Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
14 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many unfilled vacancies there are for dermatologists.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the latest available data on the number of vacancies in dermatology.<P>It should also be noted that the number of posts for Specialist Registrars training for a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST) in dermatology w…
14 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all NHS trusts are complying with the new deal on junior doctors' hours and what action is being taken to address any non-compliance with the deal.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The New Contract for Doctors in Training introduced a contractual requirement for all Pre-Registration House Officer (PRHO) posts to comply with the New Deal by 1 August 2001 and for Senior House Officer (SHO) and Specialist Register (SpR) posts by 1 August 2…
14 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average waiting times are for homeopathy treatment in each NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Homeopathy treatment is provided in out-patient clinics or in general practice. Information on waiting times for homeopathy is available centrally only for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant following referral by a General Medical Practitioner.…
14 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether access to homeopathy referral through the NHS is available to all.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Executive recognises the value of homeopathic treatment. A number of GPs hold qualifications in homeopathy and there are several NHS clinics as well as the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital. Referral for homeopathic treatment in any given case is, however, a m…
13 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring Learning Disability Services Change Fund monies in order to ensure that such monies are used to improve services to people with learning disabilities.
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Scottish Executive is monitoring the development of services and the use of resources through the monitoring of Partnership in Practice agreements.
12 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of the current powers of customs officers in respect of inspection of meat consignments and the resources allocated to such inspections on the prevention or control of any future outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Answer · Ross Finnie: All meat consignments imported into Scotland from non European Union countries must enter the country through Border Inspection Posts and must be accompanied by a general or specific licence. All consignments are inspected by a Local Veterinary Inspector on b…
12 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of HM Customs and Excise staffing levels at small ports and airports on the Executive's ability to police misuse of drugs.
Answer · Jim Wallace: HM Customs and Excise work with Scottish police forces, the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Criminal Intelligence Service to provide a co-ordinated partnership approach to tackling drug trafficking in Scotland.<P>HM Customs' staffing levels …
12 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of the lack of a permanent presence of HM Customs and Excise staff on Orkney on the Executive's ability to police the misuse of drugs on the island.
Answer · Jim Wallace: HM Customs and Excise work with Scottish police forces, the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Criminal Intelligence Service to provide a co-ordinated partnership approach to tackling drug trafficking in Scotland.<P>HM Customs' presence on Orkn…
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the managed clinical networks for epilepsy services will be available to all.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is keen to promote the development of these networks and would wish them to be operational as soon as is feasible. Managed Clinical Networks for epilepsy services are now being developed in the following NHS board areas: Ayrshire and Arran; Grea…
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it proposes to form managed clinical networks to link patient care for people with epilepsy.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is encouraging health professionals, NHS boards and those representing the interests of patients to work up proposals for Managed Clinical Networks for epilepsy services. We have made it clear that we stand ready to help with funding for the adm…
6 Jun 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been done to examine the effects on human health from genetically modified crops.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Genetically modified crops should not be seen as homogenous in their potential to impact upon human health. Each application to release or market a GM crop is considered individually and each must be supported by information to satisfy the regulatory authorit…
5 Jun 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all assessments for the implementation of free personal care on 1 July 2002 have been carried out.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All local authorities have indicated they will meet the regulatory and legislative requirements to implement free personal care for people currently in receipt of care in their area and I have no reason to believe that any local authority will fail to meet th…
5 Jun 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Beatson Oncology Centre to have its full quota of specialist oncologists.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: One new oncologist started work on 10 June, another starts work in July. A further recruitment campaign is currently under way and it is hoped that at least two medical oncology posts will be filled. Clinical oncology posts may prove more difficult against th…
30 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25811 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 May 2002, what the forms of "appropriate action" are which it may take when NHS trusts fail to meet infection control standards following the Clinical Standards Board For Scotland's reports on individual hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: My previous answer referred to the NHS taking the "appropriate action" required to meet the infection control standard. I have already made sure that the NHS is well aware of the need to meet the standard and to take any action required towards achi…
30 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25814 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 May 2002, whether patients will have access to information relating to the extent of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) in each hospital following the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland's report on HAI peer review v…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland's report on individual trust's performance against the infection control standard will be published and widely accessible to the public. <P>The data collected through the national framework for surveillance is also pu…
30 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25826 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 May 2002, when the National Waiting Times database giving GPs, consultants, patients and the public access to accurate and up-to-date information on hospital waiting times will be available and accessible throughout Sc…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Waiting Times Unit expects that the database will be available by the end of this year. Trials of the database, using information from selected geographical areas, will begin shortly.
