- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will copy the NHS trial to be introduced in England of having hospital pharmacists monitor and control the use of antibiotics as part of a scheme to reduce the development of antibiotic resistant infections such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Answer
The Executive has no such plansat present. The actions being taken by the Executive and health professionals inNHSScotland to monitor and control the use of antibiotics are set out in The Right Medicine: A Strategy for Pharmaceutical Care in Scotland and - as partof an integrated UK-wide approach - in The Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy and Scottish ActionPlan. These were published in April and June 2002 respectively. Copies are availablein the Parliament’s Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase NHS provision by independent contractors such as GPs and pharmacists.
Answer
The new General Medical Services(GMS) contract will help to increase NHS provision by GPs. The contract offers incentivesfor GP practices to provide a wider range of services than at present and also introducesa quality and outcomes framework, which for the first time will measure and helpimprove the quality of clinical care and services patients receive. The contractwill be supported by an increase in investment in GMS across Scotland of 33%.
Discussions on the new contractfor community pharmacy contractors are currently on-going with the Scottish PharmaceuticalGeneral Council and decisions on the content and range of services to be providedhave yet to be made. However, we will be consolidating and building on the rangeof professional skills and services that community pharmacists already provide forpatients. The opportunity will also be taken to ensure that the new GMS contract andthe new community pharmacy complement each other, to improve overall patient care.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #60 million announced by Scottish Water to be spent in Aberdeenshire will be invested in repairing broken pipes and other restorative measures downriver to ensure that low water levels do not endanger salmon stocks on the River Dee.
Answer
Scottish Water is investing £2.7million to renew or repair 40 kilometres of water mains within Aberdeen andAberdeenshire. This work is prioritised to ensure those pipes which are in the worstcondition are fixed first and that the funds invested will produce the greatestbenefit in the area. In addition to the current investment to repair or replacepipes, Scottish Water is also investing resources to evaluate the impact of leakingon water networks across Scotland and this information will be used to identify futureinvestment priorities. Water abstraction from the River Dee is regulated by ScottishEnvironmental Protection Agency and there has been no indication from them whichsuggests Scottish Water’s abstraction levels are detrimentally affecting the river.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 1 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are for a reservoir facility to reduce dependence on water extraction from the River Dee in Aberdeenshire in order to feed homes and industry planned for future development and to take account of low water levels that may threaten the survival of spawning salmon in the river.
Answer
Scottish Water does not at presenthave plans for a reservoir facility in the area. Water abstraction from the RiverDee is regulated by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and there has beenno indication from them which suggests Scottish Water’s abstraction levels are detrimentallyaffecting the river. The water currently being used is well below allowable limitsand overall actual demand for water is expected to remain stable in the area.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 July 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 29 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to set scientifically-based maximum safety limits for food supplement preparations.
Answer
I am advised on this issue bythe Food Standards Agency and I consider that maximum limits should be set at levelswhich protect public health, but neither unnecessarily limit consumer choice norunduly restrict trade.
The Food Standards Agency hasalso advised that a full review to inform the setting of maximum safe upper levelsof vitamins and minerals in food supplements has recently been completed by theUK’sExpert Group on Vitamins and Minerals (EVM). The EVM’s report was published on 8 May 2003.
Article 5 of the Food SupplementsDirective sets out the principles for setting maximum levels of vitamins and mineralsin food supplements, although no such levels have yet been set. The European Commissionwill make a separate legislative proposal in future. The Food Standards Agency,which is responsible for negotiations on this issue, takes every opportunity topress this stance on limits bilaterally with other member states. The EVM’s advicewill form the basis of the UK’s position when substantive discussions on setting maximumlimits at EU level take place.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 29 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned into the potential effect of the use of the Terrestrial Trunked Radio telephone system on the health of police officers who use the system and people in close proximity to such officers; what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government on research carried out elsewhere in the UK on this matter, and whether it has met with the providers of the system to discuss its possible effect on medical equipment used in hospitals, clinics and medical practices and on items such as pacemakers and hearing aids.
