Carolyn Leckie

13 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive at what point, and by whom, a diagnosis of transient ischaemic attack will be made and the patient referred to a minor injuries unit.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30528 on 15 January 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’swebsite, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…

13 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what a patient journey in the NHS will consist of for people suffering from a transient ischaemic attack.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information whichfollows is based on the relevant SIGN Guidelines and the standards for stroke servicesdeveloped by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland.</p><p>A Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) is a warning stroke or mini-stroke that producesstroke-like symp…

13 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what updated information it has in respect of the facilities which will be available at Monklands Hospital compared with those promised during the consultation on “A Picture of Health”.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: As the member is aware, underNHS Lanarkshire’s proposals for the reconfiguration of health services across Lanarkshirewhich I approved on 21 August 2006, Monklands Hospital will fulfil a vital role in providing planned acute servicesfor the people of Lanarksh…

13 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the composition of the workforce of Stracathro Hospital will be, detailing (a) who the employers will be, (b) what the professional background of the employees will be, (c) what the contractual status of the employees will be, (d) what the total size of the workforce will be and (e)…

Answer · Andy Kerr: Available information relatingto the workforce at the Scottish Regional Treatment Centre at Stracathro Hospital is providedin Annex 1 to Schedule 13 of the <i>Services Agreement </i>as published on the NHSTayside website at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.nhstaysid…

13 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether patients treated at Stracathro Hospital will be included in the Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I can confirm that the StracathroRegional Treatment Centre Services Agreement requires the provider to participatein the Scottish Audit of Surgical Mortality.</p>

13 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to select patients for treatment at Stracathro Hospital and how the criteria will differ from those for patients treated by the NHS.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Available information on patientselection criteria is set out in Annex 3 to Schedule 6 of the <i>Scottish RegionalTreatment Centre Services Agreement</i> as published on the NHS Tayside websiteat:</p><p><ahref="http://www.nhstayside.scot.nhs.uk/cap_projects/d…

13 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all consortia and component companies that have been awarded PFI contracts.

Answer · Tom McCabe: For details of consortia awardedPPP contracts, I refer the member to the Scottish Executive Financial PartnershipsUnit’s website at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/ppp">www.scotland.gov.uk/ppp</a>.</p><p>For component companies awardedPPP contracts, I ref…

4 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide additional funds to employ multiple sclerosis nurses, given that NHS Lanarkshire provides 1 nurse for 1,100 patients and the unequal access to such nurses across Scotland.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive doesnot directly manage the care of multiple sclerosis or any other chronic illnesses.Services for long-term conditions are for NHS boards to plan and to fund from theunified budgets which are made available to them from the Executive. NHS board…

4 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the development and implementation throughout the NHS of standards of care for people affected by neurological conditions, including multiple sclerosis, which were approved on 2 February 2006, to be completed.

Answer · Andy Kerr: In February 2006, the board ofNHS Quality Improvement Scotland approved the recommendations in the report of theNeurological Services Pre-scoping Steering Group. The report itself was publishedin April 2006.</p><p>NHS Quality Improvement Scotlandexpects to be…

30 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30058 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 November 2006, whether the public should expect to be consulted on matters relating to the responsiveness of NHS boards to “patients’ needs” and “value for money” before options such as the direct employment of GPs, direct…

Answer · Andy Kerr: Public involvement and consultationshould be appropriate and proportionate to the issue and local circumstances.</p><p>NHS boards are expected to workin partnership with the people they serve and to seek their views on the range andquality of services provide…

30 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30057 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 November 2006, whether it considers that one public meeting, called shortly before the closing date for expressions of interest in the provision of primary medical services, was sufficient to allow NHS Lanarkshire to take …

Answer · Andy Kerr: In the case of Harthill HealthCentre, NHS Lanarkshire’s foremost priority was to take all reasonable measuresto secure or provide primary medical services for the people of Harthill.</p><p>A public meeting took place on29 November 2006 and a further meeting w…

30 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30056 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 November 2006, whether it considers that consultation with the community should take place before NHS boards invite expressions of interest in the provision of primary medical services and discount awarding traditional GP …

Answer · Andy Kerr: As I stated in my response tothe answer question S2W-30056 on 30 November 2006, public involvement and consultationshould be appropriate and proportionate to local circumstances.</p><p>It is reasonable for ahealth board to consider all options for filling a v…

30 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it intends to allocate to increase the amount spent on NHS patients’ food and beverages from an average of £2.34 per patient per day.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The allocation of resources forNHS patients’ food and beverages is a matter for individual health boards to consider.The Scottish Executive is currently considering its response to the recent AuditScotland report <i>Catering for Patients</i> and the recommend…

30 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the catering and nutrition specifications for the NHS will be published.

