Chamber and committees

The following guidance has been issued to NHS boards:

Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy and Scottish Action Plan, 2002.

Scottish Medicines Consortium published Antimicrobial Prescribing Policy and Practice in Scotland (2005).

Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan (ScotMARAP) March 2008. ScotMARAP has replaced the 2002 guidance document and outlines the national programme for Scotland in tackling antimicrobial resistance and prudent prescribing over the next five years in primary and secondary care.

On 8 July 2008, CEL 30 2008, was sent to all chief executives, medical directors, and infection control manager of NHS boards and Special Health Boards, seeking the immediate implementation of the national policies set out in ScotMARAP.

Other sources of guidance for prescribers include the British National Formulary which provides advice on the prescribing of medicines including antibacterial drugs for the treatment of MRSA.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20547 on 4 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Information on the charging policies of each local authority for specific social care services or client groups is not held centrally.

The National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992 provide the framework for local authorities to charge for care that they provide or arrange in residential care homes, including for people with learning disabilities.

Under Section 87 (1A) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 a local authority may charge for certain adult non-personal domiciliary services it provides. In keeping with local accountability, it is for local authorities to decide their charging policies for these non-personal care services. The legislation requires that any charges levied should not be more than appears to be reasonably practicable for the recipient to pay, taking account of his or her other financial commitments.

Guidance issued to local authorities by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in January 2006 recommends a consistent framework for charging and encourages councils to demonstrate that they are following best practice. The guidance is currently under review by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20547 on 4 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20547 on 4 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20547 on 4 March 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

During 2008, National Debtline received 256,173 calls. 171,647 were answered by an adviser and a further 2,476 calls were dealt with on their literature order line. In addition, they handled 7,971 email enquiries. Some 3% of clients were signposted on for debt advice elsewhere (generally because they needed face-to-face advice) and 17.5% of clients were signposted elsewhere for matters other than debt (for example, to a doctor or lawyer).

As with all medicines the decision whether or not to prescribe antibiotics for a patient is a matter for the clinical judgement of the prescriber, informed by advice and evidence about the medicine.

NHS boards have Prescribing Advisers who monitor the use of medicines by GP practices using data collected by NHS National Services Scotland, and produce feedback reports for GPs. In addition Prescribing Advisers use prescribing indicators to monitor trends in antibiotic use.

Each NHS board requires to have an Antimicrobial Management Team which has a remit for antimicrobial stewardship in both secondary and primary care.

National Debtline is already regularly evaluated. The Money Advice Trust commissioned the most recent evaluation in 2008 from Illuminas, an independent market research company. The full report has been published and is available at:

http://www.infohub.moneyadvicetrust.org/content_files/files/ndl_illuminas_2008_final.ppt.

The Scottish Government is providing £100,000 a year until 2010-11 to the Money Advice Trust, which runs National Debtline. This funding is to ensure that advisors are appropriately trained to provide advice on, for example, the different debt solutions available in Scotland. National Debtline anticipates spending £7.3 million in total during 2009. National Debtline started operating in April 1987. There is no planned end date.