- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 31 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, when the audit document to help all agencies identify their role in the care and custody of people with mental health problems will be published.
Answer
The promised planning and audit document was published on 12 February 2001 and sent to all relevant agencies. A copy is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 12345).
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 31 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, when it plans to introduce schemes to recognise and value staff commitment through long service awards and good service awards.
Answer
The Scottish Partnership Forum Partnership Information Network (PIN) Board has set up a Guideline Development Group to produce a PIN Guideline on Long and Good Service Awards. The group's membership comprises of health service managers and nominations from trade union and the professions. The group will deliver a draft document for consultation in the summer and issue during autumn.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 31 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, what the current maximum wait is from urgent referral to treatment for children's cancers and acute leukaemia.
Answer
There are currently no formal waiting times for children with cancer, nor for people diagnosed with leukaemia. The diagnosis of leukaemia, particularly in children, is usually a clinical emergency warranting immediate admission for urgent treatment. For those cases not requiring immediate emergency admission, treatment is mostly commenced within one week of diagnosis.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 31 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, when it will issue guidance on the education of children who are too ill to attend school.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's Guidance on Education of Children Absent from School Through Ill-Health was issued on 19 December 2001, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 18538).
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 31 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, how it is monitoring the training and awareness of staff about existing good practice on disability issues.
Answer
Progress on implementing good practice on staff issues relating to disability will be made through the Staff Governance Standard which I launched on 25 January at the Scottish Partnership Forum Conference. The Standard requires NHS employers to ensure Partnership Information Network guidelines such as the Equal Opportunities Guideline which includes disability are implemented and progressed. In addition, a self assessment audit on the implementation of "Learning Together", the Strategy for Education and Lifelong Learning for NHSScotland staff to ensure all staff are appropriately trained, will be undertaken by the local partnership forum.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 31 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, whether it will set up an Information Task Group to develop better access to the information that cancer patients and their families need.
Answer
The commitment to establish an Information Task Group was reaffirmed in Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change launched in July last year. The group has now been set up and met for the first time on 23 January 2002.Mr Ian Gibson, Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland, Macmillan Cancer Relief and a member of the Scottish Cancer Group, is chairman of the group. Its membership also includes patient, voluntary sector and regional cancer clinical network representatives from a variety of professions and disciplines. The group will report to the Scottish Cancer Group.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 31 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, how it is supporting local authorities and health boards in implementing a single shared needs assessment by health or social care professionals for older people and people with dementia.
Answer
We have set up a dedicated team to implement single shared assessment for older people in the first instance and a reference group to advise it. More directly, we issued guidance in setting out the key steps to implementation and the essential infrastructures we expect to be in place by 1 April 2002. And to promote and support implementation locally, we held regional seminars and are currently visiting every local authority area. Single shared assessment will be extended to the rest of community care in the course of 2002-03.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 31 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, when it plans to introduce a new Leadership Development Programme for NHS managers.
Answer
A range of leadership development programmes have been supported by the Executive and delivered in local NHS organisations since the publication of the Scottish Health Plan. In addition, the National Leadership Programme, Xceed, launched in April 2001, is currently providing leadership to a range of NHS personnel including doctors, nurses administrative and other staff engaged in managerial functions. The programme has been well received and demand for places has been, and continues to be, very high.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication of the Scottish Health Plan, Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change, how it plans to ensure that the NHS and local authorities identify improved processes and share good practice across Scotland to reduce unacceptable delays in discharging patients from hospital to more appropriate care and what action it has taken to achieve this to date.
Answer
An expert group, led by NHS Chief Executive Trevor Jones, has been looking in detail at delayed discharge and the reasons for it. Next month I will announce an Action Plan based on the work of this group, and including the sharing of good practice, to help drive down the delayed discharge figures.
- Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 29 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Answer
Strategies for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are primarily a matter for NHS Boards. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), which is funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department, produced a clinical guideline on the Management of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis in December 2000, which will have informed clinicians of the best practice for diagnosis and management of the condition.