Answer
Scottish ministers have a commoninterest with the UK Government in the introduction of the new police radio communicationssystem Airwave which uses Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) technology. ScottishPolice Forces are part of the Home Office-led research programme, which includesa detailed study involving 150 officers to determine whether Airwave signals haveany effect on the well-being of users and a national 15-year health monitoring programmeinvolving up to 100,000 police Airwave users.
In addition, the Defence Scienceand Technology Laboratory is carrying out a study into the possible biological effectsof TETRA. An objective of the programme is to determine whether TETRA pulse modulatedradio frequency fields can affect calcium levels and signalling in neurones andother cells.
There is no research lookingspecifically at the possible effects of Airwave use on people who come into randomcontact with the system.
NHSScotland has taken accountof studies into the effects of mobile phones and TETRA on medical devices. The ScottishHealthcare Supplies Safety Action Note SAN(SC)01-10, 12 April 2001, “Medical Devices,TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio System) and outside media broadcasts from hospitalpremises: risk of interference with medical devices” concluded that “The risk tomedical devices from the use of TETRA handsets is comparable to that from GSM cellularphones.” It went on to advise that, “All personnel using TETRA handsets on hospitalpremises should therefore be made aware of, and follow, the local policy guidelinesapplicable for cellular phone systems.”
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 26 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make information on the legal standing, constitution and articles of association for the Scottish Independent Hospitals Association available, in light of the National Care Commission having made it a requirement of registration that independent hospitals in Scotland are members of the Scottish Independent Hospitals Association.
Answer
Independent hospitals in Scotlandhave been regulated by the Care Commission under the Regulation of Care (Scotland)Act 2001 since 1 April 2002. The Care Commission has confirmed that membership of the Scottish Independent Hospital Association is not a requirement of registrationfor independent hospitals.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will include patients, visitors and staff in any surveillance programmes to minimise the risk of hospital-acquired infections.
Answer
Reducing the risk of HealthcareAssociated Infection (HAI) is very important for the well-being of patients andstaff, and is one of NHS Scotland’s national priorities.
The Clinical Standards Boardfor Scotland (now NHS Quality Improvement Scotland) published standardson HAI Infection Control in December 2001. Members of the public were involved inagreeing the standards. NHS boards’ performance against the standards has been reviewedby NHSQIS teams which included representatives of the public; reports were publishedin January 2003.
The HAI Task Force, chaired bythe Chief Medical Officer, is undertaking a programme of work to support the NHSin tackling HAI more effectively; for example, the task force has published forconsultation an NHS Scotland Code of Practice on Infection Control and a NationalCleaning Services Specification. The consultation process invites suggestionsfor enhanced public involvement in monitoring compliance with the code ofpractice and the national cleaning services specification.
A national mandatory hospitalinfection surveillance system was introduced in 2001 to monitor MRSA blood infections.Since then, monitoring has been extended to include surgical site infections, withparticular reference to neurosurgery and orthopaedics. The results of the MRSA monitoringwork are analysed by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health(SCIEH) and are published quarterly.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a published grading scheme for hospital cleanliness and hospital-acquired infections.
Answer
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland hasissued standards on Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Infection Control andon Cleaning Services for NHSScotland. Audit Scotland has also undertaken workon the performance of NHS cleaning services. Reviews of performance against thesestandards have been undertaken, and the results published – most recently in January2003. A further round of reviews will be undertaken by NHSQIS and reports published,in 2004.
- Asked by: Mr David Davidson, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 22 August 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 September 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what pilot studies it will promote to reduce the number of non-attendances at hospital and GP appointments.
Answer
The Executive believes thatthe best way to reduce the number of patients who fail to attend NHSappointments is through more effective and timely communications with patientsand more streamlined access to services. The white paper
Partnership forCare sets out plans for a programme of service redesign that will supportthese objectives. As regards hospital appointments, I recently launched the Out-patientProject, which includes piloting new arrangements for booking out-patientappointments. The ratio of non-attendance at clinics covered by the pilots willbe monitored.
As regards GP appointments,the Executive has invested £30,000,000 in the modernisation programme toincrease capacity and improve access. A further £7.6 million is being investedover the next three years through the advanced access programme, whichaims to provide patients with same-day access appointments.
