Chamber and committees

This question cannot beanswered from national data. However, workis underway to establish an agreed clinical dataset for accident and emergency(A&E). This would address issues such as information on reasons foradmittance to A&E. A nationally co-ordinated procurement exercise isshortly to be concluded to establish a framework contract which will enablethose hospitals which do not have up-to-date A&E computer-based supportsystems to obtain one. When all A&E units have such a system and an agreedclinical dataset is implemented the type of information sought will beaccessible.

This questioncannot be answered from national data.

Discussions will be takingplace with the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to ensure that measures are putin place with a view to ensuring that any NHS staff on protection under Agendafor Change on a mark time basis will not lose out in pension payments infuture.

Agenda for Change proposals, if agreed, will apply in full to allstaff directly employed by NHS organisations, except very senior managers andstaff within the remit of the Doctor’s and Dentists’ Review Body. This is theposition across the UK. Chief executives in small trusts whose job weightis under 720 points will be covered by Agenda for Change. There will beseparate arrangements for chief executives, directors at board level and seniorposts with a job weight over 720 points after job evaluation.

Our aim is that individualswho wish to complain should have ready access to a suitable source ofindependent advice and support set up for this purpose. Local health councils, whichare appointed by NHS boards, do already offer help to individuals who approachthem, but they do so to a varying extent.

We will therefore ask NHS boardsto ensure that a suitable source of independent advice and support is set upfor this purpose. Proposals will need to be agreed with the Scottish HealthCouncil, which should be represented on the commissioning group and be involvedin monitoring its effectiveness.

Nationally, speech and languagetherapists work unconditioned hours and in some cases locally hours exceed thenew standard of 37.5 hours proposed under Agenda for Change. In thiscontext, alongside the standard hours of 37.5, Agenda for Changeprovides for out of hours and, separately, unsocial hours rewards. These termsare currently not in the national agreements for speech and languagetherapists.

Figures provided by theGolden Jubilee National Hospital show that during the period 1 July 2002 to 31October 2003, the hospital undertook 757 coronary artery bypass grafts-heart valvereplacements, and 205 angioplasties.

NHS Greater Glasgow and itsplanning partners are preparing local initiatives across their NHS system toenable them to cope with the pressures of winter. Greater Glasgow NHS Board isactively working with their clinical colleagues to explore the reasons for thecurrent pressures, and have assured me that they will continue to review theirwinter arrangements to ensure they are robust.

Under their Acute ServicesReview, NHS Greater Glasgow does not plan to reduce the number of medical beds.Instead, they plan to redeploy beds between three sites rather than the currentfive. Greater Glasgow NHS Board continues to work with its trusts and planningpartners to ensure there is effective preparation for winter demand.

The cardiac unit at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital provides diagnostic services (angiography) and treatments (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft/Heart Valve Replacements and Angioplasty) for heart disease. Information provided by the hospital on the percentage utilisation of capacity at its cardiac unit in each of the six months from May 2003 to October 2003 is given in the following table.

Golden Jubilee National Hospital: Percentage Of Cardiac Capacity Utilised In Period May–October 2003.

Month	Percentage Utilised
May 2003	85%
June 2003	89%
July 2003	78%
August 2003	54%
September 2003	65%
October 2003	60%