Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Diabetes Framework will be published and what the reason is for any delay in its publication.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive published the key milestones of the Scottish Diabetes Framework on World Diabetes Day - 14 November 2001 - at the same time as the clinical standards for diabetes, published by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland, and the Scottish…
18 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what targets, and timescales for achieving these targets, have been set for the Public Health Institute for Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), in consultation with a multi-agency group, The Public Health Function Implementation Group (PHFIG) set key aims for the Public Health Institute for Scotland (PHIS) which are:<P> to strengthen th…
18 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release SE1935/2000 on 3 July 2000, what improvements to people's health the Public Health Institute for Scotland has achieved since January 2001.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The remit of the Public Health Institute for Scotland (PHIS) is "to protect and improve the health of the people of Scotland by working with relevant agencies and organisations to increase the understanding of the determinants of ill health, help formulate pu…
18 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most up-to-date figures are for recorded incidence of dental fluorosis in (a) fluoridated and (b) non-fluoridated areas.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A study of caries and fluorosis prevalence of schoolchildren in naturally fluoridated and non-fluoridated townships of Morayshire recorded incidences of dental fluorosis at (a) 7 % in fluoridated areas and (b) 3% in non-fluoridated areas.
18 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are (a) known to be suffering from hepatitis C and officially recorded as such and (b) estimated to be suffering from hepatitis C but not officially recorded as such.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Figures published by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) confirm that to end June 2000, there were 10,929 laboratory confirmed cases of hepatitis C in Scotland. The <I>Scottish Needs Assessment Programme Report</I>, published in…
18 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce and publish a star rating system for NHS hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are currently no plans to introduce a star rating system for NHS hospitals in Scotland.
18 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce Foundation Hospitals with autonomous decision-making and management similar to those announced by the Secretary of State for Health.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are currently no plans to introduce Foundation Hospitals with autonomous decision-making and management into the NHS in Scotland.
18 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to grant franchises for the management of poorly performing hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are currently no plans to grant franchises for the management of poorly performing NHS hospitals in Scotland.
17 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recommendations made in the report by the Accounts Commission for Scotland, Full House - Theatre Utilisation in Scottish Hospitals, have been implemented in full and what measures have been or will be put in place to ensure greater utilisation of hospital theatres.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Accounts Commission report <I>Full House - Theatre Utilisation in Scottish Hospitals</I>, which was published in June 1999, highlighted that hospitals were generally performing well in the delivery of services, but that there were variations in how well h…
17 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) actual and (b) projected health expenditure was or will be per capita in (i) each NHS health board area and (ii) Scotland in the years (1) 2000-01, (2) 2001-02 and (3) 2002-03 and (4) 2003-04.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Details of actual and projected health expenditure per capita in each NHS board area for 2000-01 to 2002-03 is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=415><TR><TD WIDTH="39%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=61><DIR><DIR><P>Health Board</DIR></DIR></TD>…
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact on the NHS in Scotland will be of the judgement of the European Court of Justice in the case of Geraets-Smits and Peerbooms (C-157/99) on 12 July 2001 and what steps have been taken to implement any administrative action required as a result of the judgement.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It has always been possible for Scottish individuals to go abroad for treatment under a standing arrangement which is named after the relevant EC documentation, E112. Policy on E112 is reserved to Westminster. The prior consent of the referring and receiving …
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Inverness airport terminal is (a) owned and (b) managed by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd only and, if not, by whom it is owned and managed.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Inverness Airport terminal building is owned and operated by Inverness Air Terminal Limited.
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether structures and funding at NHS trusts are now identified for the education and training of dental nurses, dental technicians, dental receptionists and practice managers as recommended in Section 7 in the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce, Workforce P…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Funding is now in place through the Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education for the education of all the professionals complementary to dentistry. Initial work is concentrating on the largest of these professions, dental nurses. Structu…
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of the review of undergraduate financing and the linkage to quality assurance programmes as recommended in Section 7 in the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce, Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland: A Strategic Review: Interim Rep…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The review of undergraduate funding identified an imbalance in the NHS support for Dundee compared to other UK schools. This has been progressively adjusted to benefit Dundee over the last four years. Review of the numbers of students required to achieve the …
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the results are of collaboration with the United Kingdom and European organisations in relation to planning and monitoring the dental workforce.
