Chamber and committees

This guidance, to be issued under Section 5(1) of the Social work (Scotland) Act 1968, is being developed as part of implementation of the Sensory Impairment Action Plan, which is designed to improve community care services for all adults with a sensory impairment in Scotland. A small group of representative interests consisting of local authorities, service users and other professionals is currently undertaking this work, and it is anticipated that it will be issued by summer 2006.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22770, answered on 21 February 2006. 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/wa.search.

The Executive is committed toincreasing teacher numbers by 2007. Local Authorities share that commitment andwill have available funding of £18 million in 2006-07 and £44 million in 2007-08through the National Priorities Action Fund.

Multidisciplinary colorectal cancer teams require appropriately trained surgeons, clinical oncologists, medical oncologists, pharmacists, therapy radiographers, radiation physicists as well as nurses and a variety of discipline specific and generic training course are available.

One example is the new development and training programme to provide a further 25 non-medical endoscopists. Medical endoscopists also receive enhanced “Training the trainers” training as part of this programme.

There are also a number of courses leading to the award of specialist practitioner qualification that would be available to nurses specialising in colorectal cancer, such as degree and master level courses in cancer nursing, and in gastro-intestinal nursing.

An additional 14 full-time equivalent nurses will be required to assess and follow up individuals who test positive prior to onward referral for further investigation (colonoscopy). Nurses carrying out these assessments will require additional training but will not require to be a clinical nurse specialist. The provision of this training will be the responsibility of each individual health board as part of general planning for implementation of the Bowel Screening Programme. Advice on the nature of the training required will be provided by representatives from the Bowel Screening Centre.

We are investing in the expansion of the endoscopy workforce in Scotland. Up to 25 non-medical endoscopists, some of whom will be specialist nurses or nurse practitioners, will commence a one year training course from January 2006 at Glasgow Caledonian University. This is an on-going bi-yearly course running in January and September. Once qualified, they will form part of the general endoscopy workforce rather than working exclusively with screen positive individuals. As at January 2005 there were 39 non-medical endoscopists working in Scotland.

There are no plans to increase the number of bowel cancer nurse specialists to care for individuals ultimately diagnosed with bowel cancer. During the Bowel Cancer Screening Pilot, which has been operating in Fife, Grampian and Tayside since 2000, there has been no requirement to increase the number of bowel cancer nurse specialists as existing teams have been able to absorb the additional workload.

The Executive issued new guidance to NHS boards about the establishment and appointment of new nurse/midwife consultant posts in 2001. The guidance outlined the principles to be followed in establishing such posts.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-21320 on 12 December 2005. 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/wa.search.

We are committed to creating a culture of lifelong learning within the NHS.

The vast majority of post-registration education is provided on a part-time basis allowing nurses to remain in clinical work while completing modules, degrees and masters qualifications. In addition, higher education institutions are working closely with NHS Scotland to ensure that post-registration education is accessible and more closely linked to service need. This includes increasing amounts of e-learning, work-based learning and portfolio work.

Information about ICT training and the use of ICT in learning, teaching and community development in Scotland is published in the National Grid for Learning progress reports. The most recent report was published in December 2003.

The annual Learning for Life and Leisure Survey (formerly known as the National Adult Learners Survey) includes information on attitudes towards and the use of ICT. The survey previously covered only England and Wales but will, for the current survey, to be published in 2006, also cover Scotland.

Further sources of information are available about access to and use of ICT, for example from the Digital Inclusion Audit of public access to and use of the internet in social inclusion partnership areas, most recently published in May 2004.

Links to the National Grid for Learning third progress report and Digital Inclusion Audit 2004 are provided as follows:

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/ngflscotland/

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/communities/digitalinclusion/audit.asp.

Yes. The ability to analyse the quality of available information is a necessary skill when accessing material from the web. Citizens can be empowered by their ability to access and use information appropriately and in this respect, work to reduce the digital divide and work to promote information handling skills complement each other.

Media literacy, demonstrated by the confidence with which individuals can manage, exchange and use information from a variety of sources, particularly the web, is important for the economic wellbeing of our country and plays a part in the development of a skilled and knowledgeable workforce. It is important for the maintenance of successful and vibrant local communities. For the individual who through their ability to use technology can learn, work, play, entertain, inform and discover, we are increasing opportunities to fulfil their potential.