Mary Scanlon

23 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the relatives of owner-occupiers of farms and crofts preserve their rights to purchase, which currently prevail under the Udal Law system, in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill as drafted.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Section 52 of the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, which relates to the community right to buy, exempts family transfers from the provisions of the Bill. Similarly, section 76, which relates to the crofting community right to buy, exempts crofts worked by t…

23 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will specify any laws applicable to Orkney and Shetland which are based on those from the old Norwegian/Scandinavian empire.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Orkney and Shetland's ancient legal heritage, which is distinct from that of the rest of Scotland, continues to exist in a number of areas. These are linked to the ancient system of Udal land ownership, the chief feature of which is that grants of land do not…

23 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what legal advice it has received on whether Udal law takes precedence over Scottish Parliament legislation in Orkney and Shetland.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The question is ultimately a matter for the courts to determine. Although there is no specific reference to Udal law in the Scotland Act 1998, we understand that, insofar as extant Udal law in Orkney and Shetland relates to devolved matters, by virtue of that…

23 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether doctors or pharmacists could be charged with culpable and reckless conduct for dispensing amounts of methadone above the recommended levels which later result in death.

Answer · Neil Davidson: It is possible that charges of culpable and reckless conduct could be brought against doctors or pharmacists in these circumstances. However, any charges and subsequent prosecutions would be determined entirely by the specific circumstances surrounding each c…

16 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many health care associated infections were contracted by NHS patients in each year since 1992, broken down by the health care establishment in which they were contracted.

Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not available. The new national surveillance system which I announced on 6<SUP> </SUP>August will help to provide better information in the future on the incidence of health care associated infections across Scotland.

16 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been prescribed ben'odia'epines for (a) more than one year, (b) more than two years, (c) more than five years and (d) more than 10 years.

Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not available centrally.

16 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to combat the problems associated with the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Following the launch of a UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy last year, the Executive issued publicity materials to increase awareness of this issue. These included posters and leaflets, which were circulated widely to GP practices, dental practitioners and…

16 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether on-site incinerators will be installed in all hospitals which do not currently have one.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Installation of on-site incinerators is a matter for individual NHS Trusts. The information requested is not held centrally.

16 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what risks of spreading disease are associated with the transporting of contaminated clinical waste away from hospitals which do not have on-site incinerators.

Answer · Susan Deacon: NHSScotland Trusts must comply with all statutes, standards, legislation and codes of practice in relation to waste management. Accordingly all NHSScotland Trusts have been provided with best practice management guidance to enable them to categorise, risk ass…

16 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute beds there are in the Ayrshire and Arran Health Board area; where these beds are located, and whether there are any plans to alter the number or location of such beds.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on operational matters, such as acute bed numbers, is available from Ayrshire and Arran Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

16 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the extent is of any staff shortages within the NHS.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on vacancies for selected NHSScotland staff groups is collected annually by ISD Scotland. Latest figures show that as at 30 September 2000, 2.2% of consultant posts and 3.6% of medical staff grade posts were vacant for six months or more. At March…

16 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are currently devoted to the diagnosis, treatment and community care of schi'ophrenic patients.

Answer · Susan Deacon: We do not collect information about the costs of treating specific conditions in mental health services.

16 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to extend the use within the NHS of minimally invasive therapies.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Medical training in Scotland allows surgeons to make use of minimally invasive surgery wherever appropriate. The decision to adopt such an approach depends on the clinical condition of the patient and the outcome of the discussion between patient and clinicia…

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a clear and unambiguous definition of hospital-acquired infection for use by all NHS trusts is now in place.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The recent report <I>A framework for national surveillance of hospital acquired infection</I> sets out the details of the new system to collect standardised, comparable data on the incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in Scotland. The report, whic…

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a national database and standardised procedures for the collection and monitoring of data on infections caused by gram-positive bacteria.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Dedicated systems of surveillance (with national databases) are either already in place or are being developed for infections caused by three gram positive organisms:<UL><LI>surveillance of MRSA, in line with my announcement of the Executive's response to the…

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent infection control nurses there are per bed in each NHS hospital.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information is not held centrally.

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the implementation of infection control teams in the NHS and, if so, when it will publish a report of its findings.

Answer · Susan Deacon: NHSScotland has infection control teams in place in all health board areas - I refer to the answer to question S1W-15462 on 14 May 2001.

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all previously issued guidelines on infection control in hospitals have been fully implemented in the NHS.

Answer · Susan Deacon: NHS Trusts must ensure that they have adequate infection control arrangements in place, based on comprehensive guidance provided by the Health Department. I have recently outlined steps to establish new standards for infection control and compliance checking …

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to protect cancer patients from hospital-acquired infections.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Current infection control measures, plus the further steps announced on 6 August to establish standards and check compliance with them, will help protect cancer patients along with all NHS patients in Scotland. The measures I announced include a mandatory sur…

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for an ultrasound examination in each acute NHS Trust.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not held centrally.

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how any national shortage of radiologists is affecting the relevant waiting times and waiting lists.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer to question S1W-17468.

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many radiology posts at all levels are currently vacant.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer to question S1W-17468.

9 Aug 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to address any national shortage of consultant radiologists.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The number of higher specialist training posts available in Scotland is regularly adjusted to meet the projected number of new consultants needed to meet known and anticipated turnover and local service developments. In March 2001 the specialist registrar est…

30 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the report of the Care Development Group will be published and, if this differs from the originally planned date, what the original date was.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In accordance with the terms of its remit, the Care Development Group will report to the Minister for Health and Community Care by the end of August. The Scottish Executive will arrange for the report to be published.

4 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed 15 unified NHS health boards will be structured on the same basis as at present.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Full details of changes in NHS governance and accountability, including the establishment of the new NHS Boards, are contained in the change programme <I>Rebuilding our National Health Service</I>, published by the Health Department in May 2001, copies of whi…

4 Jul 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to exempt all people under 25 from prescription charges as recently proposed in the Welsh Assembly.

Answer · Susan Deacon: We have no plans to do so.

29 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether liver function tests are available to patients of GPs in the Fife Health Board area.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I can confirm that Fife GPs do have access to liver function tests in cases where they judge these to be necessary.

27 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many unfulfilled vacancies exist in the NHSiS for (a) clinical psychologists and (b) psychiatrists.

Answer · Susan Deacon: In connection with question S1W-14202, the member will be aware of a clinical psychology workforce survey which indicated that there were 44.25 (WTE) vacant posts as at 30 September 1998. More recent information is not available as data on the number of vacan…

27 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in recording unmet needs of people with mental health in their care plans, as recommended in the Accounts Commission for Scotland report, A Shared Approach.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: All long-stay hospital transfers to community-based care should follow multi-disciplinary and multi-agency discharge planning where the continuing care needs are assessed and agreed. The individual and their carer where appropriate should of course be involve…

27 Jun 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether performance indicators for joint working in mental health services have been developed and monitored as recommended in the Accounts Commission for Scotland report, A Shared Approach.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Both the Scottish Health Advisory Service and the Mental Welfare Commission have indicators which cover joint working. For our part, we have set up a range of measures to further progress implementation of the <I>Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotla…