- 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.
- 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 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will evaluate whether local authorities meet community needs in respect of transport issues, as referred to in paragraph 22 of its consultation paper Scotland's Transport - Proposals for a New Approach to Transport in Scotland.
Answer
Scotland’s Transport – Proposals for a New Approach toTransport in Scotland seeks comments on the best way of widening publicinvolvement in the planning of transport services in Scotland. Thepaper suggests that a community planning approach could provide a basis forensuring that transport services offered meet the needs of the community. It istoo early to put in place evaluation methods, which will depend on the form oftransport organisations which emerge from the consultation.
- 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 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when a nationwide concessionary fares scheme will be operational, as referred to in paragraph 19 of its consultation paper Scotland's Transport - Proposals for a New Approach to Transport in Scotland.
Answer
As outlined in
APartnership for a Better Scotland, the Executive is committed to extendingconcessionary fares schemes on public transport, including a national freeoff-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities; andprogressively introducing a scheme of national bus, rail and ferryconcessionary travel for young people, initially for all in full-time educationor training.
Work is taking place toprogress these commitments, including discussions with key stakeholders. Thiswill be followed by a formal consultation process and substantial research andimplementation work. We will be in a position to make a decision on the precisetiming of the introduction of the schemes once the formal consultation processhas been completed.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking on the development of direct referral to physiotherapy services as recommended by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in Scotland in light of a pilot project in Dundee that demonstrated that such a system produced a saving of one months' consultation time a year in an average GP practice.
Answer
It is important to build ongood practice and the Dundee pilot project suggests that it is possible to reducewaiting times for physiotherapy, which is good for patients. As part of its nationalprogramme, the Centre for Change and Innovation is undertaking a modernisationof out-patient services which will certainly build on the kind of workdemonstrated by physiotherapists in Dundee.
In addition to the Dundee pilot,a further study involving all health board areas in Scotland andGP practices in a wide range of locations, is currently under way to considerfurther the scope for the provision of direct access. This nationalmulti-centred study will show whether provision of direct access is appropriatein all locations irrespective of deprivation and setting.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33495 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 5 February 2003, when the remit and timescale of Professor James McEwen's review of the current provision of chronic pain services will be announced.
Answer
The remit for the review,which was agreed after consultation with interested parties including the CrossParty Group on Chronic Pain, is:
Through a process thatincludes consultation with key stakeholders, including NHS boards, the PainAssociation and Pain Concern (as representatives of the interests of patients),the Scottish Network for Chronic Pain Research, the Physiotherapy PainAssociation, Aberdeen Pain Research Group and individual clinicians withparticular expertise, which includes some members of the Cross Party Group onChronic Pain, to produce a report that:
1. reviews referral protocols forthe treatment of chronic pain
2. reviews the current range ofservices in each of the health boards for treating chronic pain
3. draws conclusions about the levelof service for treating chronic pain across Scotland, compared to therecommendations made by the 1994 report by a working group of the NationalMedical Advisory Committee on the Management of Patients with Chronic Pain andthe 2000 Clinical Standards Advisory Group report on Services for Patients withPain
4. makes recommendations on how toimprove the level of service across Scotland.
The review is now well inhand. Professor McEwen expects to be in a position to make his report beforethe end of the year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 17 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to implement a national framework for pain management services as recommended by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Scotland in its annual report 2002-03, Outside in.
Answer
There are no plans tointroduce a national services framework for chronic pain. The Executive has,however, commissioned an independent review of chronic pain services, thereport of which is expected to be received by the end of the year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance issued to local authorities on the direction of choice in regard to discharge from hospitals to care homes is being reviewed; if so, what form the consultation process is taking; who is being consulted; what views have been expressed, and whether any representations have raised issues relating to the implementation of the guidance in rural areas.
Answer
A widevariety of statutory and non statutory bodies were consulted about reviseddraft Guidance on Choice of Accommodation in November 2002. In response, a rangeof comments have been received and some of these have expressed concern aboutchoice and the availability of suitable care in rural areas.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, what steps will be taken to expand access to psychology services in the clinical priority areas of cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke.
Answer
The Chief Medical Officer’sJune 2003 report,
Recent Psychological Research of Significance to theDelivery of Healthcare in Scotland, (which is available in the Parliament’sReference Centre, Bib. number. 29821) promotes the extension of psychologicalinterventions to all areas of health and social care and will inform localworkforce planning and approaches in this important area of care.
Cancer managed clinicalnetworks are set up across Scotland involving clinicians from among the relevantdisciplines to secure access to the best care possible including psychologyservices. NHS Education Scotland (NES) has in place a novel funding scheme toexpand trainee numbers through matched salary funding for every new clinicalpsychology trainee supported by NHSScotland. One Regional Cancer Network hastaken up this NES funding scheme.
The Coronary Heart Disease(CHD) and Stroke Strategy for Scotland, published in October 2002, provides the framework forthe future organisation and delivery of services. Managed Clinical Networks forcardiac services and stroke are being developed in each NHS board area, as thedrivers of service change. These networks must include the full range of healthprofessionals who are involved in providing these services. Psychology servicesshould therefore be included wherever appropriate. NHS Quality ImprovementScotland standards for CHD and stroke also emphasise the importance of patientsbeing treated by multi-disciplinary teams.
