Parliamentary questions
Nicola Sturgeon
676 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
13 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are removed each month from NHS Trust waiting lists having declined an appointment at a private facility outwith their local health board area, broken down by NHS Trust.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-13327.
13 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are removed each month from NHS Trust waiting lists having declined an appointment at a private facility, broken down by NHS Trust.
Answer · Susan Deacon: None. Current guidance on the completion of waiting list returns makes it clear that if an NHS patient declines an appointment for treatment at any private facility, then they should remain on the NHS Trust's inpatient/day case waiting list until they are adm…
2 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake an investigation into a possible link between the chemical plant sited near Cowdenbeath and the incidence of cancer amongst local residents.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Available data show that cancer incidence in areas around the Mossmorran petro-chemical plant is no higher than might normally be expected when compared with other health board areas and with Scotland as a whole.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Fife Council and F…
2 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incidence of cancer among residents of Cowdenbeath and Lochore is any greater than the average incidence in equivalent population groups in other parts of Scotland.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Available data do not suggest that the overall incidence of cancer amongst residents of the Cowdenbeath and Lochore area of Fife is unusual when compared with that for Fife Health Board or Scotland as a whole. The table below sets out the observed and expecte…
31 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost the NHSiS to introduce the use of retractable needles where appropriate.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The NHS Scotland uses around 10 million needles a year at a cost of £1.2 million. The individual cost of needles can vary widely from 2p for a replacement needle to over £50 for specialised needles. On average a normal needle costs about 12p and retractable n…
31 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the working group on needlestick injuries to report.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I launched the working group's report <I>Needlestick Injuries: Sharpen</I> <I>Your Awareness</I> at the UNISON Scotland Conference on 6 April. The report is currently in the process of being printed and should be available shortly. The report will be placed i…
23 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional (i) undergraduate and diploma nurse student, (ii) undergraduate physiotherapy student, (iii) undergraduate podiatry student, (iv) undergraduate occupational therapy student and (v) undergraduate speech language therapy student places are expected to be created in 2001-…
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The allocation of places to particular courses or institutions is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council taking into account advice on workforce needs identified. The detailed allocation for 2001-02 academic year will be announced by SHEFC…
18 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer questions S1W-11654, S1W-11655, S1W-11656 and S1W-11657, lodged on 4 December 2000.
Answer · Susan Deacon: These questions will be answered as soon as possible.
17 Jan 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what feedback it has had to date from interested parties in relation to Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change.
Answer · Susan Deacon: My colleagues and I are very pleased with the overwhelmingly positive feedback that has been received following the publication of <I>Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</I>.
14 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when those 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 can expect to receive them.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Community nurses, midwives and health visitors who can expect to receive mobile phones under this initiative will have them early in the New Year.
14 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive 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 · Susan Deacon: To date, 2,640 mobile phones have been issued under this initiative.
14 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultant nurse posts it plans to create and what the timescale is for the funding, establishment and filling of these posts.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Initially, 12 nurse and midwife consultant posts are being established in Scotland. Three of these consultants are already in post.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">A further nine posts were announced on 5<SUP> </SUP>December and recruitment to these will take place shortly…
5 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the purchase of private hospital beds to deal with pressure on the NHS.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Local NHS Boards and NHS Trusts may, as has always been the case, purchase services and capacity from independent providers to deal with pressures and peaks in demand.
5 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to track continuously the numbers of NHS patients ready for discharge following the figures set out in the 30 September census report published by the Information and Statistics Division.
Answer · Susan Deacon: From 30 September this year, comprehensive patient-specific national information is collected quarterly and published by the Information and Statistics Division of the NHS in Scotland (ISD Scotland).<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The next census date is 15 January 2001. …
5 Dec 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of the proposed National Diet Co-ordinator.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The primary function of the National Diet Action Co-ordinator will be to co-ordinate and to help maximise the effectiveness of the wealth of activity underway, at both national and local level, to implement the recommendations of the Scottish Diet Action Plan…
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it spent any money received from NHSiS Trusts in the last financial year under the 6% return on capital assets rule.
Answer · Susan Deacon: All health budget resources, whatever their source, are invested in NHSScotland or in other health-related activity.
