Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people died from thrombosis in each of the last five years.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is shown in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=360 valign=top > <p align=center >Cause of Death</p> </td> <td width=49 valign=top > <p align=center…
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that all hospital patients are aware of their eligibility for repayment of travel and accommodation costs.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Current guidance to NHS boards draws their attention to the need to ensure information is widely available about the options available to patients for reimbursement of travelling expenses.</p> <p >In particular, boards are advised to arrange for notices prov…
30 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the eligibility criteria are for payment of (a) travel and (b) accommodation costs for patients to attend hospital appointments as out-patients or in-patients.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There are currently two patients'' travelling expenses schemes A non-means tested Highlands and Islands Scheme for patients resident or working in the former Highlands and Islands Development Board area and a means tested scheme covering the rest of the count…
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that dispensing opticians are involved in designing eye care services in local NHS boards to meet the needs of patients.
Answer · Shona Robison: While appreciating the contribution which dispensing opticians make to eye care, NHS boards are under no statutory duty to include dispensing opticians in any discussion regarding eye care, as they are not one of the groups with whom boards make arrangements …
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment and audit has been made of the contribution by dispensing opticians in providing quality and accessible eye care to patients.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government recognise the positive contribution made by dispensing opticians to the provision of eye care in the community. However, no formal assessment and audit has been undertaken.</p>
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 were (i) treated in and (ii) admitted to hospitals in each NHS board for excess alcohol consumption in each of the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: Patients treated in hospitals can be seen in a variety of settings including accident and emergency, out-patients, day cases and in-patients.</p> <p >Information held centrally on attendances at accident and emergency departments and outpatient departments d…
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged (a) under 15, (b) 15 to 18, (c) 19 to 21 and (d) over 21 were (i) treated in and (ii) admitted to hospitals in each NHS board for drug misuse in each of the last five years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Patients treated in hospitals could be seen in a variety of settings, including accident and emergency attendances, out-patients, day cases and in-patients.</p> <p >Centrally held information on accident and emergency attendances and out-patients does not in…
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were discharged from hospitals with a mental illness and a drug-related diagnosis in each of the last five years.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Table 1 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS general acute hospitals with a mental illness and drug-related diagnosis between 2002-03 and 2006-07 in Scotland.</p> <p >Table 2 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS psychiatric units and…
29 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients were discharged from hospitals with a mental illness and an alcohol-related diagnosis in each of the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: Table 1 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS general hospitals with a mental illness and alcohol-related diagnosis between 2002-03 and 2006-07 in Scotland.</p> <p >Table 2 shows the number of patients discharged from NHS psychiatric units and me…
24 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to ensure that Community Health Partnerships fully utilise IT systems in order to support a more integrated approach to patient care.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The new eHealth Strategy, currently being finalised, proposes a programme to improve availability and use of IT by nurses, midwives and allied health professionals who work in community settings.</p>
22 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are registered with a GP in each NHS board area.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The following information is at 1 April 2008.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=334 > <thead> <tr > <td width=181 nowrap > <p align=center >NHS Board</p> </td> <td width=153 nowrap > <p align=center >Registered P…
22 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the population count is for each NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Details are as follows:</p> <p >Scottish Population Estimates by Health Board, 30 June 2006</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=267 > <tr > <td width=181 nowrap valign=bottom > <p align=left >Ayrshire and Arran</p> </td> <td w…
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is proposing a review of the guidelines for the care of patients following myocardial infarction.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The review of clinical guidelines is a matter for NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.</p> <p >The care of patients immediately after a myocardial infarction (MI) is set out in SIGN Guideline 93 on Acute Coronary Syndromes (February 2007). The longer term of ca…
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients who have had myocardial infarction are prescribed omega 3 fatty acids by the NHS.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: SIGN Guideline 57 on cardiac rehabilitation draws attention to secondary prevention guidelines issued by the British Dietetic Association which emphasise the increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. Cardiologists, who are responsible for decisions regard…
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the recommended minimum health visitor support is for early years childcare to the age of five.
