Chamber and committees

Dedicated systems of surveillance (with national databases) are either already in place or are being developed for infections caused by three gram positive organisms:

• surveillance of MRSA, in line with my announcement of the Executive's response to the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Infection on 6 August;
• surveillance of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection, which has been introduced to monitor the impact of new vaccines;

enhanced surveillance of Mycobacter tuberculosis, which has been introduced to monitor the emergence of multiple resistance to antibiotics.

Information on operational matters, such as acute bed numbers, is available from Ayrshire and Arran Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

NHSScotland Trusts must comply with all statutes, standards, legislation and codes of practice in relation to waste management. Accordingly all NHSScotland Trusts have been provided with best practice management guidance to enable them to categorise, risk assess, segregate and operate clinical waste disposal procedures in keeping with the law and regulatory framework as monitored by the Health and Safety Executive and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. This guidance recommends the measures to be taken to control the risks of infection, both within the NHS Trust environment and also where the waste has to be uplifted and transported to off-site disposal facilities.These recommended standards ensure the risks of spreading infection or disease are minimal in each step of the disposal process.

Installation of on-site incinerators is a matter for individual NHS Trusts. The information requested is not held centrally.

The recent report A framework for national surveillance of hospital acquired infection sets out the details of the new system to collect standardised, comparable data on the incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in Scotland. The report, which has been disseminated to NHS Scotland, provides a standard definition of HAI which will form the basis for collection of data in the new national system.The report is available at www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd. A copy has been placed in the Parliament's reference centre.

I refer to the answer to question S1W-17468.

The number of higher specialist training posts available in Scotland is regularly adjusted to meet the projected number of new consultants needed to meet known and anticipated turnover and local service developments. In March 2001 the specialist registrar establishment for radiology was increased from 76 to 88, meaning that the total number of specialist training posts in radiology has risen by almost 16% in the last year.We will consider whether further posts should be part of the targeted increase of 375 junior doctors for future years which I announced on 2 of April 2001. As I announced on 20 of June, Professor John Temple is chairing the fundamental review of workforce planning which was a commitment in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change. This review will consider the many complex areas surrounding the supply of trained doctors to NHSScotland.Information from ISD Scotland for 30 of September 2000, which is the latest available, indicates that there were 16 consultant vacancies and no staff grade vacancies in the specialty of radiology, a reduction from 18 vacancies in the previous year. Vacancy data is collected for consultant and staff grades only. Information on waiting lists and waiting times for radiology is not currently available centrally, but we are testing how such information might be collected.

NHS Trusts must ensure that they have adequate infection control arrangements in place, based on comprehensive guidance provided by the Health Department. I have recently outlined steps to establish new standards for infection control and compliance checking arrangements, to be overseen by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland.

The information is not held centrally.

I refer to the answer to question S1W-17468.