Mary Scanlon

2 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it was made aware of the risk of transmission of variant Creut'feldt-Jakob disease through blood transfusion.

Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32184 today. 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.parliament.uk/webapp/sear…

2 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when regulations for reducing the risk of transmission of variant Creut'feldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) through blood transfusion were brought into force.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Precautionary measures to reduce the theoretical risk of transmission of vCJD through blood or blood products were introduced in 1998 following advice from the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) and the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEA…

2 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Audit Scotland will be invited to review the policies and practices associated with NHS trusts and hospitals that have high and low rates of delayed discharge patients.

Answer · Frank McAveety: We understand Audit Scotland has delayed discharge in its forthcoming programme. The remit and detail of the review is for Audit Scotland to determine. The introduction of the Executive's Delayed Discharge Good Practice Resource and Learning and Sharing netwo…

2 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue further guidance on principles and good practice in accommodating individuals' and relatives' choice of care homes in placement arrangements.

Answer · Frank McAveety: New guidance on choice issues is currently being drafted by the Scottish Executive. In addition to this, the Executive's Delayed Discharge Good Practice Resource and Learning and Sharing Network will provide examples of good practice in this and related areas.

2 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the Heartstart UK Scottish schools initiative which aims to equip young people with emergency life support skills.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive welcomes the Heartstart UK Scottish schools initiative and the development of emergency life support skills within the community.

2 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what role it sees for the teaching of emergency life support skills in reinforcing its healthy eating and physical activity policies.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We very much support the teaching of emergency life support skills, but these do not have a specific role in reinforcing the Executive's healthy eating and physical activity policies.

2 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact on consumers of food supplements and herbal remedies will be of the EC Directive on food supplements; what the policy intention of the directive is, and what evidence exists to support the need for the directive.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have been advised by the Food Standards Agency that the EC Directive 2002/46/EC ensures a high level of protection for consumers as products on the market will comply with agreed safety levels and will bear adequate and appropriate labelling. Implementation…

2 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it has secured the long-term future of the heart transplant unit in Glasgow and strengthened the service, as referred to by the former Minister for Health and Community Care in the debate in the Parliament on the heart transplant unit on 24 May 2000 (Official Report, c 966).

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The staffing of the Scottish Heart Transplant Unit has been strengthened, in particular by the inclusion within the multi-disciplinary team of four consultant surgeons capable of performing heart transplants. The basis on which the unit was allowed to resume …

2 Dec 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commit resources in the future to support the implementation of new guidelines and recommendations for NHS primary care treatment.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Decisions about the level of resources to commit to supporting the implementation of new guidelines and recommendations for NHS primary care treatment are for NHS boards to make in the light of local priorities. However, the resources provided to NHS boards a…

28 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether resources are committed in all instances to support the implementation of new guidelines and recommendations for NHS primary care treatment.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHSScotland is expected to implement evidence-based guidelines and recommendations from bodies such as SIGN. As guidelines are an integral part of the development of condition-specific standards by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland, the board's assess…

27 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it is giving to reviewing the report Complementary Medicine and the National Health Service - An Examination of Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy of November 1996 and recommending the integration of complementary medicine in the NHS.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no current plans to review this report. It remains a matter for each NHS board or trust to make their own assessment of need for such therapies and provide resources, as appropriate.

26 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why patients are currently being treated at the National Waiting Times Centre without charge to NHS trusts, given that there will be charges for such treatment after 1 April 2003.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Waiting Times Centre was purchased by the Scottish Executive for NHSScotland in the course of the current financial year, and it is already making good progress towards the target of undertaking 5,000 procedures in its first full year of operatio…

26 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31193 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 13 November 2002, whether sufficient psychiatrists will be found to implement fully the provisions contained in the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill, given that there are currently 29 vacancies.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Executive will work with NHS Scotland and professional bodies to ensure that the NHS will have the capacity to meet the additional demands which will be placed on it when the anticipated new Mental Health Act comes into effect. This includes increasing th…

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of fraudulent claims in the NHS has been in each of the last five years.