30 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the yellow card reporting system for adverse reactions to the MMR vaccination has highlighted any evidence of a pathogenic factor.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Yellow Card Scheme has a proven track record in identifying new drug safety hazards, and in identifying possible risk factors for some reactions. Adverse reactions known to be associated with combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines and contrain…
23 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of doctors registered in the last year have trained outwith the UK.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The information requested is not held centrally. All doctors practising in the UK are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC), which is a reserved body, independent of government. Contact details for the GMC are available on:<P>http://www.gmc-uk.org…
23 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether (a) Botox injections have a proven long-term safety record, (b) hairdressing salons currently administering such injections are doing so safely whilst giving customers appropriate medical advice and (c) this form of cosmetic treatment should be subject to regulation under the Regu…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a reserved matter. The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) is the executive arm of the UK Government, which regulates medicines for human use. The MCA in conjunction with the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) is responsible for monitoring the safety o…
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS patients accessed private health care facilities in each of the last five years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not available.
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all GPs and consultants in the NHS have access to the National Waiting Times database and whether all patients waiting for surgery are given the option to choose a hospital with the shortest waiting times.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Waiting Times database currently being developed is to provide general practitioners, consultants, patients and the public with readily accessible, accurate and up-to-date information on hospital waiting times throughout Scotland. We intend that …
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients can claim compensation for problems arising from hospital-acquired infection.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is open to any patient to claim compensation where they consider that they have suffered in some way as a result of their NHS treatment. However, compensation is payable only where the health care provider accepts that the injury arose following an act of …
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is held on the extent of diagnosed or suspected diseases arising in children as a direct result of malnutrition.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Acute illnesses, chronic or severe, can cause malnutrition. Information collected by the Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency through the Scottish Morbidity Record, the Continuous Morbidity Record and child health surveillance ide…
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental education programmes include infection control and anti-microbial prescribing.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The standards for medical and dental education are set by the General Medical Council and the General Dental Council respectively and are therefore reserved. However, I am aware that both these topics are covered in both undergraduate and postgraduate trainin…
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland's report on health care associated infection peer review visits due in January 2003 will outline the extent of infection in every NHS hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland report will detail for each NHS trust in Scotland whether their performance meets the infection control standards required. The incidence of selected health care associated infection is being measured through the new …
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that all NHS trusts' infection control programmes include an audit of infection control policies, procedures and guidelines.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Standard 5 of the Infection Control Standard requires the Infection Control Programme to include reference to audit of the implementation of, and compliance with, selected infection control policies, procedures and guidelines. Documentary evidence of this wil…
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that there is documentary evidence of a structured infection control programme in each hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Standard 5 of the Clinical Standards Boards for Scotland (CSBS) Infection Control Standards requires trusts to produce annual infection control programmes. Documentary evidence of this will be required by CSBS during their peer review visits to establish whet…
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is taken when a hospital is found not to meet infection control standards.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A great deal of action is already being taken on infection control. When the Clinical Standards Boards for Scotland publishes reports on individual hospitals the Scottish Executive will ensure that appropriate action is taken by the NHS trusts concerned.
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the difference is between a hospital-acquired infection and a health care associated infection.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Health care associated infection is a more precise term than hospital-acquired infection. It recognises that many infections occur in health care settings other than hospitals. It also recognises that whilst many infections are acquired in hospital this is no…
10 May 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any immunopathological studies have been carried out to establish whether a pathogenic factor can be identified in those children who react adversely to the triple MMR vaccine and, if not, whether it will fund such studies in order to assist in identifying a means of predicting wh…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Adverse reactions known to be associated with combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines and contraindications for MMR are listed in the product information for the MMR products. These are also described in the report of the MMR Expert Group as well a…