Parliamentary questions
Mr David Davidson
1,095 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made by NHS Borders for residential palliative care in dedicated units and in which locations.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Borders does not have a dedicated specialist palliative care unit. Inpatient specialist palliative care is provided at Borders General Hospital.</p>
18 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of bed blocking is at Borders General Hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The number of patients whose discharge from Borders General Hospital was delayed, according to the quarterly census, is shown in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Quarterly Census</p> </td> <td…
18 Aug 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to NHS Borders in respect of the procedures for, and public consultation on, the closure of cottage hospitals.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Guidance on public consultation was issued to the NHS by the Scottish Executive in May 2002, in Health Department Letter (2002) 42 – <i>Consultation and Public Involvement in Service Change – Draft Interim Guidance for Consultation</i> (Bib. number 21063). No…
15 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it can give that fatal accident inquiries involving people with learning disabilities are dealt with in a fair manner that is consistent with the approach to other fatal accident inquiries.
Answer · Colin Boyd: Fatal accident inquiries are conducted on my authority by Procurators Fiscal. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is committed to dealing in a fair and consistent manner with victims and witnesses who have learning disabilities, whether the process…
5 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on health as a percentage of GDP in Scotland in each year since 1990.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Table 1 – Level of Public Health Expenditure as a % of GDP, 1990 to 2002</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p>Level of Public Health Expenditure as a % of GDP</p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> …
5 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the longest waiting times were for all forms of cancer in each NHS board in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Treatment for cancer can take place in either an out-patient or in-patient setting. Information is not held centrally on waiting times for treatment which starts in an out-patient setting – for example, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.</p><p>Information on the …
5 Jul 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12417 by Susan Deacon on 30 March 2001, what the current waiting times are for all forms of cancer, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Treatment for cancer can take place in either an out-patient or inpatient setting. Information is not held centrally on waiting times for treatment which starts in an out-patient setting. </p><p>Information on the time between a patient being placed on the in…
28 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many requests have been made to the Mental Welfare Commission to nominate a medical practitioner to give an opinion in respect of the medical treatment proposed where a disagreement arose between the medical practitioner primarily responsible for the medical treatment of the adult and…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I understand that the Commission has not received any requests for a medical practitioner to give an opinion about the medical treatment proposed in cases of disagreement between the medical practitioner primarily responsible for the medical treatment of the …
28 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) intervention and (b) guardianship orders in respect of personal welfare have been made under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 in each year since it came into effect.
Answer · Hugh Henry: Figures provided by theOffice of the Public Guardian indicate that the numbers of intervention andguardianship orders granted in respect of personal welfare since part 6 of theAdults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 came into effect on 1 April 2002 areas f…
28 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many welfare attorneys have been appointed under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 in each year since it came into effect.
Answer · Hugh Henry: The numbers of welfare powersof attorney registered with the Office of the Public Guardian since part 2 of theAdults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 came into effect on 2 April 2001 areas follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> …
28 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many abortions were carried out in each of the last five years where the woman had at least one previous abortion, broken down by age of the woman involved.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table provides the information sought by age band. </p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year ended 31/12</p> </td> <td> <p>1999</p> </td> <td> <p>2000</p> </td> <td> <p>2001</p> </td> …
28 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complications there have been with legal abortions in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) per 1,000 head of the population, broken down by number of gestation weeks, and how many such complications were (i) sepsis, (ii) haemorrhage, (iii) perforation and (iv) other c…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally. The Executive believes the number of cases of complications during a legal abortion would be relatively low. Statistics obtained in England suggest about three per 1,000 abortions result in complications, a figure which…
28 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many abortions have been carried out in Scotland under the Abortion Act 1967 in each of the last five years, broken down into those carried out using (a) vacuum aspiration, (b) dilation and evacuation or curettage, (c) hysterectomy, (d) other surgical methods, (e) prostaglandins only,…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information to the level of detail sought could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. Information on the numbers of abortions carried out by surgical and medical means, based on notifications of legal abortions to the Chief Medical Officer, is however,…
22 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to NHS boards to fund the new GP contract.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Details are as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=302> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>NHS Board</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Totals (000s)</p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td> <p>Argyll and Clyde</p> </td> <td> <p align=rig…
