Chamber and committees

A stakeholder engagement process for the Detect Cancer Early Initiative was undertaken during August 2011. The draft implementation plan was circulated within Scottish Government Health Directorates, NHS groups (Public Health, screening, hospital and primary care services), third sector representatives (principally cancer charities) and medical, nursing and Allied Health Professional colleges to seek views on the strategic direction and implementation of the programme.

Feedback was overwhelmingly supportive, endorsing the overall aims and objectives of the plan. There were various suggestions for further improvements, comments on some of the detail around implementation and offers of support to take forward the various components. However, the programme was generally considered to be very ambitious and challenging to deliver – the effort required from all sections of the NHS in partnership with the public to deliver the programme was recognised.

The final implementation plan takes account of the feedback and, where possible, incorporates the suggestions made. The final plan is available at the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/health/cancer/ScottishCancerTaskForce/DetectCancerEarly/FinalImplementationPlan.

A table showing the number of people who received care in their own homes in each of the last ten years, broken down by local authority area, has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 53909).

This information is also published on the Scottish government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/Data/HomeCare#top.

Scottish Renewables has estimated that there are over 11,000 jobs already supported by the renewables sector in Scotland. There is no breakdown in the contract length within these full-time equivalent figures. Our Skills Investment Plan estimates that the sector will offer 40,000 job opportunities by 2020 given the amount of renewable development required to meet our ambitious 2020 target. These jobs will be met from those already employed within the sector or related sectors as well as those moving into employment. Further job opportunities within the supply chain that supports the renewables sector are also expected and we have already seen a number of major renewable investment announcements in the first few months of this year that will result in hundreds of jobs across Scotland.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Information on the General Dental Service Adult Dental Fees including average expenditure per head of population, and General Dental Service Child Dental Fees including average expenditure per head of population is published on the Information Services Division (ISD) website at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Dental-Care/Publications/data-tables.asp?id=590#590.

Yes. Joint guidance on eligibility criteria for free personal and nursing care was issued by the Scottish Government and COSLA in September 2009. Local authorities were asked to confirm that their local arrangements were compatible with this guidance. All 32 local authorities confirmed that this was the position by December 2009.

The Scottish Government, in partnership with COSLA, also issued guidance on
22 March 2010 to local authorities on Monitoring of National Standard Eligibility Criteria and Waiting Times for free personal and nursing care of older people. A new data collection has been developed that records the eligibility criteria and waiting time of clients receiving a new Free Personal and Nursing Care service. The first data from this new collection was released as “Data under development” on 29 March 2011.

The difference in the number of hours per person per week in Angus and Fife, which is highlighted in Audit Scotland’s report Commissioning Social Care, may be down to a number of factors including differences in local populations and needs, the services available in local authority areas, as well as the success of councils and NHS boards in providing care at home and a return to independence without further support. It may also be an issue with the manner in which uptake of services are recorded locally. Further analysis is needed before drawing conclusions.

The Scottish Executive is promoting a preventative care approach in a number of ways through partnership working between health boards, local authorities and the third and independent sectors. We are investing £300 million in the Reshaping Care Change Fund to ensure we accelerate the progress of shifting the balance from acute settings to care provided in the community and get better at early intervention.

To further help local partnerships develop their preventative services the Scottish Government is working to develop an Intermediate Care Framework for Scotland, due to publish shortly. This document includes a number of case studies, and practical advice for local areas to develop services that will not only be able to focus on prevention but will provide a bridge from acute hospital care back into the community, where required.

The guidance on National Eligibility Criteria and Waiting Times for the Personal and Nursing Care of Older People includes specific reference to moderate and low level needs and the provision of preventative or other support services is addressed. The guidance states that councils and their partners should consider whether the provision of services or equipment or other interventions might help prevent or reduce the risk of an individual’s needs becoming more intensive. It also asks councils to ensure that they have in place clear arrangements for meeting, managing or reviewing the needs of individuals who are not assessed as being at “critical” or “substantial” risk, including provision of preventative or other support services appropriate to the clients’ needs.

The home care statistic in isolation does not show the extent to which local authorities and their partners are putting in place preventative approaches. Home care is but one of a range preventative services, including Intermediate Care; voluntary services, such as befriending services, and sheltered housing complexes. We have also invested heavily in Telecare services, indeed in 2011 more people were provided with Telecare than received home care services.

<>I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06899 on 8 May 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

<>The information requested is available in the publication Analysis of Patients Aged 65+ on Emergency Admissions (Numbers, Bed Days & Rates) and Multiple Emergency Admissions (Patients, Bed Days & Rates) published by NHSScotland Information Services Division in March 2012, and is available on the internet at http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Hospital-Care/Publications/2012-03-27/Over65_Mar12.xls.

Responsibility is devolved to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) to commission (informed by robust needs assessment) evidence-based, person-centred and recovery-focused treatment services to meet the needs of their resident populations, including people affected by co-occurring problem alcohol and drug use and mental health issues.

The Quality Alcohol Treatment and Support (QATS) report, published in 2011, is a key resource for guiding ADPs in the delivery of services they commission. The report makes clear that before treating a client, alcohol and drug services should undertake a full and ongoing assessment of client need in order to provide appropriate support and referral onto other services (such as specialist mental health) if necessary.

The report further identifies that the majority of specialist alcohol and drug treatment services in Scotland provide psychological interventions which are known to be effective in improving motivation to change, confidence and coping skills. Such interventions are also valuable in helping with a range of mental health issues.

The Mental Health Strategy which will be published before the summer will include further targeted work on how mental health and alcohol services work together.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Information on the number of dentists providing General Dental Services, or assisting with the provision of General Dental Services, the number of patients registered with a dentist under General Dental Service arrangements, and patient participation rates is published on the Information Services Division (ISD) website:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Eye-Care/Publications/2011-07-26/ophthalmic_table_C_july11.xls.