Chamber and committees

Improving Health in Scotland - The Challenge, published in May 2003, does not set targets for the reduction of specific risk factors such as a trial fibrillation, cholesterol levels or high blood pressure, but provides a strategic framework for action to promote a healthier lifestyle and behaviours that will reduce the risk of conditions such as stroke. The Challenge re-iterates the target, first set out in Towards a HealthierScotland (1999), for reducing by 50%, between 1995 and 2010, deaths from cerebrovascular disease in people under 75.

The stroke Managed Clinical Networks which are being developed in each NHS board areaas a key part of our Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke Strategy have as one oftheir main aims the development of stroke prevention strategies.

The Partnership Agreement sets out a range of initiatives, consistent with the White Paper Partnership for Care,which addressed the twin challenges of improving health standards andredesigning health services.

The prescription data available centrally is not patient-specific but relate to the number of prescribed items. It is therefore not possible to say how many ofthese prescriptions relate to those who have been diagnosed with atrialfibrillation.Thedata presented in the following table shows the number of prescriptionsdispensed in the community, broken down by NHS board, for the financial yearending 31 March 2003.

NHS Board	Warfarin	Aspirin
Argyll and Clyde	48,870	244,066
Ayrshire and Arran	36,217	189,506
Borders	14,363	58,638
Dumfries and Galloway	20,746	95,338
Fife	30,910	187,533
Forth Valley	30,491	146,206
Grampian	52,119	202,828
Greater Glasgow	85,280	473,380
Highland	20,125	94,365
Lanarkshire	55,595	318,237
Lothian	61,043	290,581
Orkney	1,759	8,149
Shetland	2,505	9,963
Tayside	43,841	185,008
Western Isles	3,947	19,252
Scotland	507,811	2,523,050

The Scottish Executive has been actively involved, along with Scottish Enterprise Grampian,the local authority and other local partners, in measures to support diversify andregenerate the Peterhead economy. These measures include the recent implementationof a local action plan which aims to focus collective resources on building sustainablecommunities throughout the Buchan area.Therehas been no specific discussions with Her Majesty’s Government.

In Scotland, the introduction of newborn hearing screening will be taken forward in two steps. The first step which involved the establishment of two screening pathfinder sites in Tayside and Lothian NHS Boards is in place with screening of newborn babies in these areas beginning in January and March 2003 respectively. The second step involving the roll-out of the screening programme in all NHS boards areas across Scotland is expected to be in place by April 2005.

The Executive regularly meets carers' organisations, including respite care providers, to discuss a range of issues including the provision of respite care. Comprehensive guidance on respite care policy and practice was issued to local authorities by the Scottish Office in 1996. This guidance is still in force. In addition, since April 2002, where respite care includes the provision of accommodation, the service must be registered with the Care Commission, which takes account of National Care Standards in regulating such services. It is for local authorities and NHS services locally to decide on the best way to provide respite services to meet local needs and priorities. Planning authorities need to take account of all relevant matters when considering planning applications for respite care facilities, which may include guidance on policy and practice, and national care standards.

The UK Health Departments' Drug Misuse and Dependence - Guidelines on Clinical Management provide comprehensive information on the treatment of drug misuse, including residential care.The provision of residential care is also addressed in Integrated Care for drug users - Principles and practice and "The effectiveness of treatment for opiate dependent drug users - an international systematic review of the evidence". Both publications are produced by the Executive's Effective Interventions Unit. These publications have been given a wide distribution to Drug Action Teams and other interested parties.Decisions on treatment and rehabilitation interventions are for local service providers and individual patients. This principle applies to choices between residential or community-based care. It is for local Drug Action Teams to design and deliver services for drug misusers tailored to meet local needs and priorities.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1635 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-1635 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The funding for nurse prescribers is not a training grant given to individual nurses. It is allocated to trusts via their boards on the basis of named lists of nurses who are eligible to undergo training. These lists are submitted to the Executive by the trusts. The funding is used both to pay course fees and to help support trainee prescribers. The sum allocated was initially £700 per person, but increased to £1,000 per person at the beginning of 2003.Trusts have received £700 funding for 516 nurses and £1,000 funding for 217 nurses. This number continues to increase as trusts submit further lists of nurses to be trained. So far, £578,200 has been paid. The budget for 2003-04 is £710,000, and in addition to supporting the training of nurse prescribers it will also be used to support the training of pharmacists as supplementary prescribers.Seven higher education institutions in Scotland are providing training for Extended/Supplementary nurse prescribers. These are Glasgow Caledonian University, Robert Gordon University, University of Paisley, University of Dundee, University of Stirling, Napier University and Queen Margaret University College.No targets have been set for the next three years because it is expected that trusts will put forward their named lists on the basis of what best meets the needs of patients in their areas, taking into account local disease patterns and issues such as remoteness and rurality. The Scottish Executive will, however, continue to closely monitor uptake of the prescribing courses in the light of its commitment to improve access for patients to appropriate treatment.