Parliamentary questions
Mr David Davidson
1,095 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice has been issued to all NHS boards encouraging the use of the new facilities for orthopaedics at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The National Waiting TimesUnit is currently meeting with NHS boards to discuss their Local Health Plansfor 2004-05. Discussions include the setting of local waiting times targets toensure good progress towards delivering national commitments by the end of 200…
16 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to retain young dental graduates after the "golden hello" scheme ends.
Answer · Tom McCabe: There are no current plansto end “golden hello” payments. From 1 April 2004dental graduates undertaking vocational training in Scotlandwill be entitled to an allowance of £3,000 or £6,000 where they undertakevocational training in a designated area. Thereafte…
16 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that "golden hello" payments for new dentistry graduates do not result in the closure of small dental practices due to practice costs not being recovered as a result of such graduates earning more than their practice principals.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The payment of “goldenhellos” has no impact on practice costs. These payments are made to eligibledentists who are directly responsible for meeting the conditions of payment andany potential re-payments in circumstances where they fail to meet theconditions.<…
16 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how an unaccompanied asylum seeker under 21 can access NHS general ophthalmic services.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Entitlement to free NHSsight tests under NHS general ophthalmic services is limited to certaincategories of people, including those aged under 16, those aged 16 to 18 infull-time education, those in receipt of certain benefits/tax credits and thoseentitled to…
16 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how a homeless person not in receipt of benefits can access NHS general ophthalmic services.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Entitlement to a free NHSsight test under NHS general ophthalmic services is limited to certaincategories of people, including those aged under 16, those aged 60 and over,the registered blind and partially sighted, diagnosed diabetics and glaucomasufferers an…
11 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospitals offer training to doctors and nurses on the avoidance, and management, of potentially violent situations.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is notcollected centrally. However, all NHSScotland employers should be assessing therisks to staff, analysing their training needs and providing appropriatetraining.</p>
11 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will adopt UNISON's proposal for “yellow and red cards” for those who abuse NHS staff or consider the British Medical Association's recommendations for addressing violence in the NHS.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Partnership InformationNetwork (PIN) guideline <i>Managing Health at Work</i> which issued in January2003 contains dedicated sections on protecting the health, safety and welfareof people working alone and protecting against violence and aggression at wor…
11 Dec 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS staff on dealing with violent patients; what support is given to NHS staff on dealing with violence in their workplace, and whether there are any plans to review current advice and introduce new guidelines on this issue.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive issued guidance to NHSScotland on dealing with violent patients inJanuary last year as part of the “Managing Health at Work” PartnershipInformation Network (PIN) Guideline. The guideline has dedicated sections onprotecting the health, s…
20 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many speech and language therapists have been employed in each NHS board area in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on numbers (headcountand whole time equivalent) of speech and language therapists drawn from thelast four workforce censuses is shown in the table.</p><p>Speech and Language Therapists by NHS Board</p><p>Headcount and Whole Time Equivalent: at 30 …
20 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to increase access to bone density scanning in order to intervene earlier in the early stages of osteoporosis and, if so, which groups of patients would be targeted.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I look to NHS boards to planand provide bone density scanning services in accordance with their assessmentof local need. Which patients are most likely to benefit from scanning is amatter for the professional judgement of the clinicians involved, takingaccoun…
20 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to issue guidance to NHS boards on increasing the number of specialist nurses in multiple sclerosis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards are responsiblefor planning services in their areas and for securing the staff needed todeliver them.</p><p>The Executive remainscommitted to building the capacity of the NHSScotland workforce and under theFacing the Future banner has committed som…
20 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to ask NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to produce national standards for the care of people with multiple sclerosis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: We are funding thedevelopment of a managed care network in Forth Valley for people with MS, which includes standards forservices in primary care and in hospital, endorsed by NHS Quality ImprovementScotland. We wish to see these MS networks developed across Sc…
20 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to issue guidance on the qualifications of, and training for, care staff allocated to support people with multiple sclerosis.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has no plans to issue guidance for care staff working with people withmultiple sclerosis.</p><p>The Scottish Social ServicesCouncil is the regulatory body for the social care sector, and setsqualifications criteria for registration. Reg…
12 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has been transferred between Scotland's NHS boards due to out-of-area treatments since 2000, broken down by board.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>
11 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to conduct a review of NHS patient complaint procedures.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The review of the NHScomplaints procedure has been completed. We are putting in place the systemsrequired for the new procedure. The results of the consultation exercise on thenew NHS complaints procedure can be seen at <ahref="http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/com…