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Dental workforce issues in Europe are complex with no workforce plans in some countries whilst others have sophisticated models which we are assessing. Scotland has led the way within the UK on dental workforce planning with the report <I>Workforce Planning f…
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for retention schemes rewarding on-going commitment to the NHS and for those returning to work after a career break as recommended in Section 6.4 in the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce, Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland: A Str…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: A commitment payments scheme was introduced from 1 April 2000 to reward general dental practitioners for on-going commitment to NHS dentistry. This is under regular review jointly with the profession. Schemes for retaining dentists in Scotland in rural and re…
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals are in place to achieve the target of 200 dental nurses and 15 dental technicians to complete basic training as recommended in Section 6.3 in the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce, Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland: A Strategic Rev…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: In the last 12 months, 213 dental nurses qualified in Scotland. Training of dental nurses is in transition and during 2002-04 all training will be transferred to a new Scottish Vocational Qualification system linked to colleges of further education or trainin…
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the additional 50 student places for dental hygienists and therapists are now in place as recommended in Section 6.2 in the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce, Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland: A Strategic Review: Interim Report and Recom…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Funding has been made available to increase the total funded student places by 40 with the addition of two new courses, one at Edinburgh and one at Dundee. Additional funding is planned for 2002-03 dependant on decisions on a joint hygienist/therapist course,…
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for at least one hygiene school to extend its courses to produce dually qualified dental hygienists/therapists to commence in 2002-03 as recommended in Section 6.2 in the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce, Workforce Planning for Dentistry …
Answer · Mary Mulligan: A cost appraisal exercise for enhancing the hygienist course to produce dually qualified hygienists and therapists is being completed at present at Glasgow Dental School. If this does not highlight significant barriers to the plan then we would hope to be abl…
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the basic education and training for dental hygienists and therapists is now in place as recommended in Section 6.2 in the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce, Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland: A Strategic Review: Interim Report and Recomm…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: The Executive have, through the Dental Workforce Report, taken the lead in planning and funding the education and training of dental hygienists and therapists, and this has now been established on a Scottish basis. Resources and organisation are now being tra…
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the 10 additional vocational training posts and five two-year general professional training posts are now in place as recommended in Section 6.1 in the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce, Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland: A Strategic Revi…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Ten additional vocational training places have been funded and five additional professional training posts are available.
15 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current and projected output of dental graduates will achieve the annual target output of 120 per annum for the next five years as recommended in Section 6.1 in the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Dental Workforce, Workforce Planning for Dentistry in Scotland:…
Answer · Mary Mulligan: Following the report by the Scottish Advisory Committee for the Dental Workforce (SACDW) in October 2000, the Dental Schools and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council increased the student funded places to achieve an output of 120 graduates per year. …
11 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #20 million announced by the First Minister on 9 January 2002 to tackle bed blocking will be allocated for patients with mental illness as well as elderly patients.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The additional resources for delayed discharge will be aimed at reducing delays across NHSScotland and not tied to particular specialities.
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when patient smart cards will be introduced and in which health board area they will be piloted and evaluated.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Our National Plan commits to increase the use of patient-held records and, by April 2003, to pilot and evaluate patient-held smart cards in areas where they will be most likely to promote patient involvement and better co-ordination of care.<P>Options for suc…
7 Jan 2002 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation will be undertaken before the publication of the replacement of the Patients Charter in June 2002.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The report of a pre-consultation exercise on the effectiveness of the Patients' Charter was published in May 2000. Subsequently, the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland (CSBS) was asked to develop its patient care or "generic" standards. As stated in <I>Pat…
7 Jan 2002 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Executive's plans are for children whose parents have decided that they will not receive the combined MMR vaccination.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Executive accepts that expert medical advice, both here and internationally, confirms that MMR remains the safest and most effective way to protect children from these very serious, and potentially fatal diseases. We have no plans to change the current im…
2 Jan 2002 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the findings of the GM crop trials will be published.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The final crops of spring-sown GM varieties will be harvested in autumn 2002. Data from the three years of evaluations across the UK will be collated, analysed and published in 2003. The final autumn-sown varieties will be harvested in summer 2003 and these r…
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the consultation paper by its Principal Medical Officer on mental health services for deaf and deafblind people will be published.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The Scottish Executive is currently undertaking a wide-ranging review of all audiology services in consultation with the Public Health Institute of Scotland, The Royal National Institute for the Deaf and service users. The report will be available later this …
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release SE5076/2001 of 19 December 2001, whether the waiting list review will examine the transfer of day patients to out-patients made in order to reduce the si'e of the waiting list.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The timetable and terms of reference for the review of the management of waiting lists in NHSScotland is currently being discussed with the Auditor General for Scotland. Details will be announced in due course.
21 Dec 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release SE5076/2001 of 19 December 2001, whether the waiting lists review will include an examination of the time taken from consultation to diagnosis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The timetable and terms of reference for the review of the management of waiting lists in NHSScotland is currently being discussed with the Auditor General for Scotland. Details will be announced in due course.