- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the 90-week wait for an appointment for a hearing test being experienced by Dr Symms from the Melrose area, what action it is taking to address the length of time taken for such appointments and whether additional funding will be made available to reduce such waiting times.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2920. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which 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: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2315 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 September 2003, whether the median waiting times given in that answer include the waiting period for a hearing test following a GP referral but prior to referral to a consultant and, if not, what the total median waiting time period has been including that waiting time in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2908 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan 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: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available in the health and community care section of its Draft Budget 2003-04 to reduce waiting times for first appointments for hearing tests with ear, nose and throat departments.
Answer
NHS boards receive an allocation to meet health care needs of their resident population. It is for boards to decide how best to utilise this funding to meet national and local priorities.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 8 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1687 by Euan Robson on 18 August 2003, when it was anticipated that the report by the Chief Inspector of Social Work would be available and when that report is to be published.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-1687 on 18 August 2003. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which 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: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are waiting for a first appointment for hearing tests with ear, nose and throat departments as at 31 August 2003, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer
The information requested isnot available. Data on out-patient waiting, by specialty, are collected centrallyafter patients have been seen at a consultant-led clinic, and is therefore retrospective.
Partnership for Care, which was published in February 2003, includes a commitmentto improve the management of out-patient waiting by recording for the first timethe number of referrals received for a service and the waiting time for patientswho have not been seen at a clinic. Work on this commitment is being taken forwardby the National Waiting Times Unit, in conjunction with NHSScotland and InformationStatistics Division Scotland.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2315 by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 September 2003 where the provisional median time for an audiology appointment in the Borders NHS Board area is given as 34 days in 2003, why Dr Peter Symms of Brotherstone, near Melrose, has been advised that the waiting time for such an appointment is 90 weeks and what action it will take to address this issue.
Answer
The figures provided in the answerto question S2W-2315 on 11 September 2003, were the median waiting times for a firstout-patient appointment at a consultant-led clinic in the specialty of ear,nose and throat . Information on waiting times for an audiology appointment is notavailable as data is collected centrally at specialty level only.
I understand from NHS Bordersthat the waiting time for an audiology appointment quoted to Dr Symms was incorrect.They have now written to Dr Symms to advise that the anticipated wait is 48 weeks.
The board is currently developingan audiology modernisation plan and finalising its bid for funding from the AudiologyModernisation Funds which were announced earlier this year. It is also in the processof reallocating some work to increase the time available for trained audiologiststo undertake hearing aid assessments and expects these actions to lead to reductionsin waiting times early in the New Year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 8 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the role of the Waiting Times Co-ordination Unit is in respect of the length of waiting time for a first appointment for a hearing test, and other audiology tests, before referral to a consultant.
Answer
I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-2908 today. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.We are determined to tackle waitingtimes for first out-patient appointments, including waits for audiology. The Executivehas included a commitment in the white paper Partnership for Care and thePartnership Agreement Partnership for a Better Scotland, that no patientwill wait longer than 26 weeks for a first out-patient appointment following GPreferral, by 2005.
The National Waiting Times Unithas agreed plans with each NHS board which include local out-patient waiting timestargets which demonstrate the progress they are expected to make towards deliveryof the 26-week target. In addition, I launched the Out-patient Action Plan on 13 June 2003 and theCentre for Change and Innovation will drive forward its implementation through aco-ordinated programme of service redesign and the promotion and dissemination ofgood practice across NHSScotland.
The Executive is committed tothe modernisation of audiology services and £8 million is being made available between2003-04 and 2006-07. On 1 October 2003, we announced the issue of £9 million over the nextthree years to meet the Partnership Agreement commitment to allow the routine issueof digital hearing aids and support where they are the most clinically effectiveoption.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 8 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm its contribution of approximately #110 million as indicated in the estimate of expense and funding statement lodged with the Waverley Railway (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
The Executive has already awardedup to £2.1 million to the Waverley Railway Partnership to progress this projectto parliamentary bill stage.
The Executive is committed tosupporting construction of the Borders rail line and we await submission of thedetailed business case.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 7 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-24700 and S1W-26383 by Mr Jim Wallace on 1 May and 11 June 2002 respectively, whether an evaluation of the Renfrewshire and Paisley neighbourhood warden pilot projects has been made and, if so, where it can be accessed.
Answer
The Renfrewshireand Paisley neighbourhood warden pilot projectwill be evaluated towards the end of 2004-05 as part of the wider evaluation ofRenfrewshire’s Better Neighbourhoods Services Fund (BNSF) programme. Renfrewshire’sBNSF Annual Report, due later this year, will provide an update on progress to date.This will be available through the Parliament’s Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to ensure that places on nursing diploma programmes match demand, as referred to in table 2.5 of the report by the Royal College of Nursing More Nurses, working differently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002.
Answer
Pre-registration nursing diplomaeducation is provided by seven higher education institutions (HEIs) in Scotland, undercontract with the Scottish Executive Health Department. An annual student nurse intake planningexercise, based on the future workforce requirements of NHSScotland, influencesthe number of students that the Scottish Executive Health Department funds throughthese contracts.
Competition for student placesremains buoyant but, as with any higher education course, not all applicants meetthe necessary requirements. The nature of nursing means that applicants must beassessed on the basis of their health and fitness in addition to academic requirements.Selecting the right students is one way of addressing attrition from these courses.HEIs have overall responsibility for the selection process.
In 2003-04 the student intakewill increase by an additional 525 students, through traditional and other routes,in accordance with the student nurse intake planning recommendations.
