Chamber and committees

Arrangements for the use of temporary medical staff have been under consideration by a Scottish Government-led Short Life Working Group, established in February 2010. The group is consulting NHS boards on proposals for reducing demand for temporary medical staff and, where their use is necessary, ensuring that they provide high quality care at an affordable price. In addition to the Short Life Working Group, an overarching national group is being convened to support NHS boards in managing all temporary staff groups and ensure implementation of the recommendations from the Audit Scotland report.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34590 on 1 July 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The information is presented in the following table. It is important to note the context for the changes in bed numbers: increasingly, for both children and adults, clinical care and treatment is provided on a day care basis. This reduces the need for a stay in hospital which is better for patients and, in particular, children. Indeed, between 2006-07 and 2009-10, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde report that daycase attendances at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (excluding psychiatry) increased from 8,191 to 10,246: a rise of 25.1%. As such, the move towards increased usage of day care at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow has led to a reduced need for inpatient beds.

Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow: Bed Numbers

	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Ward 1a	22	22	22	22
Ward 3a	24	24	24	24
Ward 4a	24	24	24	24
Ward 4b	24	24	24	24
Ward 5a	18	18	18	24
Ward 6a	8	8	8	8
Ward 6b	24	24	24	-
Ward 7a	24	24	18	18
Ward 7b	24	23	23	23
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit	16	16	16	16
High Dependency Unit	6	6	6	6
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit	23	33	33	33
Child Psychiatry	9	9	9	9
Institute of Neurosciences	6	6	6	6
Total	252	261	255	237

Source: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

NHSScotland had expected to use the new UK-wide NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) framework on the expiry of the 2009 Scottish agreement. Following a rise in NHS PASA''s framework charge rates the cost impact in Scotland would have been higher than elsewhere in the UK. Accordingly, following consultation with NHS boards in 2008, NHS National Services Scotland''s National Procurement division were tasked with putting in place a more affordable agreement for NHSScotland. This was a complex process, involving extensive consultation with stakeholders and negotiations with suppliers. The new agreement came into operation on 1 June 2010, and is the most competitively priced contract of its kind in the UK.

Market rate costs for medical locum doctors have been increasing in recent years, as have requests by NHS boards for agency locum doctors. Those factors are likely to have contributed to any increase in NHS boards'' spend on agency locum doctors. It is not possible to determine whether the different contractual arrangements in place over the period from 2004 have in themselves resulted in additional costs.

This year we are providing almost £600 million in resource funding for colleges, a record level of support and evidence of this administration''s continued commitment to our further education sector.

In his strategic letter of guidance to the Scottish Funding Council earlier this year, The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning made clear his wish to see colleges give priority to give to 16 to 24-year-olds, including those who need more choices and chances. Our ambitions for all young people are reflected in our key learning strategies, including Skills for Scotland, 16+ Learning Choices, and Curriculum for Excellence.

Addressing the needs of the More Choices, More Chances group is therefore a mainstream activity for all colleges and we expect an element of the substantial resource we make available to be deployed to that end. We have no plans to make available additional funding.

I am kept advised of developing NHS board workforce projections on an ongoing basis.

As stated in the Audit Scotland report, while the cost of agency medical locums has increased since 1997, the overall spend on medical locums has remained static in recent years. Contributing factors identified in the Audit Scotland report include increased demand for agency locum doctors. In addition, prices charged by agencies have increased.

Physical activity levels are measured and published annually via the Scottish Health Survey. We do not routinely measure the cost of physical inactivity.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34444 on 21 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.