Chamber and committees

This information is available on the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland''s website at www.mhtscotland.gov.uk.

This information is available on the Mental Health Tribunal for Scotland''s website at www.mhtscotland.gov.uk.

The draft standards on coronary heart disease, published by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland in February 2009, contain a standard relating to the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmia, of which cardiomyopathy is one of the causes. An essential criterion in the arrhythmia standard is that patients at risk of and diagnosed with hereditary arrhythmias syndromes are referred to the Familial Arrhythmias Network of Scotland (FANS).

FANS is a national managed clinical network (MCN) which brings together the cardiologists, clinical geneticists and pathologists involved in assessing patients with a proven or suspected familial (inherited) arrhythmia. The MCN aims to raise awareness of familial arrhythmias, define and agree referral protocols and develop national guidance for clinical and genetic testing. The network is currently developing referral guidelines for familial cardiomyopathy and expects to publish these by the end of the year.

This information is not routinely collected or held centrally.

However, as part of the work Infertility Network Scotland will carry out with the government, NHS boards will be asked to provide this information.

It is up to individual NHS boards to decide what circumstances are considered as priorities for selection for IVF treatment. For example, within some NHS boards storage of eggs or embryos prior to oncology treatment is considered a priority for selection for IVF treatment.

This is a matter for individual NHS boards.

This information is not routinely collected or held centrally.

However, as part of the work Infertility Network Scotland will carry out with the government, NHS boards will be asked to provide this information.

The Report of the Review of Infertility Services in Scotland, published in 2007, recommends that the upper age limit for IVF treatment should be 39 years inclusive, i.e. the woman should be before her 40th birthday at the time of treatment. In addition, the upper age limit should not apply for replacement of frozen embryos which were created from previous treatments occurring before the patients 40th birthday.

The work to be undertaken by Infertility Network Scotland on behalf of the government will, we expect, help address the complex and long standing issues around waiting times for IVF treatment.

Where individual NHS boards have invested in this service, waiting times have reduced in their area.

It is for individual local authorities to ensure that they comply with the requirements of the disability equality duties and Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The DDA 1995 makes it unlawful for goods, facilities and service providers, including local authorities, to discriminate against someone because of their disability, and the service provider must make reasonable adjustments to make sure disabled people are not put at a disadvantage and are able to access the goods or services offered. What constitutes a reasonable adjustment depends on a number of factors and it is for individual organisations to determine.

The disability equality duties requires all public authorities (including local authorities) to be pro-active in tackling discrimination against disabled people and to look at ways of promoting equality for disabled people.