Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists regarding making assistance available towards course fees for continuing professional development.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Continuing Professional Development for all staff in the NHS in Scotland is the responsibility of the employer.<P>A Project Development Group has been established in partnership and under the banner of Learning Together, focusing on Continuing Development for…
12 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the eligibility criteria for access to infertility services will apply equally to all those requiring the service.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13246 on 23 February 2001.
12 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in implementing the report of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13246 on 23 February 2001.
12 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when figures for hospital-acquired infections in private and NHS hospitals caused by methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus will be available.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Effective surveillance of hospital-acquired infection (HAI), of which methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one cause, is a key part of the Executive’s approach to tackling this important priority within the NHS. A sub-group of the Health Depa…
26 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all patients in psychiatric hospitals have the right and the opportunity to speak with a chaplain when requested.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Yes, however, a request may be denied if any chaplain's personal safety came into question.
26 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why more resources are being allocated to organic foods and organic farming.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Aid for the organic food and farming sectors is demand-led: these sectors are responding to increased consumer demand.
26 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review current financial targets for NHSiS Trusts, given that eight out of 28 had a financial deficit at 31 August 2000.
Answer · Susan Deacon: <I><FONT FACE="Arial">Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</I> stated that: "we will review existing financial systems to ensure that resources flow and are managed in a way that is effective, efficient and accountable. The review wi…
26 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is still the case that the Health Technology Board for Scotland will appraise and evaluate new drugs, as envisaged in the Scottish Office document Designed to Care.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The statutory remit of the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) is to provide advice to NHSScotland on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of new and existing health technologies, including medicines, devices, clinical procedures and healthcare setting…
26 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether clinical geneticists are required to be medically qualified and, if not, what qualifications are necessary to carry out genetic screening.
Answer · Susan Deacon: There are four centres in the NHS in Scotland which provide genetic screening. Services are provided in each centre by a team led by a medically qualified consultant clinical geneticist. Co-workers in the team, including nurses, counsellors and scientists, as…
24 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dentists have been found to have made fraudulent NHS claims in each of the last five years.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Central records have been maintained only since 1 October 1998.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">During the financial years 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999, 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 and 1 April 2000 to date, recoveries totalling more than £230,000 have been made from 50 …
24 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the recent National Institute of Clinical Excellence ruling on Aricept will mean that Al'heimer's patients across Scotland will have access to the drug.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Health Technology Board for Scotland is currently working on a process to comment on all Final Appraisals from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). The NICE Appraisal on donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon) and galantamine (Reminyl…
24 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether sufficient training is given to all NHS security staff to ensure patient, staff and personal safety.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Training for NHS security staff is a matter for local determination. However, the Occupational Health and Safety Service strategy for NHS Scotland staff, <I>Towards a Safer Healthier Workplace</I> requires NHS employers to risk-assess all tasks and activities…
24 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Health Technology Board for Scotland, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland consider complementary and alternative medicines in formulating advice, guidelines and standards.
Answer · Susan Deacon: These bodies consider information on complementary and alternative medicine where appropriate in formulating advice. However, very few studies of alternative therapies meet acceptable scientific methodological standards, and most are not therefore included as…
19 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the disparity in the starting salaries paid to graduate nurses and honours graduates in biomedical science starting work in NHS laboratories and whether it has any plans to reduce this disparity.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Salaries for nurses and biomedical scientists are determined through separate machinery. As indicated in the reply to question S1W-12660, the Scottish Executive is committed to addressing the pay of all NHS staff, including laboratory staff in the context of …
19 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address the pay levels of NHS laboratory staff.
Answer · Susan Deacon: In agreeing pay for 2000-01, the Scottish Executive targeted increases of 7.1% for newly qualified MLSOs and up to 26% for MLSO trainees. For 2001-02 a pay offer has recently been made for all NHS non-Pay Review Body staff of 3.7% or £380, whichever is the gr…
19 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether #9,726 is an adequate starting salary to recruit honours graduates to work in NHS laboratories.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-12661.
15 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the reported instruction by the Scottish Executive's Head of New Media and Presentation that NHSiS staff should not give out information, photographs or reactions to researchers from the Sunday Times Good Hospital Guide would comply with the requirements of its proposed Freedom o…
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-12481.
15 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any minister was aware of or sanctioned the reported instruction by the Scottish Executive's Head of New Media and Presentation that NHSiS staff should not give out information, photograph or reactions to researchers from the Sunday Times Good Hospital Guide.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12481.
15 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the reported instruction by the Scottish Executive's head of New Media and Presentation that NHSiS staff should not give out information, photographs or reactions to researchers from the Sunday Times Good Hospital Guide complies with the Code of Openness in the NHS.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Code of Practice on Openness for the NHS in Scotland makes a presumption of openness and accessibility of information. In response to a recent request for advice from an NHS Trust, the Executive confirmed that the Code does not, however, require the NHS t…
9 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set up a national clinical assessment authority in order to detect incompetent or dangerous health professionals in the NHSiS.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Responsibility for ensuring that health professionals are fit to practise rests both with their employer and with their regulatory body.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">However, in Scotland we are also concerned about the issues which the National Clinical Assessment Autho…
9 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many errors in patient care it estimates are made by staff in the NHSiS each year and how many of these prove to be fatal.
Answer · Susan Deacon: NHSScotland has a rightly deserved reputation for the quality of its clinical care exemplified by the World Health Organisation promoting SIGN Guidelines to other countries as of "global quality". Inevitably errors occur in any process and local Clinical Gove…
5 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to increase financial incentives to farmers to invest in the production and marketing of Scottish berries.
Answer · Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive currently provides financial assistance to Scottish Soft Fruit Growers Limited (SSFG) under the Marketing Development Scheme towards the cost of a marketing manager to assist them improve their marketing and commercial expertise. There …
3 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Highlands and Islands will be considered as a location for any of the Scottish NHS Direct centres.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Project Director is currently developing a detailed service specification for the roll out of NHS24. Consideration of the issue of location for the service centres has yet to begin.
3 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is funding the retraining costs of former nurses who wish to return to work in the NHS.
Answer · Susan Deacon: These costs are a matter for individual NHS Trusts to determine in the light of staffing requirements.
22 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how any shortages of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists are affecting the care and treatment of people affected by a stroke.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The overall recruitment and retention of Professions Allied to Medicine (PAMs) which includes physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, remains satisfactory, although there are some recognised difficulties in particular geo…
22 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many stroke patients are cared for in dedicated stroke units, staffed by multi-disciplinary teams.
Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.
22 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many "one-stop" services are available for stroke patients.
Answer · Susan Deacon: In the context of stroke services the one-stop approach is applicable to patients who have had a transient ischaemic attack, also known as a 'minor stroke'.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>For these patients, there are four "one-stop" services in Scotla…
22 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to assist NHSiS Trusts to balance their costs with the level of available resources.
Answer · Susan Deacon: My officials are actively working with health boards and NHS Trusts to develop effective financial planning and budgeting tools.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Significant additional resources are being invested in the NHS in Scotland this year and next which, t…
22 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how will it end "postcode prescribing", given that local Drugs and Therapeutics Committees have autonomy in local health board decision making.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Executive is working with Area Drug and Therapeutic Committees and with the Health Technology Board for Scotland to reduce variations in prescribing practice across Scotland.
22 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a national strategy will be developed and implemented to alleviate any cross-contamination of hospital acquired infections.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Preventing and controlling hospital acquired infection is an important issue for the NHS in Scotland. The Scottish Executive issued comprehensive guidance on infection control in hospitals - the Scottish Infection Manual - in 1998. This guidance recommends th…