- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 6 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will commission road safety inspections on the A90 at Stonehaven, Muchalls, Newtonhill, Portlethen and Marywell.
Answer
A review of the accidentpatterns on the A90 between Dundee and Aberdeen was carried out in 2003. While no specific issueswere identified at any of the junctions referred to there were recommendationsto improve some signs, road markings and high friction surfacing at the Bridge of Muchalls andCharlestown Interchanges. These improvements are programmed for completionduring 2004-05.
In addition, the ScottishExecutive carries out an annual review of the trunk road network to identifyaccident cluster sites or areas with high accident rates. The current review isbeing finalised and any sites that can be treated by low cost engineeringmethods will be prioritised and added to the 2004-05 remedial programme.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have died from hepatitis C infection since the announcement of the ex gratia payment scheme for those who contracted the disease through blood products in the NHS and who, although qualifying, did not receive any benefit from the scheme.
Answer
We do not know how manypeople, who have been infected with hepatitis C in this way, have died sincethe announcement on 29 August 2003. In the case of eligible people who die between 29 August 2003 andthe time when the scheme is in a position to make payments, payments will bemade to their dependants.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to acute trusts with regard to the use of patients' own medication for chronic conditions when patients go into hospital.
Answer
The Scottish Executive hasnot issued any guidance to acute trusts with regard to the use of patients’ ownmedication for chronic conditions when patients go into hospital.
The Right Medicine: AStrategy for Pharmaceutical Care in Scotland commits the Executiveto explore systems which will allow, wherever possible, the dispensing ofpatient packs in all situations across primary, secondary and tertiary care. Thisshould include the implementation of suitable medication self-administrationschemes in hospital.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the provision of nurses specialising in Parkinson's disease.
Answer
NHS boards are responsiblefor planning services in their area and for securing the staff needed todeliver them.
The Scottish Executiveremains committed to building the capacity of the NHSScotland workforce. Underthe Facing the Future banner £10million has been provided for a number ofnursing initiatives over the last 2 financial years including funding forcontinuous professional development.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 4 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) dentistry graduates, (b) applicants to dental schools and (c) places available for dental students there have been in each of the last two years.
Answer
The latest informationavailable on the numbers you have requested is as follows:
Dentistry graduates (firstdegree)
Dentistry applications
In answer to your final question, the number of dental students in Scotland was traditionally based on a set number starting the course (maximum number starting the first year). However, in order to better plan the number of postgraduate places for dentists in Scotland, in 2000 the Scottish Executiveset an annual output target for dental graduates of 120. SHEFC with theUniversities are tasked with ensuring that graduate output is as consistent aspossible and adjust the intake yearly based on course failure rates. On thisbasis, information on the number of places available for dental students is notheld centrally, but retrospective data may be obtained directly from the dentalschools.
The new output of graduatesfor 2006 is presently estimated well above the 120 target with over 130graduates expected.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 3 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when work will commence on the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and when it will open for use.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-26 on 6 June 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 26 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients had been waiting longer than nine months for in-patient treatment at the end of 2003.
Answer
Validated waiting timesfigures for 31 December 2003 will be published by ISD Scotland on its“NHSScotland Acute Activity, Waiting Times and Waiting Lists” website on Thursday 26 February 2004.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 20 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to retain young dental graduates after the "golden hello" scheme ends.
Answer
There are no current plansto end “golden hello” payments. From 1 April 2004dental graduates undertaking vocational training in Scotlandwill be entitled to an allowance of £3,000 or £6,000 where they undertakevocational training in a designated area. Thereafter where a dentist enterssubstantive general dental service practice within three months of completionof training they will be entitled to an allowance of £10,000 over two years or£20,000 if they enter substantive practice in a designated area.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 20 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how a homeless person not in receipt of benefits can access NHS general ophthalmic services.
Answer
Entitlement to a free NHSsight test under NHS general ophthalmic services is limited to certaincategories of people, including those aged under 16, those aged 60 and over,the registered blind and partially sighted, diagnosed diabetics and glaucomasufferers and those in receipt of certain benefits/tax credits. Those homelesspeople who fall within the entitlement categories can access a NHS sight testby visiting a high street optician who undertakes NHS general ophthalmicservices. Those people who do not fall within any of the entitlement categoriescannot access NHS general ophthalmic services.
Health and HomelessnessActions Plans highlight the need to ensure homeless people can access sighttests. Concerted effort is being made across Scotland by NHS boards to improveall aspects of health care for homeless people through actions plans and thisis the route by which optical services needs of homeless people could beaddressed.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 20 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that "golden hello" payments for new dentistry graduates do not result in the closure of small dental practices due to practice costs not being recovered as a result of such graduates earning more than their practice principals.
Answer
The payment of “goldenhellos” has no impact on practice costs. These payments are made to eligibledentists who are directly responsible for meeting the conditions of payment andany potential re-payments in circumstances where they fail to meet theconditions.
