- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 1 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many unfulfilled vacancies exist in the NHSiS for (a) clinical psychologists and (b) psychiatrists.
Answer
In connection with question S1W-14202, the member will be aware of a clinical psychology workforce survey which indicated that there were 44.25 (WTE) vacant posts as at 30 September 1998. More recent information is not available as data on the number of vacancies in clinical psychology is currently not collected centrally.The latest information available on the number of consultant and staff grade vacancies in the psychiatric specialties is shown in the following table, which should be read in conjunction with the notes below it. Recent expansion in the psychiatric sub-specialties and the effect of dual training have increased the specialist registrar training period by one year, and this has contributed to the number of consultant vacancies. In recognition of the pressures within psychiatry, the number of posts for doctors in higher specialist training in the psychiatric specialties has been increased from 134 in March 2000 to 139 in March 2001.Consultant and Staff Grade Vacancies in PsychiatryHeadcount as at 30 September 2000
All Psychiatric Specialties | 44 |
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | 8 |
Forensic Psychiatry | 2 |
General Psychiatry | 22 |
Psychiatry of Learning Disability | 1 |
Old Age Psychiatry | 9 |
Psychotherapy | 2 |
Notes:1. Source: ISD M(4), ISD Scotland.2. A vacancy is defined as a post which is funded but unoccupied at 30 September and a decision has been made to fill the post.3. Only consultant and staff grade vacancies are recorded.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 1 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to exempt all people under 25 from prescription charges as recently proposed in the Welsh Assembly.
Answer
We have no plans to do so.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 July 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 1 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed 15 unified NHS health boards will be structured on the same basis as at present.
Answer
Full details of changes in NHS governance and accountability, including the establishment of the new NHS Boards, are contained in the change programme
Rebuilding our National Health Service, published by the Health Department in May 2001, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre and on the Scottish Executive website at the following address:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/health/ronh-00.asp
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 31 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current recommended levels are for the numbers of (a) specialist diabetes consultant physicians, (b) diabetologists and (c) specialist diabetes nurses; how many of each are currently in post, and what plans it has to increase the numbers up to the recommended levels, broken down by health board.
Answer
It is a matter for health boards and Trusts to assess and provide for local needs and to determine the staffing levels required for effective service delivery. National recommendations on staffing levels would cut across these responsibilities and would undermine boards' and trusts' ability to provide a modern, flexible service matched to local needs.
The latest information available on the number of consultants recorded as Endocrinology and Diabetes consultants, broken down by health board area, is shown in the table. There are also general physicians who specialise in treating diabetes but who may not be recorded on that basis. Information on the number of diabetologists and specialist diabetes nurses is not collected centrally.Consultants identified as Endocrinology & Diabetes Consultants in NHSScotland by Health Board AreaHeadcount as at 30 September 2000p
Scotland | 19 |
Fife | 1 |
Forth Valley | 1 |
Grampian | 1 |
Greater Glasgow | 4 |
Lanarkshire | 3 |
Lothian | 6 |
Tayside | 2 |
Western Isles | 1 |
Note:1. Source: Medical and Dental Census, ISD Scotland.
2. Information as at 30 September 2000 is provisional.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 30 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to introduce guidelines to ensure that patients with mental illness are admitted to hospital in a compassionate and dignified manner.
Answer
We are committed to working to reduce stigma and improve access to care and support. We have re-affirmed this most recently in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 27 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether liver function tests are available to patients of GPs in the Fife Health Board area.
Answer
I can confirm that Fife GPs do have access to liver function tests in cases where they judge these to be necessary.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 25 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with mental health problems are assured the provision of practical support for advocacy services as recommended in the Accounts Commission for Scotland report, A Shared Approach.
Answer
Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change requires all NHS boards to work in partnership with local authorities to ensure that integrated independent advocacy services are available to those who need them. In addition, the
Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland encourages the provision of independent advocacy schemes and emphasises the importance of the engagement of advocacy organisations in the joint planning process.
The Mental Health and Well Being Support includes this issue in its discussions with the care agencies and other parties including local advocacy, service user and carer representatives in each area. Where necessary recommendations for improvements are made in the outcome reports from the group.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 25 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether performance indicators for joint working in mental health services have been developed and monitored as recommended in the Accounts Commission for Scotland report, A Shared Approach.
Answer
Both the Scottish Health Advisory Service and the Mental Welfare Commission have indicators which cover joint working. For our part, we have set up a range of measures to further progress implementation of the
Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland, including joint working. The lead rests with the Mental Health and Well Being Support Group, which is visiting each health board area and assessing implementation with the partners locally, including how they work together.
In addition, we are currently consulting on the Performance Assessment Framework for the new unified health boards which will cover joint working on, amongst other things, mental health, and in the course of the next few months we will be reviewing with the Accounts Commission the range of performance indicators across the whole of community care.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 24 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16055 by Ross Finnie on 14 June 2001, which diseases carried by pigs can be passed on to humans.
Answer
The following list of diseases of pigs can be transmitted to humans. However, this list may not be totally comprehensive.
Acanthocephaliasis
Actinomycosis
Amebiasis
Ancylostomiasis
Anthrax
Ascariasis
Babesiosis
Botulism
Brucella suis
Candidiasis
Clonorchiasis
Clostridiosis
Coccidioidomycosis
Colibacillosis
Corynebacteriosis
Crimean-Congo hemorrhahic fever
Cryptosporidiosis
Cysticerchus cellulosum
Dermatophytosis
Dioctophymosis
Encephalomyocarditis
Echinostomiasis
Encephalomyocarditis
Enteritis, hemorrhagic
Erysipelas
Fascioliasis
Fasciolopsiasis
Foot-and-mouth disease
Gastrodiscoidiasis
Gastroenteritis
Gnathostomiasis
Gongylonemiasis
Heterophyiasis
Hydatidosis
Influenza
Japanese B encephalitis
Leptospirosis
Linguatuliasis
Listeriosis
Louping-ill
Melioidosis
Murray Valley encephalitis (wild swine)
Myriases
Necrobacillosis
Nipah virus
Paragonimiasis
Pasteurellosis
Pneumocystis pneumonia
Rabies
Salmonellosis
Sarcocystosis
Scabies, zoonotic
Schistosomiasis
Sparganosis
Sporotrichosis
Staphylococcal food poisoning
Streptococcus
Swine vesicular disease
Taeniasis and cysticercosis
Toxacoriasis
Toxoplasmosis
Trichinosis
Trichuriasis
Trypanosomiasis, African
Tuberculosis, zoonotic
Tungiasis
Vesicular stomatitis
Wesselsborn disease
Yersiniosis, enteroclitic
Yersiniosis, pseudotuberculosis
Zygomycosis
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether general practitioners will be able to screen for diabetes in their surgeries.
Answer
The early detection of disease is a key role of primary care and currently general practitioners can, and do, test for diabetes where the patient's history or symptoms is suggestive that this may be the underlying cause. The majority of GPs also provide diabetes clinics under chronic disease management arrangements for diabetic patients.
