Chamber and committees

Information and Statistics Division of the Common Services Agency will continue to publish waiting list data as at present.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17745.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17745.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17745.

This information is not held centrally. I have written to you separately giving contact details to allow you to obtain the information requested in this and your other questions (S1W-17746, S1W-17747 and S1W-17748) through the Scottish Haemophilia Directors.

Factor VIII concentrates issued by SNBTS since December 1984 have been heat-treated. Initially this heat treatment was to 68ºC but SNBTS subsequently developed a new product able to withstand a more severe heat treatment to 80ºC.This new product first became available for routine use in late April 1987 but in order to establish patient tolerability it was phased into use carefully over a number of weeks. I understand that all haemophilia A patients in Scotland who were being treated with SNBTS Factor VIII were receiving the new product by early August 1987, by which time any residual use of the SNBTS 68ºC treated product had ceased.

The provision of short break or respite care services that are relevant and accessible to all sections of the community is a shared responsibility of local authorities, the NHS and housing agencies. In recognition of the importance of respite care we are providing local authorities with significantly increased resources over the next three years to develop an extra 22,000 weeks of short breaks a year across Scotland by 2003-04. The NHS may provide respite and rehabilitation care where there is a clinical need. There is no age limit to NHS care. An expert group under the Chief Medical Officer is currently looking at the journey of care for older people in hospitals and in the community to see what improvements can be made, and this group will also investigate allegations of ageism within the NHS in Scotland.

There are long-standing Europe-wide negotiated arrangements for elective health care delivered in another member state. These follow established E112 procedures that include prior agreement, not least involving the clinicians in the referring and receiving facilitates. The same procedures apply for overseas patients referred under these arrangements for care in this country.Emergency health care is also provided on a reciprocal basis.

The New Contract for Doctors in Training implemented on 1 December 2000 requires that NHS Trusts demonstrate clearly that all Pre-Registration House Officer (PRHO) posts are fully compliant with the hours limits of the New Deal from 1 August 2001. Information contained within returns due from NHS Trusts at the end of August 2001 will show the level of progress that has been made.The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has confirmed to all NHSScotland Trusts that the UK agreement for Doctors in Training does not allow for any discretion in the achievement of PRHO compliance and that postgraduate Deans will be expected to enforce this requirement.The New Deal Implementation Support Group (ISG) formed as a partnership between the Scottish Executive Health Department and the Scottish Junior Doctors Committee of the British Medical Association continues to provide support to Trusts at local level in resolving issues of non-compliance.

I indicated in my answer to question S1W-11219 that incentives to secure compliance with the New Deal have been incorporated into the New Contract for Doctors in Training introduced on 1 December 2000. These take the form of incremental pay band multipliers which reward the most hard pressed junior doctors and financially penalise trusts that fail to take the necessary steps to reduce hours of work.I also refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-17446 regarding the steps that are to be taken in respect of Pre-Registration House Officers (PRHO) posts deemed non-compliant in August 2001.