Parliamentary questions

Mary Scanlon

4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

7 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what current policy is on General Practitioner referrals to other health board areas.

Answer · Susan Deacon: General Practitioners operate under terms of service set out in the National Health Service (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995. These terms of service require General Practitioners to refer patients as appropriate for services provided und…

7 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent figure is for the number of blocked beds in Scotland.

Answer · Iain Gray: On the basis of the latest available information, discharge arrangements for 2,391 patients have been delayed for more than two days.From 1 April this year this information will be collected quarterly against agreed national definitions. Th…

7 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place for the early detection and prevention of osteoporosis.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on measures to detect osteoporosis is not held centrally.The Executive's continuing and active promotion of a healthier lifestyle, with improved diet, more exercise and no smoking, will contribute to the prevention of osteoporos…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (i) trainee Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers (MLSOs); (ii) MLSO 1 and (iii) MLSO 2 grades will benefit from the most recent pay increases announced.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A revised pay offer was made to this group of staff on 11 January. The offer is still being considered by staff side representatives. If the offer is accepted, all MLSOs in Scotland will benefit from the increases including (i) 47 trainee MLSOs; (ii) 1,106 ML…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving Gingerbread Scotland.

Answer · Sam Galbraith: I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-4845.

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made by the Scottish Inter-collegiate Guidelines Network Development Group and the National Screening Committee in relation to genital chlamydia.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) have completed their work on the guideline Management of Genital Chlamydia trachomatis Infection and this is in the process of being printed and will be distributed to health boards, NHS Trusts and…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times and on what dates the working group set up to review winter planning arrangements in relation to the recent flu crisis has met; who its members are and when its first proposals are expected.

Answer · Susan Deacon: In spite of unprecedented levels of activity in many parts of Scotland, the NHS acquitted itself extremely well in the light of recent winter pressures through a combination of sound planning and the sheer commitment and hard work of its staff.<P ALIGN="JUSTI…

1 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether City of Edinburgh Council has followed policy guidance from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the funding of voluntary organisations in relation to the Waverley Care Trust grant.

Answer · Iain Gray: It is not for the Scottish Executive to comment on individual cases of voluntary sector funding by local authorities or other statutory agencies. I understand that the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities is presently reviewing how councils have made use …

1 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Lothian Health Board has followed the principles and spirit of the Scottish Compact and policy guidance from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on funding to voluntary organisations with regard to its future support of Milestone House and the Waverley Care Trust.

Answer · Iain Gray: Lothian Health Board fully supports and follows the principles and spirit of the CoSLA guidance in all its dealings with the voluntary sector. In relation to the Waverley Care Trust, Lothian Health Board is participating in a joint review with the Trust and t…

1 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it plans to do to reverse the population decline in the Western Isles.

Answer · Ross Finnie: The Executive is committed to tackling the causes of population decline through initiatives targeted at rural communities across Scotland. In the Western Isles, the Executive supports economic development through Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Western I…

1 Mar 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to the 3,500 BARMAC workers facing redundancy.

Answer · Henry McLeish: I refer Mary Scanlon to the written answer I gave to Maureen Macmillan's question on this matter on 16 December 1999 (S1W-2910).Since then the on-site information centres have been opened and the information pack published. The training and upskilling init…

24 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the existing ratio is of infection control practitioners per acute core bed in NHS hospitals and what the projected future ratio is for those years for which figures are available.

Answer · Susan Deacon: All members of staff in the NHS bear some responsibility for infection control. However, Infection Control Teams within Trusts have particular responsibility for infection control. These teams are multi-disciplinary in nature and involve staff with profession…

24 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all NHS staff will be offered an induction programme on infection control and, if so, whether it will give details of the timetable for this.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Learning Together1, the Education, Training and Lifelong Learning Strategy for the NHS in Scotland published in December 1999 requires each NHS employer to provide appropriate induction training to their staff. That training should dr…

24 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the multi-disciplinary approach needed to comply with the surveillance framework set out in the Scottish Infection Manual.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Details of the roles, responsibilities of health boards, hospitals and other healthcare providers are set out in detail in Chapter 1 of the Scottish Infection Manual, which provides clear guidance on:<UL><LI>the core membership and f…

23 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to further utilise the skills and knowledge of community pharmacists in Scotland and whether these plans include greater integration of community pharmacists into healthcare provision.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Pharmacists are increasingly being integrated into the extended primary care team and are playing a key role in the modernisation of primary health care services. At local level improvements in pharmaceutical care of patients are planned through Health Improv…

23 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to consult with the pharmaceutical professions regarding the greater participation in health service delivery by both community and hospital pharmacists.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to my answer to question S1W-4677.

