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The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework is outcomes focussed. It does not seek to mandate how NHS boards and others should deliver outcomes, and does not set expectations on staffing levels within NHS boards. The framework encourages local needs-assessments to be undertaken to establish what resources are required to deliver on framework outcomes. Staffing levels are therefore entirely a matter for NHS boards. We are not aware of any staffing issues that will compromise delivery of the framework.

The government undertakes annual local area visits to monitor progress of the framework outcomes. These visits will involve detailed discussion on issues of concern in each area and this will provide an opportunity for any staffing issues to be raised. These visits are commencing this month.

The Sexual Health and Blood Borne Virus Framework is outcomes focussed. It does not seek to mandate how NHS boards and others should deliver outcomes, and does not set expectations on staffing levels within NHS boards. The framework encourages local needs-assessments to be undertaken to establish what resources are required to deliver on framework outcomes. Staffing levels are therefore entirely a matter for NHS boards. We are not aware of any staffing issues that will compromise delivery of the framework.

The government undertakes annual local area visits to monitor progress of the framework outcomes. These visits will involve detailed discussion on issues of concern in each area and this will provide an opportunity for any staffing issues to be raised. These visits are commencing this month.

The chemotherapy electronic prescribing and administration system is one that supports safe prescribing and administration practices for chemotherapy. It does not record the amount spent on cancer medicines.

The most recent meeting via teleconference across the four UK administrations was held in November 2011.

The Draft UK Plan on Rare Diseases was launched for public consultation by the Department of Health on Rare Disease Day, 29 February 2012.

The consultation document and accompanying equality analysis can be found on the Department of Health (England) website at:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/category/publications/consultations/.

The National Planning Forum will consider both the updated guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), and the health technology assessment (HTA) on TAVI commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research as soon as they are published.

NICE has indicated that it expects the Interventional Procedures Programme (IPP) guidance on TAVI to be published before the end of March 2012.

The National Institute for Health Research has indicated that the HTA has been extended in scope to also examine the cohort of people who are eligible for surgery, but are considered high risk. As a result, the HTA is now expected to be published later this summer.

As indicated in the answer to question S4W-03307 on 2 November 2011, the Scottish Health Technologies Group has robust processes in place for monitoring and reviewing publications relating to TAVI.

In the interim, NHS boards continue to ensure that local arrangements are in place so that people with severe aortic stenosis get access to appropriate clinical treatment. As part of those arrangements, where it is considered clinically appropriate by their doctors, people can get access to TAVI treatment through consideration by an individual case panel.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Prescribing of cancer medicines is the responsibility of the clinician in charge of an individuals care. The most appropriate treatment, be it surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy (or a combination of these) will be made in consultation with the individual and based on a number of factors, such as, the type of cancer, stage of disease at diagnosis and the benefits and risks of the treatment being offered.

Information on the number of patients accessing cancer medicines in Scotland is not held centrally. Prescribing data available centrally relate to numbers and cost of items dispensed by community pharmacists and dispending doctors. These data sets exclude the direct supply of medicines to patients from hospital and hospital-based clinics. There are no plans to introduce a central prescribing database.

Information on the number of patients in Scotland who are accessing cancer medicines that are available through the NHS in England is not held centrally.

No assessments have been undertaken to compare the uptake of cancer treatments in Scotland to those in England or other European Union member states.

The most recent published data available in Scotland on spend for cancer treatments is available at:

www.isdscotland.org/Health-Topics/Cancer/Cancer-Statistics/Cancercosts10rtf.pdf?1.

This report The Cost of Cancer Care in Scotland showed that 7.5% of spend in 2000-01 was on cancer services.

To date no formal comparisons have been made to either England or European Union member states.

As health is a devolved issue, decisions regarding the introduction of new medicines and treatments are taken by each of the UK countries through their own appraisal and assessment arrangements in line with established national policies.

The arrangements set out in guidance to NHS boards under cover of CEL 17 (2010) in relation to the introduction and availability of newly licensed medicines in the NHS in Scotland published in May 2010 and which took effect from 1 April 2011, provide the means by which improved access to clinically and cost-effective medicines to treat all conditions throughout all parts of Scotland in accordance with clinical need will be achieved.

The Rarer Cancers Foundation report, Nations Divided, was discussed during a recent parliamentary debate on cancer drugs.

As a result of issues raised during the debate, consideration will be given to further improvements to the already robust arrangements for accessing clinically and cost-effective medicines which improve outcomes for patients.