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it received from each NHSiS Trust in the last three financial years under the 6% return on capital assets rule.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive provides funding to NHSScotland to allow NHS Trusts to meet the 6% return on capital. The whole health budget, whatever its source, is invested in NHSScotland or other health related activity.<I><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Our National…
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it collates centrally from health boards information on the number of cases reported of (a) hospital acquired infection and (b) methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus; if so, how many cases of each were reported in each of the last five years and this year to date, broken do…
Answer · Susan Deacon: Plans to collect and collate information centrally on the number of cases of hospital-acquired infection are currently being finalised. For methicillin resistant <I>Staphylococcus aureus</I>, the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health monitors…
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has made available to tackle the causes of hospital acquired infection in the current financial year, broken down by health board.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Financial allocations are made to health boards on the basis of the overall health need of their populations. It is for health boards to distribute and NHS Trusts to apply their allocations in line with their assessment of local needs and national priorities.…
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of hospital acquired infection.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-12216.
30 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been conducted to determine the causes of hospital acquired infection, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and whether it will make copies of that research available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) of the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research to improve both the health of the people in Scotland and the services provided by the NHS. CSO is aware of 160 on-going or …
14 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that NHS Trusts have sufficient funds to enable them to comply with the targets and standards of the New Deal for Junior Doctors.
Answer · Susan Deacon: On 28 June I announced that we would recruit 100 extra junior doctors in Scotland to be targeted at areas with an identified need for additional resources. We have already appointed 40 junior doctors in shortage specialties. The remaining 60 will be in place …
14 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many bonuses have been paid to and fines imposed on NHS Trusts for compliance with the targets and standards of the New Deal for Junior Doctors since 31 March 2000.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The system of bonuses and penalties for Trusts based on performance against New Deal targets and standards which I announced in September 1999 was intended to act as an incentive to overcome the remaining obstacles to full compliance. At the time the latest r…
14 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Implementation Support Group (ISG) on junior doctors' hours and working conditions will make its next report and whether this report will include an update on the non-compliance rates reported to the ISG by NHS Trusts.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The New Deal Implementation Support Group (ISG) plans to submit its next report in March 2001. The report will include the latest information on NHS Trust compliance with targets and standards on junior doctors' hours and working conditions.
14 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Implementation Support Group on junior doctors' hours and working conditions last met and what its current schedule of work includes.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The New Deal Implementation Support Group (ISG) meets regularly. Its last meeting was on 20 November 2000.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>The group is continuing to work with NHS Trusts to help them improve junior doctors' hours and working conditions through ad…
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on progress on the take-up of the flu vaccine.
Answer · Susan Deacon: 63% (660 out of 1,055) of general practices in Scotland responded to the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health's (SCIEH) end-October request for influenza immunisation uptake data for the 65-year-old and over at risk group. From the responses…
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the basis was of the decision to use the #44 million NHS cash balance to repay housing debt.
Answer · Angus MacKay: This £44 million surplus money arose out of the internal market in the NHS, created by the previous UK Government. Under Treasury rules the money was frozen and conferred no additional spending power, and ordinarily it would have been returned to the Treasury…
7 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #44 million in NHS cash balances referred to on page 15 of Making a Difference for Scotland: Spending Plans for Scotland 2000-01 to 2003-04 could be used to repay debt in the health service.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The NHS financial regime requires that Trusts make a 6% return on capital assets. This 6% is paid through a mixture of dividends on public dividend capital (effectively a payment reflecting the value of public sector capital tied-up in the Trust) and interest…
19 Oct 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the number of (i) non-consultant career grades broken down by individual grade and (ii) non-standard grades in Scotland over the last five years broken down by Health Trust.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Information on the total number of non-consultant career grade and non-standard grade staff employed by the NHS in Scotland is detailed in the following tables. Tables 1 and 2 show the number of medical and dental non-consultant career grade staff before and …
24 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of its press release Children in Residential Accommodation 1998-99 of 5 July 2000, what steps it intends to take to reduce the number of children admitted into residential accommodation.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The number of children in residential accommodation is almost 25% less than it was a decade ago. At the same time, provision of holiday or respite care has increased. Both trends are welcome.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">We are keen to ensure there is a community placem…