- 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 the proposals for workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, when the code of practice in respect of the assessment, treatment and risk assessment of mentally disordered offenders as a result of changes being introduced by the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 will be available and whether the code will refer explicitly to the work of clinical psychologists.
Answer
We plan to issue a finalversion of the code of practice in good time to allow it to be used for implementationpurposes, including training. Assuming an implementation date of April 2005 (onwhich we are consulting at present), we envisage a final version by autumn2004. In advance of that we are working closely with health and social workprofessionals and others, and will consult on a final version of the code.
The code will make clearreference to the input of clinical psychologists in the act’s implementation, andin particular in relation to the assessment, treatment and risk assessment ofmentally disordered offenders.
- 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 Peter Peacock on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive which parties have underwritten any losses occurring through the default of any of the partners in the East Lothian public private partnership schools project consortium “Innovate East Lothian”.
Answer
This is entirely a matterfor the consortium.
- 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 Peter Peacock on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for the East Lothian public private partnership schools project of Ballast plc being placed into administration and what the implications would be should the company go into receivership or liquidation.
Answer
In this public private partnershipproject, the private sector consortium has contracted to provide a service tostandards set out in the contract. If circumstances relating to one of theparties or sub-contractors change, it remains a matter for the consortium as awhole to determine how best to meet its contractual obligations.
- 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 Tom McCabe on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to proposals for workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, what steps will be taken to introduce an integrated approach to strategic planning for psychology services within the NHS framework at local, regional and national levels and to review current experience of good practice in existing services.
Answer
Nationally the availabilityof psychological interventions services needs to be improved. NHS EducationScotland has commissioned a major expansion of training capacity for clinicalpsychologists while also working to develop greater flexibility in trainingpathways.
TheHealth Department Centre for Change and Innovation hosted a national conferencein September to review the strategic direction of psychology services includingconsideration of service redesign issues to deliver expanded psychological careacross the country. Psychology is also represented in the National Mental HealthWorkforce Group and in the steering group for the Doing Well by People withDepression initiative. These offer valuable opportunities to identify and sharegood practice.
The overall objective is toinform strategic workforceplanning and care approaches in order toraise the quality, quantity and effectiveness of psychological interventions acrossthe country.
- 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 Peter Peacock on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has regarding the public private partnership contracts undertaken by East Lothian Council for schools refurbishment and build, given recent events regarding Ballast plc.
Answer
This is a matter betweenEast Lothian Council and the consortium with whom it has contracted. It is forthe consortium to determine how best to meet its contractual obligations.
- 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 Peter Peacock on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current position is with regard to any delay to the contractual completion date of August 2004 of the East Lothian public private partnership schools project.
Answer
Details of the contract arematters for East Lothian Council and the consortium with whom it has contracted.
- 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.
- 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 Malcolm Chisholm on 10 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1500 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 August 2003, whether the responses to the consultation paper on the reform of the NHS complaints procedure have now been published and, if so, whether they are publicly available and whether the minister's response to that consultation paper has been made and, if so, whether it is publicly available.
Answer
The responses to the consultationpaper on the reform of the NHS complaints procedure have now been published onthe Scottish Health on the Web site. The URL is as follows
http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/complaints/.We have commissionedScottish Health Feedback to provide independent analysis of these responses andtheir document will be made available on this website.
My response to this analysisand the Scottish Health Feedback report will be available very shortly at theURL above.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available to enable doctors to return to practice after career breaks.
Answer
Funding is available underthe terms of the doctors retainer scheme which is aimed at re-introducing GPsback into general practice following a career break. Retainees receive a salaryfrom their employing practice who in turn are re-imbursed, currently at therate of £53.80 per half day. The retainee also receives an annual retainer feeof £300 to help meet the costs of educational courses and subscription tomedical journals.
The golden hello scheme isdesigned to attract newly qualified GPs into general practice and also GPsreturning to general practice by offering a package of incentive payments.Under the terms of the scheme GPs can receive a payment of £5,000 on taking upa new post. Further payments of between £2,500 and £7,500 are also available ifthe post is in a remote and rural are or a deprived area of Scotland.
For doctors in training ordoctors who are fully qualified, they would normally approach theirPostgraduate Dean or Director of Postgraduate General Practice Education whowould, subject to available funding through NHS Education for Scotland,arrange training or placements on an individual basis.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes are in place to enable and encourage doctors to return to practice after career breaks.
Answer
The doctors retainer schemehelps to re-introduce general practitioners back into general practicefollowing a career break. GP retainees are employed by suitable trainingpractices as assistants and can work up to four half day sessions per week. Theretainer scheme can last for a period of up to five years following which timethe retainee is expected to consider becoming a GP principal.
There is also the golden helloscheme which aims to attract newly qualified GPs into general practices andalso GPs wishing to return to general practice following a career break. Thescheme offers a range of incentive payments.
For other grades of doctorswho are in training, they would approach the Postgraduate Dean of Director ofPostgraduate General Practice, who would provide career advice and, subject toavailable funding, these doctors would be placed in supernumeracy placements toregain confidence and then compete with other doctors to enter a trainingprogramme of their choice.
For consultants, they wouldapproach their Postgraduate Dean and, dependant on how long the doctor has beenout of practice, would be placed on a programme to re-orientate them back intopractice.