Answer · Andy Kerr: We aim to publish standards in2007 for food served in hospitals in Scotland. They will address matters such as minimum meal provision,between meal snacks, composition of manufactured products and portion sizes.</p><p>Clinical Standards for food,fluid and nutr…

30 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its timetable will be for implementing the recommendations in the Audit Scotland report, Catering for Patients.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Audit Scotland report indicatedthat over the past three years NHS boards have improved the level of choice in thefood given to patients. NHS boards have reduced the amount of food wasted and havebetter information to help them control their costs. However…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the daily costs were of providing food and beverages to patients in each hospital in each year since 1999.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The daily costs for cateringservices by hospital in the years ended 31 March 1999 to 2006 is given in <i>NHSScotland Catering Costs 1999-2006</i> which is available in the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre (Bib. number 41229). For years 1999 to 2003, data…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps NHS boards are required to take to secure the delivery of primary medical services under traditional GP contracts before resorting either to direct provision or tendering and whether traditional GP contracts are the preferred model for delivery of such services.

Answer · Andy Kerr: None. It is for NHS boards todetermine how best to meet the particular needs of patients in the face of a vacantpractice, and to seek the best solution to fulfil those needs in accordance withthe Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2004 and the National H…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what projections it has made of the scale of involvement in primary medical services of private companies such as United Health Care, Boots and BUPA.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-30240 on 12 December 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it envisages the future of primary medical services in Scotland as involving contracts with companies such as United Health Care.

Answer · Andy Kerr: As stated in the answer to questionS2W-29918 on 27 November 2006, the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act2004 provides the statutory framework forNHS boards to discharge their duty to secure or provide primary medical. The ScottishExecutive has no role in…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Minister for Health and Community Care’s letter to me dated 28 November 2006, if NHS Lanarkshire has acted “in the normal way” since 1948, why the provisions of the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2004 were necessary.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act2004, passed by the Scottish Parliament, was introduced as part of the legislativeframework to support the new national (UK) GP contract arrangements, which came into effect from1 April 2004.</p><p>The 2004 act updat…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with (a) energy companies and (b) the UK Government regarding the equalisation of prepayment meter tariffs with standard credit tariffs and the end of the practice of backdating price increases when meters are recalibrated.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Regulation of energy supply companiesis a matter for Ofgem. However, I raised the issue of pre-payment meter disparitywhen I met with representatives of Scottish Gas, Scottish and Southern Energy and ScottishPowerrecently.</p><p>I intend to raise this mattera…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28873 by Mr Andy Kerr on 31 October 2006, why it did not provide a substantive answer to the question by the date it was due for answer and when it will now provide a substantive answer to the question.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The answer to S2W-28873 was providedon 6 February 2007.</p>

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any input to the UK Government’s decision to centralise HM Revenue and Customs, in light of the Executive’s relocation policy.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member toquestion S2W-30224 answered on<b> </b>15 December 2006. 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.parliament.uk/weba…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding planned job losses in Scotland in HM Revenue and Customs and the closure of its offices across Scotland.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The HM Revenue and Customs(HMRC) change programme is primarily a matter for HMG, however, the ScottishExecutive has a strong interest in this issue from both “Efficient Government”and potential job loss perspectives.</p><p>No detailed discussions havetaken pl…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29915 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 November 2006, who determines what “local circumstances” are; what rights the local population have to be involved in assessing what these are; what influence they can expect to have over the decisions that flow from that …

Answer · Andy Kerr: Decisions on what constitutelocal circumstances should emerge from the partnership established between the NHSboard and the local community.</p><p>Public involvement should beappropriate and proportionate to local circumstances, and follow the guidance setout…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-29915 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 November 2006, how NHS boards are expected to determine the needs of the local population and how much involvement the local population is expected to have in determining that need.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The National Health Service (Scotland) Act1978 requires NHS boards to ensure that the reasonable requirements of patientsfor primary medical services are met. All NHS boards conduct local health needsassessments to determine the services required for their lo…

29 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what rights communities have to be involved in and consulted on the planning of primary care services before contract negotiations begin and what best practice measures it expects to be put in place in such situations.

Answer · Andy Kerr: As stated in the answer to questionS2W-30058 on 30 November 2006, NHS boards are expected to follow established arrangementsin securing the provision of all health care services, including primary medicalservices, with the key criteria being to deliver safe, …

28 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which body has the authority to place the signed contract with Netcare for an independent sector treatment centre at Stracathro Hospital in the public domain.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30210 on 6 December 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

28 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the signed contract with Netcare for an independent sector treatment centre at Stracathro Hospital will be placed in the public domain.

Answer · Andy Kerr: NHS Tayside intends to be openand transparent about the contractual arrangements with Amicus Healthcare (Scotland) Ltd,a subsidiary of Netcare and will publish as much information as possible relatingto the contract in the near future.</p>

28 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that no further independent sector treatment centre projects will commence until the Stracathro Hospital pilot is completed, assessed and audited.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I have no plans to introducefurther independent sector treatment projects within Scotland at present.</p>