- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 22 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scottish Drugs Forum's response to the Executive's review of drug treatment and rehabilitation services, what steps will be taken to implement the recommendations that (a) family support posts should be created within specialist drug agencies and (b) research to consider how best to respond and support children of problem drug users living with grandparents should be commissioned.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6840 on 19 march 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has at the variation in the age of medical equipment across NHS trusts and that “some trusts are relying heavily on equipment that is beyond its standard life”, as referred to in Audit Scotland's report, Better Equipped to Care? - Follow-up report on managing medical equipment, and what action it is taking to remedy the situation and, in particular, to ensure that trusts have sufficient funds to replace old equipment.
Answer
The concerns highlighted inthe report about the age of equipment have been noted and will be acted uponwhere necessary at local level. However, the report does make clear that whilstsome equipment is passed its expected useful life, where it is working well andcan be maintained and is fit for purpose, there is no need to replace itimmediately.
The distribution of the NHScapital budget for 2004-05 was announced on 11 March with the Executive makingrecord levels of capital investment available in NHSScotland. By 2005-06capital resources will be £420 million which is an increase of 300% over the1997 level.
An amount of capital isallocated to NHS boards on a “formula” basis and this is generally used for thepurchase of equipment as well as investment in the NHSScotland estate. It isfor individual NHS boards to determine, on an annual basis, the level offunding required for new and replacement medical equipment taking into accountother local and national priorities. NHS boards can use both capital andrevenue resources to meet equipment costs. The use of PPP where appropriatealso frees up additional capital resources to deal with issues such as medicalequipment.
In addition the Executivehas centrally funded programmes in excess of £40 million since 2000 forinvestment in medical equipment.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Forgotten Children, Addressing the Health Issues of Looked After Children and Young People, what steps will be taken to follow the recommendations on training issues for care service staff, in particular (a) that health and social work departments need to work together to ensure adequate training for staff in health issues, (b) that health-related training should be an essential part of residential care practitioner training, (c) that training in mental health issues is given a high priority within care practitioner employee development, (d) to ensure ongoing training in recognition of drug and alcohol abuse and (e) that more emphasis should be given to addressing the underlying root causes of mental and emotional ill health as part of training packages.
Answer
The Scottish Institute forResidential Childcare ensures that residential childcare staff have access tothe skills and knowledge they require to meet the needs of the child in theircare, including health needs. Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol undertakeswork with professional staff to improve their skills when addressing drug andalcohol misuse and ensure that interventions are based on evidence of whatworks. We are also looking for other examples of best practice and willconsider how training links can be developed.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scottish Drug Forum's report A Brief Survey on Drug Paraphernalia Distribution following Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) on behalf of the Scottish Needle Exchange Workers' Forum, what steps will be taken on the recommendations that (a) citric/ascorbic acid and sterile water are additional paraphernalia items that should be supplied/distributed in the future, (b) identified organisational and financial issues need to be addressed to allow services to provide additional paraphernalia and (c) lead stakeholders should ensure that the amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) of August 2003 to allow the supply of specific services such as additional drug paraphernalia including spoons, acidifiers, filters and water ampoules, are clearly communicated to all local services, relevant training is provided and alternative methods of sourcing/distributing supplies, locally and nationally, are explored.
Answer
This report has been sent tothe Executive very recently, and we are still reviewing the information andconclusions from the survey work.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have needle exchange programmes and what measures are being taken to ensure that all NHS boards operate such programmes.
Answer
All areas of Scotlandhave needle exchange services, but services are provided from a wide range ofsources, such as community pharmacies, voluntary groups and outreach services,as well as from NHS facilities.
The benefits from providingsterile injecting equipment, particularly in respect of reducing transmissionof blood-borne viruses, are well known. In December 2002, the Lord Advocateincreased the limits on the numbers of needles and syringes which could beissued by needle exchange services, and this information was widelydisseminated to NHS boards and other providers of services for drug misusers.It is for local service commissioners and providers to deliver servicestailored to local needs and circumstances.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Scottish Drugs Forum's response to the Executive's review of drug treatment and rehabilitation services, what steps will be taken to reverse any trend within the drugs rehabilitation services for high levels of staff turnover, particularly in the voluntary sector, as a result of issues relating to morale, skill shortages and short-term funding.
Answer
I welcome the verycomprehensive and well informed submission made by the Scottish Drugs Forum tothis review. However, this is one of around 60 responses, and it would beinappropriate for me to give precedence to one organisation’s views over otherswho contributed to the review.
We have analysed all theresponses to the consultation, and the report from this review will bepublished by the end of April.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 19 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what account is taken of increases in water charges when care home charges are set.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5615 on 3 February 2004.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/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 18 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has with regard to the uptake of the pensioner credit scheme, in light of the impact of the scheme on services it provides to pensioners.
Answer
This information is in thepublic domain, available from the Department of Work and Pensions at:
www.pensioncreditinfo.gov.uk/communication.asp.As of 31st January 2004,around 229,000 individuals in Scotland were receiving pension credit, with an average awardof £42 per week.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the funding structure of the Sleep Centre in Edinburgh and return to the previous arrangement of central government funding rather than the current structure of funding by individual NHS boards.
Answer
There are no plans to returnto the previous arrangement of national NHS funding. The criteria for anational service include low volume and high unit costs. As the sleep service doesnot meet these criteria, it cannot be considered as a national service. Fundingof the Sleep Centre is a matter for NHS Lothian, to be considered with otherservice priorities in the board area.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 18 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government with regard to the complexity of the application form for the pensioner credit scheme, in light of the impact of the scheme on services the Executive provides to pensioners.
Answer
None.
