Based on the numberscurrently in post and on estimates of expected retirals gathered through local andnational workforce planning surveys, there are sufficient GPs in post and in trainingto meet the demands of NHS boards in Scotland. New and extended roles, such as thoseof community practitioner nurse prescriber, nurse independent prescriber and communitypharmacist will free up GP time for even greater patient care but are not specificallyintended to compensate for retirals. The number of GP training places required isconsidered annually as part of the workforce planning process.

Data is not routinelycollected however, the Report of the Review of Infertility Services in Scotlandprovided average waiting times for 1988-2005 and can be accessed via the attachedlink, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/173213/0048365.pdf.

For ease I attach this information:

Average waiting timesfor IVF 1988-2005.

NHS Board	Ave Waiting Time for IVF in Aug 1998 (pre EAGISS)	Ave Waiting Time for IVF in 2001	Ave Waiting Time for IVF in 2004	Ave Waiting Time for IVF in April 2005
Argyll and Clyde*	30	27	7	7
Ayrshire and Arran	24	24	6	8
Borders	60	48	3	3
Dumfries and Galloway	30	24	19	19
Fife	24	24	24	24
Forth Valley	-	4	9	10
Grampian	24	24	48	60
Greater Glasgow	36	18	8	7
Highland	24	12	18	6
Lanarkshire	24	-	-	11
Lothian	36	9	12	24
Orkney	9	0	0	8
Shetland	-	0	6	2
Tayside	33	24	24	24
Western Isles	-	-	-	-

Notes:

Waiting Times quotedare in months.

*Figures refer topre-dissolution of Argyll and Clyde NHS board.

-Number either toosmall to assess / not recorded / not available.

The Scottish Executiveis working with stakeholders to gather the data necessary to inform the next stageof the process.

Following an analysisof responses to an earlier consultation exercise in respect of the future of firecontrol rooms, the Minister for Justice of the previous Executive announced on 1 June 2006 that the matter should be further considered as partof a wider review of Scotland’s preparedness to deal with simultaneous majoremergencies. The emergency preparedness review team has completed its report whichis being considered by ministers.

Reliable informationon the number of NHS patients treated in private hospitals is not available centrally.However, the Information and Statistics Division of NHS National Services Scotlandis working with the Scottish Government, NHS boards, and the independent healthcare sector to resolve this issue, and data collection is improving.

Expenditure on NHScommunity pharmacy and NHS non-salaried dentists is available on the website, atthe following addresses.

Community pharmacy– up to financial year 2006-07:

http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?pContentID=2239&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.Non-salaried dentists:Scottish Dental Practice Board Annual Reports 2005-06, Chapter 8, summary information,table 8.1. Reports for previous years are also available http://www.sdpb.scot.nhs.uk/.

Expenditure on NHSGP services in 2005-06 was £696 million.

Our policy is to promoteapproaches for deaf and hard of hearing people to have unhindered access to mainstreamand specialist mental health services. We recognise the need for service improvementand keep all arrangements under review.

We are funding relevanttraining organisations to develop a training pack on awareness for social care staffand have published guidance on Disability Discrimination Compliance: Access toMainstream and Specialist Services for those with sensory loss and a mental healthproblem a copy of which can be found in the Scottish Parliament InformationCentre (Bib. number 38922).

In June this yearwe co funded an event with the Royal College of Psychiatrists on sharing good practiceand further advancing training and access issues among mainstream staff and forthose working in mental health services with an interest in the mental health needsof deaf and hard of hearing people.

Specialist in-patientand outreach services for deaf people continue from the John Denmark Unit, Manchester. All referralsfor inpatient care are fully funded by the NHS National Specialist Division. Weagain keep these arrangements under review in the context of service need.

We are engaged withpartners on a number of initiatives including a commitment to increase access toa range of evidence based psychological interventions; increasing the capacity of the two Scottish programmes for cognitive behaviour therapy to train and supervisemore staff; attention to identifying those with a new diagnosis of CHD and diabeteswho also have depression and anxiety and matching their needs to an appropriatelevel of therapy; ensuring that all patients are assessed using a recognised depressionassessment tool for use by for general practitioners, and work around earlyintervention and promoting recovery.

Taken together theseinitiatives will support our objectives for wider availability of evidence basedpsychological therapies, improved uptake of self help and social prescribing approacheswhich in turn will help reduce the use of anti-depressants.

The Scottish Governmentis determined to continue to do what is right for Scotland. We have already adopted our own approach where it has been in Scotland’sbest interest to do so, for example by stepping aside from using the on-line MedicalTraining Application Service (MTAS) when it became clear that it could not providethe improved functionality we required to support our process. We will not hesitateto adapt future selection and recruitment processes if that best serves Scottishinterests and ensures that we continue to attract the best possible candidates forour NHS. Our approach has been to work in partnership with the Academy of MedicalRoyal Colleges in Scotland, NHSScotland and the BMA. We will continueto do so in developing and reviewing future arrangements, including those I announcedon 27 June designed to ensure continuity of employment for any doctors who havebeen unable to secure continued training posts this year.

There are two audiologycourses available in Scotland, offered by Queen Margaret University. The BSc inAudiology and the two-year Graduate Diploma, for existing science graduates, bothstarted in August 2005. The first 11 Graduate Diploma students are due to completetheir course in July 2007, with confirmation of the awards in August 2007. The firstBSc Audiology students will graduate in 2009.