Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 3508 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-06893

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive what the average waiting time has been for a patient to be referred for rheumatologist specialist opinion and treatment in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board area.

The median waiting times for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant, following referral by a General Medical Practitioner, and for inpatient and day case treatment, in the specialty of Rheumatology, by NHS Board area of residence, in each year since 1999, are given in the tables.

NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times For A First Outpatient Appointment With A Consultant In The Specialty Of Rheumatology, Following A General Medical Practitioner Referral, By NHS Board Of Residence: Years Ended 30 September 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003^P.

	Median Wait (days)
NHS Board	30 Sep 1999	30 Sep 2000	30 Sep 2001	30 Sep 2002	30 Sep 2003^P
Argyll and Clyde	52	74	77	94	103
Ayrshire and Arran	55	78	70	78	92
Borders	92	56	66	69	98
Dumfries and Galloway	58	43	31	41	44
Fife	62	103	125	106	82
Forth Valley	112	141	167	217	122
Grampian	33	35	38	42	44
Greater Glasgow	77	71	81	95	92
Highland	41	64	72	54	83
Lanarkshire	78	74	79	97	86
Lothian	68	55	63	69	92
Orkney	*	*	*	*	*
Shetland	*	*	30	29	*
Tayside	56	57	70	61	55
Western Isles	*	*	*	*	*
Scotland	58	62	65	70	72

Source: ISD Scotland, SMR00.

Notes:

^PProvisional.

*Information not shown due to small numbers.

NHSScotland: Median Waiting Times For Inpatient And Day Case Treatment In The Specialty Of Rheumatology, By NHS Board Of Residence: Years Ended 30 September 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003^P.

	Median Wait (days)
NHS Board	30 Sep 1999	30 Sep 2000	30 Sep 2001	30 Sep 2002	30 Sep 2003^P
Argyll and Clyde	8	10	7	7	6
Ayrshire and Arran	10	12	13	9	12
Borders	*	*	*	*	*
Dumfries and Galloway	*	*	*	*	*
Fife	*	*	*	*	*
Forth Valley	10	9	8	4	4
Grampian	7	5	5	5	10
Greater Glasgow	10	12	12	13	10
Highland	*	*	*	*	26
Lanarkshire	4	7	6	7	7
Lothian	12	14	14	12	15
Orkney	*	*	*	*	*
Shetland	*	*	*	*	*
Tayside	*	*	*	*	*
Western Isles	*	*	*	*	*
Scotland	8	9	7	9	8

Source: ISD Scotland, SMR01.

Notes:

^PProvisional.

*Information not shown due to small numbers.

Question reference: S2W-06841

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 22 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scottish Drugs Forum's response to the Executive's review of drug treatment and rehabilitation services, what steps will be taken to implement the recommendations that (a) there is a need to develop standard monitoring and evaluation arrangements for agencies across all the contracted areas of work to reduce agency bureaucracy and the multiple reporting mechanisms that currently exist, (b) funding for drugs services should be in-built into government budgets over the long term and (c) agencies should be given rolling contracts of a minimum of three years duration to end current practice of year-to-year contracts and funding.

Question reference: S2W-06843

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 22 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scottish Drugs Forum's response to the Executive's review of drug treatment and rehabilitation services, what steps will be taken to implement the recommendations that (a) family support posts should be created within specialist drug agencies and (b) research to consider how best to respond and support children of problem drug users living with grandparents should be commissioned.

Question reference: S2W-06842

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 22 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scottish Drugs Forum's response to the Executive's review of drug treatment and rehabilitation services, what action will be taken to implement the recommendation that specific funding should be made available for outreach programmes in order to improve early intervention and accessibility to mainstream provision.

Question reference: S2W-06844

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 22 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scottish Drugs Forum's response to the Executive's review of drug treatment and rehabilitation services, what steps will be taken to implement the recommendations that (a) each NHS board should have a blood-borne virus strategy in place that includes a specific focus on hepatitis C treatment issues for problem drug users and (b) a hepatitis B immunisation programme for injecting users should be instigated.

Question reference: S2W-06864

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 22 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of funding Scottish Enterprise Borders has received in each financial year since 2000-01 and will receive in 2004-05.

Question reference: S2W-06521

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2004
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has at the variation in the age of medical equipment across NHS trusts and that “some trusts are relying heavily on equipment that is beyond its standard life”, as referred to in Audit Scotland's report, Better Equipped to Care? - Follow-up report on managing medical equipment, and what action it is taking to remedy the situation and, in particular, to ensure that trusts have sufficient funds to replace old equipment.

The concerns highlighted inthe report about the age of equipment have been noted and will be acted uponwhere necessary at local level. However, the report does make clear that whilstsome equipment is passed its expected useful life, where it is working well andcan be maintained and is fit for purpose, there is no need to replace itimmediately.

The distribution of the NHScapital budget for 2004-05 was announced on 11 March with the Executive makingrecord levels of capital investment available in NHSScotland. By 2005-06capital resources will be £420 million which is an increase of 300% over the1997 level.

An amount of capital isallocated to NHS boards on a “formula” basis and this is generally used for thepurchase of equipment as well as investment in the NHSScotland estate. It isfor individual NHS boards to determine, on an annual basis, the level offunding required for new and replacement medical equipment taking into accountother local and national priorities. NHS boards can use both capital andrevenue resources to meet equipment costs. The use of PPP where appropriatealso frees up additional capital resources to deal with issues such as medicalequipment.

In addition the Executivehas centrally funded programmes in excess of £40 million since 2000 forinvestment in medical equipment.

Question reference: S2W-06907

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 19 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive what account is taken of increases in water charges when care home charges are set.

Question reference: S2W-06839

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 19 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scottish Drug Forum's report A Brief Survey on Drug Paraphernalia Distribution following Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) on behalf of the Scottish Needle Exchange Workers' Forum, what steps will be taken on the recommendations that (a) citric/ascorbic acid and sterile water are additional paraphernalia items that should be supplied/distributed in the future, (b) identified organisational and financial issues need to be addressed to allow services to provide additional paraphernalia and (c) lead stakeholders should ensure that the amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) of August 2003 to allow the supply of specific services such as additional drug paraphernalia including spoons, acidifiers, filters and water ampoules, are clearly communicated to all local services, relevant training is provided and alternative methods of sourcing/distributing supplies, locally and nationally, are explored.

Question reference: S2W-06840

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 19 March 2004

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scottish Drugs Forum's response to the Executive's review of drug treatment and rehabilitation services, what steps will be taken to reverse any trend within the drugs rehabilitation services for high levels of staff turnover, particularly in the voluntary sector, as a result of issues relating to morale, skill shortages and short-term funding.

I welcome the verycomprehensive and well informed submission made by the Scottish Drugs Forum tothis review. However, this is one of around 60 responses, and it would beinappropriate for me to give precedence to one organisation’s views over otherswho contributed to the review.

We have analysed all theresponses to the consultation, and the report from this review will bepublished by the end of April.