- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many community psychiatric nurses specialising in alcohol addiction are employed by each NHS board.
Answer
Specificinformation on community psychiatric nurses specialising in alcohol addictionis not centrally available.However,information on staff employed in NHSScotland is published on the ScottishHealth Statistics website under Workforce Statistics at
www.isdscotland.org/workforce.Section E givesdetails of Nursing and Midwifery staff. In particular tables E1 and E2 showthe whole-time equivalent and headcount of Community Psychiatric Nurses (CPNs)by NHS board and region, specialisation by CPNs is not recorded centrallyhowever.
Table E18 showsClinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) who specialise in Addictions and also inAlcohol by NHS board. These nurses are not necessarily CPNs.
Latest availabledata is at 30 September 2005 for CPNs and at 30 September 2006 for CNSs.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times are for access to radiography for (a) urgent and (b) non-urgent cases in each NHS board.
Answer
The specific informationrequested is not available centrally. However, information gathered by NHSboards on waiting times for key diagnostic tests, including CT, MRI and Ultrasoundscans and barium studies, indicates that on 30 September 2007, of a total of 22,994patients waiting for these four tests, 14 had been waiting more than nine weeksfor MRI scans and none had been waiting more than nine weeks for CT scans, bariumstudies or ultrasound scans.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies there are for radiographers in each NHS board.
Answer
Information on staffemployed in NHSScotland is published on the Scottish Health Statistics website underWorkforce Statistics at
www.isdscotland.org/workforce.
Section F gives detailsof therapeutic, healthcare science, technical, pharmacy and ambulance staff. Inparticular table F8 shows the number of whole-time equivalent (WTE) radiographervacancies by qualification and NHS board and also shows vacancies as a percentageof the establishment figure. Table F9 shows the same information but for vacanciesof three months or more. WTE adjusts head count to take account of part-time working.Latest available is at 31 March 2007.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 14 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the hepatitis B immunisation policy.
Answer
As with all immunisationpolicy, the Scottish Government position on hepatitis B immunisation is informedby advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVIis an independent committee of experts whose role is to provide advice to UK health ministers on immunisation and vaccination.
Currently,hepatitis B immunisation policy is selective rather than universal. Hepatitis Bvaccine is offered to individualsat increased risk of exposure to the virus or complications of the disease. However, the JCVI are keeping this positionunder review and will consider all new evidence as it emerges.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive why significant numbers of health care professionals are seeking reviews for mismatches between their job plans and national profiles despite Agenda for Change’s appraisal system.
Answer
We have only recentlystarted gathering data on review requests. Unfortunately, what is currently held centrally is not sufficiently detailed for me to provide a breakdown of the reasonswhy the reviews have been submitted.
I would point outhowever that of the reviews processed to date, 14% have resulted in post holdersbeing awarded a higher band, while in 85% of cases the initial job evaluation outcomehas been found to be correct. 1% of cases have been re-directed to another moredetailed job evaluation process and are currently under re-consideration.
While the processingof review requests is at an early stage, the indications to date are that the Agendafor Change job evaluation system is in the main delivering what it was designedto do, namely fair, accurate and consistent job evaluation outcomes.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 13 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how the health portfolio will contribute to the intention to reduce public bodies by 25%.
Answer
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-7323 on 12 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 12 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive which public bodies will be abolished to achieve the 25% reduction referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007.
Answer
We want to achievea simpler, more effective public sector for Scotland by removing duplication, simplifying structures and stopping activitiesthat do not contribute to the government’s objectives. Work is underway to considerspecific proposals to simplify and streamline the existing public service landscape.We will announce further details to Parliament shortly.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 December 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in integrating the IT systems of health providers.
Answer
Good progress hasbeen made with the main NHS Scotland IT system designed for electroniccommunication between health providers, notably GP practices and hospitals. Thissystem, known as SCI Gateway, is currently being used to transmit some 70% ofall referrals in secure and encrypted form.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 29 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase local power generation to reduce the need for high voltage overhead transmission lines.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentis committed to increasing local power generation and in the recent Scottish SpendingReview announced it would triple funding for community renewables and microgenerationprojects.
We also publishedplanning policy guidance on renewable energy developments (SPPG 6) earlier thisyear which includes the expectation that all developments with a total cumulativefloor space of 500m2 or more should incorporate on-site zero and lowcarbon equipment.
Consideration is currentlybeing given to extending permitted development rights so that more microgenerationequipment can be installed on existing buildings without the need to apply for planningpermission. We intend to issue a consultation paper in January.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how the prevention-based school dental service referred to in Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 will be implemented throughout Scotland and whether it will include regular dental check-ups and treatment, including orthodontic treatment.
Answer
The school dentalservice will be a prevention based service offering preventive care and treatmentto children beginning in areas of deprivation.
