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The Scottish Ambulance Service baseline budget for 2007-08 was £177.794 million and for 2008-09 was £183.394 million. The increase represents a 3.15% uplift.

Budgets for forward years have not yet been set.

NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde were both visited during 2004-05 as part of the Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) standards peer review programme. The Vale of Leven Hospital was part of NHS Argyll and Clyde Acute Hospitals Trust at this time.

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) standards are considered for revision and updating every three years. The most recent standards were published in March 2008, and future arrangements for performance assessment against the standards are in development. Further information is available on the NHS QIS website at:

http://www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/controller?p_service=Content.showandp_applic=CCCandpContentID=4099.

The NHS QIS review process is just one of the ways in which we monitor NHS board performance against HAI Targets, and given the importance of hand hygiene compliance, I have requested that Health Protection Scotland (HPS) move from three to two monthly reporting on NHS boards compliance from January 2009. I have also increased the target of 90% compliance by November 2008 to 95% compliance by April 2009.

As noted in the independent review team report no routine monitoring was undertaken within the dates requested.

Guidance on Prudent Antimicrobial Prescribing: The Scottish Action Plan for Managing Antibiotic Resistance and Reducing Antibiotic Related Clostridium Difficile Associated Disease was issued under cover of CEL30(2008) on 8 July 2008. This guidance recommends that all NHS boards should immediately establish an antimicrobial management team (AMT) which should cover primary and secondary care prescribing activities. A key role for the AMT Board is the implementation and compliance monitoring of a local antimicrobial policy.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-15681 on 10 September 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

I welcome NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde''s commitment to quickly bring forward proposals for a full range of services at the Vale of Leven Hospital. These will take account of the report of the Independent External Review of Anaesthetic Services at the Vale and will set out a long-term safe and sustainable future for the Hospital. Proposals will be subject to public consultation and will ultimately need to be submitted to me for consideration and a final decision.

The Scottish Government does not allocate funding for specific schools. We have already substantially increased capital resources for local authorities under the concordat “ almost £3 billion is available to authorities over three years for investment in infrastructure, including schools. This is a rise of £115 million this year and for each of the next two years, for authorities to invest according to their priorities. Any requests for future funding requirements will be considered as part of the next spending review.

A new infection control structure was introduced across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGG&C) from 1 July 2008. The current structure of the Infection Control Nursing service has been reviewed to allow a full and seamless integration of NHSGG&C into a single delivery service across the Acute Division.

The outcomes of the review are as follows;

four Sector Teams (North West, North East, South and Clyde) will be established, with a twinning arrangement between sectors where each partnership will provide cover as required in outbreak and emergency circumstances.

each team will be led by a Lead Infection Control Nurse, who will also have a Glasgow and Clyde wide responsibility in one of the following areas: cleaning, decontamination, surveillance, built environment and education/audit/research.

a Co-ordination Infection Control Doctor will work closely with the Head Nurse of Infection Control, and will also take the role as Lead Infection Control Doctor. The new structure will have five Infection Control Doctors.

in line with the four Sector Teams, there will be four Sector Infection Control Committees. The chairs of each sector committee will report to the Acute Division Infection Control Committee.

The new structure is in the process of implementation, with new organisational arrangements and line management responsibilities.

The Scottish Government has no plans to do so. This would be a matter for the independent review team.

The Independent Review Team was specifically tasked with reviewing the events that took place at the Vale of Leven Hospital and Health Protection Scotland staff were consulted as part of the review. Any wider implications from the findings in the review are being taken forward in the national action plan.

No. The report on the Scottish Government''s two Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) programmes between January 2003 and March 2008 is an overarching document detailing the work achieved by the HAI Task Force. The report is available on the HAI Website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/09/02115016/0.