Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering offering free prescriptions in respect of the treatment of chronic conditions such as asthma.
Answer · Shona Robison: Yes. I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-694 on 15 June 2007. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources are available to community health partnerships and NHS boards to improve access to rheumatology services in NHS Scotland.
Answer · Shona Robison: Community Health Partnershipsare part of NHS boards, and therefore receive delegated budgets from boards to delivera range of services. Those include all primary and community based services, includingservices for those living with long-term conditions such a…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor changes in services available to people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, given that it is a marker condition in the long-term conditions toolkit.
Answer · Shona Robison: This issue will bediscussed with those who take forward the evaluation of the Toolkit.</p><p>NHS Quality ImprovementScotland is also carrying out an audit of care in rheumatoid arthritis to monitorimplementation of SIGN Guideline 48 and to investigate whether…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be provision in the long-term conditions toolkit action plans for managed care networks to cover long-term conditions such as inflammatory arthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, and, if so, what the timescales are for the est…
Answer · Shona Robison: The toolkit is meantto promote the improvement of services locally, according to the prioritised needsof each locality. The development of Managed Care Networks for the conditions mentionedwould be one of the possible vehicles for service redesign, and would …
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) will be acceptable to NHS Scotland for new medicines and treatments for use in NHS Scotland and under what circumstances a higher or lower QALY threshold would be acceptable.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish MedicinesConsortium (SMC) provides the NHS in Scotland with adviceon new medicines. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland provides advice on technologiesassessed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. The SMC andNICE consider co…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what new or existing roles would compensate for the number of GPs retiring in the next few years and what the estimated timescales are for increasing the level of training for extended role practitioners.
Answer · Shona Robison: Based on the numberscurrently in post and on estimates of expected retirals gathered through local andnational workforce planning surveys, there are sufficient GPs in post and in trainingto meet the demands of NHS boards in Scotland. New and extended roles, s…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-162 by Shona Robison on 7 June 2007, what further interventions it is planning to achieve the 10% reduction in the prescription of anti-depressants by 2009.
Answer · Shona Robison: We are engaged withpartners on a number of initiatives including a commitment to increase access toa range of evidence based psychological interventions; increasing the capacity of the two Scottish programmes for cognitive behaviour therapy to train and super…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards offer patients with back pain access to self-referral physiotherapy services.
Answer · Shona Robison: This service is nowavailable in most NHS boards, and is a good example of innovative ways of workingwhich provide faster and better access to physiotherapy services in local communities.</p>
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will monitor and evaluate the benefits of the managed clinical network for pain services in Glasgow with a view to extending this service throughout Scotland.
Answer · Shona Robison: The network will beresponsible for implementing best practice and quality standards in the provisionof chronic pain services, and developing patient pathways. As with all Managed ClinicalNetworks, the Scottish Government would be keen to spread the lessons le…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that psychiatric senior house officers are offered funded training posts in order to meet the need for more psychiatrists.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As part ofModernising Medical Careers (MMC) implementation, with effect from August 2007,the number of specialty training posts will increase from 125 to 279. This willin turn increase the number of consultant psychiatrists available toNHSScotland.</p><p>Curr…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the Medical Training Application Service application procedure will not have a negative impact on the future careers of junior doctors.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Governmentis determined to continue to do what is right for Scotland. We have already adopted our own approach where it has been in Scotland’sbest interest to do so, for example by stepping aside from using the on-line MedicalTraining Application…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement the recommendations of the 2004 McEwan report on the provision of pain services.
Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-1343 on 16 July 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include the management of pain in the annual NHS performance assessment framework.
Answer · Shona Robison: The NHS board annualreviews will look at the services which each board provides for those with long-termconditions, as reflected in the completion of their CHPs’ long-term conditions self-assessmenttoolkit and action plans. We would expect chronic pain servic…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to establish an integrated pain service in each NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: This is primarilya matter for NHS boards. To encourage them to develop integrated pain services intheir area, we issued the <i>McEwan Report</i> in December 2004 under cover of <i>HealthDepartment Letter (2004)48</i> (HDL), which described the report as provi…
21 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the managed clinical network for pain services in the west of Scotland.
