- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 24 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Social Work Services Inspectorate has any power to enforce the findings of its reports against either individuals or local authorities.
Answer
The Social Work (Scotland)Act 1968 sets out the statutory basis on which local authorities are requiredto deliver social work services in their area. Recommendations from inspectionreports are incorporated in the statutory guidance, and by operation of section5(1) of the act, local authorities are under a duty to perform their functionsin accordance with such guidance.
The act also empowersScottish ministers to issue directions to local authorities concerning themanner in which they exercise their social work functions. Under section 5(1A)of the act, local authorities are under a duty to comply with such directions.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 24 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current police station at Peebles can be made compliant with access requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and what additional funding is being made available to Lothian and Borders Police for the purposes of compliance with the act.
Answer
Compliance with the act is amatter for Lothian and Borders Police. The Executive provides all police authoritieswith both recurrent funding and consents for capital expenditure, and eitherbudget may be used for the purposes of making adjustments to buildings inaccordance with the Disability Discrimination Act.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Association of Community Hospitals currently receives funding from the Chief Medical Officer and, if not, whether it will provide funding to enable the association to continue.
Answer
The Scottish Association ofCommunity Hospitals does not currently receive funding from the Chief MedicalOfficer. Proposals by the association for national funding would be givenappropriate consideration.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to monitor reasons behind cancellations of out-patient clinics, especially those cancellations giving less than 24 hours notice, in light of the Audit Scotland report, Outpatient Count - Results of a census on outpatient activity.
Answer
The Audit Scotland Report
OutpatientCount – Results of a census on outpatient activity recommends that NHS trustsshould monitor the reasons for cancelled clinics and take appropriate action.
The White Paper Partnershipfor Care has already set out plans for a programme of service redesign thatwill support these actions. In addition, on 13 June 2003 Ilaunched the out-patient action plan, which requires NHS trusts and boards toappoint an out-patient manager to help improve demand and capacity planning. Cliniccancellations should be better monitored by NHS trusts and boards andreductions achieved through implementation of the action plan.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it will introduce to assist NHS trusts to adequately review follow-up arrangements for out-patient appointments and discharge policies, as referred to in the Audit Scotland report, Outpatients Count.
Answer
The White Paper
Partnershipfor Care sets out plans for a programme of service redesign to help ensure morestreamlined access to services and more effective and timely communicationswith patients.
The Centre for Change andInnovation is driving the implementation of the Outpatient Action Plan, whichI launched on 13 June 2003. The plan includes a requirement for NHS boards and truststo review follow-up and discharge policies, which should help reduce anyunnecessary visits to specialist clinics. In addition, the centre willfacilitate the spread of good practice and the promotion of knowledge transfer througha series of good practice events, to help improve out-patient services acrossNHSScotland.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to investigate the reasons behind Did Not Attend (DNA) rates in each NHS board area in light of DNA rates costing approximately #20 million, as identified in the Audit Scotland report, Outpatient Count - Results of a census on outpatient activity.
Answer
The Audit Scotland Report
OutpatientCount – Results of a census on outpatient activity recommends that NHS trustsshould examine the causes of DNA rates in their respective clinics and takeaction to reduce these.
The Executive believes thatthe best way to reduce the number of patients who fail to attend NHSappointments is through more effective and timely communications with patientsand more streamlined access to services. The White Paper Partnership forCare sets out plans for a programme of service redesign that will supportthese objectives. On 13 June 2003, I launched the out-patient action plan, whichincludes a commitment to piloting new arrangements for booking out-patientappointments. Pilot sites will be launched this month and their impact on DNArates monitored.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to set up a national review of out-patient management with a view to the creation of a minimum data set capable of supporting national strategic and operational management needs, as recommended in the Audit Scotland report, Outpatients Count.
Answer
The White Paper
Partnershipfor Care includes a commitment to improve the collection of information tomore accurately reflect NHSScotland out-patient activity, which will bettersupport strategic and operational management needs.
ISD Scotland are currently takingthis commitment forward through their data development programme, and areworking with NHSScotland to review data requirements for managing out-patients.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the partnership between Macmillan Cancer Relief and Airdrie Citi'ens Advice Bureau that provides financial advice and support to people affected by cancer.
Answer
The provision of relevant informationincluding financial and benefits advice is a vital part of the overall supportfor people affected by cancer.
Discussions are under waywith Citizens Advice Scotland about the possibility of establishing a strategicpartnership with NHSScotland to ensure that up-to-date benefits information isavailable to all patients irrespective of their illness and also for carers.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether cancer patients would benefit from the type of service provided by the partnership between Macmillan Cancer Relief and Airdrie Citi'ens Advice Bureau, where people affected by cancer receive financial advice and support as part of their care, were the service to be made available in communities across Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3559. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 17 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how tests for resource use and energy consumption as key indicators of progress in the development of transport on a sustainable basis, as referred to in paragraph 24 of its consultation paper Scotland's Transport - Proposals for a New Approach to Transport in Scotland, are being applied with regard to the business case for the reinstatement of the Borders railway.
Answer
The Borders railway businesscase, will be appraised in accordance with the Scottish Transport AppraisalGuidance (STAG). The guidance considers a range of sustainability issues,including the impact of proposals on the environment and energy consumption.
