Ross Finnie

4 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that preventing gay and bisexual men from giving blood is necessary to ensure a safe blood supply.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9449 on 26 February 2008. 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/weba…

4 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to seek a review of the EU blood directives that prevent gay and bisexual men from giving blood in Scotland.

Answer · Shona Robison: Health ministers throughout the UK are advised on these matters by the Advisory Committee for the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.</p>

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have waited longer than 18 weeks for a first outpatient consultation after a referral since September 2007, also broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Waiting list information prior to 1 January 2008 was collected by a census undertaken on the last day of each month and published quarterly. The information requested is provided in the following table.</p> <p >Unlike the previous system where patients who h…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have waited longer than 18 weeks for inpatient or day-case treatment since September 2007, also broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There were no patients with a guarantee waiting longer than 18 weeks for in-patient or day case treatment on the census dates of 31 October 2007, 30 November 2007 and 31 December 2007.</p> <p >Unlike the previous system where patients who had an availabilit…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been informed by consultants that they have been removed from waiting lists since September 2007, also broken down by NHS board area.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9328 on 27 February 2008. 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/weba…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been removed from hospital waiting lists since September 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9328 on 27 February 2008. 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/weba…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been removed from waiting lists and denied treatment in order not to jeopardise the 18-week target for treatment since its introduction, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: As the member knows, a situation was recently brought to my attention in NHS Tayside where a small number of patients had been removed from a hospital waiting list for reasons not provided for in the published guidance. However, this was not related to the 18…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been removed from waiting lists for specialist services since the introduction of the 18-week target for treatment, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The 18 weeks maximum waiting time guarantee for inpatient and day case treatment applies from 31 December 2007. Information published by ISD Scotland on 26 February 2008 shows that NHSScotland delivered the guarantee.</p> <p >Information is not available cen…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been excluded from a waiting time guarantee since September 2007 because treatment is too highly specialised.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Waiting list information prior to 1 January 2008 was collected by a census undertaken on the last day of each month and published quarterly. The latest available information published on 26 February 2008, showed that the number of patients who had a highly sp…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been excluded from a waiting time guarantee since September 2007 because treatment is deemed to be a low clinical priority.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Waiting list information prior to 1 January 2008 was collected by a census undertaken on the last day of each month and published quarterly. The latest available information published on 26 February 2008, showed that the number of patients who had an availab…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the median time spent waiting to receive treatment is for patients removed from hospital waiting lists and referred back to the care of their GPs.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-9324 on 25 February 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.u…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long on average patients removed from hospital waiting lists and referred back to the care of their GPs have to wait before receiving treatment.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9323 on 25 February 2008. 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/weba…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been removed from hospital waiting lists and referred back to the care of their GPs since September 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Information is not available centrally.</p> <p >New ways of defining and measuring waiting times came into effect on 1 January 2008. I have made clear that this system will be open and transparent and much more information will be published. It is planned to…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has provided to hospitals and GPs on how to review the position of patients who have had their waiting time clocks stopped.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The latest available guidance on new ways of defining and measuring waiting was issued to NHSScotland in December 2007. This can be accessed at: </p> <p ><a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/New-Ways-Applying-Guidance-V3.pdf">http://www.isdscotland.…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it defines “regular reviews” for patients who have had their waiting time clocks stopped.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The guidance issued to NHSScotland on new ways of defining and measuring waiting times states that for those patients who experience a period of unavailability for social or medical reasons and no end date has been indicated, their case should be reviewed at …

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been informed that their waiting time clocks have been stopped since September 2007, also broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to answer to question S3W-9315 on 25 February 2008. 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/…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients who are unavailable for treatment remain on hospital waiting lists.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Yes, subject to published guidance on management of waiting lists. This can be viewed at <a href="http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/New-Ways-Applying-Guidance-V3.pdf">http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/New-Ways-Applying-Guidance-V3.pdf</a>.</p> <p >The …

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have had their availability status codes removed without having received any treatment since the introduction of the 18-week target for patient treatment, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The 18 weeks maximum waiting time guarantee for inpatient and day case treatment applies from 31 December 2007. Information published by ISD Scotland on 26 February 2008 shows that NHSScotland delivered the guarantee.</p> <p >In preparation for the introduct…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients held an availability status code on 1 December 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally. Prior to 1 January 2008 waiting list information was collected by a census undertaken on the last day of each month and published quarterly by ISD Scotland. The latest available information published on 26 Febr…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients have been removed from waiting lists with one NHS board and referred to a new NHS board since September 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Under the system of reporting of waiting times up to 31 December 2007, information on the transfer of patients from a waiting list in one NHS board to another board''s list was not collected centrally. However, under the new system of defining and measuring w…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients on waiting lists are unavailable for treatment and therefore have had their waiting time clocks stopped.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: New ways of defining and measuring waiting times came into effect for patients on or added to waiting lists from 1 January 2008. Patients will have their waiting time clock stopped when they are unavailable for social or medical reasons. Such cases will be re…

25 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific measures will be taken to improve education, information and advice in relation to sexual health, given that improvement in these areas is an aspiration in Better Health, Better Care: Action Plan.

Answer · Shona Robison: Sex and RelationshipsEducation in schools includes specific teaching around HIV and how it is transmitted.</p><p>Information on sexual health and HIV is also availablethrough a wide range of sexual health services who make condoms available free ofcharge. The…

25 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the record number of newly identified cases of HIV reported to Health Protection Scotland in 2007, whether it plans to review the sexual health strategy or the way it is implemented.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are currently undertakinga stock taking review of Respect and Responsibility, our sexual health strategy,which is due to report in spring 2008. The review will identify any gaps in theimplementation of the Strategy and recommendations will be made on how i…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to HM Revenue and Customs to ensure that the memorandum of understanding, issued by the Department of Health, which stated that, provided certain conditions were met, any charges between universities and NHS bodies would be outside the scope of VAT,…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I can confirm thatdiscussions have taken place between the relevant parties in Scotland andthat it has been agreed that the same Memorandum of Understanding which hasalready been agreed in England will also be adopted in Scotland.This will ensure that the sup…

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been provided in each of the next three years of the spending review for the payment of VAT on the supply to staff to NHS Scotland and under which budget heading.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: No specific amount isprovided in the spending review for the payment of VAT on the supply of staffto NHS Scotland.</p>

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much VAT was paid by NHS Scotland for the supply of academic staff by universities to NHS boards for clinical services in each of the last three years, broken down by board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not heldcentrally. However, you should be aware that we are about to agree a Memorandumof Understanding in Scotland which clarifies these supplies as being outside the scope of VAT.</p>

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much VAT was paid by NHS Scotland on contracted-out services in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not heldcentrally.</p>

13 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors or locums were employed by NHS Scotland under contracted-out services on which VAT was paid in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This Information is not held centrally and was provided by Information Services Division (ISD). The tablebelow shows information on Hospital, Community and Public Health Services of the NHS and General Medical Services staff. The information is shown by NHS b…

11 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to take to ensure that selection procedures and entry into higher specialist training in cardiology are conducted on the basis of open and fair competition.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Recruitment and selection toall speciality training posts is carried out on the basis of fair and open competition.The competences required for each specialty have been widely disseminated, throughthe medical Royal Colleges, PMETB and the NHS Education for Sc…

11 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the way in which higher specialist training posts for doctors are allocated.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Selection for all medical specialitiesis made through fair and open competition, with offers of training posts being made on the basis of an applicant’s ranking at interview and theirpreferences for specialty, programme and location. There are no plans to cha…