Chamber and committees

No. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28590, on 10 November 2009. 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 current arrangements have been developed for the protection of patients. An optometrist must join the ophthalmic list of the NHS board for any area in Scotland where he or she intends to work in general ophthalmic services. This assists with patient safety by providing NHS boards with information on which optometrists are working in their area for monitoring purposes and also enables a board to refer an optometrist for disciplinary proceedings where required.

To reduce the associated bureaucracy, a fast track listing application procedure has been introduced. Under the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2006, an ophthalmic list applicant may complete one form as an application to join the ophthalmic lists of a number of NHS boards. The NHS board to which the form is sent will then undertake all of the required checks that the person is suitable to be listed and, where that board confirms that the checks have been made and that the person is suitable, the form and accompanying material is sent to the other relevant boards which may accept the optometrist on their ophthalmic lists without further enquiry. An NHS board may also accept an optometrist applying to join its ophthalmic list without further enquiry where the optometrist is already named on the ophthalmic list of another NHS board and has gone through the required suitability checks.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-28503 on 6 November 2009. 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.

Anyone authorised to make decisions on behalf of an adult with impaired capacity under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000, as amended, must take account of the views of others with an interest in the person''s welfare. The act lists those who should be consulted whenever practicable and reasonable. It includes the person''s primary carer, nearest relative, named person, attorney or guardian (when in place).

This principle is set out in the revised Code of Practice for part 5 of the act (which deals with medical treatment and research). The code was first issued in March 2008, and again (to NHS Scotland, its affiliates and care homes) in September this year, following the publication of the joint report by the Care Commission and Mental Welfare Commission, Remember, I''m still me, on the quality of care for people with dementia living in care homes in Scotland.

The report highlighted the inappropriate use of medication, amongst other serious failings, in caring for older people with dementia. From this, we are developing a dementia strategy, to be published in April 2010, to ensure that the required improvements in dementia care are identified and addressed in a comprehensive way for the first time.

Dementia is a priority for the Scottish Government. In taking forward the strategy, the use of medication and its management, including the use of antipsychotic medication, is one of the issues being addressed. Through time, the strategy will make a real difference not just to those with dementia, but also to their carers and families.

Health Rights Information Scotland has recently published Caring and Consent which can be accessed at http://www.hris.org.uk/index.aspx?o=5099. This sets out, in plain English, carers'' rights to be involved in decisions about the healthcare of the adult they care for, including those who lack capacity.

Information in the form requested is not available. There are no waiting lists for guardianship orders under the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. Guardianship applications are made to the sheriff court, and only the sheriff can grant an order. A guardianship order provides the legal authority for someone to make decisions and act on behalf of a person with impaired capacity, in order to safeguard and promote their interests in financial or welfare matters or both.

Anyone with an interest in an adult, including a family member, can apply for a guardianship order. The Chief Social Work Officer for the adult''s local authority has a duty to apply for welfare guardianship where no one else is applying and the adult has been assessed as needing a guardian. Further information can be found on the website for the Office of the Public Guardian, including statistics on the time taken to register guardianships.

http://www.publicguardian-scotland.gov.uk/.

http://www.publicguardian-scotland.gov.uk/whatwedo/statistics.asp.

If the member has a specific concern and would care to write to me, I will be happy to provide further information.

The Child Healthy Weight Programmes Development Guidance published in April 2008 outlines what an intervention in terms of the HEAT target for obese children should consider.

It can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/83961/0059077.pdf.

This information is published in Self-directed Support (Direct Payments), Scotland, 2008. This can be accessed by the following link:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/10/27092036/6.

Information on the number of home care clients and the hours of service provided by each local authority from 2005 to 2008 can be found at table 1 of the Home Care Services, Scotland, 2008 publication:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/11/25082031/0.

Annex 1 of the 2006 publication contains figures for 2004:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/11/24134412/0.

As part of the work undertaken by a Steering Group considering single room provision in NHS Scotland, Information Services Division of National Services Scotland undertook a census of the number of single rooms in Scottish Hospitals during November-December 2006. The census has not been repeated since then and so the information requested is not available. However the NHS in Scotland has just procured an Asset Management System which will be implemented by all health boards and will include such information in future.

The Scottish Government is committed to promoting self-referral to physiotherapy in all NHS board areas in NHS Scotland. Self-referral is now available in areas within all mainland boards, as well as NHS Orkney and NHS Western Isles.

The Scottish Government is also supporting self-referral to physiotherapy using NHS 24 technology. This system is currently being piloted in NHS Lothian with a view to rolling this out nationally and is subject to independent evaluation.