22 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether imatinib, irontecan and trastu'mab have been approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium or NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and, if so, whether these drugs are available in each NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Advice on the use of the drugimatinib (Glivec) for chronic myeloid leukaemia and for gastrointestinal stromaltumours has been issued by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). The advice canbe accessed at <a href="http://www.scottishmedicines.org/">www.scott…
22 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people it estimates (a) pay for private medical insurance and (b) are uninsured but are receiving private medical treatment.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
22 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the median waiting time has been in each year since 1997 for (a) cataract removal, (b) hip replacement surgery, (c) knee replacement surgery and (d) treatment for a slipped disc in each NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The median waiting times for Cataract Removal, Hip Replacement Surgery, Knee Replacement Surgery and Slipped Disc Treatment in each NHS board area of residence during each year since 1997-98,are given in the tables.</p><p>On 1 April 2003, the deferred waiting…
22 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the longest waiting time has been in each year since 1997 for (a) cataract removal, (b) hip replacement surgery, (c) knee replacement surgery and (d) treatment for a slipped disc in each NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The partnership agreement <i>A Partnership for a Better Scotland </i>includes a commitment that, by 31 December 2003, no patient with a guarantee would wait more than nine months for inpatient/day case treatment and that this will reduce to six months by end …
22 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the infant mortality rates were in each year from 1997 to 2003, broken down by deprivation category.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Table 1 details the infant mortality rates for Scotland, by deprivation category, for 1997-2002. The rates for 2003 are currently unavailable.</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 width=495> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Infant Deaths</p> </td> <t…
22 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been of administrating its Health Department in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Actual administration costs of the Health Department were as follows:</p><p>(£ Million)</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td> <p>Year</p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Outturn</p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tr> <td> <p>199…
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government regarding the contracting-out of health care provision to independent providers to reduce waiting times for treatment.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The independent health care sector in Scotland is very small in comparison with England. However, the National Waiting Times Unit will continue to work with independent providers to facilitate the use of their capacity by NHS boards on behalf of NHS patients …
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to ensure that NHS boards pay for treatments that they purchase from other boards.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The new framework for regionalplanning of health services will set out procedures for paying for services providedby other boards and for an arbitration process in the event that boards fail toagree the financial or other arrangements for the cross boundary p…
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the General Medical Council (GMC) regarding the registration of non-EU doctors.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Registration is a matter reserved to the GMC. The Scottish Executive regularly keeps in contact with UK regulatory bodies and statutory authorities to ensure that these bodies give due regard to NHS Scotland in the exercise of their functions.</p>
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Aberdeen City Council regarding the funding of public services and what the outcomes were of such discussions.
Answer · Tavish Scott: I met with Aberdeen City Council at their request on 18 February 2004 to discuss funding gaps that the council had identified, particularly in relation to community care.</p><p>Following the meeting, the council have since written to Executive outlining their…
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Aberdeenshire Council regarding the funding of public services and what the outcomes were of such discussions.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive last met with Aberdeenshire Council on 5 May 2004 and discussed issues relating to demand for secure and residential places for young people.</p>
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many delayed payments to farmers of subsidies there are, broken down by region.
Answer · Ross Finnie: My department has paid the majorityof Common Agricultural Policy 2003 scheme claims and relatively few are still beingprocessed. The target date for the 2003 cattle schemes is 96% by 30 June 2004. A fullregional breakdown of these outstanding cases as at 29 J…
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to local authorities in respect of payment for care home places purchased from the voluntary and independent sectors.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Under the National Assistance Act 1948, the standard rate for accommodation in homes not managed by the local authority is the gross cost to the local authority of providing or purchasing the accommodation under a contract with the independent sector home.</p>
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities operate care homes.
Answer · Tom McCabe: All 32 local authorities in Scotland operate care homes. In addition, they place clients in care homes operated by independent sector providers. </p><p>At September 2003, local authorities in Scotland provided 272 care homes. This amounts to 17 per cent of th…
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current basis of funding for care homes of retail price index plus one percent maintains the number of care home beds required.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The current basis of funding was determined by the National Review Group established by the Scottish Executive, and with a membership drawn alsofrom COSLA and the care sector, to find a long-term solution to the issue of carehome fees. The group’s recommendat…
18 Jun 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in ending the distinction between payments to care homes operated by local authorities and homes in the voluntary and independent sectors.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Section 22 of the National Assistance Act 1948 requires local authorities to set the fees for local authority care home places at an amount equivalent to the full cost to the authority of providing them. Under section 26 of that act, payments for independent …