- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure equity of, and access to, treatment and care for myeloma throughout Scotland, particularly in relation to new drugs and techniques.
Answer
The tumour specific multidisciplinary cancer networks aim to ensure that the bestpossible quality of care is provided equitably across a geographical area.
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS), 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 andhealthcare settings). The responsibility for the implementation of NHS QIS advice lies with NHS boards who should take account of the advice and ensure that recommended treatments are made available to meet clinical need.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding was available for research into a cure for myeloma in each of the last five years and what future funding will be made available.
Answer
The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department has responsibility for encouraging and supporting research into health services and patient care within the NHS in Scotland. The CSO is largely a response mode funder and this role is well advertised throughout the health care and academic community. The CSO has not funded any research projects in the recent past into a cure for myeloma and has no future expenditure commitments in this area. However, cancer is a research priority and the CSO would be pleased to consider proposals for research on myeloma which would be subject to the usual peer and committee review.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 18 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide free dental check-ups within easy access of every community.
Answer
Through the partnership agreement we have undertaken to systematically introduce free dental checks for all by 2007 and are discussing with the dental profession the method of implementation. And we have introduced in recent months a range of measures aimed at improving access to NHS dental services.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review infection control in care establishments.
Answer
All care services in Scotland (including children’s services) regulated by the Care Commission are required to demonstrate that the service is operated in line with all necessary legal requirements and best practice guidelines. This includes relevant guidelines on infection control.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to education authorities on the phasing out of subject principal teacher posts in secondary schools.
Answer
Staffing structures and the role of subject principal teachers in schools are matters for each local authority to determine.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether free eye tests will be provided by every optometrist and, if so, how much the cost of each test will be to the Executive.
Answer
As currently, only those optometrists/ophthalmic medical practitioners on NHS board lists will provide free NHS eye checks. Discussions on implementation of free eye checks are ongoing with the optometric profession.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many magnetic resonance imaging scanners there have been in each year since 1997.
Answer
This information is not held centrally in the format requested. However, provisional data from 2003 suggests there were 26 magnetic resonance imaging scanners in place across Scotland.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cancer scans took place annually from 1995 to 2003 and whether it has any plans to increase the number of such scans taking place.
Answer
The information is not held centrally in the format requested.
A number of tests and investigations can be carried out to confirm or otherwise a cancer diagnosis. These tests can include computerised tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, both of which are used to help diagnose and assess many different conditions including cancer.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the median waiting times are for cancer treatment, broken down by cancer type and NHS board.
Answer
The information is not currently held centrally in the format requested.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it adheres to the recommended maximum wait of four weeks from urgent referral by a GP for radiotherapy treatment and how many patients waited longer than four weeks for radiotherapy treatment, broken down by cancer type, from 1998 to 2003, expressed also as a percentage of the number of patients.
Answer
This information is not held centrally in the format requested.
Standards for good practice, including waiting times, have been published by the Joint Collegiate Council for Oncology. The Scottish Executive’s target for all cancers is that there will be a maximum wait of two months from urgent referral to treatment by 2005.
