Mary Scanlon

25 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that renewable energy technology is incorporated into the building of new (a) homes and (b) commercial premises.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: There is no mandatory requirement for new buildings to incorporate technology that generates energy from renewable sources. The successful operation of such technologies is often dependant on the location, siting and design of the development. Both planning p…

19 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to make hospital wards more dementia friendly, as recommended in the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland annual report 2010-2011.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Making hospitals more dementia friendly is part of The Scottish Government’s priority action in ensuring that hospitals meet the new dementia standards and the standards we expect for all older people, so that care is not only safe and effective but also trea…

19 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason legal safeguards for mental health patients who lack capacity to consent to medical treatment are seldom being applied, as highlighted in the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland annual report 2010-2011.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Mental Welfare Commission published its report Not properly authorised in August this year. The report followed a series of unannounced visits to 45 hospitals where people were receiving compulsory treatment under Part 16 of the Mental Health (Care and Tr…

19 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to provide opportunities for prisoners with mental health problems to engage in self-help programmes, as recommended in the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland annual report 2010-2011.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: “Procedures are in place to ensure that any concern regarding a prisoner's mental health can be referred to the prison Multi-Disciplinary Mental …

19 Oct 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is being given to further education colleges to help unemployed people back into work.

18 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost to the NHS is of dental patients failing to attend scheduled appointments.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The specific information requested is not held centrally.

18 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what actions can be taken if an NHS dental patient regularly misses scheduled appointments.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The dentist with whom the patient is registered can consider whether or not to continue to keep the patient registered with them.

18 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to ensure that NHS boards adopt e-health and telehealth systems for both cost and clinical benefit.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The eHealth Strategy for 2011-17 sets out the key eHealth deliverables that NHS boards will take forward over the life of the strategy. The National Telehealth Strategy 2010-12 outlined the key role that NHS24 would have in the development and formulation of …

18 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what telehealth developments have been achieved since the integration of the Scottish Centre for Telehealth and NHS 24 in April 2010.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Progress has been made across all four national programmes identified in the National Telehealth Strategy. The National Telestroke Programme is live in 11 health board areas. All paediatric centres across Scotland have access to video conferencing equipment w…

18 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether all NHS boards will consider telehealth opportunities when (a) introducing and (b) redesigning services in order to achieve both cost and clinical benefits.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Telehealth opportunities should be considered first when introducing and/or redesigning services in order to achieve both cost and clinical benefits. NHS 24 would recommend that boards use the information contained in Appendix 4 of the Audit Scotland Review o…

18 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which telehealth initiatives piloted in Scotland have a track record for both cost and clinical effectiveness.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: When NHS 24 published the SCT Strategic Framework in 2010, it made clear the commitment to move away from telehealth pilots, and to move towards delivering national services. A number of these are already demonstrating benefits as follows: The South Network …

11 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-02856 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2011, what the timescale is for the review of the evidence on transcatheter aortic valve implantation and what steps are being taken to ensure that it takes account of the updated guidance from the National Insti…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The National Planning Forum is charged with making recommendations on the provision of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). As part of this process the Scottish Health Technologies Group has responsibility for monitoring and reviewing the evidence …

22 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the Minor Ailments Service is not available to people in care homes for older people.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Minor Ailment Service (MAS) is not available for people resident in a care home setting because the service is predicated on a face to face consultation with a community pharmacist and residents in care homes tend not to be able to visit a community pharm…

20 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason transcatheter aortic valve implantation is available as an NHS treatment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland but not in Scotland.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We are keen that people in Scotland should have ready access to new treatments and technologies once they have demonstrated their effectiveness. The most recent review of TAVI found that there was limited evidence to support its introduction in Scotland howe…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what gaps in current research and knowledge the National Physical Activity Research and Evaluation Group has identified and what action has been taken to address these gaps.

Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Health Scotland leads on the management of the Scottish Physical Activity Research Collaboration (SPARColl). The research priorities for 2011-12 are as follows: economic analysis of secondary data sources to help investigate the cost-benefits of physical…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where Healthy Weight Community Projects, as outlined in Healthy Eating, Active Living: An action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity (2008-2011), have been piloted; what evaluation of these projects has been carried out, and what action is now being taken. …

Answer · Michael Matheson: The eight communities selected for the Healthy Weight Community pathfinder programme were: Dumfries (North West/Town Centre); Dundee (Strathmartine/Lochee/East End); East Ayrshire (Catrine); East Renfrewshire (Barrhead); Glasgow (Priesthill and Househillwood)…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) existing and (b) new targets are by which progress will be monitored in implementing the strategies in Healthy Eating, Active Living: An action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity (2008-2011) and which of these targets have been met.

