In response to the figures published in the Audit Scotland report NHS Ayrshire and Arran reports an improvement in their vacancy level with candidates appointed to five posts and interviews arranged in June for a further two posts. NHS Highland and NHS Lanarkshire indicate that locum cover is in place with an active recruitment programme running to fill these posts on a substantive basis. NHS Lanarkshire also report that one of the vacancies reported by Audit Scotland is in fact a new post created to support the expansion of their eating disorder service.

A wide range of services are offered in Scotland''s prisons to support people with mental health problems.

The Scottish Prison Service responds to the social and mental health needs of all prisoners within Scottish penal establishments, including providing access to specialist healthcare provision when an assessed need is identified.

The Scottish Prison Service Healthcare Standard 3 requires a member of the prison''s mental health team to make contact with community agencies when a prisoner with mental health care needs is within eight weeks of release.

The provision of community care varies.

The repair and maintenance of this local road is the responsibility of Highland Council and it is to the Chief Executive of Council that this question should be addressed.

The recent report of the joint Mental Welfare Commission and Care Commission inspection of the care of people with dementia in care homes, Remember I''m Still Me, raises concerns about the use of medication in a disguised form and the information and legal safeguards that are in place to give covert medication lawfully and safely. The Scottish Government accepts all the recommendations in the report and is committed to taking action to improve the quality and safety of care for those with dementia who live in care homes in Scotland. We will do this in partnership with key stakeholders through the development of the Scottish Dementia Strategy.

The breakdown by NHS board of cases of Lyme''s disease from 1999 to 2008 is as follows:

Laboratory Reports of Borrelia burgdorferi by NHS Board of Reporting Laboratory

*Provisional.

Notes:

The information in the table was supplied by Health Protection Scotland.

This data should be interpreted with caution as they record the NHS board of the reporting laboratory “ not necessarily the NHS board of residence of the case, nor the place where the infection was believed to be acquired.

It should also be noted that on 1 April 2006 Argyll and Clyde Health Board was dissolved and data were divided between the newly designated Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board and Highland NHS Board.

We are aware of the issues raised and recommendations made in the report and have already been taking action in particular on the integration of services, improving information, developing the workforce and reducing waiting times for child and adolescent services and psychological therapies.

As stated in the Dealing with Employee Concerns PIN all employees have a fundamental right to raise issues of concern with their manager, to be accompanied by a trade union/professional organisation representative or colleague if they so wish, and to appeal to a higher level if they feel the issue has not been resolved satisfactorily.

The PIN policy is clear that harassment and victimisation of any member of staff who raises a concern will not be tolerated and will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence which will be dealt with under the management of conduct arrangements.

If it becomes apparent that there are problems with an NHS board in relation to the implementation of the PIN policies it would be expected that the trade unions and professional organisations would raise the matter through their local partnership processes.