- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it gave to increased demand on NHS services and constraints on the time of NHS staff and on the availability of space within NHS out-patient departments in reaching its target that no patient should wait longer than six months for a new out-patient appointment by 2006 as stated in target 7 of the health and community care section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys, and whether it will publish details of such consideration.
Answer
In setting the new national maximum waiting time target of six months for a first out-patient appointment, we have taken account of record levels of investment in the NHS which will enable more resources to be deployed to meet growth in demand, for example by increasing numbers of consultants and nurses and making substantial investment in buildings and IT equipment. Moreover, the Centre for Change and Innovation will support and facilitate new and innovative ways of working. The Executive believes that NHS boards and trusts will meet the new target by 2006 and that the people of Scotland will welcome this commitment to reducing out-patient waits.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest technologies available for the treatment of cancer are and how much it plans to invest in these technologies in each year to 2005-06.
Answer
At any time there are a variety of potentially new technologies for the treatment of cancer being researched or undergoing clinical trials throughout the world. These may include novel gene therapy, new equipment or more sophisticated forms of existing equipment, new drugs or other interventions.The Health Technology Board for Scotland is responsible for providing evidence-based advice to NHSScotland on the clinical and cost effectiveness of new and existing health technologies (medicines, devices, clinical procedures and health care settings).
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest technologies available for the treatment of strokes are and how much it plans to invest in these technologies in each year to 2005-06.
Answer
Stroke medicine is a continuously advancing field. Our Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy, which we will publish shortly, will set out arrangements designed to make sure that people in Scotland who have had a stroke can benefit at as early a stage as possible from those advances.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive by what percentage it will reduce food-borne illness in Scotland as part of the UK 20% reduction target by 2006 as stated in the health and community care section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys and what funding it will allocate in each year to 2005-06 to achieve this target.
Answer
The Food Standards Agency have advised me that they are committed to reducing food-borne illness in Scotland by at least 20%, by 2006.The funding allocated to reduce food-borne illness across the spending review period is:
| 2003-04 | £1.4 million |
| 2004-05 | £4.1 million |
| 2005-06 | £3.9 million |
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the #36 million it plans to allocate to the modernisation and improvement of general practitioner and dental facilities as stated in the health and community care section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys will be distributed in a lump sum of over #5 million for any capital building work, or as more than #1 million over four years for any IT improvements.
Answer
The detailed deployment of the resources identified for the modernisation and improvement of general practitioner and dental facilities has yet to be determined.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to fund to improve the recruitment and retention of NHS frontline staff as stated in the health and community care section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys; how much these measures are likely to cost, and by how much it estimates the NHS frontline workforce will improve as a result of these measures.
Answer
Record sums are being invested in the NHS by the Scottish Executive so that we can revitalise services for patients everywhere. As part of our action on workforce development we are encouraging innovative multi-professional teamworking. We are working at local, regional and national levels to provide attractive career opportunities for staff at all levels and in all specialities.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it estimates that each community place for people leaving hospital will cost #20,000, given that it will provide #20 million each year to 2005-06 to provide 1,000 such community places as stated in the health and community care section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys, and what plans it has to help these people and ensure that their discharge from hospital is not delayed.
Answer
This investment will enable 1,000 additional people to move from hospital into more appropriate community-based settings at varying costs. It will also allow local authority and NHS board partnerships to put in place a variety of other measures to tackle delayed discharge, including admissions avoidance and rapid response.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest technologies available for the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) are and how much it plans to invest in these technologies in each year to 2005-06.
Answer
The treatment of coronary heart disease is a continuously advancing field. Our CHD and Stroke Strategy, which we will publish shortly, will set out arrangements designed to make sure that people in Scotland who suffer from CHD can benefit at as early a stage as possible from those advances.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a hospital case can be treated other than as in-patient, day case or out-patient.
Answer
The terms in-patient, day case and out-patient denote the type and level of resource used to treat a patient during a particular contact with hospital services. These terms are formally defined by ISD Scotland in its Definitions and Codes manual, which can be accessed at the following web address. Other defined terms include day patients, ward attenders, accident and emergency attenders and nurse only clinic attendances.
http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/isd_services/NHSiS_services/National_data_standards/defsmanual.htm.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial rewards it will provide to nurses who are willing to take on wider roles as stated in the health and community care section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys; what incentives it will provide to doctors to focus on where their skills are needed in the NHS where the specialities involved are not considered as interesting or as popular as others, and what level of funding it will provide to achieve these commitments.
Answer
Record sums are being invested in the NHS by the Scottish Executive so that we can revitalise services for patients everywhere. As part of our action on workforce development we are encouraging innovative multi-professional teamworking, and seeking to reward staff appropriately to the level of responsibility carried. We are working at local, regional and national levels to provide attractive career opportunities for staff at all levels and in all specialities.
