Chamber and committees

The review of the Care Commission''s complaints procedure is a matter for the commission. Under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001 the commission is required to establish a complaints procedure to deal with complaints about care service provision and complaints about how the Care Commission undertakes its work. The commission must keep the procedure under review, varying it as and when appropriate, in accordance with the 2001 act. The procedure and any variation must be approved by Scottish Ministers. The complaints procedure which currently applies was approved by Scottish Ministers in 2004.

The Better Together GP survey fieldwork was commissioned by Scottish Government and cost £769,274.

There is not a centrally held budget for the Better Together inpatient survey fieldwork. The Better Together inpatient survey fieldwork was commissioned individually by each NHS board in Scotland. Each individual NHS board therefore has their own budget for the survey. However, we will be collating costs of running the inpatients survey from each NHSScotland health board later this year.

Intellectual property, consumer protection, medicines, internet services and product standards, safety and liability are all reserved matters. The Scottish Government has not been involved in any discussions regarding negotiations on the proposed Anti‘Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.

Guidance in the form of a Prostate Cancer Risk Management Pack which supports the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme was issued to NHS boards (urologists, histopathologists, PSA testing laboratories) and all general practitioners in Scotland. The programme provides guidance to medical practitioners on the situations in which it is suitable to offer PSA testing, the information and guidance that should be provided to patients before PSA testing is undertaken, and the support that may be required by men as they deal with the consequences of the PSA test and any resulting diagnosis.

Details of the programme and copies of the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Pack can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/health/health/cancer/publications.

No guidance has been issued to NHS boards regarding digital rectal examinations. Examinations are undertaken following consultation with an individual. The most appropriate examination will be based on the individuals presenting symptoms and clinical expertise to interpret these.

Three hundred and ninety-seven thousand, three hundred and sixty-four people (42,591 inpatients and 354,773 people registered with a GP) were sent a first reminder.

Three hundred and fourteen thousand, one hundred and twenty-three people (36,127 inpatients and 277,996 people registered with a GP) were sent a second reminder.

People who informed Better Together that they did not wish to receive further correspondence, were on the General Register Office for Scotland death record, or who had already completed and returned their questionnaire to Better Together were not sent subsequent mailings.

Survey	Inpatient Survey	GP Survey	Total
Total number of surveys distributed initial mail out	62,182	485,380	547,562
Total number of surveys distributed first reminder	42,591	354,773	397,364
Total number of surveys distributed second reminder	36,127	277,996	314,123

 

For the Better Together Inpatient Survey each NHS boards compiled a list of patients who had been in hospital overnight in the last year for their board area. Only the last visit of each patient was used. Patients on the General Register Office for Scotland death record were removed from the sample.

For the Better Together GP survey a list of patients registered with a GP in Scotland was used. At each GP practice a sample of patients was randomly selected to participate in the survey. Patients on the General Register Office for Scotland death record were removed from the sample.

Five hundred thousand and forty-seven, five hundred and sixty-two people have been sent a Better Together questionnaire this year. Sixty-two thousand, one hundred and eighty-two to inpatients and 485,380 to people registered with a GP.

One million, two hundred and fifty-nine thousand and forty-nine questionnaires have been distributed as part of the Better Together Programme including first and second reminders (see table for more information).

Survey	Inpatient Survey	GP Survey	Total
Total number of surveys distributed initial mail out	62,182	485,380	547,562
Total number of surveys distributed first reminder	42,591	354,773	397,364
Total number of surveys distributed second reminder	36,127	277,996	314,123

 

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32618 on 7 April 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32618 on 7 April 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.