Chamber and committees

Gynaecologists are trained withinthe obstetrics and gynaecology specialty. Information held centrally thereforeincludes Obstetricians as well as gynaecologists. The most recent Informationon the number of Obstetric and Gynaecology consultants by health board is as at30 September 2006.

Consultants Working inObstetrics and Gynaecology (including Family Planning and Well Women Clinic)

Headcount and Whole-Time Equivalentas at 30 September 2006

NHS Board	WTE	Headcount
Ayrshire and Arran	10.8	11
Borders	4.0	4
Fife	10.0	10
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	53.9	56
Highland	8.0	8
Lanarkshire	13.5	14
Grampian	21.5	23
Lothian	29.9	34
Tayside	9.3	10
Forth Valley	8.3	9
Western Isles	1.0	1
Dumfries and Galloway	4.0	4
Scotland	174.2	184

Source: ISD Scotland.

The median waiting times forin-patient and day case treatment in the specialty of gynaecology, in the year ended31 December 2006, by NHS board of residence, are given in the followingtable.

Median waiting times are notan Executive target. Our policy is to reduce the longest waiting times for patients.On 31 December 2006, no patient with a guarantee had waited more than 18weeks for in-patient and day case treatment-delivering the Executive’s commitmentone year ahead of schedule.

NHSScotland Median Waiting Times¹for In-Patient and Day Case Treatment in the Specialty of Gynaecology, by NHS Boardof Residence. Year Ended 31 December 2006^P

NHS Board	Median Wait
Ayrshire And Arran	38 days
Borders	28 days
Dumfries and Galloway	46 days
Fife	36 days
Forth Valley	30 days
Grampian	24 days
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	26 days
Highland	32 days
Lanarkshire	34 days
Lothian	42 days
Orkney Islands	27 days
Shetland Islands	75 days
Tayside	20 days
Western Isles	34 days
Scotland	31 days

Source: ISD Scotland, SMR01.

^PProvisional.

Note: 1. Includes patients withAvailability Status Codes

Under the terms of theAgreement A Teaching Profession for the 21^st Century the allocationof time for a range of planned activities, including parent consultations, is amatter for local agreement by local authorities and individual schools. All schoolshave locally agreed working time agreements. The Scottish Executive wouldexpect schools to react to any parental concerns over such matters.

The median waiting times fora first out-patient appointment at a consultant-led clinic in the specialty of gynaecology,following referral by a general medical practitioner, in the year ended 31 December 2006, byNHS board of residence, are given in the following table.

Median waiting times are notan Executive target. Our policy is to reduce the longest waiting times for patients.On 31 December 2006, no patient with a guarantee had waited more than 26weeks for a first out-patient appointment. This national maximum waiting time willbe reduced to 18 weeks by the end of this year.

NHSScotland. Median Waiting Timesfor a First Out-Patient Appointment in the Specialty of Gynaecology, Following Referral,by NHS Board of Residence. Year Ended 31 December 2006^P

NHS Board	Median Wait
Ayrshire and Arran	41 days
Borders	22 days
Dumfries and Galloway	34 days
Fife	34 days
Forth Valley	59 days
Grampian	49 days
Greater Glasgow and Clyde	40 days
Highland	29 days
Lanarkshire	40 days
Lothian	31 days
Orkney Islands	30 days
Shetland Islands	40 days
Tayside	40 days
Western Isles	23 days
Scotland	38 days

Source: ISD Scotland, SMR00.

^PProvisional.

The Scottish Executive supportsa wide range of organisations through the unified voluntary sector fund. This includessubstantial support for a range of activity carried out by Scottish Marriage Care.Applications for funding from April 2007 are currently being assessed andministers expect to make an announcement shortly.

As announced on 20 April thisyear, we are in discussion with the senior judiciary with a view to setting up ajudicially led review of the civil courts. We hope to make a further announcementshortly.

By the endof March 2007 the Scottish Executive, through Communities Scotland, will haveinvested nearly £28 million on affordable housing across West Lothian since April 2003. This investmentwill provide 477 new build or rehabilitated affordable houses. Within theLinlithgow constituency, investment over the same period is likely to be nearly£5 million.

The Changing LivesImplementation Plan is published today, 28 June 2006.The plan sets out details of the approach to implementation we propose to takeand announces the first tranche of funding, £4 million in the remainder of thisfinancial year and rising to £11 million in 2007-08 with further sums to come insubsequent years. The implementation plan will be a key driver of necessarychange to bring about improvement in social work services. A new website tosupport implementation is also launched at:www.socialworkscotland.org.uk.Copies of the plan are available in the Parliaments Reference Centre (Bib. number39919).

the Scottish Executive has regular meetings with local authorities on a range ofeducation issues, during which discussion may touch on both increasing anddecreasing pupil populations, according to local circumstances.

Yorkhill Hospital has been undertaking initial experimental work to explorewhether it had the technical capability to produce and fit helmets for treatingplagiocephaly. It has not undertaken a properly constituted pilot programme andtherefore does not intend to publish any results.