Chamber and committees

The only specific disease known to be linked to selenium deficiency is Keshan Disease, a disorder of the heart muscles primarily in children found in some areas of China where the soil is severely deficient in selenium. The Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA) reviewed the nutritional implications of estimated selenium intakes in the UK and agreed that:

selenium intakes and measurements of selenium status should continue to be monitored;

further research should be encouraged to investigate whether the current levels of intake are adequate or whether the body adapts to changing intakes;

there is currently no evidence of adverse health consequence from current intakes.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-18371.

There are no rapid detoxification clinics in Scotland at present. The Executive's Effective Interventions Unit is in the process of commissioning a research review to examine the evidence on the effectiveness of a range of treatments for opiate users, including residential and community detoxification. The results of this review will enable Drug Action Teams to consider whether such clinics offer best practice.

The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) has now considered the final evaluation report of the chlamydia screening pilot projects run in England over the year to August 2000 and has concluded that a universal national screening programme for chlamydia is not feasible at the present time. The emphasis should rather be on targeted programmes for particular groups. In this respect the national health demonstration project, Healthy Respect, will shortly pilot chlamydia testing in a range of settings to help achieve its headline target of an increase in the reported cases of chlamydia amongst young people by 2003 through raised awareness. This will underpin delivery of the longer-term target to decrease reported prevalence of this infection by 50% by 2010.

We are currently undertaking a review of the implementation of the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland. This review will cover, amongst other aspects, funding of infertility treatments by health boards. This work is an on-going process but initial results should be available in 2002.

The number of organ donor leaflets requested from the Scottish Executive so far this year has already exceeded last year's total by over 31,000. The Scottish Executive has recently provided funding support towards a billboard and cinema advertising initiative organised by the Scottish Transplant Co-ordinators, which took place during Transplant Awareness Week.

The Scottish Executive is currently considering a range of potential measures to raise public awareness about organ donation. We have asked the Scottish Transplant Group to develop a strategy to increase organ donation and I expect to be able to make an announcement once I have received its report later this year.

One key way of helping to increase organ donation rates is for people who would be willing to donate organs to discuss their intentions with their family, so that the family is aware of those intentions if they are ever asked to decide whether organ donation should take place.

As an interim measure, pending the outcome of the negotiations on the GP contract, we are currently discussing with the profession in Scotland the introduction of a limited package of incentives aimed at GP recruitment and retention. Details will be announced when negotiations are complete.

The needs of rural areas will be taken closely into account in the forthcoming UK-wide negotiations to amend the GP contract. We will also learn from the work of the solutions group which the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative has established to examine specific recruitment and retention issues affecting staff across the full range of NHS work - including doctors. These include professional isolation and out-of-hours commitments associated with working in remote areas.

Also, Personal Medical Services schemes allow different contractual arrangements to be tested. GPs can be salaried either by Primary Care Trusts or within practices or pilots can be practice-based. Earlier this year I announced an additional investment of £18.5 million to support the development of PMS. The extra resources were allocated to all health boards but the greatest share of resources went to those areas with high levels of deprivation and rural communities.

The Physical Activity Task Force was set up in June 2001 with the remit of producing a strategy for increasing physical activity levels amongst the Scottish population. This group will give a progress report by the end of this year with a draft strategy being planned for the spring of 2002.

The Scottish Executive has provided £8 million over three years for smoking cessation and health education and prevention activities. This supports a range of initiatives including cessation services. Since April 2001 a full range of NRT products has been available on prescription. Smoking cessation was identified as a priority for investment from the £26 million Health Improvement Fund, and NHS Boards and Health Education Board Scotland (HEBS) have targeted resources in order to increase smoking cessation and prevention activities. HEBS are currently working on a smoking cessation resource pack for health professionals and development of health education and smoking cessation services for school age children.

The Scottish Voluntary Charter on Smoking in Public Places, which aims to promote good practice and extend consumer choice to have non-smoking areas in public places such as pubs and restaurants, was introduced in May 2000. Key players from the Scottish licensed and hospitality industry have signed up to the Charter, and some thirteen hundred businesses have adopted the Charter in its first year.