- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the NHS drugs bill has been in each of the last three years.
Answer
The NHS drugs bill in eachof the last three years is given in the following table.
| Financial Year | Drugs Bill Cost |
| 2000-01 | £639.16 million |
| 2001-02 | £701.43 million |
| 2002-03 | £773.41 million |
The cost of the drugs billis the gross ingredient cost of drugs, dressings and appliances, minus pharmacydiscount.
- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on (a) atypical antipsychotic drugs, (b) antipsychotic drugs, (c) antidementia drugs and (d) Ritalin, in each of the last three years.
Answer
The information requested is given in the following tables. The data provided in respect of (d) is given for methylphenidate hydrochloride, which is available in a number of proprietary forms i.e. Ritalin, Equasym, Tranquilynand ConcertaXL. The cost given is the cost of items before addition of any pharmacy fees and deduction of any discount and patient charges. Data in the tables show the total number of prescribed items dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors but do not take into account medicines dispensed by hospitals or hospital-based clinics.
(a) Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs
| Year | No. of Prescribed items | Gross Ingredient Cost (£) |
| 2000-01 | 123,625 | 9,376,381 |
| 2001-02 | 185,808 | 13,310,985 |
| 2002-03 | 240,835 | 16,996,057 |
(b) Antipsychotic Drugs
| Year | No. of Prescribed items | Gross Ingredient Cost (£) |
| 2000-01 | 534,983 | 11,419,967 |
| 2001-02 | 495,899 | 15,211,789 |
| 2002-03 | 524,270 | 18,789,379 |
(c) Drugs for Dementia
| Year | No. of Prescribed items | Gross Ingredient Cost (£) |
| 2000-01 | 12,311 | 1,089,611 |
| 2001-02 | 20,931 | 1,941,139 |
| 2002-03 | 33,497 | 3,285,396 |
(d) Methyphenidate Hydrochloride
| Year | No. of Prescribed items | Gross Ingredient Cost (£) |
| 2000-01 | 22,407 | 428,345 |
| 2001-02 | 24,886 | 480,542 |
| 2002-03 | 30,276 | 786,527 |
The information in thetables has been provided by ISD.
- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to monitor the success or failure of the healthy living campaign.
Answer
A comprehensive monitoringand evaluation programme has been in place since the launch of the healthyliving campaign. We are tracking awareness and understanding of the TV adverts.We are monitoring the number and type of calls to the advice line and level oftraffic to the healthy living website, as well as demand for theseservices in different socio-economic groups. Success in the longer term will bemeasured using data from on-going surveys such as the Scottish Health Survey.
- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current recommended intake levels of selenium are for (a) males and (b) females.
Answer
I have been advised by theFood Standards Agency that the Reference Nutrient Intake for selenium is 75mcg/d for an adult male and 60 mcg/d for an adult female. An increase of 15mcg/d is recommended for lactating women.
- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidelines have been issued on the recommended number of dieticians employed in hospitals.
Answer
The British DieteticAssociation is currently working on guidelines on the number of dieticiansrequired across a number of general specialty areas. However the associationhas made no recommendations about numbers of dieticians in hospitals. Noguidelines have been issued by the Scottish Executive on the recommended number ofdieticians in hospitals in Scotland.
- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether research has been carried out into any links between nutritional deficiencies and mental health illness.
Answer
The Chief Scientist Office,(CSO), within the Scottish Executive health department, has responsibility forencouraging and supporting research into health and health care needs in Scotland.CSO is largely a response mode funder of research and this role is well knownand advertised throughout the health care and academic community.
CSO has directly funded one recentlycompleted research project into links between nutritional deficiencies andmental health illness entitled, “Can schizophrenic patients improve their diet?”.A copy of the executive summary of the findings can be found on the ChiefScientist Office (CSO)’s website, http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/cso,under Publications/Executive Summaries/May 2003 - Health Services Research,project reference number K/OPR/2/2/D396.
