Chamber and committees

The information requested is not held centrally. Prior to 1 January 2008 waiting list information was collected by a census undertaken on the last day of each month and published quarterly by ISD Scotland. The latest available information published on 26 February 2008 showed that 8,493 inpatient/day case patients held an availability status code on 31 December 2007.

As ASC''s were abolished on 31 December 2007, national waiting time targets now apply to all of these patients. Those that are available for treatment will require to be treated within 18 weeks.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9328 on 27 February 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.

The session conditions aim to be conducive in meeting the donor selection guidelines, to ensure the safety of the blood supply. The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service seeks to ensure, as far as it can, confidentiality for all donors.

This information is not held centrally. The Wheelchair and Seating Services Project Board and Project Manager will look at the way in which wheelchair waiting times information is gathered throughout Scotland, and will work with the service managers to introduce a unified approach to the collection of meaningful and transparent data.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9449 on 26 February 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.

Health ministers throughout the UK are advised on these matters by the Advisory Committee for the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.

The blood donation guidelines are reviewed on a regular basis at a UK level through the UK Advisory Committee for the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs and the Joint Professional Advisory Committee for the four UK Blood Transfusion Services, based on the latest epidemiological information from the Health Protection Agency, Health Protection Scotland and other experts in this field. cases

New ways of defining and measuring waiting times came into effect for patients on or added to waiting lists from 1 January 2008. Patients will have their waiting time clock stopped when they are unavailable for social or medical reasons. Such cases will be reviewed regularly by hospitals. It is intended that information on the number of patients with periods of unavailability will be published by ISD Scotland. Information for the first three months of 2008 will be available publicly at the end of May 2008. Information about periods of unavailability has not been published before.

Information is not available centrally.

New ways of defining and measuring waiting times came into effect on 1 January 2008. I have made clear that this system will be open and transparent and much more information will be published. It is planned to publish the number of patients referred back to the care of their GP, along with other information not previously available. Information under New Ways will be published for the first time at the end of May 2008 covering the three months to 31 March 2008.

As the member knows, a situation was recently brought to my attention in NHS Tayside where a small number of patients had been removed from a hospital waiting list for reasons not provided for in the published guidance. However, this was not related to the 18-week target. I took action at once to ensure that the patients in question were reinstated on the waiting list and the patients were informed. All NHS boards have provided assurances that any removal of patients from the waiting list is being carried out in line with published guidance. I have re-emphasised the importance of boards adhering to the guidance at all times.