Parliamentary questions
Sandra White
1,617 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual income of the Golden Jubilee Hospital is from “marginal hotel” charges made to NHS trusts that send patients to the hospital for cardiac surgery.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Golden Jubilee NationalHospital has charged all relevant NHS boards for activity it has performedsince 1 July 2003. The plan for the current financial year shows ananticipated income of approximately £464,000, based on an average cost of £3,000per cardiac…
5 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of operational capacity the cardiac unit of the Golden Jubilee Hospital has been running at in each month from May to October 2003.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The cardiac unit at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital provides diagnostic services (angiography) and treatments (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft/Heart Valve Replacements and Angioplasty) for heart disease. Information provided by the hospital on the percentag…
4 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many coronary and coronary-related surgical procedures have been carried out at the Golden Jubilee Hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Figures provided by theGolden Jubilee National Hospital show that during the period 1 July 2002 to 31October 2003, the hospital undertook 757 coronary artery bypass grafts-heart valvereplacements, and 205 angioplasties.</p>
31 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2744 by Ms Margaret Curran on 14 October 2003, what percentage of the New Housing Partnership grant allocated to Glasgow Housing Association was spent on (a) tenant participation, (b) funding advice, (c) IT advice and (d) business planning advice in …
Answer · Margaret Curran: The following table sets out the expenditure on each of these categories as a percentage of the total grant spent by Glasgow Housing Association in that year.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td> <p>Expenditure Category</p> </td> <td>…
30 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have developed palliative care strategies arising from the establishment of palliative care networks.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Boards’local health plans include a palliative care strategy.</p><p>Palliative care lends itselfto a Managed Clinical Network (MCN) approach, and local palliative care MCNsare being developed by NHS Borders, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Lothian. The west of Scotl…
30 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether progress on palliative care will form a specific part of the next accountability reviews of NHS boards.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The agendas for the annualNHS Accountability Review process in summer 2004 will be drawn up and agreedbetween the Health Department and each NHS board in the light of national andlocal priorities. It will therefore be for discussion whether palliative carefor…
8 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scots infected by HIV have been found to be resistant to one or more of the treatment agents in use by the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: UK drug resistance monitoring data suggest that theprevalence of HIV drug resistance in patients, whose treatment was failing, was79% in 2002-03. This rate has not changed substantially since 1996.</p><p>According to the same data, theprevalence of drug resis…
8 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure compliance with the Scottish Medicines Consortium recommendations that fusion inhibitors are available in the treatment of men and women with HIV.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHSScotland is expected totake account of advice from the Scottish Medicines Consortium and ensure thatrecommended drugs or treatments are made available to meet clinical need.</p><p>Any evidence that suggeststhat NHSScotland was not taking account of this ad…
3 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to compensate residents in the Dunbritton Housing Association development at Tullichewan in respect of any unexpected costs associated with heating their homes.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:</p><p>All costs associated withresidents’ heating have been paid in full by the main contractor, Lovell, up toFebruary 2003. The housing asso…
3 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the design specifications were for the heating of Dunbritton Housing Association homes at Tullichewan completed in 2002; whether expected heat output has been attained, and whether expected heating costs to the residents fall below, match or exceed the original estimates.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows.</p><p>The heating system primarilyutilises roof mounted solar heating panels with an electrical back-up.</p><p>A monitoring and evaluationexe…
3 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the solar heating installed by Dunbritton Housing Association in its houses at Tullichewan has achieved the planned electricity savings and, if not, what remedial provision is envisaged.
