- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 9 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will liaise with Her Majesty's Government in order to address the areas of concern identified in the Fraud Investigation Unit report Family Health Services in Scotland - Annual Report 2001-2002, and, in particular, to patients being "confused by the different entitlements to each service" and the "complex system of entitlements" relating to Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit.
Answer
Matters related to tax credits are reserved. Specific categories of tax credit recipients and their partners are passported to full help with NHS charges and receive a certificate advising them of this fact. The Executive has commissioned research into the efficiency and effect of the patient charging system on equity of access to treatment. The Executive has also collaborated with NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services (CFS), formerly known as the Fraud Investigation Unit, on publicity campaigns to inform the public of the categories of patient who are entitled to free NHS prescriptions, NHS optical vouchers, NHS sight tests and full or partial help with NHS dental treatment and to encourage those patients who fall within these categories to take up their entitlements. This collaboration will continue and the CFS has been tasked with taking forward independent initiatives to continue to clarify the position.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive to whom the managers of managed clinical networks will be accountable.
Answer
Network managers are accountable to the Lead Clinician of the managed clinical network.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the involvement of (a) patient groups and (b) the voluntary and independent sector will be in the development of managed clinical networks.
Answer
Patient groups and the voluntary and independent sectors have a central role to play in the development of managed clinical networks. As our Health Department Letter (HDL(2002)69) indicates, involving patients is one of the core principles of managed clinical network development. The letter also points out that the value of patient representation at all stages of managed clinical network development has been clearly demonstrated.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 9 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are waiting lists for (a) home and (b) residential care services in local authorities and, if so, how long each such list is.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 9 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of fraudulent claims in the NHS has been in each of the last five years.
Answer
NHS trusts and boards complete a losses return at the year-end as part of the annual accounts process. Fraud losses are reported alongside losses arising from theft and arson, so it is not possible to identify a figure for fraud alone.The following table summarises the totals reported by NHS boards for theft, fraud, and arson in the last five financial years and the equivalent totals reported by NHS trusts for the last three financial years.Theft, Fraud and Arson Losses Reported
| 2001-02(£) | 2000-01(£) | 1999-00(£) | 1998-99(£) | 1997-98(£) |
| NHS Trusts | 44,345 | 75,625 | 106,406 | Not Available |
| NHS Boards | 3,746 | 21,840 | 23,296 | 40,120 | 18,742 |
| Total | 48,091 | 97,465 | 129,702 | Not Available |
In addition, since its establishment in July 2000, NHSScotland Counter Fraud Services of the Common Services Agency (formerly the Fraud Investigation Unit) has identified losses to family health services from false or inappropriate payment claims of £98,027 in 2000-01 and £100,924 in 2001-02.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 9 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether unmet need for home care is now being measured in each local authority and, if so, what the figures are in respect of such need, broken down by authority.
Answer
The Executive does not measure unmet need. We collect statistics on the number of people in receipt of home care services and the number of hours provided.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 9 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that local authorities allocate resources effectively for free personal care for the elderly and care in the community generally.
Answer
Authorities must demonstrate flexibility and good management of their free personal care resources alongside existing budgets for care for the elderly and delayed discharge. Anyone assessed as needing personal or nursing care will receive it.The Executive will be collecting data from local authorities on the uptake of free personal and nursing care on a quarterly basis.In respect of care in the community generally, I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22126 on 8 February 2002. 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.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31271 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2002, how the appropriate guidance for users of CoaguChek testing strips is likely to differ from that already provided by the British Society of Haematology to NHS prescribers and dispensing contractors in England, Wales and Northern Ireland where strips are already available on prescription, and when it expects to finalise such guidance.
Answer
British Society of Haematology guidance on the use of Coaguchek testing strips was published in the British Medical Journal in October 2001. The article included a recommendation that the guidance be reviewed in April this year. A multidisciplinary working group was convened in May 2002 to review all previous guidance, and produce guidance from a prescribing practitioner perspective in the context of services to patients via NHS Scotland. This is now available on www.show.scot.nhs.uk and Coaguchek testing strips were added to the Scottish Drug Tariff on 27 November.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31271 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2002, how many patients it estimates would undertake anticoagulation self-monitoring if monitoring strips were to be made available under the Scottish Drug Tariff.
Answer
Information about the number of patients receiving treatment with anticoagulants is not available. Self-monitoring will not be appropriate for all patients who are receiving anticoagulation therapy. Selection of patients suitable for self monitoring is a matter for the responsible medical practitioner.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31271 by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2002, what the estimated savings are to the NHS of prescribing self-monitoring anticoagulation strips given that such strips cost #2.44 and the estimated cost of a laboratory test for an identical blood sample is #80.
Answer
It is not possible to produce an estimate of the savings as the number of patients currently receiving treatment with anticoagulants is not available. The number of patients likely to be prescribed Coaguchek testing strips is unknown.
