- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 17 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how discharge planning is monitored for older people leaving acute services, as referred to in Older People in Acute Care National Overview - February 2004.
Answer
Discharge arrangements aremonitored by NHS boards in conjunction with their local authority partners.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that care is planned for, and provided to, older people to cover situations where it is not possible or safe to provide an out-of-hours service, as referred to in Older People in Acute Care National Overview - February 2004.
Answer
The National Overview identified the availability of such services, which are a key element in allowing people to return home when they are ready for discharge, as an issue for NHS boards to consider. NHS boards should aim to achieve thestandards of care set by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Any significantshortfall should be identified through local clinical audit and governancearrangements. Where necessary NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will carry outfollow up visits. Any major issues can be addressed through the annualaccountability review process.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any NHS boards do not participate in the Scottish Hip Fracture Audit and, if so, which boards and what steps it is taking to ensure Scotland-wide participation.
Answer
Participation in the ScottishHip Fracture Audit is on a hospital basis and full coverage in all board areasis expected from 1 April 2004.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2941 by Tavish Scott on 9 October 2003 and to section 4, page 46 of A Partnership for a Better Scotland regarding an independent review of local government finance, whether the discussions with COSLA have been concluded; if so, what the timing, remit and format of the review will be and when the conclusions will be published, and, if not, when such discussions will be concluded.
Answer
We are working with COSLA onthis and giving further consideration to the detailed scope and remit of thereview, including when the review should report its conclusions. I expect toannounce more details in the near future.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Health Technology Assessment Advice 5, what percentage of pregnant women currently receive their first trimester scan within the recommended deadline of 13 weeks, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Health Technology Assessment Advice 5, what steps will be taken to commission ethically approved research (a) into the effectiveness of nuchal translucency measurement for detecting structural abnormalities in foetuses, (b) to evaluate whether soft markers and other markers which may be associated with aneuploidy can be used in combination with results of other screening tests to assess the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and (c) to determine the most appropriate content and format of information on risks and benefits of scans and the most effective process for giving this information to pregnant women.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is provided with advice from the National Screening Committee (NSC) onthe introduction of new population screening programmes, the modification orwithdrawal of existing programmes and the quality and management of suchprogrammes.
The Antenatal screening sub groupof the NSC has been fully informed about this Report and will be consideringthe findings to help inform discussions around the advice the committee mayoffer to the 4 UK health departments. As part of their considerationsthe NSC will look at the research aspects mentioned. If they consider furtherresearch is required NSC will take forward the commissioning of research.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to increase the number of needles and syringes available for distribution for intravenous drug users, given that one million needles were distributed in Greater Glasgow last year where an estimated seven to 12 million were needed, as referred to in Issue 172 of the Scottish Drugs Forum Bulletin.
Answer
In December 2002, weinformed drugs services that the Lord Advocate had set new limits on thenumber of needles and syringes which could be issued to clients attendingneedle exchanges. The limits were increased to a maximum of 20 sets on firstvisit, and a maximum of 60 sets on subsequent visits, subject to return of usedsets for safe disposal.
It is for local services topurchase and distribute this equipment, based on local priorities and demand. Allocationsof injecting equipment to individual clients will depend on the needs andcircumstances in each case. The answer given to question S2W-6704 on 16 March 2004describes the resources made available from the Executive which can be used tosupport local needle exchange facilities.
All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15033 by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 May 2001, what level of funding has been allocated for the provision of needle exchange facilities in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04 to date.
Answer
As explained in the answer given to question S1W-15033 on 2 May 2001, we do not allocate funding specifically for needle exchange facilities. The table sets out funding specifically allocated to NHS boards to support work to prevent transmission of blood-borne viruses. It is open to NHS boards to use these resources for the provision of needle exchange services in accordance with local needs and priorities.
| | 2001-02 £ | 2002-03 £ | 2003-04 £ |
| Argyll and Clyde | 415,922 | 415,922 | 415,922 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 370,000 | 350,000 | 350,000 |
| Borders | 116,498 | 115,498 | 115,498 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 116,804 | 115,804 | 115,804 |
| Fife | 408,062 | 408,061 | 408,061 |
| Forth Valley | 276,705 | 276,075 | 276,075 |
| Grampian | 690,825 | 690,825 | 690,825 |
| Greater Glasgow | 1,555,208 | 1,560,208 | 1,560,208 |
| Highland | 200,197 | 200,197 | 200,197 |
| Lanarkshire | 441,775 | 441,775 | 441,775 |
| Lothian | 2,505,627 | 2,524,627 | 2,524,627 |
| Orkney | 39,000 | 36,000 | 36,000 |
| Shetland | 56,000 | 55,000 | 55,000 |
| Tayside | 854,377 | 861,377 | 861,377 |
| Western Isles | 48,000 | 47,000 | 47,000 |
| State Hospital | 24,000 | 20,000 | 20.000 |
| Scotland Total | 8,119,000 | 8,119,000 | 8,119,000 |
We have also allocated an additional £13.3 million to NHS boards over the years 2001-02 to 2003-04 to support treatment services for drug misusers. These services include needle exchange facilities.
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:
.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Forgotten Children, Addressing the Health Issues of Looked After Children and Young People, what steps will be taken to introduce (a) dedicated educational assessments and support for looked after children, (b) prioritised mental health services for looked after children and (c) guidelines on the production, and use, of clear confidentiality agreements for each individual within the care system.
Answer
Volume 2 of the guidance onthe Children (Scotland) Act 1995 states that the care plan should set outthe educational and wider developmental needs of the child being looked after.Local authorities should provide educational and developmental opportunitiesand support and promote potential and achievement.
The Scottish Executive is currently working with its expert advisory Child Health Support Group to secure improvement in children and young people’smental health and in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) services,through implementation of the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) Reporton Child and Adolescent Mental Health, published last year. It isanticipated that this work will improve the capacity of specialist CAMHservices to provide a more effective service for looked after children andyoung people. A key element is the development of a “template” which will describethe essential elements of a comprehensive CAMH service. It will includeservices for vulnerable children and young people, such as those who are lookedafter, and is expected to be published in the autumn of 2004. However, decisionsabout local health service provision are ultimately a matter for each NHS board.
The Scottish Executive published a revised NHS Code of Practice on Protecting PatientConfidentiality in July 2003 and issued guidance in August on The Use ofPersonal Health Information in NHSScotland to Support Patient Care. Guidance onsharing information and confidentiality is also provided in Getting ourPriorities Right, published in February 2003.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Forgotten Children, Addressing the Health Issues of Looked After Children and Young People, whether the specific needs of looked after children and young people in care will be considered in the preparation of the sexual health strategy.
Answer
The draft Sexual Health andRelationships Strategy which has been the subject of an extensive consultationprocess specifically draws attention to the needs of children who are lookedafter, including the importance of sexual relationships education, access toservices, and adequate training for those who care for them. The views receivedfrom the consultation in this respect will be reflected in the final strategy.
