- 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-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: 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: 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 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 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.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 June 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S1W-28726 and S1W-30468 by Mr Jim Wallace on 26 September and 10 October 2002 respectively, when the feasibility study on the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court will be published and when the consultation paper will be issued.
Answer
The feasibility study on the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court has already been issued to all interested parties. The public consultation will commence when discussions regarding the potential relocation of the court to the council premises at Rosetta Road have concluded.
- 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 who has been appointed to the Chief Medical Officer's task force on healthcare-associated infection announced by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 30 January 2003 in response to the Audit Scotland report, Hospital cleaning; how often the task force has met; what actions it has taken to implement its remit and, in particular, to decrease the prevalence of hospital-acquired infection, and how often the task force has reported to the minister.
Answer
The membership of the Healthcare Associated Infection Task Force is detailed in the table.
| Dr Mac Armstrong, Chief Medical Officer, | Chair |
| Dr Frank Bone, Consultant Microbiologist | Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary |
| Mr Tim Brett, General Manager | Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health |
| Mr Alistair Brown, Head, Performance Management Division | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Mr James T Brown, Head, Public Health Division | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Ms Susan Brimelow, Manager | Independent Healthcare Division, Central West Region |
| Dr Peter Christie, Senior Medical Officer | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Dr Michael Cornbleet, Senior Medical Officer | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Dr Brian Cowan, Medical Director | South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust |
| Mrs Rosslyn Crockett, Director of Nursing | Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust |
| Dr Andrew K Fraser, Deputy Chief Medical Officer | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Mr John Gallacher, Joint Secretary | Scottish Partnership Forum |
| Mrs Liz Gillies, Director of HAI Initiative | NHS Education for Scotland |
| Mr John Glennie, Chief Executive | NHS Borders |
| Mr Robert Howe, Head of Environmental Services | South Lanarkshire Council |
| Miss Anne Jarvie, Chief Nursing Officer | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Mr Adrian Lucas, Chief Executive | Scottish Ambulance Service |
| Mrs Maggie McCowan, Senior Manager, Infection Control | Infection Control Nurses Association (Scotland) |
| Mr Ian McLuckie, Chief Executive | The Property and Environment Forum |
| Mrs Hazel Meechan, National Development Officer | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Mrs Diane Murray, Partnership and Employment Practice | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Mr Mike Palmer, Assistant Director Workforce and Policy | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Mr Robert B F Peat, General Manager | Eastern Glasgow LHCC |
| Mr Tom Reilly | Lay representative |
| Mrs Marjory Russell | Lay representative |
| Dr Charles Saunders, Consultant in Public Health Medicine | NHS Fife |
| Ms Lynda Sawers, Corporate Communications Manager | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Mr Ross Scott, Policy Implementation and Development | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Dr David Steel, Chief Executive | NHS Quality Improvement Scotland |
| Mrs Margaret Tannahill, Project Leader, HAI Task Force | Scottish Executive Health Department |
| Mr Ray Watkins, Chief Dental Officer | Scottish Executive Health Department |
The task force, which has met on two occasions and will meet again in the autumn, is overseeing work already in progress and commissioning several new working groups to address a number of specified tasks which are set out in the Hospital Acquired Infection Action Plan. I am regularly updated on progress.
- 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 concerns it has on whether infection control is seen as a core part of NHS nursing, medical and domestic staff training and what specific action it is taking arising from any such concerns.
Answer
The NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) Standard for Infection Control makes clear that all staff including those involved in support services must receive training in the prevention and control of infection.A number of actions to support training are under way. The Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) Task Force led by the Chief Medical Officer is overseeing the design of generic and specialist training at all levels. This includes:- mandatory induction training on HAI and hygiene- a training programme for staff to champion prevention and control of infection developed by NHS Education Scotland and- an outline of the training requirements for domestic staff as part of the technical specification for cleaning services.Work is also progressing on a Scottish Executive Health Department funded project to develop materials for medical undergraduate training on prudent use of antibiotics.
