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These details can now be accessed on the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland website using the following link http://www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/6710.140.1366.html.

Announced inspections will commence on 29 September 2009. The full programme for the first year of operation has been notified to NHS boards. A programme of unannounced inspections is also being rolled out.

Antipsychotic medicines are an important group of medicines that are very effective in the treatment of conditions such as schizophrenia, agitation, anxiety, mania and aggression. The use of such medicines is recommended within clinical guidelines such as those produced by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN).

As with all medicines, the available data on efficacy and safety are carefully considered at the time of licensing to ensure the benefits outweigh any potential risks. Once marketed, the safety of all medicines, including antipsychotics, is monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the independent scientific expert advisory group the Commission on Human Medicines. Any new safety concerns that arise are thoroughly evaluated and the balance of risks and benefits is kept under continuous review.

All medicines have the potential to cause unwanted side-effects. The side-effects associated with antipsychotic medicines are well recognised and information and guidance on the use of these treatments is available from a number of sources such as the British National Formulary www.bnf.org and the Patient Information Leaflet, which should be supplied with the medicine.

In every case, the decision whether or not to prescribe any treatment for a patient depends on the clinical judgement of the doctor concerned wherever possible in consultation with the patient and also bearing in mind the risks and benefits of treatment.

There is no requirement for a written report to be made available, although this may be done in practice. Volume 2, Chapter 2 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 Code of Practice provides guidance on procedures to be followed before the granting of a short-term detention certificate.

It is not currently possible to have a waiting time guarantee for IVF as NHS boards do not report this information to Information Services Division as the patient data belongs to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Scottish Government officials are in preliminary discussions with colleagues in Information Services Division to consider whether it is possible to develop definitions and data to enable the reporting of patient access to infertility services without breaching the HFEA guidelines.

Section 45(1) of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 places an mental health officer (MHO) under a duty to interview a patient before the granting of a short-term detention certificate. This is reinforced in Volume 2, Chapter 2 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 Code of Practice, which provides guidance and best practice as regards the full duties on the MHO, including their interview with the patient, ascertaining the name and address of the patient''s named person, and informing the patient of independent advocacy rights.

Two pilot announced inspections were undertaken in the Beatson Oncology Centre (NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde) and Perth Royal Infirmary (NHS Tayside) during June and July 2009.

It is always a matter of regret if any patient experiences a serious adverse event associated with medication. The risks associated with medicines must be considered against the potential benefits of the treatment and antipsychotics are extremely effective medicines for the treatment of serious conditions including schizophrenia, agitation, anxiety, mania and aggression. The decision to treat a patient with an antipsychotic drug is primarily based on clinical judgement taking into account the patient''s condition as well as the risks and benefits of treatment.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the expert independent scientific advisory group the Commission for Human Medicines continuously monitor the safety of all medicines available on the UK market. The MHRA ensures that all medicines are supplied with product information which accurately reflects current knowledge and contains the necessary information to aid the safe use of medicine. This includes information about risk minimisation measures for important risks and, where appropriate, also as advice about how patients should be monitored and under what circumstances consideration should be given to stopping the medicine.

More generally, it is important to note that the occurrence of an adverse event may not necessarily mean that it was caused by the medicine. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships, including the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the patient''s underlying condition.

Volume 2, Chapter 7 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 Code of Practice provides guidance on the processes involved in preparing an application for a compulsory treatment order. This includes guidance on the involvement of the Mental Health Tribunal which determines the application and on the individuals who will be allowed to give evidence at a hearing.

The Mental Health Tribunal has a wide discretion in terms of its powers to allow a patient''s solicitor to examine the responsible medical officer and the mental health officer''s evidence. The tribunal also has wide powers of its own to inquire into the evidence available. Scottish ministers would expect that a patient''s legal representative would have the opportunity to examine the evidence before the tribunal and that the tribunal would otherwise probe the evidence itself.

One of the criteria for a person to be made subject to compulsory measures of treatment under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 is that they have a mental disorder. I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27157 on 22 September 2009. 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.