- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14717 by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 July 2008, when it expects a definitive outcome to consideration and implementation planning by groups other than the West of Scotland Regional Planning Group on ambulance services to meet the growing demand for transfer to hospitals for primary angioplasty and what additional resources will be made available to ensure that other category A calls will be dealt with within agreed national targets when ambulances are undertaking such transfers.
Answer
A business case for the introduction of optimal reperfusion therapy is being considered by the South East and Tayside Regional Planning Group.
The North of Scotland Planning Group is developing a model of optimal reperfusion which takes account of geography and the availability of clinical staff. In addition to pre-hospital thrombolysis, which will continue to be provided in appropriate cases, plans are being made for the provision of daytime primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for those within 60 minutes'' travel time of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
These plans, which have been developed in conjunction with the Scottish Ambulance Service, take account of the service''s targets relating to all category A calls.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14717 by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 July 2008, when it expects a definitive outcome to the West of Scotland Regional Planning Group’s consideration and implementation planning on ambulance services to meet the growing demand for transfer to Hairmyres Hospital or the Golden Jubilee National Hospital for primary angioplasty and what additional resources will be made available to ensure that other category A calls will be dealt with within agreed national targets when ambulances are undertaking such transfers.
Answer
The West of Scotland Regional Planning Group has agreed to support the introduction of an optimal reperfusion therapy service. The service modelling undertaken by the group, in conjunction with the Scottish Ambulance Service, is intended to ensure that the redesign of services for patients requiring primary PCI does not prejudice the Scottish Ambulance Service''s ability to respond to all category A calls in the region.
To back-fill the use of ambulances transporting patients to the primary PCI centres, the Scottish Ambulance Service will be deploying two additional rapid response vehicles in the region. Repatriation of patients after primary PCI will be undertaken by two new dedicated ambulances in order to further reduce pressure on front-line ambulances.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria for payments for kinship carers have been agreed between it, COSLA, local partners and stakeholders.
Answer
The commitment within the concordat is to pay approved kinship carers of Looked After Children a weekly allowance at the equivalent rate as paid by the local authority to its foster carers.
We continue to support the payment of allowances based on TFN''s recommended rate of allowance. It is however up to individual local authorities to decide on an appropriate rate of allowance based on their local need and priorities.
Looked After children are those who are children subject to:
A supervision requirement made by a children''s hearing under section 70 of the 1995 act.
A child accommodated by the local authority under section 25 of the 1995 act.
An order made or authorisation or warrant granted by virtue of chapter 2, 3 or 4 of Part II of the 1995 act.
A placement made by a local authority which has taken parental responsibility under section 86 of the 1995 act (to be repealed shortly under the Adoption and Children Act 2007).
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 19 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospitals (a) have and (b) do not have specialist pharmacists advising on the use of antibiotics in both the prevention and treatment of Clostridium difficile.
Answer
The
Antimicrobial Prescribing Policy and Practice 2005, and
Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan 2008 guidance documents called for all NHS boards to establish an Antimicrobial Management Team (AMT), which would include an antimicrobial pharmacist, to cover both primary and secondary prescribing activities.
The Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group (SAPG), advised that not all NHS boards have an established AMT, and therefore the HAI Task Force has announced in CEL30 2008 on 8 July 2008, funding of £40,000 for each mainland NHS board and £20,000 for Island Boards for 2009-10 and 20010-11, with two thirds for the current financial year, to enable each NHS board to rapidly appoint an antimicrobial pharmacist.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is undertaking on the health needs of patients making GP appointments within the extended hours.
Answer
The intention of extended hours is to increase the availability of routine GP appointments outside of normal office hours, regardless of the patient''s background or circumstance. We are, therefore, not undertaking research on the health needs of patients accessing GP appointments during extended hours.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is undertaking on the appropriateness of usage of GP appointments within the extended hours.
Answer
The intention of extended hours is to increase the availability of routine GP appointments outside of normal office hours, regardless of the patient''s background or circumstance. There is in principle no restriction on who may book an extended hours appointment although they will be of most benefit to patients who are unable to attend during normal office hours and GP practices may encourage other patients to make use of existing in-hours appointments whenever possible. We are, therefore, not undertaking research on the health needs of patients accessing GP appointments during extended hours.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is monitoring the extent of the use of extended hours in GP surgeries.
Answer
We are monitoring the take up of extended hours in GP surgeries through NHS boards. As of 1 August, over half of GP practices in Scotland have indicated that they intend to provide extended opening.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-14851 by Adam Ingram on 3 July 2008, whether, in relation to the commitment in its concordat with COSLA to pay approved kinship carers of looked after children a weekly allowance, it will ensure that progress on this commitment is reported annually by COSLA for all children being looked after both formally and informally.
Answer
Progress against each of the commitments in the concordat will be reported annually by COSLA. The commitment only covers arrangements made for kinship carers of children who are Looked After as defined in the answer to question S3W-15325 on 19 August 2008.
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.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S3W-14851 by Adam Ingram on 3 July 2008, what steps it is taking to ensure that there is no discrimination against families in the payment of allowances where the recommendations in Getting it Right for Every Child in Kinship and Foster Care on establishing informal arrangements are followed.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15325 on 19 August 2008 which refers to the criteria for payment of an allowance to approved kinship carers of Looked After Children and for whom the local authority has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the child and to the response to question S3W-15326 on 18 August 2008, which refers to the wider support of the Scottish Government for all kinship carers.
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.
- Asked by: Dr Richard Simpson, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to improve the status of kinship carers.
Answer
The Scottish Government has taken a range of actions to improve the status and address the needs of kinship carers. This includes:
Providing new central financial resources to local authorities to meet our joint commitment within the National Concordat to pay a weekly financial allowance to an approved kinship carer of a looked after child.
The development of guidance by the Getting it right for every child in kinship and foster care reference group on support for kinship carers.
Central funding of Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) to deliver a specialist advice and information service for all kinship carers.
Work undertaken by Scottish ministers, in conjunction with UK ministers, to discuss improvements to the UK benefits and taxation system as it effects kinship carers.
