Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to ensure patients have access to new medicines as quickly as possible.
Answer · Susan Deacon: When a medicine receives a UK marketing authorisation, either from the UK Licensing Authority or from the European Medicines Evaluation Authority, it becomes prescribable on the NHS in Scotland unless it is added to Schedule 10, or in certain circumstances, S…
22 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who the members of the Lothian drug evaluation board are.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The members of the Lothian Drug Evaluation Panel are:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Consultant in Public Health (Chair)<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Senior Lecturer in Health Economics<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Consultant Physician<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology…
22 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether patient groups are represented on drug and therapeutic committees.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Drug and therapeutic committees are expert technical committees of the health board and Trust and do not normally have patient representation.
22 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9453 by Iain Gray on 18 September 2000, what the figures were for delayed discharges in each health board area for the quarter ending 30 June 2000.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The first comprehensive national and local information showing the position as at the 30 September census date was published by the Information and Statistics Division of the NHS in Scotland on Monday 4 December.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The information was issued t…
22 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why parents are not offered a choice between separate injections of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines and the combined MMR vaccination.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The licensing and safety of medicines is a reserved matter. The vaccination policy in the UK for mumps, measles and rubella is to use the combined MMR vaccine, except where a patient cannot receive the combined vaccine for clinical reasons.
20 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10729 by Ross Finnie on 13 November 2000, what environmental disbenefits could be associated with imported organic foods.
Answer · Ross Finnie: All transportation of products over long distances results in an environmental cost e.g. in terms of air pollutants and CO² emissions. This will vary according to the mode of transport and the length of journey involved.
20 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the implementation of the Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The <I>Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland</I> set out a six-year implementation programme to September 2003.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Progress has been good in some areas, less so in others. The Mental Health and Well Being Support Group has been estab…
17 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8826 by Susan Deacon on 14 August 2000, what programme of change has been established by the Chairman of the State Hospitals Board and what progress has been made in addressing the findings of the Mental Welfare Commission on the State Hospital, Cars…
Answer · Susan Deacon: The report which I have received from the Chairman of the State Hospital's Board covers a range of measures designed to:<UL><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><LI>improve multi-disciplinary working across the hospital; </LI><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><LI>expand the range and availab…
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown by health board and NHS Trust of the #44 million of NHS cash balances for use in the repayment of NHP debt principle as indicated in Making a Difference for Scotland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Minister for Finance announced to Parliament on 6 October 1999 that NHS surplus working capital balances which, under Treasury rules, could not be used for the NHS would be carried forward in the Scottish Consolidated Fund until it can be used for the rep…
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether measures are in place to ensure that all doctors practising in Scotland have undergone training and education equivalent to the standards in Scotland's medical schools.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Regulation of the medical profession is a reserved matter. All doctors practising in the UK must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) which sets the standard for education and training by medical schools in the UK. Doctors coming to the UK fro…
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #4 million for NHS Direct in this year's budget is allocated for staff recruitment, equipment and other capital expenditure.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A Project Director was appointed on 16 October on secondment from Scottish Enterprise. He is currently developing a detailed service specification and will shortly be recruiting staff. The first phase of the design of the Scottish NHS Direct Service has recen…
15 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the #39 million earmarked for public health in 2000-01 was allocated in terms of priorities and targets.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The priorities and targets addressed by the £39 million identified for public health in 2000-01 are the creation of the Health Improvement Fund, matters relating to the implementation of the White Paper <I>Towards a Healthier Scotland</I><U>,</U> AIDS/HIV hea…
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the appointment of an official to the NHS Management Executive to represent the professions allied to medicine.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Nursing Officer is responsible for professional issues regarding nursing, midwifery and the Professions Allied to Medicine (PAMs), across all health matters in relation to Scottish Executive policy.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Consideration is being given to …
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses, doctors, consultants and GPs have been recruited each year since 1997.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on the number of nurses, doctors, consultants and GP's who have been recruited each year since 1997 is contained in the following table:<P>Headcount as at 30 September<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="…
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any proposals to provide more family support services and educational provision for those with autism.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Scottish Ministers have recently agreed to allocate an additional £36 million over the next three years to implement the recommendations of <I>The Same as You?,</I> a Scottish Executive-led review of services for people with learning disabilities. One key rec…
13 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to increase the rate of diagnosis of autism in children at the earliest possible age.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-10424 answered on 20 November 2000.
