- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 4 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult the Scottish Ambulance Service, the relevant trade unions and other appropriate medical specialists with a view to extending the categories of health professionals qualified to administer the drug Naloxone/Nacran, the antidote for heroin and methadone, to include ambulance technicians.
Answer
Medicines Control is a reserved matter dealt with on a UK-wide basis by the Medicines Control Agency.The Scottish Executive does not, therefore, intend to consult separately on changes to the Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Order 1997. These changes would be necessary to extend the categories of health professionals who can administer injectable prescription only medicines, including Naloxone, on their own initiative.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive an invitation to the official opening of the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
Answer
There are, as yet, no plans for an official opening of the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. The Infirmary will open in two phases, with the first phase scheduled for occupation in October 2001, and the second in February 2003.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 13 January 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, given the almost 50% increase in bed usage in the Lothian Universities Hospital Trust for the first week of January, whether it will confirm that all hospital trusts in Scotland will be able to engage extra staff and to utilise whatever facilities are required to cope with the possible influen'a epidemic.
Answer
Although all NHS Trusts in Scotland are currently under severe pressure, they have all planned for winter pressures and are coping. Trust plans have included the reduction of non-emergency admissions, creation of additional capacity for short-term peaks and the use of agency nursing staff.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 10 December 1999
To ask the Presiding Officer whether, in view of the possible fundamental alteration to the Holyrood project represented by any proposal to demolish Queensberry House, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body will initiate immediate and full re-evaluation of the feasibility and cost of the project.
Answer
My report to MSPs of 1 December 1999 noted that preliminary work on Queensberry House has revealed it to be in a poorer condition than expected. The SPCB is awaiting the results of detailed specialist investigations and the associated cost estimates of remedial works. There are no plans to demolish Queensberry House. The SPCB will continue to keep MSPs informed about the Holyrood Building at key stages in the project. The approved costs and timing estimates remain in place and MSP's would be notified of any change in these.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 7 December 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will guarantee the continuance of intensive care facilities at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh.
Answer
I fully appreciate concerns about the effect the withdrawal of paediatric cardiac surgery might have on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh. Work is underway to ensure the Unit's continuing viability. As a first step, at my request the Chief Medical Officer is undertaking a detailed discussion with key staff at Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust about the Unit's position.The Unit's viability must be a key factor in all future decisions about the location of tertiary paediatric services in Scotland. The framework for those decisions was set out in the report of the Acute Services Review, which advocates a coherent distribution of services amongst the existing tertiary paediatric centres in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 26 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the announcement by the Prime Minister on 25 October 1999 that the function of issuing warrants for the interception of communications or interference with property for national security purposes is to be transferred from the Secretary of State for Scotland to the Home Secretary, (a) what operational implications this will have for Scottish police forces and the Scottish criminal justice system and (b) what consultation took place with it, Scottish police forces and the Crown Office on this transfer of functions.
Answer
Under the Scotland Act 1998, national security, interception of communications and the functions of the security and intelligence agencies are reserved matters. In recent years, the Secretary of State for Scotland has issued national security warrants for interception against targets in Scotland. However continuing this practice after devolution would have raised policy, legal and practical problems. It was therefore agreed that the Home Secretary should take on responsibility for issuing national security warrants against targets in Scotland. This is consistent with his overall responsibility for national security.
These arrangements for issuing national security warrants will have no significant operational implications for the Scottish police or criminal justice system. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland and all relevant agencies and Government Departments were fully consulted on these arrangements.Orders in Council made under the Scotland Act empower Scottish Ministers to continue to issue interception or property warrants in relation to serious crime when the target is located in Scotland.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 25 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that staff, trade unions, and people living in the vicinity of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital are consulted before any changes are made in the criteria for the assessment and admission of patients to the new medium security unit.
Answer
The Royal Edinburgh Hospital provides highly specialised care and treatment for people with a range of problems related to mental illness and learning disabilities. The replacement forensic psychiatry unit currently being developed at the Hospital will continue to provide care and treatment for people with severe mental illness which has brought them into contact with the criminal justice system: the aim is to provide a better therapeutic environment for the care of these patients in a building which has appropriate physical security.Decisions on the most appropriate care for individual patients is best made by clinicians and staff involved in the treatment of the individual. The assessment and admission of patients to the facility being developed at the Hospital is therefore a clinical matter. I understand, however, that the Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust consulted locally about the new unit and its role prior to its development.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 17 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many primary and secondary school teachers have suffered nervous breakdowns or have been on extended absence due to mental illness in the past five years.
Answer
Information on the prevalence of mental illness within the various client groups is not held centrally. However, Local Authorities as employers are sensitive to the importance of recognising and supporting employees who may suffer from mental illness.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 17 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many social workers have suffered nervous breakdowns or have been on extended absence due to mental illness in the past five years.
Answer
I refer to the answer to S1W-1813 relating to teachers.
- Asked by: Margo MacDonald, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 17 November 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS nurses have suffered nervous breakdowns or have been on extended absence due to mental illness in the past five years.
Answer
I refer to the answer to S1W-1813 relating to teachers.