23 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers Professor David Rowley to be an impartial and objective member of the Scottish Review team in relation to the funding position in Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust, given his role as head of orthopaedics at Ninewells Hospital Dundee, non-executive member of the T…

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive believes that Professor Rowley has an important and valuable role to play as a member of the task force/review team and that his involvement will ensure that the work of the task force is fully informed of and builds upon the work carri…

22 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the increased use of CS gas by Scottish police forces is detrimental to the health of (a) the police officers using it and (b) the people it is used on.

Answer · Jim Wallace: A report by the UK Department of Health's independent expert Committee on Toxicity, published in September 1999, did not give rise to any concerns over the health effects of CS spray which would cause the police service to stop using CS spray as an incapacita…

16 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a policy statement on the future structure of health boards.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The role of health boards will continue to evolve and develop to reflect the Executive's wider agenda for the NHS in Scotland. The Scottish Executive's views on their role are already contained in several key documents. The White Paper Designed to Care…

10 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are guidelines in the NHS in Scotland regarding time limits for the termination of pregnancies in order to ensure uniformity of provision.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The time limits for the termination of pregnancies are laid down clearly by the Abortion Act 1967 as amended by section 37 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Both these Acts are UK legislation and both are reserved to Westminster. An addition…

10 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to launch NHS Direct in Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: A prototype of the Scottish NHS Direct service will begin operation later this year.

10 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been taken to ensure that all people who would benefit are given the appropriate home care best suited to their needs.

Answer · Iain Gray: Local Authorities are responsible for ensuring that individuals' community care needs are assessed and met in the most appropriate manner. They have a responsibility to ensure that housing and health colleagues are involved in the assessment procedure. Guidan…

8 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee working group on recruitment, training and retention of medical laboratory scientific officers will produce its report.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (SMASAC) Working Group on the Recruitment, Training and Retention of Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers expects to report to SMASAC towards the end of the year. SMASAC felt that the importance of this…

4 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all training needs for staff in the health service in Scotland will be fully met from the existing budget.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive supports pre-registration and postgraduate education for nurses, midwives, pharmacists, doctors and dentists. In addition, NHS organisations make a major investment locally in a wide variety of educational and training activities.<P ALI…

3 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the delivery of community dental services is not reduced as a result of an increase in the need for alternative methods of pain and anxiety control.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The delivery of community dental services will not be reduced as a result of an increase in the need for alternative methods of pain and anxiety control.

3 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it can give that the savings made by the NHSiS as a result of the reduction in the use of dental general anaesthesia will be channelled into providing alternative methods of pain and anxiety control, especially for young children and phobic adults.

Answer · Susan Deacon: General dental practitioners have been reducing their use of general anaesthesia for several years in favour of administering sedations - the main alternative method of treating anxious patients. As the number of fees claimed for administration of general ana…

3 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of specialist dental centres which can offer alternative methods of pain and anxiety control to general anaesthesia throughout Scotland.

Answer · Susan Deacon: It is open to Health Boards and Primary Care NHS Trusts to plan further specialist centres in response to local needs. The Scottish Executive is currently considering how to promote and support alternatives to general anaesthesia.

1 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the recruitment and retention of biomedical scientists working in the NHS.

Answer · Susan Deacon: There is no evidence held centrally to suggest any widespread recruitment and retention issues surrounding this staff group.However, the recent pay offer to biomedical scientists, if accepted, will mean increases of up …

1 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to review the pay and conditions of those within the NHS who are excluded from the Pay Review Body, such as biomedical scientists.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The pay and conditions of all staff groups within the NHS, including those excluded from the Pay Review Body, are reviewed annually.A revised offer was made to these groups of staff on 11 January and this is now the sub…

21 Jan 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation process has been undertaken with the health boards in Scotland in relation to fluoridation.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive is currently considering the timing of and most appropriate arrangements for consultation on this issue, including public consultation. It is my intention to announce further proposals on this after the conclusions are known of the revi…