11 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to set boundaries for managed clinical networks and, if so, what criteria it will use.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The scope of each ManagedClinical Network (MCN) is determined by how best to integrate the serviceconcerned in the interests of patients. In geographical terms, MCNs can operateat local (NHS board), regional or national level.</p>
11 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next review income-related exemptions to NHS prescription charges.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: There are no plans atpresent to review income-related exemptions to NHS prescription charges.</p>
11 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to NHS boards about planning maternity services.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive Health Department published <i>A Framework for Maternity Services in</i><i>Scotland</i> in February 2001. The document sets out a vision for maternityservices in Scotland, and provides a “template” for best practice inmaternity care for…
11 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission a thorough safety review of the junctions on the A90 between Aberdeen and the Angus border.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: A comprehensive review of the junction signing strategy and accident histories on the A90 between Aberdeen andPerth was undertaken in 1999. A number of junctions along the route have beenimproved following this review and further improvement works have been a…
11 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of influen'a have been reported this winter in each NHS board area; how many such cases are being treated in hospital; how many are of a new strain, and how many cases have resulted in deaths.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: <em>Influenza-likeillness is increasing in </em><em>Scotland</em><em> at present, and there is certainly more around than we haveexperienced in the last few years. </em>Estimatesfrom the Scottish <em>Influenza</em>Spotter Scheme co-ordinated by the Scottish C…
10 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland report into local diabetes services to be published.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I understand that NHSQuality Improvement Scotland expects to publish local and national reports on itsdiabetes standards in March 2004.</p>
10 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS board areas are providing annual reviews for people diagnosed with diabetes and what the average waiting time is for such reviews in each board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Annual reviews are providedfor people with diabetes in all parts of Scotland. Information on how each NHS board organises these isnot collected centrally.</p><p>The diabetes standardspublished by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland make provision for people with…
10 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing a comprehensive diabetic retinopathy screening programme in each NHS board area.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Health Department Letter(2003)23 requires each NHS board to have a comprehensive diabetic retinopathyscreening programme in its area by March 2006. The Scottish Diabetes Group,which monitors the Scottish diabetes framework, considers that all boardsappear to …
10 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to address diabetic kidney disease.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: NHS QualityImprovement Scotland (NQIS)’s renal standards acknowledge diabetes as one of the commonest conditions that can lead to renal disease. NQIS’s diabetesstandards contain a standard relating specifically to the management of renalproblems. Responsibili…
10 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much diabetic kidney disease has cost the NHS in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is notcollected centrally.</p>
10 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new cases of diabetic kidney failure were dealt with by the NHS in each of the last three years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table providesinformation about the incidence of patients receiving renal replacement therapy(RRT) for end stage renal disease (ESRD) as a result of diabetic nephropathy(DN).</p><p class=MsoBodyText2>The information is drawnfrom the Scottish ren…
6 Nov 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many medical students (a) began training, (b) completed their studies and (c) entered the medical profession in each of the last two academic years.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The information on entrantsto first degrees and medical graduates, for the latest two years for whichinformation is available, is shown in the table.</p><p>Students from St Andrewsare included in the column for entrants, but not that for graduates. Studentsen…
23 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual cost would be to the public purse if the state was required to provide the same level of service as that currently carried out by unpaid carers.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive acknowledges withgratitude the immense contribution made by Scotland’s carers. There is noestimate by the Executive of the notional cost of replacing this support withpaid employees financed by the state. However, Carers UK launched a report <i>…
23 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much tourism revenue will be lost in Aberdeenshire as a result of the loss of spawning salmon during summer 2003 due to low water levels and increased temperatures.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Angling tourism is ofconsiderable importance to Deeside. However, it is too early to tell whetherthe low water has had any direct impact on tourism spend. The first point atwhich any impact might be determined will be next summer when survey work onthe Dee an…
23 Oct 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many salmon died in the River Dee in Aberdeenshire as a result of low water levels during summer 2003 and what action it will take, including long-term reduction in river water abstraction and the provision of transit channels for fish, to prevent any repeats of such occurrences.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Dee District SalmonFishery Board has reported that approximately 180 dead salmon and sea troutwere removed from the River Dee during the period of low flows and high watertemperatures in the summer of 2003. Other dead fish were reported which couldnot be …