Chamber and committees

The Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme for older and disabled people was introduced on 1 April 2006. No changes have been made to the scheme since its introduction other than changes to ease the application procedure for people suffering from epilepsy.

An equality impact assessment is currently being carried out on the scheme. The scheme is currently being reviewed. It is anticipated recommendations from the review will be made to ministers towards the end of this year.

Further to the answer to S2W-25369, as answered by Hugh Henry on 28 April 2006, it remains the case that the information requested is not held centrally.

John G Russell (Transport) Ltd received from 1999 to 2007 Freight Facilities Grant support of £1,211,538 from the Scottish Government and Company Neutral Revenue Support Grant of £405,545 from the UK Department for Transport for moving freight from road to rail.

John G Russell (Transport) Ltd has this year received freight facilities grant (FFG) support of £183,979 from the Scottish Government in connection with the development of a rail freight facility at Hillington. The company has also been awarded FFG of up to £1,842,617 by the Scottish Government in 2008 for the development of a rail freight terminal in Inverness and a future daily rail freight service between Coatbridge and Inverness.

The company also received funding totalling £562,997 in 2007-08 under the rail environmental benefits procurement scheme (intermodal) (REPS (I)) to support four rail freight services operating between the English midlands and the Scottish central belt. This grant was awarded by the UK Department for Transport, with a contribution of £59,572 from the Scottish Government. The Department for Transport has also awarded REPS (I) support of up to £561,774 in 2008-09 and £505,587 in 2009-10 for the same traffic. The Scottish Government contribution will be up to £59,442 in 2008-09 and up to £53,497 in 2009-10.

The Scottish Government has also awarded to the company REPS (I) support of up to £75,870 in 2008-09 and £182,100 in 2009-10 for a rail freight service between Coatbridge and Inverness.

All these grants are to support the movement of freight from road to rail. Scottish Government funding is drawn from its support for the freight industry programme.

Domestic staff are employed by NHS boards under the terms of the Agenda for Change terms and conditions agreement. There are different levels of domestic staff with differing levels of responsibility. Generally, Domestic Support Workers are on Band 1 of Agenda for Change with a pay range of between £12,517 to £13,617 (£6.40 per hour to £6.96 per hour based on a 37.5 hour working week); Domestic Support Worker Higher Level are on Band 2 with a pay range between £12,922 to £15,950 (£6.61 per hour to £8.16 per hour); Domestic Team Leaders are also on Band 2 and Domestic Team Managers are on band 3 with a pay range between £14,834 to £17,732 (£7.59 per hour to £9.07 per hour).

We do not hold information centrally on staff delivering contracted out services. However, an agreement is in place which removes any two tierism from the provision of pay and terms and conditions of service. This means that domestic staff delivering contracted out services receive the same or similar pay and terms and conditions as NHS employees. The agreement was reached in November 2006 and followed acceptance by trade union members in a ballot.

There are currently two hospitals, excluding those with PFI/PPP contracted-out services, where cleaning services are delivered using outsourced service providers.

These are at Drumchapel in Glasgow where there is an open-ended contract which Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board are proposing to return to an in-house service by the end of this year and in Shetland where a five year contract was entered into in the early part of 2007. Shetland Health Board are seeking to return this to an in-house service before the contract expires in 2012.

There are no known instances where janitorial services at NHSScotland hospitals are delivered using outsourced service providers.

For years 2006-07 and 2007-08, the 48 hour access requirements were laid down in the specifications of a Directed Enhanced Service (DES) for NHS boards as part of the nationally negotiated GP contract arrangements. The requirements of the DES were monitored by all health boards on a quarterly basis which required practices to formally declare that they met the requirements of the DES.

In addition to monitoring the requirements of the DES, health boards can deploy a variety of methods to support the monitoring process such as local GP contract reviews, Quality and Outcome Framework Review visits which often include a review of practices ability to meet the 48 hour access requirements, and the pre-payment verification process.

Where there is evidence indicating that a practice had not met the requirements of the DES, the health board should visit the practice to offer support and guidance to re-establish appropriate 48 hour access for patients.

From 1 April 2008, measurement and reward for delivery of 48 hour access will be based on a new annual GP Access Survey. Crucially this will mean that future payment to practices will be determined by patient views, rather than the previous self-reporting arrangements.

As at 29 August, 52 per cent of all GP practices in Scotland are committed to offering extended hours. This is an encouraging start that we will build on in the future.

In the first instance we have asked those boards with lower uptake rates to re-approach GP practices who have declined to take up extended hours, concentrating the discussion on the particular circumstances of each individual practice and how existing flexibilities might be used to make it possible for those practices to participate.

The Scottish Government''s target on access to GP services is that anyone contacting their GP practice should have guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other health care professional within 48 hours.

Throughout 2006-07 and 2007-08, NHS boards reported that almost all GP practices (nationally, over 99%) were consistently compliant with the requirements for this target, which require practices to have in place systems that support delivery of 48 hour access.

Information on the target and the guidance issued to NHS boards is available publicly from the 48 Hour Access website http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/48houraccess.

Information on average waiting times for a GP appointment is not collected centrally.

The Scottish Government''s target on access to GP services is that anyone contacting their GP practice should have guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other health care professional within 48 hours.

Throughout 2006-07 and 2007-08, NHS boards reported that almost all GP practices (nationally, over 99%) were consistently compliant with the requirements for this target, which require practices to have in place systems that support delivery of 48 hour access.

Information on the target and the guidance issued to NHS boards is available publicly from the 48 Hour Access website http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/48houraccess.