12 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how local communities will be consulted with regard to planning applications for wind farms producing more the 50 megawatts.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: I refer themember to the answer given to question S2W-2017. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa" targe…
6 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the final Arbuthnott Report has recommended a reduction in adjustment to Orkney from a 20% increase to a 7% increase.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Arbuthnott Steering Group carried out an extensive review of the data, the methods of analysis and the results in response to the issues raised during consultation on the first report on <I>Fair Shares for All</I>. In particular, the method of taking into…
6 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the final Arbuthnott Report has recommended a reduction in adjustment to Shetland from a 10% increase to a 1.4% increase.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Arbuthnott Steering Group carried out an extensive review of the data, the methods of analysis and the results in response to the issues raised during consultation on the first report on <I>Fair Shares for All</I>. In particular, the method of taking into…
6 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a start will be made on applying a formula to general medical services as recommended in Fair Shares for All, the Arbuthnott Report, and how health inequality will be addressed by such a formula.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A start will be made in 2001-02 in applying a resource allocation formula to general medical services. In that year, £470,000 of additional money for general medical services will be distributed through the allocation formula recommended in the Final Report o…
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce or encourage the establishment of specialist refuge centres for under 16s who have run away from home, as provided for in the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Local authorities already have powers under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 to provide short-term refuges for children but their use has been limited. The Scottish Executive is considering the recommendations in the Aberlour Trust's publication <I>Missing Ou…
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average cost per patient per week is in the State Hospital, Carstairs.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The average cost per patient per week at the State Hospital is £1,346, based on 1998-99 figures.
3 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans or national strategy it has to increase advice and counselling services for under 16s considering running away from home and to improve the availability of information about such services.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is tackling many of the problems which can cause children to run away. Examples of this include grant aid for Who Cares? Scotland to extend advocacy service throughout Scotland for young people who have experience of being looked after …
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the report on "Scotland's leading edge work on clinical outcomes and quality" as referred to in Investing In You.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The report will be published in early December.
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the assessment, referred to in Investing In You, being carried out by the Scottish Development Centre for Mental Health Services relating to the care proposals for mentally disordered offenders, has been carried out and when the results will be published.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The review has been completed and the findings are being considered. Area digests will be provided to all local agencies involved in the review and outcome guidance will issue in due course addressing the multi-agency dimension required for safe care and acco…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether staff of General Dental Service Dentists can enter the NHS superannuation scheme in the same way as staff of General Medical Practitioners.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Not under current arrangements. This is one of the proposals which the British Dental Association has made to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration.
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will respond to the British Dental Association's request for an increase in fees paid to dentists by the NHS of 8%.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration is currently assessing the evidence provided by the UK Health Departments and by the British Dental Association and the General Dental Practitioners Association. The Executive will not anticipate the revi…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any additional funding will be allocated to General Dental Practitioners to assist with the increased costs associated with (a) the prevention of cross-infection and (b) the removal of clinical and specialist waste.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Proposals for payment in relation to the costs of prevention of cross-infection and the removal of clinical and specialist waste were included in the evidence submitted to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration by the British Dental Associatio…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what alternative methods and funding are proposed for anxiety management of dental patients given that all dental general anaesthesia will end outside hospitals by January 2002.
Answer · Susan Deacon: General anaesthesia for NHS dental treatment will be available only in a hospital setting from 1 April 2001.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>The main alternative means of treating dentally anxious patients is sedation. The Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medica…
31 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be an expansion of the consultant grades in dental specialities to ensure high quality training and to improve clinical practice.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The need for specialist dental services in Scotland is one issue within the remit of the Scottish Advisory Committee on Dental Workforce (SACDW). The number of dental specialists needed within hospital practice, community services and general dental services …