- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 12 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance issued to local authorities on the direction of choice in regard to discharge from hospitals to care homes is being reviewed; if so, what form the consultation process is taking; who is being consulted; what views have been expressed, and whether any representations have raised issues relating to the implementation of the guidance in rural areas.
Answer
A widevariety of statutory and non statutory bodies were consulted about reviseddraft Guidance on Choice of Accommodation in November 2002. In response, a rangeof comments have been received and some of these have expressed concern aboutchoice and the availability of suitable care in rural areas.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, what steps will be taken to expand access to psychology services in the clinical priority areas of cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke.
Answer
The Chief Medical Officer’sJune 2003 report,
Recent Psychological Research of Significance to theDelivery of Healthcare in Scotland, (which is available in the Parliament’sReference Centre, Bib. number. 29821) promotes the extension of psychologicalinterventions to all areas of health and social care and will inform localworkforce planning and approaches in this important area of care.
Cancer managed clinicalnetworks are set up across Scotland involving clinicians from among the relevantdisciplines to secure access to the best care possible including psychologyservices. NHS Education Scotland (NES) has in place a novel funding scheme toexpand trainee numbers through matched salary funding for every new clinicalpsychology trainee supported by NHSScotland. One Regional Cancer Network hastaken up this NES funding scheme.
The Coronary Heart Disease(CHD) and Stroke Strategy for Scotland, published in October 2002, provides the framework forthe future organisation and delivery of services. Managed Clinical Networks forcardiac services and stroke are being developed in each NHS board area, as thedrivers of service change. These networks must include the full range of healthprofessionals who are involved in providing these services. Psychology servicesshould therefore be included wherever appropriate. NHS Quality ImprovementScotland standards for CHD and stroke also emphasise the importance of patientsbeing treated by multi-disciplinary teams.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the proposals for workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, what information it has on what progress has been made with the Leonardo da Vinci project to create a European diploma in psychology and what discussions will be held to include Scotland in the list of nations to take part in the piloting of the project.
Answer
We understand that theBritish Psychological Society (UK) has been involved in discussingharmonisation of training and the content of the proposed European diploma inpsychology. In respect of the pilot of this project, we understand that thispart of the process is at an early stage.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to proposals for workforce planning in the NHS for psychology services, what steps will be taken to introduce an integrated approach to strategic planning for psychology services within the NHS framework at local, regional and national levels and to review current experience of good practice in existing services.
Answer
Nationally the availabilityof psychological interventions services needs to be improved. NHS EducationScotland has commissioned a major expansion of training capacity for clinicalpsychologists while also working to develop greater flexibility in trainingpathways.
TheHealth Department Centre for Change and Innovation hosted a national conferencein September to review the strategic direction of psychology services includingconsideration of service redesign issues to deliver expanded psychological careacross the country. Psychology is also represented in the National Mental HealthWorkforce Group and in the steering group for the Doing Well by People withDepression initiative. These offer valuable opportunities to identify and sharegood practice.
The overall objective is toinform strategic workforceplanning and care approaches in order toraise the quality, quantity and effectiveness of psychological interventions acrossthe country.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #43 million East Lothian public private partnership schools contract has been paid to Ballast plc.
Answer
The normal procedure is fora council to make payments to the consortium with whom it has contracted.Payments made to parties or sub-contractors are matters for the consortium.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any party will incur compensation costs arising from any delay to the East Lothian public private partnership schools project.
Answer
Details of the contract,including any penalty provisions associated with delays in delivery, arematters for East Lothian Council and the consortium with whom it hascontracted.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive which parties have underwritten any losses occurring through the default of any of the partners in the East Lothian public private partnership schools project consortium “Innovate East Lothian”.
Answer
This is entirely a matterfor the consortium.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for the East Lothian public private partnership schools project of Ballast plc being placed into administration and what the implications would be should the company go into receivership or liquidation.
Answer
In this public private partnershipproject, the private sector consortium has contracted to provide a service tostandards set out in the contract. If circumstances relating to one of theparties or sub-contractors change, it remains a matter for the consortium as awhole to determine how best to meet its contractual obligations.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what concerns it has regarding the public private partnership contracts undertaken by East Lothian Council for schools refurbishment and build, given recent events regarding Ballast plc.
Answer
This is a matter betweenEast Lothian Council and the consortium with whom it has contracted. It is forthe consortium to determine how best to meet its contractual obligations.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time has been for access to psychology services in each NHS board area in each year since 1999.
Answer
The information requested isnot available centrally.
