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The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) have advised that they intend to take forward the recruitment of an additional member of staff for the Arrochar station. In addition, this additional crew member will support the elimination of single-rostered crewing in this area.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the SAS continues to provide sage, efficient and effective services to patients across Scotland, including those in remote and rural area. It is also important that patients have confidence in the SAS''s ability to respond to emergencies.

While this presents particular challenges in remote and rural locations, the service seeks to improve performance for all patients and remains keen to seek local solutions that meet the needs of those communities. In addition, the SAS has appointed a first responder co-ordinator in this area to develop and support first responder schemes.

We are always willing to learn from other countries, and the Scottish Government has done so for many years. Our key stakeholders on the HAI Task Force are in regular contact with their counterparts around the world “ including the Department of Health “ so both they and we can learn from each other on the most effective approaches that are being taken towards tackling Clostridium difficile and other Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs). It is also the case that both the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorate and the Scottish Infection Research Network (SIRN) at Glasgow University encourage and support innovative research and projects into HAI to ensure that our approach continues to evolve.

NHS boards are accountable for the quality and safety of the NHS services they provide including those provided in hospitals. A range of scrutiny and performance management arrangements are in place including annual reviews by Scottish ministers held in public.

The future of scrutiny arrangements in the public sector, including the NHS, is being considered as part of the Scottish Government''s response to the Report of the Independent Review of Regulation, Audit, Inspection and Complaints Handling of Public Services in Scotland (The Crerar Review).

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) does not undertake unannounced visits of hospitals to check standards. NHS QIS reviews the performance of NHS boards against its standards in accordance with its planned work programme. Further information regarding the work of NHS QIS is available from their website www.nhshealthquality.org.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14683 on 21 July 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.

NHS boards are accountable for the quality and safety of the NHS services they provide including those provided in hospitals. A range of scrutiny and performance management arrangements are in place including annual reviews by Scottish ministers held in public.

The future of scrutiny arrangements in the public sector, including the NHS, is being considered as part of the Scottish Government''s response to the Report of the Independent Review of Regulation, Audit, Inspection and Complaints Handling of Public Services in Scotland (The Crerar Review).

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-12770 on 15 May 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.

The Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS 24 have provided the following tables of information. It is not possible to give an absolute definition of the catchment area for the Vale of Leven Hospital as it relates to these organisations so the tables set out the postcode sectors that have been used to capture the information.

(a) Emergency Incidents Attended by the Scottish Ambulance Service

Postcode Sector	Area	2007-08	Quarter 1 2008-09
G60-5	Bowling	307	77
G82-1	Dumbarton	498	126
G82-2	Dumbarton	455	104
G82-3	Dumbarton	478	114
G82-4	Dumbarton	573	136
G82-5	Cardross	499	98
G83-0	Alexandria	1,210	276
G83-7	Arrochar	131	42
G83-8	Luss	611	181
G83-9	Arrochar	509	133
G84-0	Roseneath	276	72
G84-7	Helensburgh	512	120
G84-8	Helensburgh	602	166
G84-9	Helensburgh	171	46
PA248	Lochgoilhead	42	13
PA258	St Catherine''s	4	1
PA268	Cairndow	17	2
PA328	Inverary	135	30
Total		7,030	1,737

 

(b) Calls to NHS 24

Postcode Sector	Area	2007-08	Quarter 1 2008-09
G60-5	Bowling	1,401	311
G82-1	Dumbarton	1,021	191
G82-2	Dumbarton	1,573	314
G82-3	Dumbarton	1,391	309
G82-4	Dumbarton	1,569	408
G82-5	Cardross	1,358	341
G83-0	Alexandria	2,111	530
G83-7	Arrochar	193	47
G83-8	Luss	1,727	443
G83-9	Arrochar	2,387	574
G84-0	Roseneath	819	185
G84-7	Helensburgh	1,314	319
G84-8	Helensburgh	1,250	312
G84-9	Helensburgh	1,083	259
PA248	Lochgoilhead	103	39
PA258	St Catherine''s	4	3
PA268	Cairndow	15	0
PA328	Inverary	63	27
Total		19,382	4,612

Notes:

*Cowal Peninsula has not been included as it is assumed to be within the catchment for Inverclyde Royal.

**Areas north of Tarbert (on the Loch Lomond side) are not included as these are assumed to go to Glasgow or Stirling.

***Ambulance Service systems report incidents attended rather than numbers of calls. This is, for example, because there can be duplicate calls for one incident.

Tendering for the central heating programme was undertaken in 2006. The contract was for two years, with the option of a further two extensions of up to 12 months each. The first extension is currently being used from April 2008 to March 2009.

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 programme''s future will be taken.

Yes.