Chamber and committees

Discharge arrangements aremonitored by NHS boards in conjunction with their local authority partners.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6151 on 17 March 2004 All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the parliament website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6151 on 17 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliamentwebsite, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6151 on 17 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliamentwebsite, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The Executive has not set atarget in respect of the time it should take to conduct an assessment of acarers’ support needs. I refer the member to the answer given to questionS2W-6151 on 17 March 2004 which sets out the Executive’s position on monitoringcarers’ assessments.

All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

The Community Care andHealth (Scotland) Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities to notify carerswho appear to them to be eligible to have an assessment of their support needsas a carer, that they may be entitled to have such an assessment. The act alsoprovides powers to require health boards to draw up NHS Carer InformationStrategies that will set out how NHS staff will similarly inform carers oftheir right to an assessment. Executive guidance to the NHS on the format andcontent of NHS Carer Information Strategies will be available later this year.Authorities and boards must be able to demonstrate compliance with any legislativeduties placed on them. The Executive is committed to monitoring the impact ofits Carers Strategy, including the new legislative measures to support carers. From2004-05 the Executive will be collecting data from local authorities on thenumbers of carers’ assessments being carried out. Other performance indicatorsand outcome measures will be developed in due course. These are expected tolook at the time intervals between an assessment being requested, theassessment being carried out and the provision of services.

We recognise the problems atlocal level which are identified and highlighted in the report. To addressthese issues we will consider therecommendations on management information carefully and discuss with NHS boardshow improvements can be made. Thestrategic planning of medical equipment requirements is one of a number ofcomponents integral to the planning of sustainable clinical services. Arequirement for NHS boards to identify capital investment on medical equipmentas part of the financial information to support local health plans is beingintroduced from 1 April 2004 and as a follow up to the Audit Scotland reportall NHS boards will be asked to respond to the recommendations made and detailwhat action they propose to take to comply with the recommendations.

As explained in the answer given to question S1W-15033 on 2 May 2001, we do not allocate funding specifically for needle exchange facilities. The table sets out funding specifically allocated to NHS boards to support work to prevent transmission of blood-borne viruses. It is open to NHS boards to use these resources for the provision of needle exchange services in accordance with local needs and priorities.

	2001-02 £	2002-03 £	2003-04 £
Argyll and Clyde	415,922	415,922	415,922
Ayrshire and Arran	370,000	350,000	350,000
Borders	116,498	115,498	115,498
Dumfries and Galloway	116,804	115,804	115,804
Fife	408,062	408,061	408,061
Forth Valley	276,705	276,075	276,075
Grampian	690,825	690,825	690,825
Greater Glasgow	1,555,208	1,560,208	1,560,208
Highland	200,197	200,197	200,197
Lanarkshire	441,775	441,775	441,775
Lothian	2,505,627	2,524,627	2,524,627
Orkney	39,000	36,000	36,000
Shetland	56,000	55,000	55,000
Tayside	854,377	861,377	861,377
Western Isles	48,000	47,000	47,000
State Hospital	24,000	20,000	20.000
Scotland Total	8,119,000	8,119,000	8,119,000

 

We have also allocated an additional £13.3 million to NHS boards over the years 2001-02 to 2003-04 to support treatment services for drug misusers. These services include needle exchange facilities.

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/search_wa.

In December 2002, weinformed drugs services that the Lord Advocate had set  new limits on thenumber of needles and syringes which could be issued to clients attendingneedle exchanges. The limits were increased to a maximum of 20 sets on firstvisit, and a maximum of 60 sets on subsequent visits, subject to return of usedsets for safe disposal.

It is for local services topurchase and distribute this equipment, based on local priorities and demand. Allocationsof injecting equipment to individual clients will depend on the needs andcircumstances in each case. The answer given to question S2W-6704 on 16 March 2004describes the resources made available from the Executive which can be used tosupport local needle exchange facilities.

All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

We are working with COSLA onthis and giving further consideration to the detailed scope and remit of thereview, including when the review should report its conclusions. I expect toannounce more details in the near future.