Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether drugs which will help to relieve the symptoms of influen'a, such as Relen'a, are going to be made available to next year's sufferers.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to my answers to questions S1W-1994 and S1W-3790.
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to use private sector hospitals to assist NHS patients in future.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-03884.
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the plan to stop giving Tayside Health Board patients direct access endoscopies to detect colorectal, throat and stomach cancer will affect the care and lives of patients.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The NHS in Tayside has no plans to stop direct access to endoscopy services. Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust is consulting GPs about the introduction of protocols for referrals to the endoscopy service. The Trust believes the proposal would provide a m…
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to ensure that drugs for dementia are available to all those who require them.
Answer · Susan Deacon: In 1998, guidance on the use of new drugs for Alzheimer's disease produced by the Standing Medical Advisory Committee in England and endorsed by the National Medical Advisory Committee in Scotland, was issued to all relevant clinicians from the Chief Medical …
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to increase preventative action to help reduce the rising rates of cancer.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer I have given in response to question, S1W-3558.
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to improve cancer outcomes and survival rates.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Improvements in survival from cancer are already evident. For example, five-year survival from breast cancer is now 75%, compared to 66% in the 1980s. In men with testicular cancer more than 90% are alive after five years.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The Scottish Execu…
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, what percentage of outpatients were (a) seen within the nine week target set out in the Patient's Charter and (b) seen by a consultant on their first appointment for each quarter for the years 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on the percentage of first outpatient appointments where the patient was seen within nine weeks of a General Medical Practitioner/General Dental Practitioner referral, for the periods requested, is given in the table. Data on the percentage of pat…
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the total health spending to the current European average as a percentage of national income.
Answer · Susan Deacon: As pledged in the <I>Programme for Government, </I>the Scottish Executive will substantially increase NHS spending in real terms over the coming years. The actual increases will be determined in the context of the 2000 Spending Review.
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to utilise private sector health providers in order to enhance patient care.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The independent health care sector can be used by the NHS where NHS facilities are unable to provide a particular service or in circumstances when NHS services are under particular strain.
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support the continuation of the neurosurgical unit at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.
Answer · Susan Deacon: A short-life Working Group has been created, under the chairmanship of the Chief Medical Officer, to review the provision of neurosurgical services throughout Scotland as a whole. This is part of the implementation of the Acute Services Review which was publi…
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to charge for GP or hospital visits.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has no plans to do so.
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients in years 1995 to 1999 inclusive caught infections during their stay in hospital.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available.
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what policy is in place to ensure that boys receive effective sex education.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive's policy is to encourage schools to tackle sex education within a comprehensive programme of health and social education for all pupils.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica" SIZE=2><P>This co-ordinated approach is designed to ensure the informa…
21 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the reduction in physiotherapy and occupational therapy outpatient treatment at Ninewells and Stracathro Hospitals will affect patient care.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Tayside University Hospital NHS Trust has advised that a combination of staff vacancies and winter pressures has affected its physiotherapy services.<P>Physiotherapists at both Stracathro and Ninewells Hospitals are continuing to see urgent or acute outpatien…
20 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths in the past five years resulted from methadone use.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The table below gives, for the categories listed, the numbers of deaths where methadone was recorded as being present at the time of death, either alone or in combination with one or more other drugs. It is not possible to identify the number of cases where t…
19 Jan 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to ring-fence any additional resources allocated to Scotland under the Barnett formula as a result of an above inflation increase in tobacco taxes in order that this funding can be directly applied to the National Health Service.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-3868 on Friday 21 January.
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider funding a Scottish allergen imuno-therapy unit.
Answer · Susan Deacon: We have no plans for such a unit, but hope to publish shortly a major review of immunology and allergy services undertaken by the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, the recommendations of which should help focus the development of the range o…
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop a Scottish national allergy centre.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Only a very small number of services, such as heart, lung and liver transplantation, are handled at national level. There are no immediate plans to add allergy to these services.
17 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that the drugs Taxol and Taxotere are made available to all patients with ovarian and breast cancer who would benefit from such treatment.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The drugs Taxol and Taxotere are available on the NHS. The use of these drugs in the treatment of patients with ovarian and breast cancer depends on the clinical judgement of the clinicians concerned.
17 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the drug Lysovir will be made available for the provision and treatment of influen'a.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Lysovir (amantadine) is available on NHS prescription for the prevention and treatment of the signs and symptoms of influenza A. The use of this treatment for an individual patient depends on the clinical judgement of the medical practitioner concerned.
17 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that it has a strategy to ensure that everyone over 75 was offered an influen'a vaccination in autumn 1999 and whether it will outline the details of that strategy.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Medical Officer for Scotland issues a letter annually to medical practitioners, including GPs, which reflects advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, providing details of the particular strains of the influenza virus circula…
17 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether GPs in Scotland will be given access to additional resources to cover equipment and administration costs for the vaccination of patients at risk from influen'a.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer to the answer given to S1W-3786.
17 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what strategy will be put in place to alleviate any potential influen'a epidemic next year.
Answer · Susan Deacon: As I made it clear in my statement on 12 January, as part of our continuous improvement of services for patients, the Scottish Executive will review this year's winter planning arrangements, together with NHS staff, professional bodies and local managers and …
17 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will now take urgent action to ensure that the 2000 patients who are clinically fit for discharge, but are occupying NHS beds, are transferred to a more appropriate care setting.
Answer · Iain Gray: Reducing the number of delayed discharges is a high priority. £60 million is being made available - on top of existing record levels of funding in the NHS - to accelerate delivery of a number of priorities including a reduction in the number of delayed discha…
15 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a national policy strategy will be promulgated to ensure a consistent approach to NHS infertility services throughout Scotland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-2318.
9 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been released for patient care due to the reduction in the number of NHS Trusts.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The reduction in the number of NHS Trusts in Scotland is expected to provide direct net savings of £6 million a year. These contribute to the £100 million cumulative savings which will be generated by 2002 as a result of the ending of the NHS internal market.
9 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the eight new hospitals as referred to in Making it Work Together - A Programme for Government and their starting and projected completion dates.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER">STARTING DATE OF PROJECT</TD><T…
8 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its strategy is for treating people with alcohol and drug dependency.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Treatment and rehabilitation needs vary greatly and our strategy is to ensure that a range of services is provided. The planning and provision of these services are the responsibility of local statutory and non-statutory agencies. Local Alcohol Misuse Co-ordi…
2 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which health boards offer post-exposure prophylaxis to members of the public who may have been exposed to HIV.
Answer · Iain Gray: It is for individual clinicians to decide whether to offer post-exposure prophylaxis taking account of the circumstances of each case.
17 Nov 1999 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which health boards offer post exposure prophylaxis to members of the public who may have been exposed to HIV.
Answer · Iain Gray: It is for individual clinicians to decide whether to offer post-exposure prophylaxis taking account of the circumstances of each case.