Nicola Sturgeon

21 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people consulted a chiropodist and/or a podiatrist in each of the last five years for which figures are available, expressed also as a percentage of the population.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the total number of patients treated by chiropodists and podiatrists over the five-year period 1996 to 2000. <P>Number of Treatments by Chiropodists and Podiatrists in the NHS<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=217><TR><T…

21 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many chiropodists and podiatrists were employed in the NHS in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number of chiropodists directly employed by NHSScotland is shown in the following table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=359><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=3><P>Chiropodists<SUP>1</SUP> directly employed by NHSScotland</TD></TR…

21 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the implications for the provision of chiropody and podiatry services in the NHS following the publication of the guidelines relating to the Scottish Diabetes Framework.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Diabetes Group, the recently established national steering group for the implementation of the Scottish Diabetes Framework, will be taking forward work in relation to diabetic foot care. One of the action points of Scottish Diabetes Framework is …

21 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it plans to provide regarding the appropriate level of chiropody and podiatry services which should be commissioned by each Primary Care NHS Trust.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no plans to publish guidance of this nature. It is for the NHS locally to determine the range and level of services to be provided.

21 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the appropriate level of chiropody and podiatry services which should be commissioned by each Primary Care NHS Trust.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Chiropody and podiatry services are part of the range of services provided by Primary Care NHS Trusts. It is for the NHS locally to make an assessment of the needs of the local population.

20 Mar 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many community nurses, midwives and health visitors have yet to receive a mobile phone, hands-free kit and emergency software under the initiative announced by the Scottish Office on 22 March 1999.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The funding for this initiative was allocated on 20 December 1999. As a result and based on local assessment of need, the number of mobile phones available to community nurses, midwives and health visitors at that time more than trebled from approximately 120…

26 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12042 by Susan Deacon on 4 January 2001, when any community nurses, midwives and health visitors who have not yet received a mobile phone hands-free set and accompanying software under the initiative announced by the Scottish Office on 22 March 1999 …

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23503.

26 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-12041 by Susan Deacon on 4 January 2001, how many community nurses, midwives and health visitors have to date received a mobile phone hands-free set and accompanying software under the initiative announced by the Scottish Office on 22 March 1999.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This initiative did not specify the provision of a hands-free mobile set. The numbers of phones issued was given in my answer to question S1W-12041 on 4 January 2002.

26 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5332/2002 of 12 February 2002, what criteria it used in determining the membership of the Older People's Consultative Forum.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The Older People's Consultative Forum forms part of the Executive's wider strategy for involving older people. The main criterion for determining membership was that it should comprise older people themselves. Following consultations, national organisations w…

21 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19038 by Susan Deacon on 23 November 2001, when it will make a decision on the new smear-taking method, liquid-based cytology.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23359.

21 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-19038 by Susan Deacon on 23 November 2001, when it plans to publish the report on the outcome of the Scottish Cervical Screening liquid-based cytology pilot.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have considered the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme's final report on the Liquid Based Cytology (LBC) Pilot, and have accepted the Cervical Screening National Advisory Group's recommendations that LBC should be introduced into the Scottish Cervical Sc…

20 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-21205 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 February 2002, what the average number of available staffed beds was in (a) acute specialities and (b) acute surgical specialities per 1,000 population in each NHS board area in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the number of beds per 1,000 population, in each NHS board area in the years 2000 and 2001. It is not meaningful to make comparisons between individual boards, because these figures do not take account of differences in the underlyin…

5 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a pilot programme to empower patients with chronic long-term medical conditions through self-management training like the Expert Patients Programme being introduced by the NHS in England.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: As <I>Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</I> acknowledged, people who live and cope with chronic disease or long-term disability acquire a great deal of expertise and insight about their condition. Innovative Scottish programmes, such a…

5 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the income was from prescription charges for drugs and devices to treat asthma in each of the past five years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following figures are derived from the Prescription Cost Analysis system. They give the value of prescription charges collected for drugs and devices to treat asthma in sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 of the British National Formulary in the last five years for…

