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In 2007-08, 330 (40.3%, from a total of 818) leavers from special schools entered an initial destination which was not employment, voluntary work, education or training. This compares to 7,991 (13.6%, from a total of 58,844) leavers from publicly funded secondary schools.

In 2006-07, 380 (39.4%, from a total of 965) leavers from special schools entered an initial destination which was not employment, voluntary work, education or training. This compares to 7,678 (13.4%, from a total of 57,364) leavers from publicly funded secondary schools.

The way that centrally held healthcare information is coded means that it is not always possible to reliably distinguish between respiratory problems that have been newly diagnosed (incident cases) and problems that the patient may have had for some time (prevalent cases). The figures presented in this response therefore count both newly diagnosed cases and pre-existing cases of respiratory problems.

A large number of diseases or conditions come under the heading of respiratory problems, ranging from short-term illnesses such as colds and influenza, through to long-term conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Both asthma and COPD are likely to be long-term problems and statistics on these conditions are regularly published by Information Services Division. Some of these statistics are reproduced below along with information on other respiratory problems.

Table 1 shows estimated numbers of patients consulting a GP or practice-employed nurse in Scotland for asthma, COPD or other respiratory problems, for the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09. It is not possible from these data to reliably distinguish between newly and previously diagnosed cases. These figures are based on data from a small sample of general practices in Scotland that participate in the Practice Team Information (PTI) scheme. The patients registered to PTI practices are representative of Scotland as a whole in terms of their age, gender and deprivation profile. However, as they are not representative at NHS board level, PTI-based estimates are not produced by NHS board or for smaller areas. The figures in table 1 will be an underestimate of the true incidence of respiratory problems in Scotland as PTI only records instances where patients have actually consulted their GP practice for that particular problem during the year in question. More detailed information on consultations for asthma and COPD is published at www.isdscotland.org/pti.

Table 1: Patients in Scotland Consulting a GP or Practice-Employed Nurse for Asthma, COPD or other Respiratory Problems at least Once in the Year: Estimated Numbers¹, with 95% Confidence Intervals²

Notes:

1. Based on 53, 51, 49, 48 and 58 PTI practices that submitted complete GP and practice nurse data for the years ending 31 March 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively.

2. As the estimates are based on data from a sample of practices, 95% confidence intervals are included to indicate the relative degree of certainty of these estimates.

3. Most other respiratory problems, excluding any consultations that have been coded by GPs or nurses as relating to circulatory and respiratory signs and symptoms and which therefore may or may not relate specifically to respiratory problems. This other group comprises a mixture of short and long-term problems (and many which can be short or long-term) and a wide range of conditions with varying degrees of severity. Conditions counted in this group include respiratory signs and symptoms, diseases, infections, and other respiratory tract problems. A full list of the conditions included in this group, along with their codes, is available on request from ISD''s PTI team at:

nss.isdPTIqueries@nhs.net.

Information on the numbers of patients who are registered to general practices and known to have asthma or COPD is also available through the Quality & Outcomes Framework (QOF) of the new General Medical Services contract. Table 2 shows the numbers of patients recorded by practices in Scotland, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Lanarkshire as having asthma or COPD, for the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09. The information is slightly incomplete as it is not based on data from all general practices in Scotland (although the number missing is fairly small). These counts are based on QOF registers and comprise patients who may have been newly diagnosed in the year in question as well as those who had a pre-existing diagnosis of that condition. These counts are likely to include a mixture of patients who consulted their practice for asthma or COPD during the year and some patients who did not consult. The QOF does not require practices to report on other respiratory problems and so only figures for asthma and COPD are available. The QOF reports total asthma and COPD counts per general practice, so the figures cannot be broken down by data zone. More detailed information on the QOF is published at www.isdscotland.org/qof.

Table 2: Numbers of Patients Included on General Practice QOF¹ Registers for Asthma or COPD, with Corresponding Crude Rates per 100 Registered Patients. Practices in Scotland, NHS Forth Valley and NHS Lanarkshire:

Note: 1. The Quality & Outcomes Framework (QOF) is a part of the new General Medical Services contract, and comprises a framework of indicators that practices much achieve against in order to receive QOF funding.

Tables 3 to 5 below show the numbers of patients admitted to an acute hospital in Scotland for the first time as an inpatient or day case, for asthma, COPD or another respiratory problem, during the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09. The counts exclude many patients with pre-existing diagnoses of respiratory problems. However, they may include patients who have previously been diagnosed with a respiratory problem elsewhere, for example in primary care, in an outpatients clinic, or outwith Scotland. The figures in tables 3 to 5 have been extracted from larger tables routinely published at http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4334.html.

Table 3: First occurrence of respiratory disease as a main diagnosis within an acute hospital inpatient/daycase episode; Scottish residents; Financial years ending 31 March 2005-09:

Table 4: First occurrence of respiratory disease as a main diagnosis within an acute hospital inpatient/daycase episode; NHS Forth Valley residents; Financial years ending 31 March 2005-09:

Table 5: First occurrence of respiratory disease as a main diagnosis within an acute hospital inpatient/daycase episode; NHS Lanarkshire residents; Financial years ending 31 March 2005-09:

Source: Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland.

Notes:

*Local authorities with fewer than five leavers have been removed for disclosure reasons.

1. This data includes publicly funded, independent, grant aided and social work special schools.

Table 2. Number and Percentage of School Leavers from Publicly Funded Secondary Schools in Scotland Not in Employment, Voluntary work, Education or Training, by Local Authority, 2008-09.

All young people are entitled to opportunities to develop skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work. This includes the development of practical skills and an understanding of the world of work.

Those entitlements will drive the range of opportunities available to young people across all types of learning, including in special education.

(b) Curriculum for Excellence remains the overarching framework for learning for those young people who have left special education. The Get Ready for Work programme provides a national work-based training framework for 16 to 19-year-olds who require tailored support in order to access employment. The focus of this intervention is on offering generic work skills rather than training for specific employment sectors and is tailored to meet the needs of the individual, including those who have left special education, and reflect local economic drivers.

In addition, some vocational courses are available at further education colleges which have been designed specifically for young people who have recently left special education.

The local authority may then apply empty property relief to the unoccupied portion.

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The most recent calendar year for which complete numbers of registrations are available is 2007. It is not possible to provide information broken down by data zone as this may compromise patient confidentiality.

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The most recent calendar year for which complete numbers of registrations are available is 2007. It is not possible to provide information broken down by data zone as this may compromise patient confidentiality.

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The most recent calendar year for which complete numbers of registrations are available is 2007. It is not possible to provide information broken down by data zone as this may compromise patient confidentiality.