Parliamentary questions
Mary Scanlon
4,514 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that elderly people receive good foot health and footwear advice in order to prevent foot and gait-related problems and in order to meet the NHS’s target of increasing the number of older people taking physical exercise.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS services including podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards in accordance with national and local priorities.</p>
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop extended roles, skills enhancement and access to a wider range of assessment tools to allow podiatrists to make a significant impact on prevention of lower-limb amputations.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services are matters for NHS boards. The Allied Health Professions Officer in the Scottish Executive has commissioned a national consultation on Allied Health Professions role development, which includes podiatrists,…
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that patients suffering from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are given access to early podiatric intervention to address the risks of developing severe deformities of the feet, ulceration and infection, on a similar basis to people with diabetes.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.</p>
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how patients gain access to podiatry care for the management of (a) gait and mobility problems and (b) musculo-skeletal disease.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.</p>
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop podiatry assistant or assistant practitioner-led clinics for (a) patients with specific foot health needs and (b) foot health education.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.</p><p>The Allied Health Professions Officer…
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce emergency clinics for patients with acute foot problems.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There are no plans to introduce emergency clinics for patients with acute foot problems. The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the ligh…
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans for patients requiring podiatric care to be able to self-refer to open access clinics.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.</p>
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether national waiting time targets will be set and monitored for podiatric care based upon assessed clinical need.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There are no plans to include podiatric care in the national waiting time targets.</p>
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that all patients receiving podiatric care are treated by appropriately-trained and clinically-competent staff.
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS boards and operating divisions are responsibility for both clinical and staff governance. They must therefore ensure that all allied health professionals, including podiatrists, are registered to practice with the Health Professions Council and that they …
5 Nov 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all patients with an assessed clinical need for podiatry will be provided with care and treatment free at the point of delivery.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. As part of NHS service provision there is no charge to patients for NHS podiatry services.</p>
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30724 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2002, whether any patients receive a daily dose greater than 120mg of methadone and, if so, how many.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address the issue of methadone users who continue to take illegal substances.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Decisions on treatment interventions and options are for individual patients and their medical and social care professionals. We published a summary of the <i>Drug Treatment </i>and Rehabilitation Review on 27 October 2004, in the form of an action plan which…
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to encourage people with mental health problems to access direct payments.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive funds Direct PaymentsScotland (DPS) and the Scottish Personal Assistants Employers Network (SPAEN) toassist those that are eligible to receive direct payments, those with mental healthproblems being one such group.</p>
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how direct payments will be promoted and developed, given that funding for Direct Payments Scotland will cease in March 2006.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Direct Payments Scotland is a time limited project that was extended to ensure that maximum support could be offered to certain disabled groups who were originally eligible for direct payments. The Executive also funds the Scottish Personal Assistants Employe…
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made to ensure that children are screened to detect foot problems and help prevent conditions that develop as a result of defective and abnormal gait.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There is currently no national screening programme for the detection of foot problems or abnormal gait in children. The most recent Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health review of childhood screening and surveillance activity found little evidence to …
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many podiatric surgeons are currently being trained in Scotland.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Twenty students have registered for the first year of the recently introduced MSc in the theory of podiatric surgery being run jointly by Glasgow Caledonian University and Queen Margaret University College.</p>
28 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many podiatry patients have been treated in (a) the community and (b) hospital in each of the last five years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The available information showing the number of new podiatry patients treated in Scotland is presented in the table:</p><p>NHSScotland New Podiatry Patients</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p a…
27 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to address the “unprecedented high levels” of overcrowding at HM Prison, Inverness, as referred to in the Scottish Prison Service’s Annual Report and Accounts 2003-04.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:</p><p>The SPS is keeping the situation under review and where practicable is moving low supervision prisoners to other Scottish Prison Serv…
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to National Progress Report - September 2004, Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI); Infection Control in NHSScotland, which NHS boards and operating divisions do not demonstrate compliance with hand hygiene policy.
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Quality ImprovementScotland (NHS QIS) is reviewing the self-assessment information provided by NHSboards for the national progress report. This will identify the extent to whichNHS boards and operating divisions have achieved compliance with the declareds…
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to National Progress Report - September 2004, Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI); Infection Control in NHSScotland, when the work and outcomes of the Scottish Ministerial Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force will be published.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Since the Ministerial HealthcareAssociated Infection (HAI) Task Force was established in January 2003, itswide-ranging programme of work has resulted in many outputs being published in2003 and 2004: the NHSScotland Code of Practice for the management of HAI a…
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to National Progress Report - September 2004, Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI); Infection Control in NHSScotland, what information on infection rates in hospitals will be made available to the public.
Answer · Andy Kerr: A national mandatoryhospital surveillance system was introduced in 2001 to monitor MRSA bloodinfections and extended to include selected surgical site infections. Theresults are published quarterly by the Scottish Centre for Infection andEnvironmental Health …
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to National Progress Report - September 2004, Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI); Infection Control in NHSScotland, which NHS boards need to clarify responsibility and accountability relating to healthcare associated infections.
Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Quality Improvement Scotland isreviewing the self-assessment information provided by NHS boards for thenational progress report. This will identify the extent to which NHS boards andoperating divisions have achieved compliance with the declared standard f…
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether families with an adopted child have access to infertility treatment.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The report of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland (EAGISS, 2000) recommended eligibility criteria for access to infertility services. The clinical criteria were based on evidence of effectivenessand the social criteria were designed …
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the waiting times for fertility treatment are in accordance with Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights in light of the fact that this can exclude many women due to the age barrier of 38.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-11515, answered on 12 November 2004. All answersto written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website,the search facility for which can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottis…
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether excluding women from fertility treatment at the age of 38 is in accordance with Article 12 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The clinical criteria foraccessing NHS funded infertility treatment, such as the female upper age limit,was developed by the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland(EAGISS 2000) using the best available evidence, at the time, for clinical ef…
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the waiting time is for fertility treatment, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive is currently reviewing the provision of infertility services in NHS Scotland, including waiting times. I anticipate that this information will be made available to the public by the end of 2004.</p>
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the treatment fee per patient is for private podiatry practitioners who undertake work on behalf of the NHS.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive doesnot set these fees centrally. It is for NHS boards to agree fees locally withindividual practitioners.</p>
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10225 by Mr Tom McCabe on 29 September 2004, where each person with learning disabilities currently resides, broken down by hospital.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: Information from NHS boards onthe number of people with learning disabilities living in long-stay hospitals isin the following table (as at September 2004):</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=609> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>NHS Board</p> <…
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to assure patients that all podiatrists are trained, qualified and fit to practice.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Since July 2003, podiatry isa protected title. This means that all podiatrists must have undergone the minimumof a three-year undergraduate degree programme or an honours degree. Successfulcompletion of the education programmes leads to registration by the He…
15 Oct 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9606 by Euan Robson on 3 August 2004, what the cost is per child to attend as a (a) day and (b) residential pupil at each specialist school.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Attendance at these schools is free. Information on the costs of providing different categories of place at such schools is not held centrally.</p>