Chamber and committees

Information on thework of Allied Health Professionals (AHP) is not collected in sufficient detailto answer this specific question on podiatry services. However, NHSScotland InformationServices Division has recently undertaken a census of AHP workload, the resultsof which are published at:http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/data-development-dev-info.jsp?pContentID=1359&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

The results of thecensus include figures for podiatrists and chiropodists combined.

It is the responsibilityof NHS boards to determine the number and skill mix of staff needed to deliver servicesin their area. Each NHS board is responsible for the planning and provision of NHSpodiatry services in its area, based on an assessment of local need and in accordancewith local and national priorities.

Each NHS board isresponsible for the planning and provision of NHS podiatry services in its area,based on an assessment of local need and in accordance with local and national priorities.Access to NHS podiatry services is a matter of clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

NHS boards are requiredto ensure that the services they provide meet the standards set for the NHS. NHSQuality Improvement Scotland has responsibility for this area and published standardsfor NHSScotland are available at www.nhshealthquality.org.In addition podiatristsproviding NHS services are required to meet standards set by professional and regulatorybodies. The Health Professions Council provides information on existing standardsfor podiatrists at  www.hpc-uk.org/publications/standards/Standards_of_Proficiency_Chiropodists.pdf,and further information is available from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatristsat www.feetforlife.org.

Each NHS board isresponsible for the planning and provision of NHS podiatry services in its area,based on an assessment of local need and in accordance with local and national priorities.Access to NHS podiatry services is a matter of clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

In addition, Scotland’s Free Personal Care policy provides people with supportwith daily tasks, including basic toe nail cutting which can be undertaken withoutthe intervention of an NHS health care professional.

Each NHS board isresponsible for the planning and provision of NHS podiatry services in its area,based on an assessment of local need and in accordance with local and national priorities.Access to NHS podiatry services is a matter of clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

Information on thework of Allied Health Professionals (AHP) is not collected in sufficient detailto answer this specific question on podiatry services. However, NHSScotland InformationServices Division have recently undertaken a census of AHP workload, the resultsof which are published at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/data-development-dev-info.jsp?pContentID=1359&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

The report includesfigures for podiatrists and chiropodists combined.

The manifesto commitmentto deliver additional pre-school education relates to the level of entitlement ratherthan the number of places. The first step of an increase for all nursery provisionto 475 hours is not based on the creation of any new places. Options for implementingthe commitment in full are being developed and impact on capacity in the sectorwill be carefully considered.

Ministers are in dialoguewith a range of stakeholders to gather evidence and views on how we can use thestrategic spending review to set plans that will enable us to fulfil our purposeand achieve our strategic objectives. Social care and support will be part of thatconsideration.

Since audiology servicesare not consultant-led, or defined as a speciality, and are a sub-specialty ofear, nose and throat, they do not fall under the current 18 week target of the ScottishGovernment. However, the Scottish Government is committed to improving servicesfor the benefit of patients, ispleased that a number of NHSScotland boards have met, and in some cases exceeded,the 26 week target from referral to fitting set by the Audiology Modernisation ProjectBoard and will continue to measureboards’ progress towards modernisation of the service allowing us to identify regionalvariations in service delivery and standards.

Where waiting timesremain unacceptably high, the Scottish Government continues to work directly withthe boards involved to help improve the situation as a matter of urgency.

The Cabinet Secretaryfor Health and Wellbeing has publicly made clear the Scottish Government’s oppositionon the use of public money to assist the private sector compete with the NHS.

The national private sector call-off contract, put in place underthe audiology modernisation project to support NHS boards in reducing waiting times,recently ended. In the meantime, the Allied Health Professionals contract, whichruns until May 2008, allows NHS boards to employ temporary locum audiologists toassist in reducing waiting times.

Statistics onlocal authority spend are not collected on a per child basis. The pre-primaryeducation expenditure figures for 2005-06 (the latest year for which figuresare available) are provided in the following table. Pre-primary educationexpenditure includes expenditure on nursery schools, other under 5s expenditurenot located in primary schools or special schools, childcare services andregistration services.

Pre-primary EducationExpenditure 2005-06 (£000)

Local Authority Area	Gross	Net
Scotland	284,484	267,174
Aberdeen City	8,689	8,608
Aberdeenshire	9,661	9,623
Angus	4,706	4,602
Argyll and Bute	5,252	4,854
Clackmannanshire	3,563	2,900
Dumfries and Galloway	7,592	7,389
Dundee City	8,077	7,384
East Ayrshire	8,824	7,905
East Dunbartonshire	4,776	4,251
East Lothian	5,053	4,472
East Renfrewshire	6,346	5,693
Edinburgh, City of	20,793	19,179
Eilean Siar	1,587	1,474
Falkirk	8,405	7,269
Fife	16,265	15,777
Glasgow City	45,061	43,826
Highland	11,478	9,766
Inverclyde	5,224	5,004
Midlothian	4,855	4,547
Moray	4,035	3,899
North Ayrshire	6,951	6,750
North Lanarkshire	18,916	18,023
Orkney Islands	801	801
Perth and Kinross	5,380	5,155
Renfrewshire	12,625	12,054
Scottish Borders	4,767	4,519
Shetland Islands	1,365	1,329
South Ayrshire	5,403	5,157
South Lanarkshire	13,391	12,191
Stirling	5,934	5,472
West Dunbartonshire	8,255	7,630
West Lothian	10,454	9,671

Source:LFR 1 (Education) returns.

Note:Gross expenditure is the total expenditure. Net expenditure is the grossexpenditure minus any income, for example from grants, fees or charges.