Chamber and committees

The following tables show information on the average length of stay (in days) for lung cancer hospital episodes in each of the last 10 financial years. The data are presented for elective and emergency inpatient admissions at Scotland level, by Regional Cancer Network and by NHS board of treatment.

Information on the cost of treating specific conditions, such as lung cancer, is not available from centrally held data.

Table 1 – Average Length of Stay (Days) for Lung Cancer1 Hospital Episodes by Inpatient Admission Type and Financial Year; Scotland

Source: ISD SMR01

Table 2 – Average Length of Stay (Days) for Lung Cancer¹ Hospital Episodes by Inpatient Admission Type and Financial Year; Cancer Network

Source: ISD SMR01.

Table 3 – Average length of stay (days) for lung cancer¹ hospital episodes for elective inpatient admissions by financial year; NHS board of treatment

Source: ISD SMR01.

Note: - indicates that there were no lung cancer hospital episodes.

Table 4 – Average Length of Stay (Days) for Lung Cancer¹ Hospital Episodes for Emergency Inpatient Admissions by Financial Year; NHS Board of Treatment

Source: ISD SMR01.

Notes:

- indicates that there were no lung cancer hospital episodes.

A lung cancer diagnosis is defined as ICD-10 codes C33 and C34:

C33 - Malignant neoplasm of trachea.

C34 - Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung.

Data for Scotland for 2010-11 are not yet complete. This is mainly due to the implementation of a new IT Patient Management System in some NHS boards which has resulted in data submission backlogs for this time period. The relevant NHS boards are focussing their effort to resolve submission issues in order to improve completeness levels. This is being monitored centrally.

The following tables show information on the number of bed days for lung cancer hospital episodes as a percentage of bed days for all cancer hospital episodes for the last five financial years. The data are presented by regional cancer network, by NHS board of treatment and for Scotland.

Table 1 –Lung Cancer¹ Hospital Bed Days as a Percentage of All Cancer² Hospital Bed Days by Financial Year; Cancer Network

Table 2 –Lung cancer¹ hospital bed days as a percentage of all cancer² hospital bed days by financial year; Scotland and NHS board of treatment

Notes:

- indicates that there were no lung cancer hospital episodes.

A lung cancer diagnosis is defined as ICD-10 codes C33 and C34:

C33 - Malignant neoplasm of trachea

C34 - Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung

All cancer diagnosis is defined as ICD-10 "C" codes, excluding C44 (Non-melanoma skin cancer).

Data on the incidence rates for lung cancer patients, broken down by age group at Scotland and health board level since 1985, is publicly available on the Information Services Division (ISD) website:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/Lung-Cancer-and-Mesothelioma/i_cancer_lung_mesothelioma.xls?1.

This information is not available at cancer network level due to reasons of potential disclosure.

Source: Information Services Division.

Data on the incidence rate for male and female lung cancer patients at Scotland and Health Board level since 1985 is publicly available on the Information Services Division (ISD) website:

http://www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/Lung-Cancer-and-Mesothelioma/i_cancer_lung_mesothelioma.xls?1.

This information is not available at cancer network level due to reasons of potential disclosure.

Source: Information Services Division.

The hepatitis C virus is a major cause of liver disease. People living in Scotland with chronic (long-term) hepatitis C are at increased risk of serious liver disease and cancer. Data is available for the number of people infected with hepatitis C who have died from liver-related causes. Data is currently available for each of the five years from 2005 to 2009 inclusive and is provided in the following table.

Annual number of liver-related deaths among people diagnosed with Hepatitis C in Scotland

Scottish Government have invested £28.7m through the Hepatitis C Action Plan Phase II specifically to improve the capacity and quality of hepatitis C testing, treatment, care and support services across Scotland. This has resulted in a 33% increase in the annual number of people newly diagnosed with hepatitis C between 2006-07 and 2009. A total of 2,081 new diagnoses were made in 2009.

The number of people diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2009 and 2010 broken down by NHS board is provided in the following table.

Note: 1. Includes persons diagnosed in island boards.

Our manifesto stated our commitment to bringing forward new mental health legislation following the consultation on the McManus Review. We will consider this recommendation as part of that work.

The report makes eight recommendations, three of which were addressed to Scottish ministers and the remainder addressed to NHS boards. Those which are specifically for Scottish ministers are addressed in the answers to questions S4W-02534 and S4W-02535 on 15 September 2011, and I refer the member to those answers.

With regard to the other recommendations, we will continue to work with and support those such as NHS boards carrying out functions under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, and indeed the Mental Welfare Commission itself in monitoring compliance with the act.

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.

Approved medical practitioners are required under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 (Qualifications, experience and training of approved medical practitioners) Direction 2005 to meet certain requirements, which include completing a training course. That training course covers matters such as completing medical forms, including those relating to Part 16 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, to which the report relates.

Training is currently provided by NHS boards. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with health boards to ensure that this training emphasises the importance of completing these forms fully and correctly.

Refresher training for approved medical practitioners is being revised currently, and the core module will include material on the importance of completing relevant forms.

We will consult on the frequency of mandatory refresher training so that approved medical practitioners have access to relevant and current information.