Answer · Shona Robison: We welcome the developmentof the pain Managed Clinical Network in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and are providing funding to help with its establishment.</p>
15 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the procedures and protocols for the management of breast screening have been adhered to by all breast clinics in each NHS board area.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish BreastScreening Programme standards are set by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Its latestreport was published in December 2006 and states “this second, independent review shows beyond doubt thatthe programme achieves high clinical standards, no…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for dualling the A9 from Inverness to Thurso.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The next round ofmajor investment in the trunk road network will emerge from the Strategic TransportProjects Review, which will examine the longer term needs of Scotland’s nationally strategic transport network to develop theinvestment plan for 2012 to 2022.<…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-228 by Stewart Stevenson on 11 June 2007, what the timescales are for each proposed improvement.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: A substantivereply will be issued following my statement to Parliament on Wednesday 27 June 2007.</p>
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has in relation to the transfer of council house stock and associated debt repayment in Scotland.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: As I announced inthe Housing Debate on 21 June 2007, the government will consult in the autumn onits proposals for social housing. This will include proposals on the role that housingstock transfer might play in developing a social rented sector that is affor…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review tenants’ rights to buy their homes.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We will look to considerthe best way to continue to achieve optimum benefit from the right to buy scheme.We would not wish to remove the rights of existing tenants. Instead we will exploreways of achieving greater local flexibility in the operation of the sch…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to transfer the responsibilities of Communities Scotland to local authorities.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: During the courseof the Housing Debate on 21 June 2007 I spoke about the need todeliver our housing and regeneration commitments through a simpler public sectorlandscape. It is important that decisions about changing the way Communities Scotland’sfunctions ar…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to introduce a first-time buyers’ grant.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: We are acutely awareof the importance of meeting Scotland’s wide range of housing needs. We are lookingcarefully at potential action to help first time buyers. One of our key aims isimproving measures to help more individuals and families who are currently ex…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for registration as private landlords have been received by local authorities since the Landlord Registration Scheme came into operation and how many have been approved.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Governmentis disappointed with the overall progress thus far and wants to see faster progressin the registration of private landlords across Scotland.</p><p>The following tableshows the number of applications for registration by private landlords…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many private landlords there are in Scotland.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The information requestedis not held centrally.</p>
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many private landlords have registered with local authorities under the Landlord Registration Scheme.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-953 on 21 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.sea…
12 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) estimated cost and (b) proposed timescale for completion is for the Inverness southern distributor road and whether the Executive will fully fund the road.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The current estimatesin the Highland Council’s Capital Investment Programme show a gross project costof £76.868 million. The Highland Council is working with HITRANS to secure fundingfor the Inverness Trunk Link Road, with a target completion of the eastern s…
8 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to increase the number of training places for GPs.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The number of training placesfor GPs is determined by local and national workforce planning. In the <i>NHS ScotlandNational Workforce Plan 2006</i>, it was indicated that the number of GP trainingposts from August 2007 would increase by 50.</p>
8 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that sufficient GPs are in place, in light of the number who are nearing retirement.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: A survey to collect general practiceworkforce data was developed last year in collaboration with BMA Scotland and theRoyal College of General Practitioners Scotland. The survey identifies the numberof people in general practices working full and part-time and…
8 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to address a national shortage of sonographers.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We have establishednew workforce planning arrangements in Scotland to help match the supply of staffto the workforce demand from NHS boards. Board plans published in April 2007 providestaffing projections for all staff groups to deliver their planned patient …
8 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards offer pregnant women the recommended number of scans as part of their antenatal screening and care.
Answer · Shona Robison: The NHS Quality ImprovementScotland publication <i>National Overview – January 2007 Maternity Services </i>reportedthat following their review of their Clinical Standards for Maternity Services (carriedout between November 2005 and June 2006), 10 out of the t…