Parliamentary questions
Mr David Davidson
1,095 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to alter the retirement age of doctors and dentists working in the NHS.
Answer · Tavish Scott: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-14609, answered on 8 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parlia…
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had, and with whom, regarding changing NHS consultant pension arrangements.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Demographic change, such as increasing longevity, has lead to a substantial increase in the cost of providing pensions in the public services. In order to combat the increasing costs, and in line with the UK Government policy on public service pensions, the N…
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to set up local multi-disciplinary teams for CFS/ME services.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14598 on 3 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/s…
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will match on a per capita basis the investment in developing CFS/ME services in England.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive prefers to maximise the unified budgets made available to NHS boards for the treatment of all chronic conditions, rather than hold back funds for specific conditions.</p>
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to develop a managed clinical network for CFS/ME sufferers.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The development of managed clinical networks must be led from within the NHS. NHS boards who wish to participate in a network must prepare a case and may then apply to the Executive for support.</p>
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to replicate the new services being rolled out in England for sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive takes the view that the planning of services is best carried out by NHS boards based on their assessment of local needs. NHS boards have been encouraged to consider what they can do to improve services for people with CFS/ME.</p>
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken, or intends to take, to ensure access to appropriate out-of-hours pharmaceutical advice for all health professionals.
Answer · Andy Kerr: As with all aspects of the provision of safe and effective primary medical services in the out-of-hours period, it is for NHS boards to determine the provision of services in their area.</p>
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to produce a Scotland-wide out-of-hours formulary.
Answer · Andy Kerr: There are no such plans.</p>
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued regarding out-of-hours access to medication.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No such guidance has been issued. Providers of primary medical services in the out-of-hours period are required to comply with standards put in place by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and other statutory requirements in relation to prescribing of medicines.…
21 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to take any action following the Department of Health's guidance on the Carson review of standards for out-of-hours care and access to medicines.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In Scotland, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland has published standards on the provision of safe and effective primary medical services in the out-of-hours period. Providers of out-of-hours primary medical services are required to meet these standards. This req…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a ministerial statement on any difficulties associated with the eCare programme and, if so, when.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: There are no significant difficultieswith the eCare Programme, therefore there will be no ministerial statement at thistime. All local eCare partnerships will deliver the required outcomes by summer2005.</p>
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of the uptake of all new preparations approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14517 on <br>15 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/w…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of all preparations (a) approved and (b) rejected by the Scottish Medicines Consortium.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-14517 on 15 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.se…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many preparations were reviewed by the Scottish Medicines Consortium in each year since its inception and how many such preparations were approved.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The total numberof preparations reviewed by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) in each yearsince its inception and the number of preparations approved is illustrated in thefollowing table. </p><p>Details of all preparations submitted to the SMC can be fo…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when all GP and dental practices and community pharmacies will be connected to an interactive national database.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-14515 on 15 March 2005. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.se…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) GP practices, (b) dental practices and (c) community pharmacies are connected to an interactive national database, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No GP practices, dentalpractices or community pharmacies are connected to an interactive nationaldatabase.</p><p>I can advise, however, thatthere are plans to connect these health care professionals to a securecommunications network, NHSnet/N3, which will pro…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisation is responsible for overseeing sales of proprietary medicines from non-pharmacy retail outlets.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Medicines and Healthcareproducts Regulatory Agency (MHRA) enforcesthe provisions of the Medicines Act 1968 and associated secondary legislationwhich regulate the sale, supply and administration of all medicines availablein the UK. This includes authorised…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prosecutions there have been for selling multiple packs of proprietary medicines in non-pharmacy outlets in each of the last five years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The sale and supply ofmedicines on the General Sales List Order are controlled under Section 53 of the Medicines Act 1968.</p><p>In Scotland, the Medicinesand Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enforces the Medicines Act 1968 onbehalf of Scottish ministers…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what mandatory training is provided to sales assistants in non-pharmacy outlets regarding the sale of proprietary medicines.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Responsibility for the training of sales assistants in non-pharmacy outlets is not a matter for the Executive.</p><p>Before a medicine is classified for general sale, it is considered to be safe to use without professional advice.</p>
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any test purchases are made in non-pharmacy outlets in respect of amounts of analgesics and other proprietary medicines sold at any one time.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The sale and supply of medicines on the General Sales List Order are controlled under section 53 of the Medicines Act 1968.</p><p>In Scotland, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enforces the Medicines Act 1968 on behalf of Scottish minist…
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital admissions were due to misuse of over-the-counter analgesics and cough medicines, purchased outwith community pharmacies, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not available.</p>
17 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any research has been carried out into the safety of selling analgesics as general sales list medicines outwith community pharmacies.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Medicines and Healthcareproducts Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committee on Safety of Medicines(CSM) are responsible for the safety, quality and efficacy of medicinesavailable on the UK market.</p><p>In the case of analgesicsand other medicines, before…
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cancer patients use complementary medicines.
Answer · Andy Kerr: This information is not heldcentrally. It is open to NHS boards to provide complementary medicines at theirdiscretion and based on their assessment of local needs.</p>
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any guidance with regard to switching between opioid analgesics in pain relief for cancer patients.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Diamorphine is one of the opioidanalgesics used in pain relief in cancer patients. On 23 December 2004, the Scottish Executive Health Department wrote to health professionals to alert themto a potential problem with supplies of diamorphine. Health professiona…
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any guidance regarding initiating the prescription of co-proxamol.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The safety of medicines availableon the UK market is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products RegulatoryAgency (MHRA) and the expert independent advisory committee, the Committee on Safetyof Medicines (CSM).</p><p>There are a number of alte…
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any trials to reduce the use of co-proxamol.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The safety of medicines availableon the UK market is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products RegulatoryAgency (MHRA) and the expert independent advisory committee, the Committee on Safetyof Medicines (CSM).</p><p>There have been longstandi…
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has taken action to avoid any shortage in supply of morphine within the NHS.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The NHS Purchasing and SupplyAgency is in contact with the suppliers of morphine, who have increased their productionof this product.</p>
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to acquire sufficient supplies of diamorphine for use in the NHS.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In December 2004, Chiron, themajor supplier of diamorphine injection in the UK, informed the Department of Healththat its supplies of this product were limited. Since that time, the Scottish ExecutiveHealth Department working with NHS National Services Scotla…
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to prescribers with regard to any shortage of diamorphine.
Answer · Andy Kerr: On 23 December 2004, the Scottish Executive Health Department issued guidance to health professionals alertingthem to a potential shortage of diamorphine injection. Alternative analgesics todiamorphine are available, principally morphine, and clinicians will …
16 Feb 2005 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a shortage of supply of diamorphine within the NHS and how many weeks of supply is in stock.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In December 2004, Chiron, themajor supplier of diamorphine injection in the UK, informed the Department of Healththat its supplies of this product were limited. The other supplier, Wockhardt UK, continuesto produce diamorphine injection and has increased its …