Chamber and committees

Guidance for localauthorities on school crossing patrols - School Crossing Patrol Service: Guidelines,were produced by the Local AuthorityRoad Safety Officers Association and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents,with funding from the UK Government. The guidelines, which were published in2003, include advice on the management of school crossing patrols; riskassessment and management; criteria for the establishment of patrol sites, thereview and disestablishment of sites, and the selection, appointment andtraining of patrol operatives. A copy has been placed in the Parliament’sReference Centre (Bib. number 35391).

The criteria are based onthe number of children crossing the road on their way to and from school andthe number of vehicles on the road. At sites where the flows of vehicles and/orchildren are low a range of factors, including whether children are of primaryschool or secondary school age, is also considered to ensure that thecircumstances at each site are fully taken into account.

If a local authority’s assessment of a safer routes to school scheme included a school crossing patrol site as an essential element of the scheme, I would not expect the crossing patrol site to be removed unless suitable alternative arrangements were put in place.

The current Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) stipulate that students on courses leading to a Primary Education Teaching Qualification must undertake blocks of school placement which covers all stages of Primary school education.

ITE courses leading to registration as a Primary school teacher must be validated and approved by the General Teaching Council for Scotland and must include periods of school experience for all students.

The Executive has given financial support to local authorities to co-ordinate the management of student placements. £550,000 has been paid to local authorities in 2004-05 with a further £825,000 earmarked for 2005-06. This funding is also intended to encourage and support councils and head teachers to ensure that sufficient places are made available in their schools for all student teachers.

There has been no change to the list of medical conditions which exempt patients from paying prescription charges.

Our last annual prescription charge guidance update circular (NHS HDL(2004)17) was issued in March 2004. It included guidance about prescription charges, regulation changes, prepayment certificates and publicity material in connection with prescription charges.

Dialysis access devices are only available through the hospital service and are therefore provided, free of charge, to patients who require them.

We are currently working with colleagues in NHSScotland to provide the data requested. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and will arrange for a copy of my reply to be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Agreement to award arrears of pay to eligible consultants under the new consultant contract is conditional on each consultant agreeing a job plan with his or her manager. The job planning process allows managers to schedule all of a consultant’s weekly activities systematically in order to secure the capacity required to improve services to patients and, where appropriate, take forward the re-design of services. Arrears of pay are only released where managers and consultants agree how the working week is filled in a way which makes best use of each consultant’s time for direct clinical care, supporting professionalactivities and on-call responsibilities. 

There are no elements of the new General Medical Service (GMS) contract which require to be backdated.

Specific parts of the new GMS contract, such as quality preparation and some Directed Enhanced Services were implemented from 1 April 2003. Full implementation took place from 1 April 2004. These arrangements were as agreed during UK negotiations between the NHS Confederation and the General Practitioners Committee.

The training needs of all NHS consultants, whether on the new contract or the old contract, are identified in their learning development plans and progressed through regular appraisal procedures. Changes are however planned to link in with the future revalidation of all doctors.

Following the fifth report of the Shipman Inquiry, Her Majesty’s Government announced the postponement of the General Medical Council’s (GMC) proposals for revalidation, which were due to be implemented from 1 April 2005, and that a review would be undertaken by Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer in England.  As well as considering the arrangements for revalidation of doctors’ registration and how they relate to NHS appraisal, that review will also consider the membership of the GMC and how it is appointed, and whether it should retain a capacity (under fitness to practice procedures) to act as both judge and jury on the cases of doctors behaviour and performance.