CSO would be pleased toconsider further research proposals for innovative studies on this subject of asufficiently high standard. These would be subject to the usual peer andcommittee review.
In addition, the NationalResearch Register (NRR), a UK-wide research database, records two on-going projectsand a small number of completed projects on links between nutritionaldeficiencies and mental health illness. Details of these projects are availablefrom the NRR, a copy of which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib.number 17404).
- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the use of vitamin and mineral supplements for elderly people has been considered as a preventative action in relation to the long-term health of elderly people.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currently considering the risks andbenefits associated with vitamin and mineral supplements for the elderly. Thiswork is being taken forward as part of the implementation of Adding Life toYears, the report of the expert group on the health care of older people.
- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many dieticians are currently employed in each hospital.
Answer
Theavailable information on all dieticians employed in NHS Scotland is shown byorganisation in the table. Information by individual hospital is not availablecentrally.
DieticiansEmployed in NHSScotland by Organisation
| Headcount and Whole Time Equivalent: at 31 March 2003 | | |
| Organisation | Headcount | WTE |
| Argyll and Clyde Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | 16 | 14.0 |
| Lomond and Argyll Primary Care NHS Trust | 11 | 9.4 |
| Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Primary Care NHS Trust | 14 | 11.2 |
| Ayrshire and Arran Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | 25 | 23.0 |
| Ayrshire and Arran Primary Care NHS Trust | 25 | 21.2 |
| Borders Primary Care NHS Trust | 15 | 11.2 |
| Dumfries and Galloway Acute and Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust | 8 | 6.3 |
| Fife Primary Care NHS Trust | 35 | 30.2 |
| Forth Valley Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | 14 | 12.8 |
| Forth Valley Primary Care NHS Trust | 16 | 13.8 |
| Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust | 26 | 20.3 |
| Grampian Primary Care NHS Trust | 37 | 26.1 |
| South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust | 19 | 16.4 |
| North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust | 36 | 31.7 |
| Yorkhill NHS Trust | 14 | 11.5 |
| Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust | 43 | 34.8 |
| Highland Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | 9 | 7.0 |
| Highland Primary Care NHS Trust | 10 | 6.5 |
| Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | 27 | 22.5 |
| Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust | 20 | 19.0 |
| Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust | 39 | 31.9 |
| West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust | 10 | 7.2 |
| Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust | 28 | 23.3 |
| Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust | 17 | 14.3 |
| Tayside Primary Care NHS Trust | 29 | 24.0 |
| Orkney Health Board | 3 | 2.5 |
| Shetland Health Board | 1 | 1.0 |
| Western Isles Health Board | 4 | 3.1 |
| Highland Health Board Headquarters | 1 | 0.2 |
| Golden Jubilee National Hospital | 2 | 2.0 |
| State Hospital | 1 | 0.5 |
| Scotland | 555 | 459.1 |
Source:National Manpower Statistics from payroll ISD Scotland
- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to hospitals regarding patients' nutrition.
Answer
The Executive recognisesthat high quality, nutritious food is essential to improving the health andfunctional ability of hospital patients. In February 2002, the NationalNursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Advisory Committee published a report;
PromotingNutrition for Older Adult In-Patients in NHS Hospitals in Scotland. The aimof the report is to provide professionals with practical guidance on how toimplement the nutritional standards as set down in the Nursing Homes ScotlandCore Standards for Nutritional Care.
NHS Quality ImprovementScotland issued new clinical standards for food, fluid and nutritional care in hospitalson 19 September 2003. The new standards will help improve the quality ofmeals and drinks provided in Scotland’s hospitals and make sure that thedietary need of all patients are identified as soon as they go into hospital.
- Asked by: Adam Ingram, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to introduce full annual health checks for those aged 75 and over.
Answer
The terms of service forgeneral practitioners already require them each year to invite each of theirpatients aged 75 or over to participate in a consultation to assess whether thepatient has any need for general medical services.
