Chamber and committees

Organic production methods can deliver environmental benefits through reductions in the use of inorganic fertilisers and pesticides. There are no environmental benefits from consumption of organic foods: on the contrary, as with non-organic foods, there could be environmental disbenefits where these are imported.

The Scottish Cancer Group, the CHD Task Force and the Mental Health and Well Being Support Group are working closely with the Health Service in Scotland on the development of national waiting times targets in the three national clinical priorities.

Targets will be included in the Scottish Health Plan, which will be published later this year.

The "instant appointments" proposals have been incorporated into a much broader Scotland-wide programme, which is now underway, of Electronic Clinical Communications Implementation (ECCI) between Primary and Secondary Care. Five lead sites have been selected (Argyll and Clyde, West Lothian, Tayside, Grampian and Highland) with the remainder of the NHSiS following on in two further phases. The range of clinical communications includes:

• widespread email including seeking consultants' opinion
• co-ordinated referral information
• electronic booking - protocol based where appropriate (previously referred to as instant appointments)
• test ordering and results receiving
• discharge letters and summaries and clinic letters

• information in support of shared care

There are many benefits for patients and staff in these e-health initiatives which will lead to a closer integration of Primary and Secondary Care services ensuring that patients are at the centre of healthcare delivery.

The Scottish Executive is committed to setting national maximum waiting times in the three national clinical priorities of cancer, heart disease and mental health. The Mental Health and Well Being Support Group is currently working closely with the Health Service in Scotland on the development of waiting times targets for mental health. These will embrace eating disorders.

The targets will be included in the Scottish Health Plan, which will be published later this year.

Based on the assessed needs of their resident populations, and the services required to meet those needs, it is a matter for health boards and NHS Trusts to put in place appropriate arrangements to ensure delivery of the best care possible for patients.

The siting of NHS Direct centres in Scotland has been a topic of discussion at three regional seminars held in August and, currently, at a series of meetings with local stakeholders in health board areas. Discussion to date has confirmed the view that the critical issue in choosing sites for this service will be the availability of sufficient nurses to staff the service without adversely affecting the delivery of other NHS services. This suggests that these sites are likely to be in, or within easy commuting distance of, Scotland's urban areas.

As noted in my answer to question S1W-10399, discussion with national and local stakeholders to date has confirmed the view that the critical issue in choosing sites for this service will be the availability of sufficient nurses to staff the service without adversely affecting the delivery of other NHS Services.

A senior Scottish Enterprise Executive was seconded to the Health Department on 16 October to manage the implementation of the NHS Direct service in Scotland. Amongst his first tasks will be developing a full service specification in collaboration with national and local stakeholders. Local operation will begin when this and parallel work on, for example, the procurement of computer-based decision support software is complete.

The number of consultants working in medical and clinical oncology in the NHS in Scotland are shown on the following table. The table should be read in conjunction with the notes below.Consultants Employed in the NHSiS in Medical and Clinical Oncology

Medical Oncology		Clinical Oncology
Headcount	WTE	Headcount	WTE
14	11.1	40	36.3

Notes:

1. Source: Medical and Dental Manpower Census, ISD Scotland.

2. Information is as at 30 September 1999 and is the latest available.

3. Includes honorary appointments.

4. It is not possible to identify explicitly surgeons working in oncology from the medical and dental census.

There is no target for future consultant numbers. However, the number of higher specialist training posts available in Scotland is regularly adjusted to meet the projected number of new consultants needed to meet known retirals and local service developments. Table 1, Annex B of NHS MEL (2000) 24 details the Specialist Registrar Establishment figures for the recognised specialties in Scotland. Table 2 of Annex B details the number of these trainees who will be awarded a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST) in the years 2000 to 2004. A copy of this is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 7379).

In June I announced that the first wave of the linear accelerator replacement programme totalling £5.8 million was complete. This followed a central procurement initiative for the purchase of four linear accelerators and three simulators.

The decision to purchase the equipment followed economic and value for money appraisals. The future procurement of equipment will also be subject to this central procurement and value for money assessment process.