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A written consultation about proposals for a patient rights bill ran from September 2008 to January 2009. Several written responses were received from organisations working with children and young people, including Scotland''s Commissioner for Children and Young People, Action for Sick Children (Scotland) and Children in Scotland. In addition, a children and young people''s focus group was held on 25 November 2008. There were 11 participants, with an age range between 11 and 17 years. Further consideration about the Bill and how it might impact on children and young people can be found in the Equality Impact Assessment at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/PatientRightsBill/AccDocs.

Prior to the launch of the consultation, I also met with a group of young people who were patients at Yorkhill Children''s Hospital. I discussed with them how they have been involved in influencing health services and discussed patients'' rights and the consultation, and encouraged their input into the consultation process.

Since the Patient Rights (Scotland) Bill has been introduced, the Scottish Executive has met with representatives from organisations working with children and young people to discuss the implementation of the Bill and how this can be done in ways that meet the needs of children and young people. Officials will also shortly be meeting with the office of Scotland''s Commissioner for Children and Young People to discuss similar issues.

The national waiting time standard for a CT scan is six weeks. This is a maximum waiting time. Latest waiting time statistics published on 31 August showed that no patient had waited more than four weeks for a CT scan.

Most stroke patients will require to be admitted to hospital immediately and will not wait for the start of their treatment. Stroke is a clinical priority for NHSScotland. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) has published updated clinical standards for stroke which include standards for access to a specialist stroke unit, CT scanning and the administration of thrombolysis. We expect NHS boards to implement the stroke standards with a view to improving the standard of stroke care for all patients.

The National Advisory Committee for Stroke (NACS) will continue to closely monitor NHS boards'' performance with implementing stroke standards through the Scottish Stroke Care Audit and will draw boards'' attention to those aspects of services where good progress has been made and those where improvements are required.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) assesses newly licensed medicines for clinical and cost-effectiveness and provides advice to NHS Boards. Where the SMC has accepted a newly licensed medicine, NHS boards are expected to make it (or its equivalent) available in accordance with the clinical needs of patients.

The majority of medicines reviewed by the SMC are medicines for conditions where alternative treatments already exist. Whilst NHS boards are expected to follow SMC advice, the implementation of these SMC accepted medicines is subject to local NHS board decision.

There is the facility for the SMC to designate an innovative medicine for a condition where there are no other treatment options as unique. In the event that a unique medicine was accepted by SMC, NHS boards would be required to introduce it to an agreed national programme.

Guidance setting out the policy framework with regard to the introduction and availability of newly licensed medicines in the NHS in Scotland was issued to NHS boards on 17 May 2010. A link to the guidance is attached:

http://www.sehd.scot.nhs.uk/mels/CEL2010_17.pdf.

The Patients Rights Bill will not embody a right to access a certain treatment or medicine. The bill deals with general principles about how healthcare should be delivered. It does not give rights to specific treatments or medicines, or for specific conditions.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35684 on 31 August 2010. 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.

The role of Patient Rights Officers as set out in provision 16 of the Patient Rights (Scotland) Bill includes providing advice and support to individuals to make a complaint under the NHS Complaints procedure. Patient Rights Officers will not be involved with claims by patients for financial compensation. They will have no role in cases where compensation is being sought other than perhaps to offer signposting advice.

The provision in the Patient Rights (Scotland) Bill at 16(d) (ii) states that a function of the Patient Rights Officers is to direct people ˜to persons providing representation or advocacy services'' and this applies to all patients, irrespective of age. The Explanatory Notes, which accompanied the bill, explain that new funding will be made available to cover the potential impact of this provision.

NHS boards, working with partner organisations, should provide access to independent advocacy services to all users of NHS services (including the NHS complaints process) who need this support. The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) will work with NHS boards during 2010-11 to undertake a needs assessment and develop advocacy plans to ensure that any gaps in provision are addressed. The Principles and Standards for Independent Advocacy produced by the SIAA identifies the special considerations needed in relation to the provision of advocacy services for children and young people.

Advocacy Makes You Feel Brave: Advocacy support for children and young people in Scotland commissioned by the Scottish Executive was published in January 2010. The report makes a number of recommendations and dedicated work with relevant stakeholders is being forward on this.

The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 provides for everyone, including young people, with a mental disorder in Scotland “ not just those who are subject to compulsory measures “ to have a right of access to independent advocacy.

Patient Rights Officers (PROs) will deliver the functions of the Patient Advice and Support Service (PASS) set out in the Patient Rights (Scotland) Bill at provision 15(2).

The Common Services Agency (CSA) will secure the provision of the PASS, which will not be provided by either a health board, special health board or the CSA.

The PASS will operate independently of NHS boards and NHS Complaints Officers and will provide advice and support in relation to patient rights. PASS will not investigate complaints but will provide advice and support to people who want to make a complaint about the healthcare they have received. PASS will also provide advice in relation to other support services such as advocacy.

The information requested is not held centrally.

I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The SPS recently awarded a three year contract, with options to extend, for the provision of pharmaceutical goods and professional services to its directly managed prisons.

The contract commenced on 1 April 2010 and the initial three year period will cease on 31 March 2013.

We have not had access to the Department of Health''s digital communications review and are therefore unable to comment on the contents.

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) is currently reviewing the provision of web-based information within NHSScotland, looking specifically at those sites that are hosted within the Scottish Health On the Web (SHOW) website hosting service.

NHS boards are responsible for updating their own websites and ensuring that they are fit for purpose.