Chamber and committees

The National Planning Forum will consider both the updated guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), and the health technology assessment (HTA) on TAVI commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research as soon as they are published.

NICE has indicated that it expects the Interventional Procedures Programme (IPP) guidance on TAVI to be published before the end of March 2012.

The National Institute for Health Research has indicated that the HTA has been extended in scope to also examine the cohort of people who are eligible for surgery, but are considered high risk. As a result, the HTA is now expected to be published later this summer.

As indicated in the answer to question S4W-03307 on 2 November 2011, the Scottish Health Technologies Group has robust processes in place for monitoring and reviewing publications relating to TAVI.

In the interim, NHS boards continue to ensure that local arrangements are in place so that people with severe aortic stenosis get access to appropriate clinical treatment. As part of those arrangements, where it is considered clinically appropriate by their doctors, people can get access to TAVI treatment through consideration by an individual case panel.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Prescribing of cancer medicines is the responsibility of the clinician in charge of an individuals care. The most appropriate treatment, be it surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy (or a combination of these) will be made in consultation with the individual and based on a number of factors, such as, the type of cancer, stage of disease at diagnosis and the benefits and risks of the treatment being offered.

Information on the number of patients accessing cancer medicines in Scotland is not held centrally. Prescribing data available centrally relate to numbers and cost of items dispensed by community pharmacists and dispending doctors. These data sets exclude the direct supply of medicines to patients from hospital and hospital-based clinics. There are no plans to introduce a central prescribing database.

Information on the number of patients in Scotland who are accessing cancer medicines that are available through the NHS in England is not held centrally.

The most recent published data available in Scotland on spend for cancer treatments is available at:

www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/Cancercosts10rtf.pdf?1.

This report The Cost of Cancer Care in Scotland showed that 7.5% of spend in 2000-01 was on cancer services.

To date no formal comparisons have been made to either England or European Union member states.

No assessments have been undertaken to compare the uptake of cancer treatments in Scotland to those in England or other European Union member states.

As health is a devolved issue, decisions regarding the introduction of new medicines and treatments are taken by each of the UK countries through their own appraisal and assessment arrangements in line with established national policies.

The arrangements set out in guidance to NHS boards under cover of CEL 17 (2010) in relation to the introduction and availability of newly licensed medicines in the NHS in Scotland published in May 2010 and which took effect from 1 April 2011, provide the means by which improved access to clinically and cost-effective medicines to treat all conditions throughout all parts of Scotland in accordance with clinical need will be achieved.

The Rarer Cancers Foundation report, Nations Divided, was discussed during a recent parliamentary debate on cancer drugs.

As a result of issues raised during the debate, consideration will be given to further improvements to the already robust arrangements for accessing clinically and cost-effective medicines which improve outcomes for patients.

The Senior Charge Nurse programme, Leading Better Care (LBC), was introduced across all NHS boards by the target date of end December 2010. Two further related programmes are also now in the process of being implemented. Releasing Time to Care - Mental Health and Releasing Time to Care – Community.

LBC supports SCNs/Midwives and team leaders (TL’s) by providing facilitation, support, development and educational opportunities to help them and their teams to achieve high quality person centred, safe and effective care for every patient, first time and every time. Data collected to May 2011 shows that 2,327 Senior Charge Nurses (SCNs), midwives, team leaders and band six nurses are currently engaged in the programme.

In December 2010 the Chief Nursing Officer, in collaboration with NHS board nurse directors, also agreed to continue progressing the work of LBC alongside the ongoing implementation of Releasing Time to Care. A measurement framework is being developed as part of that continuation process, which will help to show the quantifiable benefits that have resulted in the delivery of patient care through continued investment in and development of the LBC programme.

The latest published information on headcount and whole time equivalent of nursing staff by band and NHS board can be found on the workforce statistics website at:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2011-06-28/Nursing%20and%20Midwifery.xls.

Decisions on delegated levels of authority are a matter for individual NHS boards. This information is not held centrally.

The Dumfries and Galloway Council - sustainable travel - smarter choices grant was spent on a range of projects including:

Transport Interchange enhancements

Park and Choose sites

Public realm enhancements

Public realm enhancements

Green Commuter cycle route development

Self Service Bike Hire

Travel Information

Salary Sacrifice scheme promotion

Youth Cycling Programme

Personal Travel Planning

Programme Support

Hour Bike Scheme.

Smarter Choices, Smarter Places has an ongoing evaluation and monitoring programme which is running from 2009-12. It is collecting and analysing data:

To test the effectiveness of sustainable travel and other interventions against national and local outcomes.

To share lessons learnt across disciplines and geographical boundaries.

To provide practical experience to identify how to widen the application of these activities across Scotland where they have proven to be effective.

Eastern Airways Grant Payment was for the Air Discount Scheme which is evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that it continues to address the often high cost of air travel for those residents of the most peripheral parts of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and in doing so facilitates a greater level of social inclusion in these areas. The scheme has proved popular with residents since it was introduced with around 73% of the population in membership and with increased patronage, capacity and frequency on some ADS air services. The scheme is administered through HIAL with the administrative costs regularly published in their annual report.