- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the proposals of the Department of Trade and Industry on European structural funding and regional policy and their impact on the south of Scotland economy and, in particular, whether a ring-fenced funding policy for the area would be appropriate given the economic situation there.
Answer
The Scottish Executive welcomes the UK Government's consultation on
A Modern Regional Policy for the United Kingdom and its commitment to regional policy. The Scottish Executive also welcomes the guarantee that Scotland would not lose out financially under the proposed EU Framework for devolved regional policy.Structural funds have brought major benefits to Scotland but the Scottish Executive acknowledges that, following enlargement, the larger part of European regional development funding will go to the new member states after the current structural funds programmes cease at the end of 2006. However, regional disparities will continue to exist and these need to be recognised and addressed. This is one of the key principles of the response that I sent on behalf of the Scottish European Structural Funds Forum to the Department of Trade and Industry on the UK Government consultation. This response is available on the Scottish Executive website at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/esf.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government to promote a regional development framework in the context of European development policy.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on regional policy issues which impact on Scotland, such as structural funds and regional selective assistance. With regard to the UK Government consultation on
A Modern Regional Policy for the United Kingdom and the "EU Framework" proposed in that document, I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1013 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which 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: Friday, 20 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 23 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government regarding the importance of European funding to the south of Scotland for infrastructure support.
Answer
The Scottish Executive negotiated the current South of Scotland Objective 2 programme with the European Commission and has supported a number of large infrastructure projects such as the Crichton in Dumfries and the Ettrick Mill in Selkirk.The Executive is in regular contact with Her Majesty's Government on regional policy issues which impact on Scotland.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-735 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 June 2003, what steps it will take to refer the drug cefuroxime to NHS Quality Improvement Scotland in order to commission research into the drug's effectiveness in the treatment of MRSA, ensure full investigation of its performance to date in the treatment of prior, or existing, cases of MRSA and, until such time as the investigation is completed, issue guidelines on the use of cefuroxime in future cases.
Answer
It would be inappropriate to refer cefuroxime to NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Cefuroxime is not generally recommended as a treatment for MRSA, and its use in patients with MRSA would normally be avoided. An exception to this might be that a patient was suffering from a second infectious organism, sensitive to cefuroxime, which might justify its use.The Scottish Executive is undertaking work to improve antimicrobial prescribing. One of the aims is to reduce the creation of drug-resistant bacterial strains such as MRSA. The Scottish Medicines Consortium, facilitated by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is assisting in taking this work forward.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-733 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 June 2003, what steps will be taken to ensure that compliance with clear hand hygiene policies forms part of a systematic review by NHS trusts.
Answer
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) provided individual reports to all trusts and boards on their performance against the infection control standards, including compliance with hand hygiene, in January this year. The Health Department has written to trusts and boards requiring them to act on the findings of the reports and to copy their action plans to the department.The Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force led by the Chief Medical Officer is developing a Code of Practice for management in NHSScotland, including compliance management.NHS QIS will conduct a further review of infection control standards in 2004.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 25 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to measure improvements in hospital hygiene in hospitals that have brought cleaning services back "in house" following the announcement by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 30 January 2003 in response to the Audit Scotland report, Hospital cleaning.
Answer
All NHS trusts have agreed action plans designed to help them achieve the Cleaning Services Standards set by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Progress will be monitored by their auditors and inspections will be carried out by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland next year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 25 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S10-3985 by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 November 2001 and the announcement by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 30 January 2003 in response to the Audit Scotland report, Hospital cleaning, what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations made in the report.
Answer
The Health Department has written to all NHS trusts stressing the need to respond positively to the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report and asking for copies of their individual action plans. Progress with implementing the recommendations will be monitored by their auditors. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is expected to review performance against the Cleaning Services Standard next year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring takes place regarding personal hygiene standards in controlling the transmission of infections.
Answer
The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) - Infection Control standards, include a practice standard on hand hygiene. This standard requires NHS trusts to have "a clear hand hygiene policy and mechanism to ensure effective implementation is in place." Also compliance with this policy should form part of a systematic review by trusts.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been carried out, or commissioned, into the use of the antibiotic drug cefuroxime in the specific treatment of MRSA and what its position is on the effectiveness of the drug its therapeutic effect against MRSA and whether it may encourage MRSA colonisation and infection in patients, as reported in The Scotsman on 9 June 2003.
Answer
The prescribing of medicines for patients is a matter for clinicians operating within the appropriate professional guidelines.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what measurable improvements in staffing levels there have been following the agreement between NHS employers and trade unions to introduce the minimum pay rate of #5.18 per hour, as announced by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 30 January 2003 in response to the Audit Scotland report, Hospital cleaning.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
