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The SPS published a response to the recent thematic inspection of care for people with mental health problems by HMCIP, the report can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/244161/0068214.pdf.

Since the implementation of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, the SPS has sought to put in place independent advocacy services for those who require it. SPS is developing a service that meets the needs of mentally disordered offenders in respect of independent advocacy and it is moving now to address the needs of other groups with special requirements, such as people with learning disability and difficulty. We have been working with a range of partner agencies and organisations to provide advocacy services.

Appropriate arrangements, including monitoring, are in place to ensure that prisoners requiring transfer to hospital for assessment or treatment of a mental illness do so promptly.

Such transfers are managed under Section 52 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 for unsentenced prisoners, and Section 136 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 for sentenced prisoners.

The report Out of Sight: Severe and Enduring Mental Health Problems is Scotland''s Prisons is welcomed by the Scottish Prison Service. It is seen as a fair reflection of the current arrangements for managing prisoners suffering from severe and enduring mental health problems and the challenges posed by this group of prisoners.

The SPS has accepted 19 out of the 20 recommendations and is currently developing its formal action plan for implementation. The SPS response to the recommendations is posted on the SPS website and can be accessed at the following web address http://www.sps.gov.uk/default.aspx?documentid=625ef22e-8426-42a5-97a0-e8c6369b2423.

These talks resulted in an interim agreement, covering the period August 2007 to July 2009, on arrangements for specialty trainees. No arrangements were agreed for foundation year doctors in the course of these discussions.

Employers and the BMA agreed to review this interim agreement from May 2009 and further discussions are therefore planned for that time.

Last year all NHS Scotland boards were asked to share their plans for ensuring that their junior doctors reach compliance with the Scottish Government, and our WTR Advisers subsequently met with all boards to discuss their plans. Good progress is being made towards the target with significant redesign and investment in service modernisation already undertaken. New and expanded roles have been developed and out of hour care significantly re-modelled as the hospital at night approach has been introduced.

I am aware that there are some boards for whom the target will be hard to achieve because of their remote and rural location and also some specialities such as neurosurgery which are likely to be challenging and may require national solutions.

I am receiving regular updates on the position and will consider what further options and developments can be introduced which will continue to assist the boards in achieving and maintaining compliance at and beyond August 2009.

Foundation Year doctors are employed on four month contracts, LATs/FTSTAs and STs on one year contracts. SPRs are variable but longer than one year.

The following figures have been provided by NHS Education for Scotland (NES):

The majority of these doctors will hold short-term employment contracts. STRs have a training agreement for a longer term which is fulfilled by a series of shorter term contracts.

Foundation Year doctors are employed on four month contracts, LATs/FTSTAs and STs on one year contracts. SPRs are variable but longer than one year.

The following figures have been provided by NHS Education for Scotland (NES):

The majority of these doctors will hold short term employment contracts. STRs have a training agreement for a longer term which is fulfilled by a series of shorter term contracts.