Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15681 on 10 September 2008. 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/webapp/wa.search.

I welcome NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde''s commitment to quickly bring forward proposals for a full range of services at the Vale of Leven Hospital. These will take account of the report of the Independent External Review of Anaesthetic Services at the Vale and will set out a long-term safe and sustainable future for the Hospital. Proposals will be subject to public consultation and will ultimately need to be submitted to me for consideration and a final decision.

A new infection control structure was introduced across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGG&C) from 1 July 2008. The current structure of the Infection Control Nursing service has been reviewed to allow a full and seamless integration of NHSGG&C into a single delivery service across the Acute Division.

The outcomes of the review are as follows;

four Sector Teams (North West, North East, South and Clyde) will be established, with a twinning arrangement between sectors where each partnership will provide cover as required in outbreak and emergency circumstances.

each team will be led by a Lead Infection Control Nurse, who will also have a Glasgow and Clyde wide responsibility in one of the following areas: cleaning, decontamination, surveillance, built environment and education/audit/research.

a Co-ordination Infection Control Doctor will work closely with the Head Nurse of Infection Control, and will also take the role as Lead Infection Control Doctor. The new structure will have five Infection Control Doctors.

in line with the four Sector Teams, there will be four Sector Infection Control Committees. The chairs of each sector committee will report to the Acute Division Infection Control Committee.

The new structure is in the process of implementation, with new organisational arrangements and line management responsibilities.

The Scottish Government does not allocate funding for specific schools. We have already substantially increased capital resources for local authorities under the concordat “ almost £3 billion is available to authorities over three years for investment in infrastructure, including schools. This is a rise of £115 million this year and for each of the next two years, for authorities to invest according to their priorities. Any requests for future funding requirements will be considered as part of the next spending review.

The Vale of Leven Hospital follows the same reporting structure as NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. All Healthcare Workers (HCW''s), who suspect that an outbreak may be occurring must contact a member of the Infection Control Team (ICT).

The ICT will then take action and decide on the need for an Outbreak Control Team (OCT) based on the agreed outbreak severity. If necessary, the ICT will close the ward and inform the following; Consultant Public Health Medicine (CPHM), Occupational Health, Board Infection Control Manager, Nurse Consultant Infection Control, Bed Manager, Head of Nursing, Service General Manager, Facilities/Site Manager, Clinical Service Manager, Lead Nurse Service, General Manager Diagnostics Directorate.

The Board Infection Control Manager or Nurse Consultant Infection Control will then inform other Chief Officers and the Press Officer for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. If the outbreak has been classified as orange or above, as outlined in The Watt Report Infection Control Outbreak/Episode Risk Matrix, the Board Infection Control Manager will inform Health Protection Scotland (HPS) and Scottish Government Health Directorates (SGHD).

Should an outbreak be reported to SGHD, my officials, the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force, chaired by the Chief Nursing Officer, will inform the Chief Medical Officer and Director General of Health and Wellbeing. I am kept regularly briefed at all times.

The independent review team received a high number of written requests and went on to interview 22 patients and relatives who were affected by the cases of Clostridium difficile at the Vale of Leven Hospital. The independent review team were extremely pleased with this high response.

Information about services available at the Vale of Leven Hospital can be found in the Report of the Independent External Clinical Review of Anaesthetic Services at the Vale of Leven Hospital, published on 15 August 2008. The report is available to download at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/924/0064627.pdf.

The average available staffed beds in all specialties for the Vale of Leven Hospital in year ending 31 March 2008 was 197.

The Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum is currently considering the long term future of the programme and is expected to report back in early autumn. Once the forum has provided its recommendations the necessary decisions on the future of the programme will be taken.

The fuel poverty budget for 2008-09 and 2009-10 was set at £45.9 million as part of the Strategic Spending Review (2007) announced on 14 November 2007.