Chamber and committees

There will be no intake of BSc Audiology students at Queen Margaret University in the next academic year.

The last intake of BSc Audiology students entered Queen Margaret University in September of 2009. It was always the case that there would be no further funding for this course from the Scottish Government beyond this date. The last cohort of BSc students will graduate in 2013.

There will be no further intake of Graduate Diploma in Audiology students at Queen Margaret University (QMU).

QMU are in the process of validating a pre-registration Post graduate Diploma/MSc in Audiology which is intended to replace the Graduate Diploma. The validation of this course is expected to take place on 19 April and, providing it is successful, QMU will be offering up to 20 places on this course for the next academic year.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26843 on 9 September 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26844 on 9 September 2009. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The following tables set out Scottish Neonatal Transport Activity, by region, from 2003-04 to 2008-09.

Scottish Neonatal Transport Activity

		Number	Emergency	Out-of-Hours	Air
2003-04	West	632	192	264	33
	South East	285	111	59	2
	North	280	129	83	25
	Total	1,197	432	406	60
2004-05	West	709	246	287	51
	South East	333	132	111	4
	North	231	118	123	30
	Total	1,273	496	521	85
2005-06	West	679	197	381	50
	South East	343	106	157	2
	North	295	84	155	32
	Total	1,317	387	693	84
2006-07	West	566	166	284	48
	South East	324	102	165	1
	North	319	74	149	26
	Total	1,209	342	598	75
2007-08	West	660	174	382	40
	South East	376	118	188	4
	North	363	120	181	42
	Total	1,399	412	751	86
2008-09	West	625	210	189	47
	South East	419	131	147	3
	North	481	162	158	92
	Total	1,525	503	494	142

Source: Scottish Neonatal Transport Service.

The exact number of patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in Scotland is not available centrally. However, national estimates can be given of the number of patients consulting a GP or practice-employed nurse for this condition, based on information obtained from a sample of Scottish general practices participating in PTI (Practice Team Information). The latest year for which PTI data are currently available is the year ending 31 March 2008.

The estimated number of patients aged under 30 who have consulted a GP or practice-employed nurse for rheumatoid arthritis in Scotland, at least once during the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2008, based on PTI data, is shown in the following Table.

Estimated Numbers of Patients aged 30 and Under Consulting for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Scotland, at Least Once

Year ending March	Estimated Patients	95% Confidence Intervals1
2004	595	(307-883)
2005	386	(63-709)
2006	412	(196-627)
2007	589	(322-855)
2008	575	(319-831)

Note: 1. As the estimates are based on data from a sample of practices, 95% confidence intervals are included to indicate the precision of these estimates. For more information see:

www.isdscotland.org/isd/3729.html.

These figures are based on very small numbers of patient consultations and are likely to underestimate the true numbers of patients aged under 30 in Scotland with rheumatoid arthritis. According to the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, there are around 35,000 people in Scotland aged 15 and over diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

We expect clinicians who provide services for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to follow the recommendations in Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) Guideline 48, published in 2000, on the management of early RA. It highlights the benefits of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry and dietetics for the management of RA. The Guideline is due to be revised in summer 2010.

At a meeting with the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) on 3 March 2010, the Cabinet Secretary agreed to set up a meeting between the organisation and relevant SGHD officials to discuss the NRAS proposal that the new approach to the management of RA being piloted in the East of England Strategic Health Authority could be taken forward in Scotland. We would wish to consider how that approach sat with a number of pieces of other work, such as: the development of a national Musculoskeletal Programme; current work on chronic pain, and the Orthopaedics Task & Finish Group being set up by the 18 weeks Referral to Treatment Team

We have indicated our support for the Scottish Society of Rheumatology''s wish to encourage greater involvement of primary care teams, in order to promote a multi-disciplinary approach to RA care, and a willingness to work with the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland on the possibility of developing GPs with a special interest in RA.

The exact number of patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in Scotland is not available centrally. However, national estimates can be given of the number of patients consulting a GP or practice-employed nurse for this condition, based on information obtained from a sample of Scottish general practices participating in PTI (Practice Team Information). The latest year for which PTI data are currently available is the year ending 31 March 2008.

The estimated number of patients who have consulted a GP or practice-employed nurse for rheumatoid arthritis in Scotland, at least once during the period 1 April 2003 - 31 March 2008, based on PTI data, is shown in the following table.

Estimated Numbers of Patients Consulting for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Scotland, at Least Once

Year Ending March	Estimated Patients	95% Confidence Intervals1
2004	21,022	(16,242-25,801)
2005	20,706	(15,259-26,154)
2006	16,985	(14,187-19,782)
2007	16,508	(13,776-19,240)
2008	15,130	(12,356-17,904)

Note: 1. As the estimates are based on data from a sample of practices, 95% confidence intervals are included to indicate the precision of these estimates. For more information see:

www.isdscotland.org/isd/3729.html.

These figures are likely to underestimate the true numbers of patients in Scotland with rheumatoid arthritis. According to the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, there are some 35,000 people in Scotland aged 15 and over diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

The exact number of patients who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in Scotland is not available centrally. However, national estimates can be given of the number of patients consulting a GP or practice-employed nurse for this condition, based on information obtained from a sample of Scottish general practices participating in PTI (Practice Team Information). The latest year for which PTI data are currently available is the year ending 31 March 2008.

The estimated number of patients aged under 16 who have consulted a GP or practice-employed nurse for rheumatoid arthritis in Scotland, at least once during the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2008, based on PTI data, is shown in the following table.

Estimated Numbers of Patients Aged 16 and Under Consulting for Rheumatoid Arthritis in Scotland at Least Once

Year Ending March	Estimated Patients	95% Confidence Intervals1
2004	153	(57-249)
2005	165	(34-295)
2006	145	(8-283)
2007	138	(44-232)
2008	133	(3-264)

Note: 1. As the estimates are based on data from a sample of practices, 95% confidence intervals are included to indicate the precision of these estimates. For more information, see:

www.isdscotland.org/isd/3729.html.

These figures are based on very small numbers of patient consultations and are likely to underestimate the true numbers of children in Scotland with rheumatoid arthritis. The Arthritis Research Campaign estimated that there were 12,000 children in the UK under the age of 16 affected by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). This would equate to some 960 children under the age of 16 living with JIA in Scotland.

Information Services Division has advised that it is not possible to identify which hospital had been planned for the birth from data they hold. Individual NHS boards may record this information on an individual basis.