- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how it proposes to form managed clinical networks to link patient care for people with epilepsy.
Answer
The Executive is encouraging health professionals, NHS boards and those representing the interests of patients to work up proposals for Managed Clinical Networks for epilepsy services. We have made it clear that we stand ready to help with funding for the administrative and IT underpinning of these networks.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Beatson Oncology Centre to have its full quota of specialist oncologists.
Answer
One new oncologist started work on 10 June, another starts work in July. A further recruitment campaign is currently under way and it is hoped that at least two medical oncology posts will be filled. Clinical oncology posts may prove more difficult against the recognised national shortage in that specialty. Posts may also be filled on a locum basis pending substantive appointments.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether all assessments for the implementation of free personal care on 1 July 2002 have been carried out.
Answer
All local authorities have indicated they will meet the regulatory and legislative requirements to implement free personal care for people currently in receipt of care in their area and I have no reason to believe that any local authority will fail to meet the implementation date.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25811 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 May 2002, what the forms of "appropriate action" are which it may take when NHS trusts fail to meet infection control standards following the Clinical Standards Board For Scotland's reports on individual hospitals.
Answer
My previous answer referred to the NHS taking the "appropriate action" required to meet the infection control standard. I have already made sure that the NHS is well aware of the need to meet the standard and to take any action required towards achieving that end. The action required will vary from area to area depending on the individual feedback received from the Clinical Standards Board For Scotland.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25826 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 May 2002, when the National Waiting Times database giving GPs, consultants, patients and the public access to accurate and up-to-date information on hospital waiting times will be available and accessible throughout Scotland.
Answer
The National Waiting Times Unit expects that the database will be available by the end of this year. Trials of the database, using information from selected geographical areas, will begin shortly.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25814 by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 May 2002, whether patients will have access to information relating to the extent of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) in each hospital following the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland's report on HAI peer review visits due in January 2003.
Answer
The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland's report on individual trust's performance against the infection control standard will be published and widely accessible to the public. The data collected through the national framework for surveillance is also published, through the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health. This again provides information for individual trusts.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the yellow card reporting system for adverse reactions to the MMR vaccination has highlighted any evidence of a pathogenic factor.
Answer
The Yellow Card Scheme has a proven track record in identifying new drug safety hazards, and in identifying possible risk factors for some reactions. Adverse reactions known to be associated with combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines and contraindications for MMR are listed in the product information for the MMR products. These are also described in Immunisation Against Infectious Disease and are detailed in materials for parents, such as "The MMR discussion pack". However, in many cases, as with most medicines and vaccines, the risk factors for the development of adverse reactions to MMR vaccine are not known.The safety of MMR vaccines is kept under continuous review by the UK Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). Any new research that may emerge in relation to possible pathogenic risk factors for adverse reactions to MMR vaccines would be carefully reviewed by the MCA and CSM.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether (a) Botox injections have a proven long-term safety record, (b) hairdressing salons currently administering such injections are doing so safely whilst giving customers appropriate medical advice and (c) this form of cosmetic treatment should be subject to regulation under the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.
Answer
This is a reserved matter. The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) is the executive arm of the UK Government, which regulates medicines for human use. The MCA in conjunction with the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) is responsible for monitoring the safety of all marketed medicines to ensure that medicines meet acceptable standards of safety and efficacy. Botox is a prescription only medicine (POM) which was granted a marketing authorisation in the UK in 1994 and is indicated for the symptomatic relief of blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm, idiopathic cervical dystonia, severe hyperhidrosis of the axillae and dynamic equinus foot deformity. As for all medicines, the safety of Botox is continuously monitored. Botox is not licensed for use as a cosmetic aid in the UK. A doctor may prescribe the drug for this purpose, but the legal responsibility for the decision rests with the doctor. The prescriber should be aware of potential adverse reactions and should inform the patient of these. As such, the decision to prescribe Botox depends on the clinical judgement of the doctor concerned, bearing in mind the risks and benefits of its use.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 5 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of doctors registered in the last year have trained outwith the UK.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. All doctors practising in the UK are registered with the General Medical Council (GMC), which is a reserved body, independent of government. Contact details for the GMC are available on:http://www.gmc-uk.org/index.htm.ISD Scotland collects information on doctors directly employed by NHSScotland at the annual census point, including country of initial qualification.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 27 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) actual and (b) projected health expenditure was or will be per capita in (i) each NHS health board area and (ii) Scotland in the years (1) 2000-01, (2) 2001-02 and (3) 2002-03 and (4) 2003-04.
Answer
Details of actual and projected health expenditure per capita in each NHS board area for 2000-01 to 2002-03 is as follows:
| Health Board | 2000-01Per CapitaFunding(£) | 2001-02PerCapitaFunding(£) | 2002-03PerCapitaFunding(£) |
| Argyll and Clyde | 1,008 | 1,075 | 1,091 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 973 | 1,036 | 1,080 |
| Borders | 994 | 1,049 | 1,069 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 1048 | 1,116 | 1,146 |
| Fife | 898 | 953 | 988 |
| Forth Valley | 936 | 984 | 997 |
| Grampian | 919 | 971 | 987 |
| Greater Glasgow | 1,076 | 1,156 | 1,190 |
| Highland | 1,009 | 1,101 | 1,137 |
| Lanarkshire | 907 | 988 | 980 |
| Lothian | 927 | 1,003 | 996 |
| Orkney | 1,214 | 1,228 | 1,203 |
| Shetland | 1,285 | 1,309 | 1,245 |
| Tayside | 1,095 | 1,207 | 1,180 |
| Western Isles | 1,526 | 1,612 | 1,630 |
Notes:1. The level of per capita funding for 2000-01 has been calculated using the mid-year estimates of population at 30 June 2000, final cash limited/unified budget and actual expenditure for demand-led Family Health Services.2. The level of per capita funding for 2001-02 has been calculated using the mid-year estimates of population at 30 June 2000, final cash limited/unified budget and the indicative allocations for demand-led Family Health Services. 3. The level of per capita funding for 2002-03 has been calculated using the mid-year estimates of population at 30 June 2000, allocations to date for unified budgets and the indicative allocations for demand-led Family Health Services. Further allocations will be made in-year.For 2003-04, the only figures currently available relate to the indicative initial unified budget and indicative allocations for demand-led Family Health Services. Additional allocations will be made for 2003-04 in due course. Details of currently available per capita funding for 2003-04 is as follows:
| Health Board | 2003-04Per CapitaFunding(£) |
| Argyll and Clyde | 1,149 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 1,147 |
| Borders | 1,130 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 1,207 |
| Fife | 1,050 |
| Forth Valley | 1,051 |
| Grampian | 994 |
| Greater Glasgow | 1,210 |
| Highland | 1,210 |
| Lanarkshire | 1,055 |
| Lothian | 1,000 |
| Orkney | 1,239 |
| Shetland | 1,268 |
| Tayside | 1,175 |
| Western Isles | 1,686 |
The per capita figures for 2003-04 take no account of the increased level of investment on health in Scotland following the Budget on 17 April and the First Minister's announcement on 18 April. Details of how this additional money will be allocated will be announced as part of the outcome of the Spending Review in September. Actual and projected health expenditure per capita in Scotland is as follows:
| £ |
| 2000-01 | 1,053 |
| 2001-02 | 1,201 |
| 2002-03 | 1,307 |
| 2003-04 | 1,374 |
All Scotland per capita figures include expenditure by Common Services Agency, Scottish Council for Post-graduate Medical and Dental Education, Health Education Board for Scotland and other central SEHD expenditure as well as that in each NHS Board area.