Answer · Shona Robison: Health for All Children Guidance (Hall 4, 2005) recommends that every child and parent should have access to a universal core programme of preventative pre-school care. The Scottish universal core programme of contacts includes contact with a health professio…
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many health visitors have been employed by the NHS in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Shona Robison: As far as it is possible to do so, the information requested is given in the table below. It is important to note, however, that in the latter part of the 10 year period in question NHS boards were phasing in a new staff grading classification system as a res…
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of health visitors.
Answer · Shona Robison: The review of nursing in the Community, <i>Visible, Accessible and Integrated Care,</i> made a number of recommendations about the delivery of healthcare to people in their homes and communities. Those recommendations, which included new community health nurs…
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what health checks are given to children from birth to five years of age.
Answer · Shona Robison: The routine health checks which children from birth to five years of age receive is set out in the <i >Health for All Children (Hall 4) Guidance</i>.</p> <p >The guidance recommends that all children should have contact with health professionals within the f…
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the Post Graduate Medical Training Board ensures that promoted posts for trainee doctors are appropriate in meeting the needs of the workforces of hospitals.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11997 on 25 April 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website; the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp…
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the work of the Post Graduate Medical Training Board in respect of promoted posts for trainee doctors.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No. The Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) is the independent UK statutory body responsible for overseeing and promoting the standards of postgraduate medical education and training for all specialities. The role of PMETB is to prospect…
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to increase health visiting to all families.
Answer · Shona Robison: The way community nursing is organised in Scotland has undergone a major review over the past two years. The aim has been to modernise how health care is delivered to people in their own homes and communities. The recommendations from <i >Visible, Accessible …
18 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the minimum recommended time is for provision of health visitor support and advice for pregnant women.
Answer · Shona Robison: There is no minimum recommended time for the provision of health visitor support to pregnant women. Midwives are the main providers of care to women throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. Health visitors work closely with their midwifery c…
17 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards achieved a 4% sickness absence rate by March 2008.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The NHS sickness absence rates for March 2008 are not yet available.</p> <p >The sickness absence rates for February 2008 showed that NHS Education for Scotland (NES), NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, NHS Health Scotland, and NHS State Hospital had sicknes…
17 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the development of a (a) national health information helpline and (b) single shared health information online resource, as stated on page 44 of Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A Steering Group involving key stakeholders has been established, and key tasks and main routes for accessing information have been identified. This will ensure that the commitment for the delivery of a National Health Information and Support Service by April…
17 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing a national delivery plan for long-term conditions, as stated on page 58 of Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan and which (a) organisations and (b) individuals have been consulted.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The delivery plan is intended to draw together work on the wide range of policies across the Scottish Government which impact on long-term conditions. It is being developed in partnership with NHS and voluntary sector agencies in an inclusive manner.</p>
17 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its delivery plan for the next stage of its work on long term conditions, as stated on page 58 of Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The development of the delivery plan is primarily the responsibility of the Long-Term Conditions Steering Group chaired by the Chief Medical Officer. Publication is expected later in 2008.</p> <p >We expect to publish in the near future the long-term conditi…
17 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in establishing a local NHS24 service in every mainland NHS board area, as stated on page 71 of Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: NHS 24 is committed to a local presence in each NHS board area, as outlined at their Annual Review in August 2007. Discussions are progressing with NHS board partners about a number of initiatives on the further development of locally integrated services.</p>
17 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who the (a) members of the national eHealth programme board, (b) members of the national eHealth strategy board and (c) NHS board eHealth leads are.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The members of the national eHealth programme board are:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td nowrap valign=bottom > <p align=left >Paul Rhodes</p> </td> <td nowrap valign=bottom > <p align=left >eHealth Programme Di…
17 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the goals will be of a new eHealth strategy.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The main goal of the new eHealth strategy will be to support the aims of <i >Better Health Better Care</i>. While the strategy is not yet finalised, two key areas on which eHealth''s contribution are likely to focus are reducing waiting times to 18 weeks and …
17 Apr 2008 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing a new eHealth strategy and which (a) organisations and (b) individuals have been consulted.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The eHealth strategy has reached the stage of a final draft with NHS boards and other stakeholders for comment. Organisations consulted mainly comprise NHS boards, and the principal individuals consulted are those listed in the answer to question S3W-11189 on…