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows.</p><p>The solar heating system is currently being monitored and information regarding the planned electricity savings will be available in S…
2 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recruit specialist skin cancer nurses to the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive remainscommitted to building the capacity of NHSScotland. In order to assist NHSemployers meet local health needs, we have invested record sums in health</p><p>A range of recruitment andretention measures have been introduced to help build capac…
2 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many specialist skin cancer nurses are employed by the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Currently, this informationis not held centrally.</p><p>A pilot data collectionexercise on all clinical nurse specialists (including specialist skin cancernurses) will be conducted over the next seven weeks, with information availablein early 2004.</p>
2 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how rates of skin cancer in Scotland compare with the rest of the world.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The incidence rates ofmalignant melanoma of the skin and non-melanoma skin cancer in Scotland andselected countries and regions are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The figures relateto the period 1993-97, the latest period for which internationally comparableinforma…
2 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to establish citizens advice bureaux in health centres across Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are a number of CitizensAdvice Bureaux in health settings across Scotland. I am aware of such initiatives and the value thatthey can add to the patient’s experience; however decisions to establish theseservices are for the local NHS and not the Scottish…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has comparative information about post-operative mortality following major surgery in all EU countries and, if so, how the position in the NHS in Scotland compares to the rest of the EU.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive does not have comparative information about post-operative mortality followingmajor surgery for all EU countries. Such a comprehensive data source does not currentlyexist. However, under the new EU public health programme, (6th Framewor…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2307 by Ms Margaret Curran on 11 September 2003, whether it will provide a breakdown of how it intended the #68.1 million, paid to the Glasgow Housing Association Ltd since the completion of the Glasgow housing stock transfer in March 2003, to be all…
Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster,acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Since the completion of the Glasgow housingstock transfer in March 2003, £68.1 million of funding has been paid to the GlasgowHousing As…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what developments are planned for palliative care as a result of comprehensive needs assessments for palliative care carried out by NHS boards.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2745 today, which is available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on meeting the target in Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change for all NHS boards to have undertaken comprehensive needs assessments for palliative care by March 2002.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This exercise is being pursuedin a variety of ways best suited to local requirements. Published Local Health Plansfor 2003-04 and <i>Cancer in Scotland</i> Monitoring Reports indicate that manyNHS boards have completed palliative care needs assessments. In so…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2305 by Ms Margaret Curran on 12 September 2003, how the New Housing Partnership grant was spent by Glasgow Housing Association in (a) 2000-01, (b) 2001-02 and (c) 2002-03.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The breakdown of how thegrant was spent is as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Expenditure</p> </td> <td> <p align=right>2000-01</p> <p align=right>(£ Million)</p> </td> <td> <p align=right>2001-…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of children under 16 amongst asylum seekers currently resident in Scotland.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information centrally.</p>
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to local GPs to assist them in dealing with asylum seekers who have no knowledge of NHS procedures.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Asylum seekers who come to Scotland throughNational Asylum Support Services are entitled to the same health care system asthe indigenous population. The Scottish Refugee Integration Forum Action Plan waslaunched last year and provided information and recommen…
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice is available to local GPs about any potential health risks of high protein diets such as the Atkins diet.
Answer · Tom McCabe: GPs are advised by local dieticiansand specialists regarding specialist diets, including weight reducing diets. Theyalso have access to information from agencies such as the Food Standards Agency,medical literature and National Guidelines.</p>
17 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what housing provision is in place for single male asylum seekers whose application for refugee status has been refused but who do not yet have a date for deportation.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Under the Immigration and AsylumAct 1999, the National Asylum and Support Service, which is part of the Home Office,has responsibility for the accommodation and support of asylum seekers. The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to the provision of…
4 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that waiting times do not increase at those hospitals affected by consultants and other health service staff moving to work at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Golden Jubilee NationalHospital is helping to reduce NHS waiting times across Scotland,particularly for patients experiencing the longest waits. </p><p>The Executive has set clearnational waiting times guarantees and targets which apply to all NHS boardar…
4 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultants working in the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank were drawn from hospitals in the Glasgow NHS Board Area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
4 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time consultants are working in the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information has been providedby the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in relation to consultant staffing levels.At the beginning of September 2003, there were seven full-time and no part-timeNHS consultants employed by the Golden Jubilee National Hospital.</p>…
4 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive from which NHS boards consultants are being drawn to work in the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This specific information isnot held centrally.</p>
4 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase the number of consultants working at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Clydebank, and, if so, from where these consultants will be drawn.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Golden Jubilee NationalHospital is an NHS Scotland Special Health Board. Its senior management team isresponsible for reviewing the services provided and staffing levels.</p><p>The Scottish Executive is committed to increasing the number of consultants in…
4 Sep 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish specific vocational training for care workers in the elderly sector.
Answer · Euan Robson: The Scottish Social ServicesCouncil is responsible for the regulation and promotion of education andtraining of the social services workforce. The council will establish registersof key groups of staff and set qualifications criteria as part of theeligibility…