- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 10 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage share of total health expenditure has (a) been used and (b) is budgeted in future for general medical services, both (i) cash limited and (ii) non-cash limited in each year from 1996-97 to 2002-03.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15283.
- Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 May 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 9 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why the number of people receiving home care services delivered by local authorities has reduced by 13,246 from 1997 to 2000, as identified in the report by the Accounts Commission, Overview of the 1999-2000 Local Authority Audits.
Answer
This is indicative of a change in the pattern of home care services through the period and of a shift toward increasing the proportion of clients requiring more intensive levels of care at home. We are continuing to prioritise home care services and have provided councils with additional resources to extend and improve the home care provision in their areas. The increases in resources for community care of £90 million, £135 million and £195 million in this and each of the next two years respectively will involve major additional investment in home care services.
- 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 Iain Gray on 2 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether training on drug and alcohol addiction is included in the education and training programme of medical students, social workers and nurses.
Answer
Training on drug and alcohol addiction is provided by each of the five medical schools in Scotland. It is also included in pre-registration nursing courses, and within the Diploma in Social Work qualification.
- 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 2 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the development of Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network guidelines or for a Health Technology Board for Scotland appraisal on the care and rehabilitation of drug addicts.
Answer
Neither the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) nor the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) have this topic in their current work programme. The Executive currently has no plans to ask them to consider it.However, anyone may propose a topic to either body by using the topic proposal forms available on their website (
www.sign.ac.uk and
www.htbs.org.uk). This would then be considered according to the organisation's published process for the selection of topics.
- 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 2 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any restrictions on dental therapists' place of work, in particular, on moving from a hospital or community dental service to a general practice, under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 and the Dental Auxiliaries Regulations 1986 (SI 1986/887); whether it will detail any such restrictions, and what plans it has to remove any such restrictions to increase patient access to appropriate dental care and treatment.
Answer
The Dentists Act 1984 gives power to the General Dental Council (GDC) to make regulations governing dental therapists, among other dental auxiliaries. That power is restricted so that, without an Order in Council, dental therapists cannot undertake the filling of teeth or the extraction of deciduous teeth in general dental practice. In addition, regulations made by the GDC prevent therapists from carrying out other activities in general practice. Whether these restrictions should be altered is a regulatory matter falling within a reserved area. The desirability of lifting or modifying these restrictions, in order to increase patient access while assuring the quality and safety of treatment, is the subject of discussion with the UK Government.
- 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 Jim Wallace on 2 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it is making to Her Majesty's Government that levels of illegally imported cigarettes and alcohol should be reduced, given the impact on its public health strategy.
Answer
The Scottish Executive shares the concerns of Her Majesty's Government about the impact of illegally imported cigarettes and alcohol. There is close contact with HM Customs and Excise Law Enforcement Directorate about a range of serious and organised crime issues through the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency.The UK Government announced, in March 2000, the "tackling tobacco smuggling" strategy, which aims to put cigarette smuggling into decline within three years. The strategy will deliver more aggressive enforcement activity, which will detect and deter other forms of smuggling, including alcohol.
- 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 Iain Gray on 2 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on methadone treatment in each of the past five years.
Answer
Information on the total cost of the methadone treatment programme is not available centrally.Total costs include the cost of methadone, fees to pharmacists to dispense methadone and to supervise consumption, the cost of counselling and social support and fees to GPs participating in shared care schemes. There are also costs of providing specialist drug services.Health boards received an additional £2 million for all drug treatment services this year, giving a total of £14.352 million.
- 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 Malcolm Chisholm on 2 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to include vaccination for pneumococcal meningitis in the routine childhood immunisation programme.
Answer
At present, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is not recommended for routine use in the childhood immunisation programme. However, studies to assess the possible role for pneumococcal immunisation in the UK programme are currently ongoing and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent expert committee which advises UK Health Departments on vaccination and immunisation issues, will review the evidence once these studies have been completed.
- 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 2 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce "no-fault" compensation schemes for NHS patients.
Answer
There are currently no plans to alter the way in which compensation is claimed and settled for acts of possible clinical negligence. Our efforts are directed at continually improving clinical standards and performance and so reduce the incidence of negligence.
- 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 Iain Gray on 2 July 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money was spent on drug and alcohol rehabilitation treatment outwith Scotland for Scottish patients in each of the past five years.
Answer
Information on the total cost of drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation for Scottish patients outwith Scotland is not available centrally.Health boards received an additional £2 million for drug treatment services this year, giving a total of £14.352 million. Local authorities have been allocated an additional £6.8 million for drug rehabilitation services. This additional funding will enable Drug Action Teams to plan an integrated approach to the provision of services locally.
