- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are waiting for orthodontic treatment and what the current average waiting times for such treatment are in each health board area.
Answer
Most orthodontic treatments carried out within hospital and community health settings are undertaken on an out-patient basis. Information on waiting lists and waiting times for such treatments is not collected centrally.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18314 by Susan Deacon on 20 November 2001, (a) when the proposals for oral cancer screening will be submitted to the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) and when the CSO is expected to reply and make recommendations, (b) when the Chief Medical Officer's Expert Group on the Health of Older People will end its consideration of means to improving the oral health of older people and make recommendations, (c) when the sub-group on oral health of the elderly will complete its review of issues relevant to improving the oral health of the elderly, (d) what proposals relating to dental health are currently under consideration, (e) how many reviews are currently taking place on dental health issues and (f) how many further proposals will have to be considered or reviews undertaken before decisions are made and guidance issued.
Answer
An Action Plan for Dental Services in Scotland launched in August 2000, outlined a number of proposals to improve oral health in Scotland, including the health of older people. A number of these have now been carried forward as part of the implementation process. Proposals for oral cancer screening have been submitted to the Chief Scientist Office and are currently under consideration.The Chief Medical Officer's Expert Group on the Healthcare of Older People has completed a review of the issues associated with the health of older people, including oral health. The oral health sub-group has reported to the Chief Medical Officer's Expert Group. Publication of the report of the Chief Medical Officer's Expert Group on the Healthcare of Older People is expected early in 2002.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to ensure that there is no waiting list for people with drug and alcohol problems who want detoxification and rehabilitation care and support.
Answer
Reducing waiting for all patients is a key priority for the Scottish Executive and NHS Scotland. We have committed, over this and the next two financial years, an extra £13.1 million and £21 million for drug treatment and drug rehabilitation services respectively. The delivery of these new and improved services is being co-ordinated by the local Drug Action Teams.The Executive's Plan for Action on alcohol problems will be published shortly. The plan will identify action to improve current support and treatment services for people with alcohol problems, with the aim of delivering equitable, accessible and inclusive services for the future.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 7 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is giving to the proposals by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Orkney Islands Council and Orkney Enterprise for a containerport in Scapa Flow to develop shipping transportation businesses between North America, Europe, the Far East and the UK.
Answer
The Executive maintains close liaison with the locally led initiative of Orkney Islands Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and Orkney Enterprise which is investigating the market for a container transhipment terminal at Scapa Flow. Highlands and Islands Enterprise has contributed to the costs of investigating this proposal.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18316 by Susan Deacon on 20 November 2001, when it will discuss the need for dental services drop-in centres in the major cities with relevant NHS Boards and Primary Care Trusts.
Answer
We are in discussion with one NHS Board about their plans for a drop in centre and have approved recently two emergency dental service pilots which include provision for the treatment of unregistered patients.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when the proposed NHS Boards will put agreements in place with education authorities relating to the administration of medicines in schools.
Answer
Guidance on the administration of medicine in schools was issued on 4 September. The guidance emphasises the need for co-operation between education authorities and NHS boards to ensure that adequate provision is made for the administration of medicine and refers to the NHS planning process as a suitable mechanism. The means for education authorities and health boards to reach agreement on this issue are therefore in place.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many posts for orthodontic practitioners (a) exist and (b) are vacant in each health board area.
Answer
The following table shows orthodontist posts in NHSScotland hospitals and vacancy information for hospital consultants, together with information on the number of NHS General Dental Services orthodontic practitioners. The data are shown as headcount.Orthodontists by Health Board - Staff in Post and Vacancy Information
| | Hospital Orthodontists (at 30/09/2000) | NHS General Dental Services Orthodontic Practitioners in Post4,5,6 |
| | Consultants in Post | Consultant Vacancies1,2 | Other Grades in Post3 | 30/09/2000 | 30/09/2001 |
| Scotland | 26 | 2 | 50 | 70 | 70 |
| Argyll & Clyde | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Ayrshire & Arran | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Borders | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Dumfries & Galloway | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fife | 1 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 7 |
| Forth Valley | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Grampian | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Greater Glasgow | 5 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 17 |
| Highland | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Lanarkshire | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
| Lothian | 2 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 20 |
| Orkney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shetland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tayside | 3 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Western Isles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Common Services Agency | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Medical and Dental Census at 30 September 2000 and is provisional, ISD Scotland.Notes:1. A vacancy is defined as a post which is funded but unoccupied at 30 September. Funded means money is avaliable and a decision has been made to fill the post.2. Vacancies are those posts vacant as 30 September 2000 irrespective of when the vacancy arose.3. Comprises Associate Specialist, Staff Grade, Specialist Registrar, Senior House Officer, Dental Advisor, Hospital Practitioner and GDP (para 107 appointment).4. Some NHS General Dental Services practitioners provide orthodontic treatment only.These dentists are known as NHS General Dental Services orthodontic practitioners.All NHS General Dental Services practitioners, which included NHS General Dental Services orthodontic practitioner, enter into a contract with their local Primary Care Trust (PCT) or Island NHS Board (HB).5. An NHS General Dental Services practitioner may have (i) more than one contract with a PCT/HB if he/she has more than one practice; (ii) a contract with more than one PCT/HB if he/she practises in more than one PCT/HB area.As a result, the sum of the number of NHS General Dental Services orthodontic practitioners working in each PCT/HB area exceeds the total number of NHS General Dental Services orthodontic practitioners in Scotland.6. Some orthodontic treatment can also be provided by General Dental Services practitioner who do not specialise in orthodontics.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18370 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 October 2001, when the Healthy Respect National Health Demonstration project will produce an evaluation report and whether this evaluation will form the basis for extending the project throughout the rest of Scotland.
Answer
The Healthy Respect National Health Demonstration project is being independently evaluated by the University of Aberdeen and it will report its findings by early 2004.The independent evaluation programme will identify implications for policy and practice and inform discussions about the best course of action to improve Scotland's health. A Scotland-Wide Learning Network is being established to help draw together and share lessons learned during the course of the Healthy Respect, Starting Well and Have a Heart Paisley national health demonstration projects.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why there has been a reduction of 9,065 people receiving home care over the two-year period from 1998 to 2000, as detailed on page two of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000.
Answer
There has been a move to providing more intensive home care over the two-year period from 1998-2000. Whilst there has been a reduction in the number of people receiving home care, the number of hours received by each client has increased from 5.1 hours per week in 1998 to 5.6 hours per week in 2000. Over the same time period the number of older people receiving intensive home care (more than 10 hours per week) has increased from 9.6 clients per 1,000 population in 1998 to 11.4 in 2000.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 December 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why the number of people receiving home care as detailed in table 5.1, page 65 of Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 fell by 11,068 between the years 1998 and 2000.
Answer
As noted in Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000, this reduction is likely to be due to re-classification of clients into other more appropriate client groups rather than a change in the way the service is provided.