5 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of prescriptions for drugs and devices to treat asthma in each of the past five years.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following figures are derived from the Prescription Cost Analysis system. They give the cost of NHS prescriptions for drugs and devices to treat asthma in sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 of the British National Formulary in the last five years for which figures…

5 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce an implementation and monitoring plan in respect of the guidance on the administration of medicines in schools.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The guidance on the Administration of Medicines in Schools emphasises that it is for NHS boards to ensure that appropriate agreements are in place with education authorities in relation to the administration of medicines in schools. The guidance was issued to…

31 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost was to the NHS in real terms of (a) generic, (b) branded and (c) homeopathic prescriptions in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table lists the average cost of a prescription item for each category for the last five years:<P>Generic<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=236><TR><TD WIDTH="36%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Year</FONT>…

31 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions for homeopathic treatments were dispensed in the NHS in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table lists the number of NHS prescriptions dispensed in the community in each of the last five years:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=245><TR><TD WIDTH="35%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Year</FONT></…

28 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence a decision on the clinical effectiveness of Herceptin.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The preliminary date for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to issue guidance to the NHS on the clinical and cost effectiveness of trastuzumab (Herceptin) is March 2002. As with all NICE appraisals consultees have the right to appeal agains…

24 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17830 by Susan Deacon on 27 September 2001, how many people are currently waiting for an out-patient appointment at the Scottish National Sleep Centre at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh; how many patients on average are assessed at the centre each m…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The total number of out-patients waiting for an out-patient appointment at the Scottish National Sleep Centre at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, from all health boards, is approximately 1,000. The number of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) assessm…

15 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Strategies for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are primarily a matter for NHS Boards. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), which is funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department, produced a clinical guideline on the Management of…

15 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities currently include brain injury as a separate care group section within community care plans, as recommended in the Social Work Scotland Guidance package Index Ref: F16 issued in 1997.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Of existing plans, 27 of the 32 councils include brain injury as a separate section. Plans for the 2001-04 period are presently being reviewed and, of 16 received to date, 12 include a separate section.

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is encouraging local authorities (a) to implement existing guidance on brain injury and (b) to ensure that services for brain injured people are clearly explained in the Joint Strategy documents currently being drawn up with health boards and social work services departments.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Our guidance to local authorities on community care planning contained in SWSG 35/1997 remains extant. Local authorities are required to update and roll forward annually their community care plans in partnership with health boards. All plans are produced join…

14 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is monitoring the implementation of existing guidance for local authorities on brain injury.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Local authorities are required to produce and publish Community Care Plans every three years, and to review these annually. Officials scrutinise these plans for their content.

7 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, when it plans to create (a) a central innovation fund and (b) a Centre for Change and Innovation for the NHS.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Significant levels of funding are already being invested in innovation and modernisation of the NHS. Proposals for the Centre for Change and Innovation and a central innovation fund are currently being finalised and details will be announced shortly.

3 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, when it plans to ban tobacco advertising.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is committed to achieving a ban on tobacco advertising and promotion in Scotland which is both effective and enforceable. We do not rule out Scottish legislation at some point, but consider that UK wide action would enable a much more comprehens…

3 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, when it plans to introduce schemes to recognise and value staff commitment through long service awards and good service awards.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Partnership Forum Partnership Information Network (PIN) Board has set up a Guideline Development Group to produce a PIN Guideline on Long and Good Service Awards. The group's membership comprises of health service managers and nominations from tr…

3 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, when it plans to introduce a new Leadership Development Programme for NHS managers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A range of leadership development programmes have been supported by the Executive and delivered in local NHS organisations since the publication of the Scottish Health Plan. In addition, the National Leadership Programme, Xceed, launched in April 2001, is cur…

3 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, how the establishment of a new Staff Governance standard for the NHS in Scotland is progressing.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I launched the Staff Governance Standard on 25 January at the Scottish Partnership Conference. A copy of the Standard is available on the Health Department website.

3 Jan 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, how the accessibility audit of all NHS premises is progressing.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Health Plan, <I>Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</I>, reinforces the requirement of NHSScotland to meet the specific needs of people with physical disability by giving a commitment to "improve physical access to health se…