Chamber and committees

We are aware of three trials involving the drug Arimidex (anastrozole) and Scottish patients. There may be other smaller studies involving this drug, but this information is not available centrally.Preliminary results from the largest trial, the ATAC trial (Arimidex, Tamoxifen, Alone or in Combination) have been published. (Information about this trial can be found in The Lancet dated 7 September 2002, Volume 360, pages 790-792). Patients recruited into the other two trials are still being followed up.

Funding is no longer distributed on the basis of the Scottish Health Authorities Resource Equalisation formula. The bulk of funding allocated to NHS boards is distributed using the Arbuthnott formula. In some instances, however, where specific projects are undertaken or where particular ministerial objectives are to be achieved, resources are distributed in a variety of different ways in order to achieve these objectives.

The bulk of NHS boards' unified budgets allocated in the last 12 months has been distributed using the Arbuthnott formula.

The National Review of Resource Allocation drew on a range of resources including:statistical experts in the Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency who provided much of the data used in this review and were also responsible for much of the analytical work;senior managers and medical and nursing experts from the NHS who took part in the work of the Arbuthnott Committee;external researchers who were commissioned to carry out some of the research needed to support the work of the review, andstaff in the Scottish Executive Health Department who also provided substantial analytical support to this review.This was the first major review of the resource allocation formula that had been carried out for over 20 years, and it was important to ensure that the Arbuthnott Committee could draw on a wide range of advice for its work.

This information requested is not held centrally.

This information requested is not held centrally.

Provisional data from ISD Scotland shows that during the year ending 31 December 2001 the number of patients who did not attend their first out-patient appointment was 160,112. A service-led group has recently been set up to work with the service to identify and share good practice and to develop a target for all NHS trusts to demonstrate year on year improvement in the number of did not attends. The group will report in the autumn.Information on the cost of NHS of patients failing to keep appointments is not available centrally. Many out-patient clinics schedule additional appointments to compensate for non-attendance. Information on the average cost of a consultant out-patient attendance is available on the Information and Statistics Division website at: http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/Scottish_Health_Statistics/subject/Costs/2001/index.htm.

The information requested is set out in the following table.

NHS Board	Number of People Registered
Argyll and Clyde	71,616
Ayrshire and Arran	55,724
Borders	23,774
Dumfries and Galloway	22,038
Forth Valley	49,489
Fife	64,102
Greater Glasgow	193,486
Grampian	110,367
Highland	34,528
Lanarkshire	67,331
Lothian	174,436
Orkney	3,127
Shetland	3,797
Tayside	92,578
Western Isles	342
Total	966,735

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26894.

All local authorities have indicated they will meet the regulatory and legislative requirements to implement free personal care for people currently in receipt of care in their area.