Answer · Shona Robison: There were a total of 44 targets in Healthy Eating Active Living, out of these 36 have been completed this includes; “We will work across government and with all sectors of Scottish society, to develop a longer term strategy to tackle obesity”. This resulte…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the prevalence is of children aged 2 to 15 with a body mass index outside the healthy range, also broken down by gender.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In the 2009 Scottish Health Survey 31.7% of boys and 29.2% of girls aged two to 15 had a body mass index outside the healthy range. Overall, 30.5% of children aged two to 15 had a body mass index outside the healthy range. Please note that these figures diff…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has liaised with Ofcom and the UK Government, and what other action it has taken, regarding limiting the promotion of unhealthy food to children.

Answer · Michael Matheson: In response to concerns about child obesity and a consultation exercise, which we took part in, Ofcom phased in restrictions on the advertising of High Fat Salt Sugar (HFSS) products between April 2007 and January 2009. We are exploring opportunities to rest…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of cases of (a) stroke, (b) type 2 diabetes and (c) osteoarthritis is attributed to obesity.

Answer · Michael Matheson: At a population level, increased mortality and higher incidence of disease related to increased fat mass are seen most markedly when BMI raises above 30 kg/m2. The Scottish Public Health Observatory has calculated that around 6% of strokes, 47% of type 2 diab…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary care professionals have been trained to develop a better understanding of obesity and how to manage the condition since 2008.

Answer · Shona Robison: Raising the Issue of Child Healthy Weight was developed by NHS Health Scotland following the introduction of the Child Healthy Weight HEAT target and has been delivered as follows: From April 2010 to March 2011, this training was delivered to 40 trainers and…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Shetland and (d) Orkney have been enrolled in the Counterweight programme in each year since 2008.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The following table shows the number of patients recruited to Counterweight since 2008 within Highland, Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney NHS Board areas: Patient Recruitment 2008 to August 2011 2008 2009 2010 2011 (to 1 Aug) Highland 0 125 351 …

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many healthy weight intervention programmes as outlined in Healthy Eating, Active Living: An action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity (2008-2011) had been delivered for obese children between the ages of five and 15 by the end of 2010-11 .

Answer · Shona Robison: Data on the number of Child Healthy Weight interventions undertaken in Scotland between April 2008 and March 2011 are publicly available on the Scottish Government website: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/ChildHealthyWeight1011 So…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in which sustainable travel demonstration towns Smarter Choices, Smarter Places has been introduced.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Smarter Choices, Smarter Places demonstration programme in partnership with COSLA ran for three years from March 2008 to March 2011 in seven communities: Barrhead; Dumfries; central Dundee; Glasgow’s East End; Kirkintilloch/Lenzie; Kirkwall, and La…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has developed a healthy weight workforce development plan and, if so, how it is being implemented.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As a direct result of the commitment in Healthy Eating Active Living, NHS Health Scotland published a development plan in 2010 which was updated in 2011. I have included a link to the full document. In addition NHS Health Scotland are actively pursuing a gen…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what nutritional standards it has developed with COSLA for older people in care settings and whether such standards are part of Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland's inspection regime.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government’s National Care Standards for Care Homes for older people cover eating, drinking and nutrition care. The National Care Standards were developed by the National Care Standards Committee on behalf of Scottish Ministers, and COSLA was rep…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what dietary targets in Healthy Eating, Active Living: An action plan to improve diet, increase physical activity and tackle obesity (2008-2011) have not been achieved.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Dietary Targets for a balanced diet are now some 15 years old, but evidence shows that little progress towards achieving them has been made. The Scottish Government undertook (in Healthy Eating, Active Living 2008) to review them, this work is un…

14 Sep 2011 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment has had with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth regarding using distillery by-products for bio-friendly renewable energy.

8 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken in response to the 11 care homes that were graded weak and unsatisfactory in inspection reports as at June 2011.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I understand from the Care Inspectorate that out of the 11 care homes, eight have improved, one has closed and it is taking further action in respect of two care homes. The Inspectorate is closely monitoring these services and where it receives any additiona…

8 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how disclosure information is checked for migrant workers in care at home services and care homes.

Answer · Angela Constance: Disclosure Scotland do not have access to information about migrant workers from the criminal records of their home jurisdictions. It is the responsibility of the worker to provide information from her or his home country if that is sought by an employer. In…