Chamber and committees

Each NHS board has a duty as set out in HDL (2005) 9 to undertake equality impact assessments for changes in policy and service developments, which would include significant changes to meet efficiency savings. Boards are in the process of completing impact assessments and undertaking stakeholder engagement on areas of significant change and these assessments will be published and the agreed actions implemented and their delivery monitored.

Guidance outlining the requirements to equality impact assess all new or revised policies and strategies, including changes to existing services, was issued to NHS boards in March 2005. The guidance is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/02/20687/52421. The Equality, People and Performance Directorate at NHS Health Scotland provides support to boards in relation to this work.

Our recently updated Informing, Engaging and Consulting (IEC) guidance also places a duty on NHS boards to ensure that any proposed change of service is subject to an equality and diversity impact assessment (EQIA) and that the IEC process is fully accessible to all equality groups. The guidance is available at:

http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/publications/publication.asp?name=&org=%25&keyword=engaging&category=-1&number=10&sort=tDate&order=DESC&Submit=Go.

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 is scheduled to commence on 14 November 2010 and will allow parents of children with additional support needs and young persons with additional support needs, including those with co-ordinated support plans, to make placing requests for provision in other local authority areas.

It is for individual local authorities to interpret the legislation and discharge their duties in line with it.

 

The following is the original answer (published on 26 May 2010); see below.

 

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 is scheduled to commence on 16 August 2010 and will allow parents of children with additional support needs and young persons with additional support needs, including those with co-ordinated support plans, to make placing requests for provision in other local authority areas.

It is for individual local authorities to interpret the legislation and discharge their duties in line with it.

Equity and Efficiency are dimensions of healthcare quality. Each NHS board has a duty as set out in HDL (2005) 9 to undertake equality impact assessments for changes in policy and service developments, which include significant policy or service changes to deliver more efficient healthcare. Any changes that affect disabled people will be highlighted within this process, actions implemented and local service quality monitored.

This is a matter for territorial and special health boards who are wholly responsible and accountable for their press, media and communications activity. The information requested is not held centrally.

This is a matter for territorial and special health boards who are wholly responsible and accountable for their press, media and communications activity. The information requested is not held centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33572 on 24 May 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.

The Scottish Government does not record the incidence of Norovirus in care homes. However, care home service providers must notify any Norovirus outbreak to the relevant health board. Depending on the circumstances, the board may in turn notify Health Protection Scotland. How the data is collected and analysed are matters for HPS. More information can be obtained from their website, www.hps.scot.nhs.uk, or by contacting directly HPS at:

Health Protection Scotland

Clifton House

Clifton Place

Glasgow, G3 7LN

T: 0141 300 1100

F: 0141 300 1170

E: [email protected].

The Care Commission is responsible for ensuring that care homes meet the legislative requirement to have appropriate procedures for the control of infections. Care home service providers are required to notify the Care Commission of any outbreak of infectious diseases as defined by the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001. Norovirus is not a notifiable infectious disease under the 2001 act, but the Commission encourages care homes to let them know of any outbreaks. The recording of outbreaks is an operational matter for the commission. Further details can be obtained from the commission''s chief executive:

Mrs Jacquie Roberts

Chief Executive

Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care

Compass House

11 Riverside Drive

DUNDEE, DD1 4NY

T: 0845 603 0890

E: [email protected].

The current Point Prevalence Surveillance system operated by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) provides data on norovirus activity across NHS Scotland on a weekly basis. HPS advise it is not essential to have every case reported in order to provide an accurate picture of the impact and geographical spread of norovirus outbreaks in Scotland.

Given the high incidence of norovirus over the winter period, the Scottish Government has asked HPS to undertake a qualitative evaluation of how NHS boards managed norovirus to identify optimal systems, review guidance implementation and determine if there are identifiable high risk alert points for which specific control measures should be instigated.

The findings of this evaluation will be used to amend existing guidance ahead of the norovirus season this coming winter.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-33404 on 11 May 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.