Chamber and committees

The Scottish Executive does not collect routine information centrally on the costs of specific operations in the NHS.

As set out in the January 2001 Audit Scotland report, Waste Management in Scottish Hospitals, the performance of NHS Trusts in adhering to the fundamental principles of good waste management is generally very good albeit that examples of poor practice were identified in various areas including training, staff compliance with safety standards and the monitoring of uplift and disposal of clinical waste.The NHSScotland Clinical Waste Steering Group in collaboration with the NHS in Scotland Property and Environment Forum has issued specific guidance to NHS Trusts, in the form of Scottish Hospital Technical Note 3 - version: 3 August 2000. It is also considering the Audit Scotland Report and will prepare an Action Plan which will address the issues raised in the Report. The opportunity to underline the importance of not only complying with statutory requirements, and following codes of practice and best practice guidance specific to arrangements in Scotland, will be taken.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-11383 on 23 February.

The NHSScotland Clinical Waste Steering Group is considering the Audit Scotland Report and will prepare an Action Plan which will address this issue, amongst others, in collaboration with the NHS in Scotland Property and Environment Forum. The outline objectives of the Action Plan will be to produce further waste training/education guidance to encourage waste segregation and promote minimisation.

Current training programmes are expected to produce sufficient trained staff to meet the projected increases in the number of consultants outlined in Our National Health: A plan for action; a plan for change. The Executive will also shortly undertake a fundamental review of medical workforce planning that will look at the many complex areas surrounding the supply of trained doctors to NHSScotland.

I am currently considering the position of the Scottish Heart Transplant Unit and intend to make an announcement in the near future. It will cover the points raised in the question.

GP morale is affected by many factors, some of which are beyond the scope of Government. However, the Scottish Executive values the work of all health professionals and is working closely with professional groups to ensure that their needs are addressed. A range of measures is set out in the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, which was published in December.

Medical devices, including operating theatre tables, are regulated at UK level by the Medical Devices Agency. Scottish Healthcare Supplies, which is a division of the Common Services Agency, acts on behalf of the Health Department to monitor the safety of medical devices in Scotland. I understand that Scottish Healthcare Supplies is currently investigating reports of a small number of recent incidents involving malfunctions of operating tables. No conclusion has yet been reached on potential risks to patients.

Measures include:Scottish Dental Access Initiative grants to encourage practitioners to set up or expand NHS practices in areas of unmet patient demand or high oral health need, including rural and remote areas where pro rata grant may be offered for opening a part-time branch practice, anda scheme whereby fees may be paid to dentists travelling to remote or rural areas for loss of remunerative time spent on travel and to compensate the dentist where visits are cancelled at short notice.In areas of sparse population and in other areas where there are difficulties in attracting NHS dentists, health boards or primary care NHS trusts may apply to Scottish Ministers to approve the appointment of one or more dentists directly salaried by the NHS to provide dental services. The problems of NHS dental access in remote and rural areas are currently under review.

The Scottish Executive is tackling many of the problems which can cause children to run away. Examples of this include grant aid for Who Cares? Scotland to extend advocacy service throughout Scotland for young people who have experience of being looked after in public care, and the National Strategy to Address Domestic Abuse in Scotland has key initiatives to address the specific needs of children and young people both in the provision of refuge and of support services. The Executive is also considering the recommendations in the Aberlour Trust's publication Missing Out - Young Runaways in Scotland.