Chamber and committees

The information requested cannot be predicted with accuracy, because it is affected by individual decisions to retire. I also refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-15147.The General Practitioner sub-committee of the Scottish Advisory Committee on the Medical Workforce are, however, currently working with ISD Scotland to develop a statistical model to project the overall supply and demand of the GP workforce in Scotland.

The response to question S1W-14975 advised that there were no plans for a review of primary care services.We recognise that Local Health Care Co-operatives (LHCC) have a key role to play in the design and delivery of local primary care services. The LHCC Best Practice Group has been asked to make proposals for strengthening the influence of LHCCs in all aspects of service design, planning and delivery. This group has now completed its final report, and we shall announce shortly our proposals for the next steps in their development.

The Information and Statistics Division no longer collects monthly data on inpatient and day case waiting lists; validated data is collected and published quarterly. It is the Executive's view that quarterly progress reporting on this issue is the appropriate frequency. Data on outpatient waiting times is taken from case level data collected throughout the year, making quarterly analysis and publication the most practical frequency.

There are no plans to introduce primary care commissioning in Scotland. Our National Health has stated that services need to be designed and delivered as close to patients and communities as possible. LHCCs have a key role to play in this and we shall announce shortly our proposals for strengthening their role.

In December, when the Budget Documents were being prepared, the Executive had not completed consideration of the allocations to individual health bodies. Since then the Executive has decided to allocate £1,981,000 to the Mental Welfare Commission in 2001-02, an increase of over 31%.

Community mental health staff work closely with GPs, hospital physicians and community services (including those run by local authorities and voluntary organisations) to deliver services. Good professional practice will ensure that information about patients is shared appropriately between these services. This is supported by information systems which are maintained by health and local authority services.

The NHSScotland Clinical Waste Steering Group expect to be in a position to present the Action Plan recommendations to NHS Trusts and other NHSScotland bodies by mid summer 2001.The NHS in Scotland Property and Environment Forum, which supports the Clinical Waste Steering Group, plans to have further training/education guidance in place by the end of the current financial year. This work is part of the Forum's business plan for this year and will be taken forward with funds from a landfill tax grant.

The Health Technology Board for Scotland's (HTBS) assessment of interventions to maintain recovery from alcohol dependency, one of the first 3 topics for assessment, includes the evaluation of several drugs.Additionally, HTBS will comment on all National Institute for Clinical Excellence Appraisals to place them in a Scottish context. This work will include several topics related to drug treatments. The HTBS will announce further topics later in the year and is actively canvassing interested parties for suggestions. As outlined in its process documents, HTBS will ensure there is a balance of drugs, devices, clinical procedures, and healthcare settings considered in its work programme.

There is no ECHR case law to date which imposes a duty on states to provide funding for women to receive fertility treatment.The report of the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland, which was published in February 2000, provides a robust evidence base for the management and delivery of infertility services in Scotland. All health boards and NHS Trusts in Scotland have been asked to work towards implementation of the recommendations in the report as resources permit.There are no plans to change current policy in this area.

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning in cancer, organisation of screening services for diabetic retinopathy, and interventions to overcome alcohol dependency will be the first Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) performed by the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) and reflect major commitments in Our National Health: a plan for action, a plan for change.

Specifically, these HTAs support the commitment for continued improvements in cancer survival rates from better diagnosis and treatment, the establishment of a national screening strategy to raise the standard of diabetes care, and a plan for action on alcohol misuse.The national clinical priorities influence HTBS's approach to its work and are considered when topics for assessment are being selected.