- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many computers were lost or stolen in the NHS in 2007 and what the value was of those items.
Answer
NHSScotland does not centrally collect details on the loss of hardware and the associated costs. It is the responsibility of individual health boards to report and investigate in line with their own local policies and procedures.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on outside consultancy firms by each NHS board in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prescriptions of (a) benzodiazepines and (b) antidepressants were dispensed in each of the last three years.
Answer
The table shows the number of prescribed items for benzodiazepines and antidepressants dispensed in the last three financial years in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors. These data do not include medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital-based clinics, or private prescriptions.
| Financial Year | Benzodiazepines | Antidepressants |
| 2004-05 | 1,651,960 | 3,478,081 |
| 2005-06 | 1,640,109 | 3,529,609 |
| 2006-07 | 1,643,151 | 3,653,694 |
The information in the table has been provided by NHS National Services Scotland.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that parents understand the importance of eye examinations for children.
Answer
A leaflet to help raise awareness of free NHS eye examinations in Scotland was issued in October 2007. Supplies of the leaflet were issued to GP and optical practices and also to Community Health Partnerships to target distribution appropriately in their area.
In addition, as part of the on-going child surveillance programme for 0 to five-year-olds parents will have opportunities to discuss visual acuity with a healthcare professional. If required referral will be made to the appropriate clinician. Similarly, if a child has a visual problem detected in school, a referral will be made.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent (a) obesity and (b) smoking rates were in (i) the Dunfermline East parliamentary constituency, (ii) Fife and (iii) Scotland.
Answer
(a) The most recent figures available on obesity are from the Scottish Health Survey 2003.
(i) Figures on obesity at parliamentary constituency level are not available.
(ii) Figures on obesity are not available at NHS board level, because the numbers in the sample are not sufficient to give meaningful results. However, figures on rates of overweight including obesity are available for adults.
In NHS Fife area in 2003:
| | Overweight or obese | Obese |
| Women (16+ years) | 64.0% | Not available |
| Men (16+ years) | 64.5% | Not available |
(iii) In Scotland in 2003:
| | Overweight or obese | Obese |
| Women (16+ years) | 59.7% | 26.0% |
| Men (16+ years) | 65.4% | 22.4% |
| Girls (2-15 years) | 30.0% | 13.8% |
| Boys (2-15 years) | 34.6% | 18.0% |
(b) (i) Estimates of adult smoking prevalence at parliamentary constituency level are available from the Atlas of Tobacco Smoking in Scotland. In 2003-04, approximately 32% of adults (aged 16 years or more) in Dunfermline East parliamentary constituency area were smokers.
(ii) The most recent figures available on adult smoking prevalence in NHS Fife area are from the Scottish Household Survey, using combined figures for 2005-06: 28% adults were smokers.
(iii) The most recent national level figures available on adult smoking prevalence are from the Scottish Household Survey 2006: 25% adults were smokers.
The most recent national figures on smoking prevalence amongst young people aged 13 and 15 years are from the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey 2006: 4% 13 year olds were regular smokers; 15% 15-year-olds were regular smokers in Scotland in 2006.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that every NHS board provides timely treatment for age-related macular degeneration.
Answer
The planning and provision of services is a matter for NHS boards. The Scottish Medicines Consortium has made recommendations regarding certain treatments for age-related macular degeneration. NHS boards are required to take full account of these recommendations in the planning and provision of NHS services.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent figures are for wheelchair provision for children in (a) the Dunfermline East parliamentary constituency, (b) Fife and (c) Scotland.
Answer
This information is not held centrally. It is for NHS boards to commission and provide services, including wheelchair and seating services for children, that best meet the needs of their local communities.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that more swimming pools are built across Scotland.
Answer
It is for individual local authorities to determine the level of provision of swimming pools in their areas based on local needs and priorities.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans to take to ensure that providers and patients are informed of any new lower charges for wigs, hair units and other non-pharmacy items resulting from reductions in the prescription charges for such items.
Answer
A circular to accompany the new NHS (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Scotland) Regulations 2008, which will apply from 1 April 2008, will be distributed to the NHS. It will advise staff on any appropriate reduction in costs, for wigs, and other non-pharmacy items in line with revised prescription charges and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders as necessary to ensure that information is disseminated appropriately.
- Asked by: Helen Eadie, MSP for Dunfermline East, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children suffering from total hair loss were prescribed (a) real hair wigs and (b) acrylic wigs in each of the last three years.
Answer
This information is not held centrally. It is for NHS boards to commission and provide services, including the provision of wigs for children, which best meet the needs of their local communities. However, procedures are to be introduced to ensure more accurate data collection mechanisms within NHSScotland in order to be able to provide such information in the future.
