- 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 16 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 it will take to ensure that (a) comprehensive assessments are made of the physical, mental and developmental well-being of all young people and children at the earliest opportunity after entry into the care system, (b) background information and previous medical records on children are easily accessible, (c) written health records move with young people throughout their period in care together with a proactive healthcare plan and (d) a dedicated post is created for a health professional to access different health systems.
Answer
The report, ForgottenChildren, is an NHS Lothian report based on studies of looked after children inEdinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian. Those authorities will find it a useful source ofinformation on what is happening on the ground in their areas.
In relation to action on theissues covered in this question, guidance issued by the Executive on TheChildren (Scotland) Act 1995 – volume 2, Children Looked After by LocalAuthorities states that care plans for looked after children should fullyreflect health care needs. Local authorities are required to arrange for amedical examination to provide a comprehensive health profile of the child andto give a basis for monitoring the child’s development for the period they are lookedafter.
- 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 16 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 ensure parity of access to health care, screening, preventative services and immunisation courses for looked after children with children not in care.
Answer
Volume 2 of the guidance onthe Children (Scotland) Act 1995, Children Looked After by LocalAuthorities states that children being looked after should have the same accessto NHS provision and school health services as other children. When drawing upthe care plan local authorities should ensure that the child is provided withadequate health care, including any necessary medical, psychiatric,psychological, dental or ophthalmic attention and any necessary immunisations.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to increase the number of needles and syringes available for distribution for intravenous drug users, given that one million needles were distributed in Greater Glasgow last year where an estimated seven to 12 million were needed, as referred to in Issue 172 of the Scottish Drugs Forum Bulletin.
Answer
In December 2002, weinformed drugs services that the Lord Advocate had set new limits on thenumber of needles and syringes which could be issued to clients attendingneedle exchanges. The limits were increased to a maximum of 20 sets on firstvisit, and a maximum of 60 sets on subsequent visits, subject to return of usedsets for safe disposal.
It is for local services topurchase and distribute this equipment, based on local priorities and demand. Allocationsof injecting equipment to individual clients will depend on the needs andcircumstances in each case. The answer given to question S2W-6704 on 16 March 2004describes the resources made available from the Executive which can be used tosupport local needle exchange facilities.
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: Wednesday, 03 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15033 by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 May 2001, what level of funding has been allocated for the provision of needle exchange facilities in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04 to date.
Answer
As explained in the answer given to question S1W-15033 on 2 May 2001, we do not allocate funding specifically for needle exchange facilities. The table sets out funding specifically allocated to NHS boards to support work to prevent transmission of blood-borne viruses. It is open to NHS boards to use these resources for the provision of needle exchange services in accordance with local needs and priorities.
| | 2001-02 £ | 2002-03 £ | 2003-04 £ |
| Argyll and Clyde | 415,922 | 415,922 | 415,922 |
| Ayrshire and Arran | 370,000 | 350,000 | 350,000 |
| Borders | 116,498 | 115,498 | 115,498 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 116,804 | 115,804 | 115,804 |
| Fife | 408,062 | 408,061 | 408,061 |
| Forth Valley | 276,705 | 276,075 | 276,075 |
| Grampian | 690,825 | 690,825 | 690,825 |
| Greater Glasgow | 1,555,208 | 1,560,208 | 1,560,208 |
| Highland | 200,197 | 200,197 | 200,197 |
| Lanarkshire | 441,775 | 441,775 | 441,775 |
| Lothian | 2,505,627 | 2,524,627 | 2,524,627 |
| Orkney | 39,000 | 36,000 | 36,000 |
| Shetland | 56,000 | 55,000 | 55,000 |
| Tayside | 854,377 | 861,377 | 861,377 |
| Western Isles | 48,000 | 47,000 | 47,000 |
| State Hospital | 24,000 | 20,000 | 20.000 |
| Scotland Total | 8,119,000 | 8,119,000 | 8,119,000 |
We have also allocated an additional £13.3 million to NHS boards over the years 2001-02 to 2003-04 to support treatment services for drug misusers. These services include needle exchange facilities.
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: Tuesday, 02 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 16 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 in respect of the recommendation that child and adolescent mental health services should develop dedicated practitioners or teams with an expertise in managing the mental health needs of looked after children.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question SW2-6664 on 16 March 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
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Health Technology Assessment Advice 5, what steps will be taken to commission ethically approved research (a) into the effectiveness of nuchal translucency measurement for detecting structural abnormalities in foetuses, (b) to evaluate whether soft markers and other markers which may be associated with aneuploidy can be used in combination with results of other screening tests to assess the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and (c) to determine the most appropriate content and format of information on risks and benefits of scans and the most effective process for giving this information to pregnant women.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is provided with advice from the National Screening Committee (NSC) onthe introduction of new population screening programmes, the modification orwithdrawal of existing programmes and the quality and management of suchprogrammes.
The Antenatal screening sub groupof the NSC has been fully informed about this Report and will be consideringthe findings to help inform discussions around the advice the committee mayoffer to the 4 UK health departments. As part of their considerationsthe NSC will look at the research aspects mentioned. If they consider furtherresearch is required NSC will take forward the commissioning of research.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to Health Technology Assessment Advice 5, what percentage of pregnant women currently receive their first trimester scan within the recommended deadline of 13 weeks, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
This information is not heldcentrally.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a triennial review of the Forestry Commission and, if so, when the review will commence, what the membership of the review panel will be and what the structure of the review will be.
Answer
The Forestry Commission is across border public authority, and is not subject to triennial review.
Forestry CommissionScotland, which serves as the Executive’s forestry department, was set upfollowing the recommendations of the forestry devolution review on 1 April 2003. Atthe same time Forest Enterprise, which was originally set up as an Executive agencyon 1 April 1996 with a Great Britain remit, was trisected on 1 April 2003 to createseparate agencies in Scotland, England and Wales.
Following a review of theappropriate status for Forest Enterprise in Scotland, Ministers decided thatcontinuation as an Executive agency of Forestry Commission Scotland was themost appropriate course of action. A draft framework document will shortly besubmitted to ministers.
The framework document willbe reviewed by the national committee no later than 31 March 2007.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it shares the concerns of the Alliance of UK Health Regulators on Europe that doctors from Europe's 10 accession countries will no longer have to pass an English test in order to be registered to work in the UK from 1 May 2004, whereas doctors from America, New Zealand and Australia will still be tested and, if so, what measures it will take to ensure all registered doctors are language competent.
Answer
Doctors who are European economicarea nationals do not have to undertake an English language competency test inorder to be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). The law does notcurrently permit this. However, the NHS must ensure that all doctors theyemploy have the necessary knowledge of English to carry out their duties safelyand may require a doctor to undertake a language assessment as part of therecruitment process, regardless of which country they come from.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to ensure that NHS boards assign responsibility to an executive board member to help ensure that medical equipment is available to deliver care in line with national strategies and clinical practice, as referred to in recommendation 1 of Audit Scotland's report, Better Equipped to Care? - Follow-up report on managing medical equipment.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6519 on 11 March 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.
