- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 10 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take action to ensure that further education students receive an acceptable minimum amount of student support throughout their studies and how the additional money for 2010-11 announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning will assist further education students.
Answer
Ministers have no role in setting the budgets of individual colleges. That is the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council, which for 2010-11 has increased by 6.2% (£4.9 million) the resources it provides to colleges for the purpose of providing bursaries and other student support.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Orkney were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object in each of the last five years for which information is available.
Answer
In order to minimise the risk of disclosure due to small numbers it is not possible to provide the number of occupied bed days for NHS Orkney.
The aggregate number of occupied bed days for all island boards (NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles) where a diagnosis of assault by sharp object is available in the answer to question S3W-33978 on 10 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 10 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in cutting journey times by rail from Inverness to Edinburgh.
Answer
Transport Scotland has been working in close partnership with Network Rail and First ScotRail to deliver improvements to rail services between Inverness and the Central Belt from December 2011. The precise details of these improvements will be known later this year.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 June 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31800 by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2010, whether the Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation has reported its findings on the assessment of the impact of the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee formula on remote and rural areas and, if so, when these findings will be published.
Answer
The Technical Advisory Group on Resource Allocation (TAGRA) has not yet reported its findings. TAGRA is currently reviewing its work on the impact of the formula on remote and rural areas, and drawing together its conclusions. The research is due to be finalized at its next meeting on 31 August, and the report is expected in September.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 May 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many acute occupied bed days in NHS Highland were directly connected to a diagnosis of assault by sharp object in each of the last five years for which information is available.
Answer
The number of occupied bed days in NHS Highland where a diagnosis of assault by sharp object is recorded is presented in the following table.
Number of acute occupied bed days1,2 in NHS Highland connected with an assault by sharp object3, patient discharged during year ending 31 March 2005-09:
Financial Years | Total Number of Bed Days4 |
2004-05 | 153 |
2005-06 | 21 |
2006-07 | 16 |
2007-08 | 36 |
2008-09 | 34 |
Source: ISD Scotland, SMR01.
Notes:
1. Hospital admission data are derived from linked records on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.
2. Bed Days are calculated using the length of stay variable.
3. Assault by sharp object connected incidents are defined as ICD-10 code X99 in any secondary diagnosis positions.
4. The number of bed days can be influenced by the severity of the injury received and hence total bed day figures do not necessarily reflect the underlying number of admissions.
For information; the numbers of admissions connected to assault by a sharp object in NHS Highland was provided in the answer to question S3W-32124 on 15 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at .
Additional data and commentary on assault by a sharp object is published as part of ISD''s Unintentional Injuries publication .
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 May 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital patients with underlying health problems died as a result of norovirus in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.
Answer
The numbers of deaths which occurred in hospitals where Norovirus was the underlying cause of death, or where Norovirus contributed to the death without being the underlying cause is shown in the following tables.
Table 1a. Deaths Registered in Scotland, which Occurred in Hospitals and where Norovirus was the Underlying Cause of Death, by Selected NHS Boards from 2006 to 2009
NHS Board of Residence* | Year of Registration of the Death |
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
Grampian | - | - | - | - |
Highland | - | - | - | - |
Orkney | - | - | - | - |
Shetland | - | - | - | - |
Western Isles | - | - | - | - |
Source: General Registry Office Scotland. (-) equals zero deaths.
Table 1b. Deaths Registered in Scotland, which Occurred in Hospitals, where a Person had Underlying Health Problems which Caused their Deaths and where Norovirus was Mentioned but was not the Underlying Cause of Death, by Selected NHS Boards from 2006 to 2009
NHS Board of Residence* | Year of Registration of the Death |
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
Grampian | - | - | - | 2 |
Highland | - | - | - | - |
Orkney | - | - | - | 1 |
Shetland | - | - | - | - |
Western Isles | - | - | - | - |
Source: General Registry Office Scotland. (-) equals zero deaths. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD10). In the case of norovirus, the relevant ICD10 code is A08.1 - Acute gastroenteropathy due to Norwalk agent. Data for 2009 is provisional and the final classification, for statistical purposes, of the cause of death will not be available until August 2010.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of norovirus there were in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.
Answer
The numbers of laboratory confirmed cases of norovirus infection in NHS Grampian, NHS Highland, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles are presented in the following table.
These data are based on voluntary reporting by clinical laboratories in Scotland to HPS on a weekly basis.
Laboratory confirmed cases do not include those infected with norovirus who did not seek medical attention and have a stool sample submitted for laboratory testing. Thus, the following figures underestimate the true number of people in the community infected with norovirus.
Table. Laboratory Confirmed Cases of Norovirus. NHS Grampian, Highland, Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles, Calendar Years 2006 to 2009
NHS Board1 | Calendar Year |
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009P |
Grampian | 207 | 261 | 283 | 346 |
Highland | 41 | 28 | 49 | 17 |
Orkney | 3 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
Shetland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Western Isles | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Source: Health Protection Scotland.
PData for 2009 are provisional.
Note: 1. Geography is based on the NHS board of the reporting laboratory. Figures may not represent the patient''s health board of residence.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 April 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 28 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many wards were closed as a result of norovirus in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Grampian, (c) Western Isles, (d) Orkney and (e) Shetland in (i) 2006, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.
Answer
Information on the total numbers of wards closed to admissions due to norovirus outbreaks is not available centrally.
Health Protection Scotland monitors and publishes ward closures due to norovirus outbreaks via point prevalence management information. Norovirus point prevalence reporting commenced on 7 January 2008.
The numbers of wards closed in NHS Grampian, NHS Highland, NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland and NHS Western Isles due to presumed or confirmed Norovirus outbreaks, for each Monday in 2008 and 2009 (Monday Point Prevalence), were published in the answer to question S3W-31956 on 5 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at:
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- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 15 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-31793 by Adam Ingram on 11 March 2010, what is meant by “or otherwise” and whether specific timescales have been set to bring together representatives to ensure that local authorities are discharging their duties to looked-after children, including those in kinship care.
Answer
The Scottish Government is taking steps to help local authorities to benefit from each others'' experiences in relation to looked-after children, including those in kinship care, for example
We have written to local authorities following the release of the latest Children Looked After Statistics, reminding them of their obligations and asking what further support they need to deliver these. We will use this dialogue to arrange a meeting with elected members and senior officials to explore progress made and how this can be replicated.
In partnership with the Association of Directors of Social Work, we are organising a seminar to consider what our shared priorities should be in ensuring looked-after children, young people, care leavers and the people who look after them get the support they need.
We are funding the Corporate Parenting National Training Programme, developed by Who Cares? Scotland. The programme is aimed at improving awareness and capacity of elected members, community planning partners, health board members and relevant health professions of their corporate parenting responsibilities.
We have set up a Looked After Children Strategic Implementation Group to drive forward key elements of the agenda around improving outcomes for looked after children. This is a high level group with a membership which spans the looked after sector and local authorities will be represented by COSLA. The first meeting of this group will take place on 19 May 2010.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 March 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 14 April 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what schools have been subject to three or more follow-up visits by HM Inspectorate of Education since 2000.
Answer
The following schools have been subject to three or more follow-through visits since August 2000.
Cademuir International School
Loirston Primary School
Craigston Primary School
St Roch''s Primary School
St Teresa''s Primary School
Miller Academy Primary School
Torridon Primary School
Kilmuir Primary School
Upper Achintore Primary
Newtongrange Primary School
Langlee Primary School
Kincorth Academy
Banff Academy
Fraserburgh Academy
Brechin High School
Braeview Academy
Castlebrae Community High School
Viewforth High School.