Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the regulation of chiropractors, who are regulated as health professionals by the General Chiropractic Council (GCC), an independent regulatory body. Degree qualification and continuing professional development are both linked with statutory regulation by the GCC. The prime purpose of all such statutory regulation is to protect the public, not to gather an evidence base.

The GCC sets standards of chiropractic education, conduct and practice, and recognises degree programmes that achieve those standards. It ensures that those who have registered continue to meet the requirements, including those for continuing professional development. It requires chiropractors to practise evidence-based care, which is defined as having three components: best available evidence; the preferences of the patient and the expertise of practitioners. This is reflected in the GCC''s Code of Practice and Standard of Proficiency, which can be accessed at:

http://www.gcc-uk.org/page.cfm?page_id=1550.

The GCC recently commissioned an evidence review of manual therapies, which can be accessed at: http://www.gcc-uk.org/page.cfm?page_id=1550.

Chiropractors must be registered with the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) in order to practise in the UK. In terms of the Chiropractors Act 1994 it is a criminal offence for anyone to describe himself/herself as any kind of chiropractor if he/she is not registered with the GCC.

There are currently 2,728 chiropractors registered with the GCC, 172 of whom are registered as practising in Scotland.

I have asked Tracey Slaven, Chief Executive of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

In 2009-10, SAAS funded 11 Scottish domiciled students studying chiropractic courses at the University of Glamorgan. The figure has risen to 12 in 2010-11. We do not fund any students at the Chiropractic College in Bournemouth.

Decisions about what courses to offer are for individual universities, as independent bodies, rather than for Scottish Government ministers.

The existing guidelines from the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland (EAGISS) are included as part of the considerations of the National Infertility Group.

Sub-groups of the National Infertility Group have been established to explore the eight initial issues which were set out in its role and remit. Good progress has been made to date and the Group will provide an initial summary report of progress to Ministers within the agreed timescale.

Where NHS boards have commissioned the services of chiropractors for NHS patients, then GPs are able to refer patients to those chiropractors under the NHS, according to agreed referral protocols between the NHS boards and healthcare professionals.

At present there is no application for the restoration of Castle Tioram with Historic Scotland.

Any scheduled monument consent application would be assessed by Historic Scotland on behalf of Scottish Ministers. As with all such applications, Historic Scotland will provide advice to the applicants, assess the case on its own merits taking into account the relevant legislation, policy and best practice and will give a provisional view to the applicants. If the applicants are not content with this view, they can elect to have the case heard by an independent reporter at a public local inquiry. The reporter''s report would then be sent to Scottish Ministers who will reach a final view without the further involvement of Historic Scotland.

The member will know an application for scheduled monument consent for the restoration of Castle Tioram was refused by ministers in 2002 following a public local inquiry.

Ministers are keen to ensure that this nationally important ancient monument does not deteriorate and Historic Scotland have indicated a willingness to consider grant-aid for any urgent repairs and for improving visitor interpretation without prejudice to the owner''s long-term aspirations.

A wide range of public and professional information is already available in respect of pneumococcal disease and prevention through vaccination. For the public, NHS Health Scotland, who produce information materials to support the childhood vaccination programmes, have a series of publications which aim to ensure awareness of pneumococcal disease and prevention through vaccination. These include Ready Steady Baby, A Guide to Childhood Immunisations for Babies up to 13 Months of Age and A Guide to Immunisations at 12 and 13 Months. Information leaflets produced by the Scottish Government to support the adult pneumococcal vaccination programme are also widely available. All of this information is available on the new immunisation Scotland website, www.immunisationscotland.org.uk, which was launched earlier this year.

Immunisation is the most effective way of preventing pneumococcal disease. Routine immunisation rates in babies with pneumococcal vaccine is high in Scotland, with the most recent vaccine uptake rates being 97.1%.

In addition to the above, the Scottish Meningitis Awareness Group, which is chaired by Health Protection Scotland and which involves Health Scotland, NHS24 and leading meningitis charities, exists to promote awareness of meningitis and septicaemia (conditions caused by invasive pneumococcal disease) amongst the general public and health professionals. The group has been responsible for a three year awareness raising campaign for both the public and health professionals. This campaign targeted specific population groups and produced a range of materials and leaflets which are available at:

http://www.healthscotland.com/topics/immunisation/meningitis.aspx.

In the past, work has been done around promoting awareness (and immunisation) in particular at-risk groups such as asplenics and those with cochlear implants

For health professionals, pneumococcal disease is also covered in the NHS Education Scotland elearning package Promoting Effective Immunisation Practice. Each year the Chief Medical Officer writes to health professionals reminding them of the importance of pneumococcal disease and of the need to promote and deliver vaccination to those at risk.

In addition to the wide range of awareness raising and information materials currently produced by Health Scotland and the Scottish Government, each year the Chief Medical Officer writes to health professionals, including all general practitioners, reminding them of the importance of pneumococcal disease and of the need to promote and deliver vaccination to those at risk.

The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network has produced two guidance documents which refer to the recognition and management of pneumococcal infection (Community Management of Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Adults (June 2002) and Diagnosis and Management of Childhood Otitis Media in Primary Care (February 2003)). Both of these documents highlight the importance of pneumococcal immunisation in preventing pneumococcal disease. These documents can be accessed at:

http://www.sign.ac.uk/guidelines/.

In 1999, an enhanced surveillance scheme was introduced for invasive pneumococcal disease which is jointly managed by Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and the Scottish Meningococcus and Pneumococcus Reference Laboratory. The information produced by the enhanced surveillance system is routinely monitored by HPS to detect any trends in disease epidemiology.