Answer · Frank McAveety: NHS trusts and boards complete a losses return at the year-end as part of the annual accounts process. Fraud losses are reported alongside losses arising from theft and arson, so it is not possible to identify a figure for fraud alone.<P>The following table s…

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will liaise with Her Majesty's Government in order to address the areas of concern identified in the Fraud Investigation Unit report Family Health Services in Scotland - Annual Report 2001-2002, and, in particular, to patients being "confused by the different entitlements to ea…

Answer · Frank McAveety: Matters related to tax credits are reserved. Specific categories of tax credit recipients and their partners are passported to full help with NHS charges and receive a certificate advising them of this fact. <P>The Executive has commissioned research into the…

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding under the Arbuthnott formula was due to be allocated over three years and how much of this funding has been given to each NHS board to date.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive's plans for implementing the recommendations in <I>Fair Shares for All</I> indicated that the aim was for all boards to reach their Arbuthnott share of resources within five or six years.<P>Since the introduction of the Arbuthnott formula in Sep…

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the projected year-end surplus or deficit is of each acute hospital NHS trust.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The forecast financial position of the acute NHS trusts as at 30 September 2002 was as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=484><TR><TD WIDTH="49%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Trust</TD><TD WIDTH="51%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Forecast Full Year Under/(Over) Sp…

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the involvement of (a) patient groups and (b) the voluntary and independent sector will be in the development of managed clinical networks.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Patient groups and the voluntary and independent sectors have a central role to play in the development of managed clinical networks. As our Health Department Letter (HDL(2002)69) indicates, involving patients is one of the core principles of managed clinical…

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether staff employed in managed clinical networks will receive the same pay and conditions as NHS staff or whether discretion will be given over pay to each network in order to address staff shortages.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-31951 and S1W-31953 on 16 January 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:<P><A HREF="http://www.sco…

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether managed clinical networks will be allocated their own budgets.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: No. Since managed clinical networks are an integral part of local health service delivery, responsibility for commissioning services will remain with NHS boards. Managed clinical networks will, however, provide boards with authoritative advice on the allocati…

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to whom the managers of managed clinical networks will be accountable.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Network managers are accountable to the Lead Clinician of the managed clinical network.

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any staff have been appointed to a managed clinical network.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are aware that managed clinical networks (MCNs) have appointed staff. As these networks will operate as virtual organisations, the contract of employment for staff working in MCNs will continue to be held by the relevant trust, board or primary care organi…

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what managed clinical networks are (a) currently being developed and (b) proposed.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We already have practical examples of managed clinical networks (MCN) at local, regional and national level. There is the cardiac services MCN in Dumfries and Galloway, the diabetes MCN in Tayside, the regional cancer MCNs and national MCNs for cleft lip and …

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether managed clinical network (MCN) staff will be employed directly by an MCN or remain employees of GP practices and NHS trusts.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Health professionals working in managed clinical networks will experience no change in their employment arrangements.

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are waiting lists for (a) home and (b) residential care services in local authorities and, if so, how long each such list is.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The information requested is not held centrally.

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether unmet need for home care is now being measured in each local authority and, if so, what the figures are in respect of such need, broken down by authority.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The Executive does not measure unmet need. We collect statistics on the number of people in receipt of home care services and the number of hours provided.

25 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that local authorities allocate resources effectively for free personal care for the elderly and care in the community generally.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Authorities must demonstrate flexibility and good management of their free personal care resources alongside existing budgets for care for the elderly and delayed discharge. Anyone assessed as needing personal or nursing care will receive it.<P>The Executive …

22 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31271 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2002, what the estimated savings are to the NHS of prescribing self-monitoring anticoagulation strips given that such strips cost #2.44 and the estimated cost of a laboratory test for an identical blood sample…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is not possible to produce an estimate of the savings as the number of patients currently receiving treatment with anticoagulants is not available. The number of patients likely to be prescribed Coaguchek testing strips is unknown.

22 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31271 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2002, how many patients it estimates would undertake anticoagulation self-monitoring if monitoring strips were to be made available under the Scottish Drug Tariff.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information about the number of patients receiving treatment with anticoagulants is not available. Self-monitoring will not be appropriate for all patients who are receiving anticoagulation therapy. Selection of patients suitable for self monitoring is a matt…

22 Nov 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31271 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2002, how the appropriate guidance for users of CoaguChek testing strips is likely to differ from that already provided by the British Society of Haematology to NHS prescribers and dispensing contractors in En…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: British Society of Haematology guidance on the use of Coaguchek testing strips was published in the <I>British Medical Journal</I> in October 2001. The article included a recommendation that the guidance be reviewed in April this year. A multidisciplinary wor…