Chamber and committees

Strathclyde Police recruited494 police officers in 2005-06. Information on the deployment of officers to particularduties is not held centrally and is an operational matter for the Chief Constableof Strathclyde Police.

The issue of call centres isan operational matter that falls to the relevant Chief Constable. Their effectivenesswill be reviewed by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary as part of the regular inspectionprocess.

The deployment of police officersto particular tasks is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of StrathclydePolice.

It is essential that those admittedto hospital should receive not only the treatment needed to manage the cause ofadmission, but also that they should continue to receive the regular treatment theyneed in relation to all other long-term conditions with which they may be living.

The employment of specialistnurses is a matter for NHS boards, as part of their responsibility for making surethat the health care needs of their local populations are met.

The Executive has had discussions with the ScottishMotor Neurone Disease Association about the setting up of a national managedclinical network, since a key element of the network approach is about making mosteffective use of existing staff resources.

 

The Scottish Executivedoes not directly manage the care of people with motor neurone diseaseor with any other chronic illnesses. Services for people with long-term conditionsare for NHS boards to plan and to fund from the unified budgets which are made availableto them from the Executive. NHS boards are responsible for planning services intheir area based on clinical need and for securing the staff needed to deliver them.The Scottish Executive has no power to intervenein their decisions.

Information on specialist motorneurone disease nurses is not held centrally. NHSScotland does however employnine Clinical Nurse Specialists in Neuroscience/Neurology which would cover thosepatients presenting with motor neurone disease.

The following table highlightsthe deployment of these clinical Nurse Specialists.

Table 1: Distribution of ClinicalNurse Specialists in Neuroscience/Neurology

NHS Board	Headcount (Whole-Time Equivalent)
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	1 (0.8)
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	2 (1.5)
NHS Lothian	2 (1.0)
NHS Tayside	4 (3.0)
NHSScotland	9 (6.3)

Source: ISD Scotland.

Further information on the statistics,including how the data is collected and notes to aid interpretation, is given inthe Background Notes document on the Workforce Statistics homepage (www.isdscotland.org/workforce).

Information on nursing staffwho specialise in Alzheimer’s disease is not held centrally. As at 30 September 2005, NHSScotlandemployed 1,065 Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPNs) who’s remit includes those patientspresenting with Alzheimer’s disease.

As at 30 September 2005, NHSScotlandemployed 10 Multiple Sclerosis Nurse Specialists and 13 Parkinson’s Disease NurseSpecialists

Further information on the statistics,including how the data is collected and notes to aid interpretation, is given inthe Background Notes document on the Workforce Statistics homepage (www.isdscotland.org/workforce).

Road Safety Scotland, who arefunded by the Scottish Executive for the development of key educational initiativesand publicity messages, are distributing 60,000 R U 2 CLOSE? stickers, includingthrough police and local authority road safety units, as part of its current winterpublicity campaign to alert drivers of the danger of being too near to the vehiclein front.

TransportScotland, the agency responsible for the Traffic Scotland system, use the 326 roadsideVariable Message Signs (VMS) and lane control signal gantries across the trunk roadnetwork to display various safety messages. These background messages are changedup to five times a day.

TransportScotland actively support police-led road safety campaigns, by using the VMS networkto reinforce the safety messages. The message R U 2 CLOSE? is one of a number ofroad safety messages displayed on the signs in winter months in order to back upa national police safety campaign aimed at highlighting the dangers of driving tooclose to the vehicle in front. The messages are implemented on the signs in cooperationwith the police and other agencies specifically to ensure that the police campaignhas the maximum impact on the road user.

TransportScotland has also commissioned a study to assess how it may combat tailgating onthe motorway network. This is due for completion in January 2007, with possiblemeasures being implemented later in 2007. Likely options will include chevron carriagewaymarkings and signing supported by vehicle activated signing triggered by loop detectorsat times of reduced headway.

Local roads authorities havea duty to prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote roadsafety on local roads for which they are responsible.

Every year the trunk road operatingcompanies are required to submit winter maintenance plans which set out in detailhow they intend to fulfil their responsibility to, so far as is practical, keepthe trunk roads free of snow and ice. Copies of the winter maintenance plans willbe placed in Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

This year in accordance withthe requirements of the 3rd generation trunk road maintenance contracts which wereawarded in April 2006 the plans for the North West and South West units will includesome additional safety measures:

Pre-wetted salt will be usedfor the first time. This reacts quicker then conventional salt and ensures moreof the salt stays on the road.

The temperature threshold forpre-treating roads has been increased by 1^oC. This will result in morepre-salting of the network being carried out.

Winter patrols will also be introducedon many trunk routes which previously had no patrols and a new enhanced back upfacility provided.

Road safety and winter maintenanceon local roads is the responsibility of local authorities.

Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for the Scottish trunk road network and can be contactedfor more information if required.