- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many practice pharmacists there are, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer
Information on NHS pharmacistsemployed at 30 September each year is published on the web pages of the Informationand Statistics Division of NHSScotland, in section A of Workforce Statistics atthe following address:
http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/NHSiS_resource/Workforce/workforce_statistics.htmSome pharmacists are employedby NHS trusts not for dispensing medicinebut to advise and support GP practices. The tables on these pages identify numbers of pharmacistsemployed by individual NHS trusts as well as by NHS board areas. However, they donot separately identify practice pharmacists within these overall numbers.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place for the funding of (a) free personal care for patients registered with cross-border practices where the practice and the majority of patients are located in Scotland and (b) drugs for patients who live in England but are registered with a Scottish practice.
Answer
(a) The concept of free personal and nursing care only appliesto those who would normally pay for, or towards, such care in community settings.After a care needs assessment by the socialwork department in the area where the person lives, eligible people assessed asrequiring personal care at home are not charged for that care. A payment of either£145 or £210 is provided towards the care costs of eligible people living in a carehome. The medical practice where a person is registered has no relevance here, and
(b) Unified budget allocations, which includeprescribing costs, take into account the number of patients registered with GP practicesin the area of the health board concerned, irrespective of the patient's countryof residence.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average waiting time is for a first appointment with a paediatric occupational therapist, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The information requested isnot held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Collegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) publications were issued within the NHS in each of the last four financial years; how many print runs were carried out for such publications; what the cost of these publications was in each of the last four financial years; whether any costings are made of the professional time involved in producing such publications; who receives SIGN publications, and how their effectiveness is monitored.
Answer
SIGN Guidelines Published
| | SIGN Budget |
| 1999-2000 | 5 | £457,000 |
| 2000-01 | 7 | £656,000 |
| 2001-02 | 7 | £817,000 |
| 2002-03 | 11 | £830,000 |
For the majority of these guidelinesonly one print run is carried out. If there is strong interest in a guideline anadditional print run is undertaken.
SIGN budgets for each of thelast four years are shown above. The cost of involving self-employed practitioners(general medical and dental practitioners) and practice nurses are met by the SIGNbudget. The costs associated with NHSScotland employees are currently met by theiremploying NHS boards.
SIGN guidelines and quick referenceguides are distributed free of charge to NHSScotland employees. In addition, allSIGN guidelines are available to download free of charge from their website (
www.sign.ac.uk).The effectiveness of SIGN guidelinesis generally monitored through clinical audit at local level. A report on the implementationof SIGN guidelines was published by Clinical Recourse and Audit Group (CRAG) in2002 (available from http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/crag/).
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-28903 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 September 2002, why the process of review of Sheriff Court facilities in Peebles has not been completed; when it will be completed, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
The Scottish CourtService has been involved in detailed discussions with the Scottish Borders Councilon the use of the council premises at Rosetta Road, Peebles, for court hearings. Considerationhad to be given on how best to accommodate the needs of the court within an importanthistoric building, as well as the wider implications for the delivery ofcouncil services in Peebles. Outline agreement has now been reached between officialson a way forward. Should this agreement receive the approval of the council’s electedmembers, the necessary planning consents will be sought and works instructed withthe intention of returning hearings of the Sheriff Court and District Court to Peeblesat an early stage.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the conditions for staff and young people at Glenview Young People's Unit, Galashiels, in light of recent inspection reports.
Answer
This report was produced by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care (the Care Commission) which becamethe independent regulator of care homes, including those for children, from 1 April 2002. The CareCommission regulates services by inspecting them against associated legislationand the relevant national care standards. It will be for the Care Commission towork with Borders Council to ensure the issues raised in their report are addressed.The Care Commission has powers should they be unsatisfied with the action taken.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Borders Council has at any time expressed any concerns, or made any representations, concerning Glenview Young People's Unit, Galashiels.
Answer
We have received no such representationsfrom Scottish Border's Council about its own facility.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what statistics it has on the incidence of staff long-term sickness in young people's residential units.
Answer
The information requested isnot held centrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are in place on the preparation, form and publication of Care Commission reports.
Answer
The inspection process includingthe preparation, form and publication of inspection reports and any associated guidelinesare an operational matter for the Care Commission.
An individual may raise any concernsthey have over the operation of a care service or with the way the Care Commissionhas conducted any part of the regulatory process through the Care Commission’s complaintsprocedure. Details can be found on its website at:
www.carecommission.com.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive why the Care Commission report on Glenview Young People's Unit Galashiels, dated 29 May 2003, differs from the commission's report dated 3 March 2003.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1901 today. 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.
