- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, when a mental health officer (MHO) interviews a person prior to consenting to the granting of a short-term detention certificate under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, whether the MHO should produce a report to be made available to the person in question.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason a person sectioned under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 is not allowed to change their responsible medical officer or seek private mental health care instead.
Answer
NHS boards have procedures in place to allow for a change of Responsible Medical Officer (RMO) and for seeking second opinion medical reports.
The Compulsory Treatment Order (CTO) made by the Mental Health Tribunal will specify the hospital for treatment or the care package in the community; this may include, where appropriate, an independent health care facility. Volume 2, Chapter 3 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 Code of Practice provides guidance on potential conflicts of interest where treatment in an independent health care service is proposed.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-22912 by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 May 2009, whether each inspection team will have a former infection control nurse.
Answer
Arrangements with regard to the composition of inspections is available from the NHS Quality Improvement Scotland website using the following link:
http://www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/6710.140.1366.html.
The inspection teams will comprise the required expertise and competencies.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26853 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 September 2009, when the proposed expert group on infertility services is expected to (a) begin and (b) complete its work.
Answer
The Expert Group on Infertility Services is expected to start its work in autumn 2009. Six monthly reports from the group, once set up, will be shared with Parliament.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been identified in the Strategic Transport Review to improve the A82 and when this work will commence.
Answer
The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) has recommended a targeted programme of measures to improve road standards on the A82 between Glasgow and Oban/Fort William and reduce accident severity rates between Fort William and Inverness.
In addition to a general upgrade of the route, the measures would include:
carriageway widening at selected locations between Tarbet and Inverarnan and Corran Ferry and Fort William, and
physical works including climbing lanes at Loch Tulla, overtaking lay-bys aimed at providing safer overtaking opportunities and improving journey time reliability and safety targeted measures such as hard strips, junction improvements and local realignment.
On the section between Fort William and Inverness, measures recommended to reduce accident severity include physical works aimed at providing safer overtaking opportunities, hard strip provision for agricultural vehicles and junction improvements.
A timetable for undertaking this work will be set in the context of overall affordability and our commitments to other STPR proposals.
Within the current programme work is progressing to deliver improvements at Pulpit Rock and a new Western bypass at Crianlarich. We are currently engaging with interested stakeholders, including Hitrans and SPT to discuss a vision for the A82.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve the road following the recent landslip on the A83 at the Rest and be Thankful.
Answer
This is a complex site and our key priority is the safety of the road users. An improvement scheme which is planned for next year will be reassessed following the recent landslide. Work will involve building a culvert under the road and strengthening the embankment below the road and installing new drainage above and below the road. Construction is expected to start in early spring 2010, pending completion of statutory procedures.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what volume of traffic uses the A83 per annum.
Answer
Traffic flows on the trunk road section of the A83 range from an Average Annual Daily Flow (AADF) of 5,027 vehicles per day between Arrochar and Tarbet to 2,805 vehicles per day at Castleton, north of Tarbert. It is not possible to quantify the volume of traffic that uses the entire A83 as the flow of traffic varies along the route.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether war pensions are counted as income when considering applications for student bursaries and, if so, whether this has always been the case.
Answer
War pensions are treated like all pension income and since 1 August 2008 have counted as income in the assessment of student support in both higher and further education. This is in line with the policy of other UK Government Departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions.
The issue of war pensions is currently being considered by the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether IVF treatment will be subject to a waiting time guarantee.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2009
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 September 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that a mental health officer (MHO) who consents to the granting of a short-term detention certificate under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 should, where practicable, have interviewed the person in question for longer than a few minutes, in particular when the MHO has not met the person previously.
Answer
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.