, if so, whether it will publish its submission.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has, ensured that advice from Scottish experts is available to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Generally these opinions are made available on the NICE website once the final appraisal document…

24 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with NHS boards and other interested parties with regard to the full range of drugs treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) provides advice to NHS Boards and their Area Drug and Therapeutics Committees across Scotland about the introduction and use of new medicines. This includes drugs available for Alzheimer’s disease.

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14411 by Ross Finnie on 25 February 2005, how many calls the “Dumb Dumpers” hotline has received in each month since February 2005 and what the cost has been of providing the hotline since the inception of the initiative.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The number of calls receivedmonthly by the “Dumb Dumpers” stop line since February 2005 is as follows:February 2005 - 242March 2005 – 296April 2005 – 160May 2005 – 135June 2005 – 111July 2005 – 143Total – 1,08…

2 Aug 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of task forces created since 1999, showing the (a) cost of each since its inception and (b) membership broken down by (i) profession, (ii) political affiliation and (iii) area of expertise.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested isnot held centrally.

15 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has had from interested parties relating to the implementation of the single status agreement.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I have received one letter -from The Moray Council - regarding the funding implications of the SingleStatus Pay Agreement. The issue has also been raised in the course of some discussionsthat have taken place between councils and the Executive.

15 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has pledged to assist the implementation of the single status agreement.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Although the ScottishExecutive provides financial support for salaries and wages in the grantprovided to local authorities, it is the responsibility of each local authorityto allocate its financial resources to reflect local needs and priorities. Inaccordance…

7 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of councillors reported to the Standards Commission for Scotland since 2002 have been upheld, broken down by local authority.

Answer · George Lyon: The Councillors’ Code of Conduct came into force on 1 May 2003 and it is from that date the Standards Commission for Scotland and the Chief Investigating Officer began to carry out their statutory functions of investigating complaints submitted and holding he…

7 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of councillors in each local authority have been reported to the Standards Commission for Scotland since 2002.

7 Jul 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many councillors have been reported to the Standards Commission for Scotland since 2002, broken down by local authority.

Answer · George Lyon: The Councillors’ Code of Conductcame into force on 1 May 2003 and it is from that date the Standards Commission forScotland and the Chief Investigating Officer began to carry out their statutory functionsof investigating complaints submitted and holding heari…

21 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been made to it regarding any concerns about the GP target of seeing patients within 48 hours of an appointment being requested.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Partnership Agreement includes the commitment that anyone contacting their GP surgery will have access to a GP nurse or other health care professional within 48 hours. The target focuses on access rather than GP appointments and a range of healthcare prof…

21 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and guidance it has offered to (a) patients and (b) NHS boards regarding the scheduling of appointments in respect of the GP target of seeing patients within 48 hours of an appointment being requested.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive published a commitment in the Partnership Agreement that from April 2004 anyone contacting their GP practice would have guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional within 48 hours. Guidance has been issued to NHS b…

21 Jun 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP surgeries have misinterpreted the target set for GPs of seeing patients within 48 hours by not accepting appointments made further in advance, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally. The Scottish Executive published a commitment in the Partnership Agreement that from April 2004 anyone contacting their GP practice would have guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional wit…

30 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS 24 positions are unfilled.

Answer · Andy Kerr: There are currently 300actual and 198.5 full-time equivalent call handlers in NHS 24. Recruitment isongoing to bring the total full-time equivalent to 220.There are currently 475actual and 308 full-time equivalent nurse advisers in post. The NHS 24recr…

30 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of training is given to telephone operators working for NHS 24.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The content of the trainingfor NHS 24 call handlers forms an essential induction, as well as trainingprocess, for staff who are unlikely to have worked in either an NHS or acontact centre environment before.Induction training for callhandlers runs over…

30 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time taken for NHS 24 staff to call callers back has been.

Answer · Andy Kerr: At all times, all clinicallyurgent calls are dealt with immediately by NHS 24 nurse advisers. During peaktimes, less clinically urgent calls are prioritised and receive a call back bya nurse adviser within a specific timescale. All callers who are categorised…

24 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many calls NHS 24 has received since its inception and how many of these calls were returned.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The number of calls answered by NHS 24 since its launch on 8 May 2002 to date is 2,297,934. From mid-2003 to date (the period for which this information is available), the number of calls managed via call back procedures is 406,107.

24 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to NHS 24 since its inception.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS 24 has been allocated £166.384 million revenue funds and £13.151 million capital funds since its inception in 2001-02.

24 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-medical staff are employed by NHS 24 as telephone operators.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS 24 employs call handlersto answer calls and to take basic information about the patient including the reasonfor the call, address and telephone contact number. They will then transfer thecall to either a nurse adviser, a health information adviser or, if …

12 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will subsidise communities which have access to satellite broadband only, given that satellite broadband is more expensive than ADSL broadband.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive is committed to bringing broadband access to every community in Scotland. The contract we have signed with BT will ensure delivery of ADSL services to 100% of exchange areas in Scotland (with the exception of the Western Isles where we are suppo…

12 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current level of choice is for stoma patients who wish to obtain their appliances from a number of sources and how this will change after April 2006.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Currently, stoma patients are free to have their prescriptions for stoma appliances (which are written for specific branded products) dispensed at any community pharmacy contractor or through an appliance supplier listed on a Pharmaceutical List. After…

12 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns have been reported by (a) NHS boards and (b) patients in light of the plan to discontinue the option of supply of stoma appliances on a prescription basis directly from appliance contractors from April 2006.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: NHS boards have not expressed concerns about the future supply arrangements for stoma appliances. A number of patients and patient groups have expressed concern that they will no longer continue to receive the appliance which best meets their clinical need, t…

12 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of specialist care and support is offered to patients who have a stoma, in light of the personal and delicate nature of the procedure.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Prior to undergoing an operation of this nature, pre–operative education and support is recognised as vital for patient’s physical and psychological adjustment to living with a stoma. Specialist nurses and ward based nurses work together in the provision of t…

12 May 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many stoma specialist nurses there are, broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Andy Kerr: As at 30 September 2004, there were 28 (headcount) Stoma Nurse Specialists across NHSScotland. The numbers per NHS board are included in the table. <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> NHS Argyll and Clyde</td> <td> …