Chamber and committees

The consultation document Towards Better Oral Health in Children, published on 28 September 2002, seeks views on a range of possible measures to improve children's oral health, including fluoridation. The outcome of the consultation, which is due to end on 28 February, will inform proposals on future action which would then be subject to the view of Parliament.

There are many different approaches to treating drug misusers, and a wide range of statutory, non-statutory and voluntary organisations are involved in the provision of services. Thus, there are several routes through which drug misusers can receive treatment. For example, GPs will refer patients to specialist drug treatment services, as will other agencies such as Social Work Departments who encounter clients with drug misuse problems. Some specialist drugs services will also accept self-referrals from patients.A range of services support families of drug misusers, including GPs and other health workers, drug agencies, Social Work Departments, carer and family support organisations, and community-based projects. It is certainly important that drug misusers and their families are aware of where help, advice and treatment are available. Drug Action Teams already provide such information, but the point is re-inforced (including practical advice) in the Effective Interventions Unit's (EIU) report on the provision of integrated care for drug misusers, which has been given wide distribution. Another EIU report on Families and Carers of Drug Users lists a broad range of agencies which provide support and advice, either in relation to the needs of the family, or in assisting families to support drug misusers.In addition, there is a free Know the Score Directory which includes national organisations, Drug Action Teams, and local/community services. The directory can be obtained via the free Know the Score Informationline and it is also available on the Know the Score website. We have allocated £180,000, from recovered criminal assets, to family support groups which deal with the problems which drug misuse can bring. We are working with these groups to determine the optimum way to distribute these resources.

There are no plans to introduce routine drug testing in accident and emergency departments. Accident and emergency staff are trained in the recognition of substance abuse. They are aware that it may be a causal factor in a patient's attendance at the department and that it may affect the clinical management of the patient.Similarly, there are no plans for routine drugs testing in police stations. Police officers can request the attendance of forensic medical examiners, who could take biological samples from the person for testing. This could include, for example, drug testing where drug misuse is suspected.

There has been a steady increase in the incidence of methycillin-resistant staphillococus aureus (MRSA) infections across the UK in recent years. As part of the Executive's drive to address healthcare-associated infection (HAI), the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) monitors the incidence of MRSA bacteraemia infections (blood poisoning) in Scottish hospitals. Results have been published for each six-month period since April 2001. The latest three sets of results show no significant change in the rate of these MRSA infections. The incidence of MRSA reflects the complex interaction of a number of factors. MRSA exists in the community as well as in hospitals. Tackling healthcare associated infection, including MRSA, is an important priority for the NHS. I expect the service to continue to tackle HAI through a mix of prudent antibiotic prescribing, good hygiene and effective infection control procedures.

I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-31951 and S1W-31953 on 16 January 2003. 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/webapp/search_wa.

We are aware that managed clinical networks (MCNs) have appointed staff. As these networks will operate as virtual organisations, the contract of employment for staff working in MCNs will continue to be held by the relevant trust, board or primary care organisation.

No. Since managed clinical networks are an integral part of local health service delivery, responsibility for commissioning services will remain with NHS boards. Managed clinical networks will, however, provide boards with authoritative advice on the allocation of resources.

Health professionals working in managed clinical networks will experience no change in their employment arrangements.

The information requested is not held centrally. I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32837 today. 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/webapp/search_wa.

The information requested is not centrally collected. I understand from the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital that while it is difficult to assess with accuracy of the number of statutory registerable health professionals who currently practice homoeopathy in Scotland, as a useful indicator, however, it is known that over the last 10 years the following numbers of professionals have received training in homoeopathy at the national centre of the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital:

Professions	Numbers
General Practitioners	600
Other Doctors	100
Pharmacists	120
Dentists	40
Nurses	50
Veterinary Surgeons	30

And small numbers in other disciplines.(These figures are not comprehensive, since there are a number of other institutions where training in homoeopathy can be obtained).Further information is available from the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital.