Chamber and committees

The Scottish Partnership Forum Partnership Information Network (PIN) Board has set up a Guideline Development Group to produce a PIN Guideline on Long and Good Service Awards. The group's membership comprises of health service managers and nominations from trade union and the professions. The group will deliver a draft document for consultation in the summer and issue during autumn.

A Framework for Maternity Services in Scotland, published in 2001, requires NHS Boards to provide parent education programmes and support to parents as part of their maternity strategies. The Scottish Executive is currently conducting an audit of these strategies against the principles laid out in the framework. The Health Education Board for Scotland, the Scottish Executive Health Department and the Royal College of Midwives held a stakeholder event in November 2001 to review approaches to antenatal and parent education with midwives, health visitors and parents. A follow up event is planned in March.

Progress on implementing good practice on staff issues relating to disability will be made through the Staff Governance Standard which I launched on 25 January at the Scottish Partnership Forum Conference. The Standard requires NHS employers to ensure Partnership Information Network guidelines such as the Equal Opportunities Guideline which includes disability are implemented and progressed. In addition, a self assessment audit on the implementation of "Learning Together", the Strategy for Education and Lifelong Learning for NHSScotland staff to ensure all staff are appropriately trained, will be undertaken by the local partnership forum.

The Executive is committed to achieving a ban on tobacco advertising and promotion in Scotland which is both effective and enforceable. We do not rule out Scottish legislation at some point, but consider that UK wide action would enable a much more comprehensive ban to be delivered. The UK Government is committed to legislate to effect a ban during the lifetime of the current Westminster Parliament and we have been pressing hard and consistently for this to be done as soon as possible. We are following with interest the progress in the House of Lords of the Lord Clement-Jones Bill to ban tobacco advertising and promotion.

The promised planning and audit document was published on 12 February 2001 and sent to all relevant agencies. A copy is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 12345).

A Short Life Working Group has prepared draft guidance on domestic abuse for all health care workers. This guidance explains the nature and prevalence of domestic abuse and its effects on health. It identifies the signs which may suggest abuse, establishes the principles which should inform practice and gives guidance on appropriate support and advice. The Short Life Working Group is currently consulting widely on the draft document, which is expected to be published in April 2002.

The commitment to establish an Information Task Group was reaffirmed in Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change launched in July last year. The group has now been set up and met for the first time on 23 January 2002.Mr Ian Gibson, Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland, Macmillan Cancer Relief and a member of the Scottish Cancer Group, is chairman of the group. Its membership also includes patient, voluntary sector and regional cancer clinical network representatives from a variety of professions and disciplines. The group will report to the Scottish Cancer Group.

There are currently no formal waiting times for children with cancer, nor for people diagnosed with leukaemia. The diagnosis of leukaemia, particularly in children, is usually a clinical emergency warranting immediate admission for urgent treatment. For those cases not requiring immediate emergency admission, treatment is mostly commenced within one week of diagnosis.

Strategies for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are primarily a matter for NHS Boards. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), which is funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department, produced a clinical guideline on the Management of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis in December 2000, which will have informed clinicians of the best practice for diagnosis and management of the condition.

An expert group, led by NHS Chief Executive Trevor Jones, has been looking in detail at delayed discharge and the reasons for it. Next month I will announce an Action Plan based on the work of this group, and including the sharing of good practice, to help drive down the delayed discharge figures.