Chamber and committees

The performance of NHS boards against each of the HEAT targets due for delivery in 2007-08 and 2008-09 are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50010).

The latest performance on 2009-10 HEAT targets is available through official statistics published throughout the year (for example, waiting times statistics on the ISD website: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/5557.html and C.diff statistics on the Health Protection Scotland website: http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/ewr/pdf2009/0927.pdf).

In addition the Scottish Government will shortly be bringing this information together in the Scotland Performs area of the Scottish Government website (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms).

Patients in the North of Scotland Cancer Network (NOSCAN) do not routinely wait as long as 131 days from urgent referral to first melanoma treatment. The latest published statistics show that for patients diagnosed with melanoma between April and June 2009 in NOSCAN, the median wait was 18 days, showing that half the patients received first treatment in that time. The 90th percentile was 46 days, showing that 90% of patients waited for a maximum of 46 days.

Full explanations of the specific waits queried cannot be provided as this could lead to the patients being identified. However, some cancer journeys can take longer than the average patient pathway. In some instances, clinical teams may conclude that it is not in the best interests of the patient to be expedited along a pathway solely for the purpose of complying with a target. There is a 5% tolerance applied to the target to accommodate these circumstances.

Patients with malignant melanomas are not always referred urgently as they can be undistinguishable from other lesions. Routine referrals do not come under any cancer access target, however this is changing as a result of the new access target announced in Better Cancer Care (a target of 31 days from decision to treat to first treatment) to be delivered by December 2011.

Improvement work is taking place across cancer services to help meet this target.

Officials met with representatives of the Scottish Eyecare Group and NHS National Services Scotland on 18 December to further discuss the project. As a result of these discussions, NHS National Services Scotland will undertake further work to finalise the outline business case for the project.

The year-on-year percentage increase in emergency admissions to NHSScotland acute (non-psychiatric non-obstetric) hospitals for the years 2007-08 and 2008-09 is shown in the following table:

Financial Year1	Percentage Increase2
2007-08	4.2%
2008-09P	1.4%

Source: ISD Scotland (SMR01).

^PProvisional.

Notes:

1. Year ending 31 March.

2. Calculated as the increase in emergency admissions when compared to the previous financial year.

Further information on emergency hospital admissions, including the numerators and denominators upon which the figures quoted above are based, is published on the Acute Hospital Care section of ISD Scotland''s website at:

 http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4066.html.

(Summary information by specialty and NHS board of treatment tables).

The Alcohol etc (Scotland) Bill proposes that a minimum price would apply as a condition of premises or occasional licences granted under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. Minimum pricing would not apply to, or impact upon, alcohol exported from Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28811 on 19 November 2009 in respect of the introduction of the school dental service.

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 public sector has a duty to deliver best value and in doing so develop the most efficient and effective service delivery models. The Local Government Diagnostic programme and the recent Sir John Arbuthnott review of Shared Services in Clyde Valley have indicated there is clearly a role for shared services in achieving this. The scale of the potential savings will vary from project to project.

The Scottish Government has a particular focus on improving access to evidence-based psychological therapies in a range of settings and through a range of providers. We are working with NHS Education for Scotland and NHS boards to improve availability of psychological therapies for all patient groups, including older people.

In order to achieve this, a psychological therapies group “ a sub-group of which focuses on older people - has been set up in collaboration with NES to oversee the implementation of the advice in the published The Matrix - a Guide to delivering evidence-based Psychological Therapies in Scotland, its continuous updating, and to expand its coverage to other key priority areas in mental health. The matrix gives advice to health boards on the issues involved in the delivery of evidence-based psychological interventions, including strategic service planning, training standards, and adequate levels of supervision.

At present the matrix highly recommends cognitive stimulation therapy as an appropriate intervention for older people, especially those with dementia.

The national dementia strategy includes a work stream addressing issues around patient pathways - which includes consideration of access to appropriate psychological therapies.

People in long-term residential care should receive the same standard and quality of health care as people in the community.

The Scottish Government has committed to develop an access target for psychological therapies and is giving particular consideration to the needs of older people in that work.

In addition the National Care Standards require that resident''s healthcare needs are assessed at least every six months and that healthcare needs are met. It will be for general practitioners to assess if someone needs to see a psychologist, and if so, this will be arranged by the general practitioner just as it would be for any patient.

Under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001, Scottish ministers are responsible for preparing and publishing the national care standards. These set out what people who use care services can expect from the service. The Care Commission is required to take these standards into account when regulating and assessing service providers. The commission will also direct service providers to best practice guidelines where these exist.

The national care standards require care home providers to ensure that each individual resident''s healthcare needs are met in a way that best suits the resident. This includes any specialist service a resident may require.

The national dementia strategy includes a workstream addressing issues around patient pathways, which includes consideration of access to appropriate psychological therapies.