Chamber and committees

I met with StrathclydePartnership for Transport (SPT) Vice Chair David Fagan, at my meeting with the Regional Transport Partnership Chairs on 17 July 2007, and with the Chief Executive, Ron Culley on 22 August 2007.

The Scottish BowelCancer Framework Group (SBCFG) has provided strategic advice and guidance to deliverthe actions set out in the Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change BowelCancer Framework and, in particular, a co-ordinated approach across symptomaticand screening services to implement bowel cancer screening. A protocol was developedto assist primary care clinicians recognise, not only those presenting with high-riskfeatures and who may require an urgent referral to a specialist service, but alsoindividuals presenting with low risk features and who may be able to be managedappropriately in another setting. This protocol has been widely circulated and isalso included in the revised Scottish Referral Guidelines for SuspectedCancer, published on 5 February 2007, under cover of NHS HDL(2007)9.

The Scottish Bowel Cancer Screening Programme was formallyannounced in March 2007 with a national implementation plan which will see all NHSboards involved by 2009-10. NHS Ayrshire and Arran is due to start local implementationduring September 2007. Men and women aged 50 to 74 will be invited to participateevery two years and it is anticipated that when fully operational the programmewill result in an additional 150 lives being saved each year.

The national Diagnostics Project has invested £50 millionacross a range of services, including upgrading endoscopy facilities. Additionalnon-medical endoscopists are also being trained and in addition, £5 million wasmade available over two years from the Diagnostics Collaborative Programme to support localservice redesign.

NHS Quality ImprovementScotland is currently reviewing and updating the bowel cancer service clinical standardsdeveloped by the then Clinical Standards Board for Scotland in 2001.

Seventeen of theformer Hannah Research Institute staff are currently employed by Strathclydeand Glasgow Caledonian Universities under a transitional funding arrangement.The terms and conditions of those staff are a matter for those Universities. Thetransitional funding is not transferable.

The Scottish BowelScreening Programme is expected to save over 150 lives per year when fully implemented.

The programme roll-outstarted in June 2007 and is due to be available in all NHS board areas in December2009.

Funding is providedto support youth work organisations nationally. The Scottish Government providedheadquarters grant funding to the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC)of £197,240 from April 2004 to March 2007 (£65,240 for 2004-05, £66,000 for 2005-06and £66,000 for 2006-07). However, no support is provided directly to individualclubs.

The Scottish Governmenthas supported the Scottish Association of Young Farmers (SAYFC) through the UnifiedVoluntary Sector Fund for Children, Young People and Families by providing £197,240in total from April 2004 to March 2007 (£65,240 for 2004-05, £66,000 for 2005-06and £66,000 for 2006-07).

The appraisal of options fora Maybole Bypass is expected to be available from the end of September.

Scottish IntercollegiateGuidelines Network Guideline 71 on the Management of Osteoporosis recommendsthe use of Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scans for the diagnosis ofosteoporosis, and states that DEXA should be available in all NHS Board areas.This will be taken into account in the framework for access to communitydiagnostics which is being developed as part of the policy of shifting thebalance of care to the community.

We have drawn boardsattention to the findings of an NHS Quality Improvement Scotland audit (2005)showing the benefits in preventing future osteoporotic fractures of directaccess to DEXA scanning by patients who have sustained a fracture.

There are a number of SIGNGuidelines which deal with the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, inparticular SIGN Guideline 71 on the Management of Osteoporosis, covering the pharmacologicaland non-pharmacological aspects of management. These Guidelines are used byclinicians to agree with the patient the management of his or her conditions.