Questions and answers

Question reference: S1W-11655

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 21 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the incidence of hospital acquired infection.

Question reference: S1W-11656

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 19 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has made available to tackle the causes of hospital acquired infection in the current financial year, broken down by health board.

Financial allocations are made to health boards on the basis of the overall health need of their populations. It is for health boards to distribute and NHS Trusts to apply their allocations in line with their assessment of local needs and national priorities. The Scottish Executive has made record resources available to the NHS in Scotland this year and will provide a further £1.2 billion extra in the 3 years to 2003-04. Preventing and controlling hospital acquired infection is an important issue for the NHS in Scotland and is a key part of the responsibilities of every NHS Trust. The Scottish Health Plan "Our National Health - a plan for action, a plan for change" published on 14 December, makes clear that every local healthcare system will be expected to deliver the service standards to be established by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland on infection control, cleanliness, and other matters. A joint Health Department/NHS working group is currently reviewing existing guidance and preparing relevant standards. These standards will be applied to NHS Trusts once the work is complete.

Question reference: S1W-13032

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 16 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incidence of cancer among residents of Cowdenbeath and Lochore is any greater than the average incidence in equivalent population groups in other parts of Scotland.

Available data do not suggest that the overall incidence of cancer amongst residents of the Cowdenbeath and Lochore area of Fife is unusual when compared with that for Fife Health Board or Scotland as a whole. The table below sets out the observed and expected number of cases in postcode sectors best representing Cowdenbeath and Lochore areas based on rates for (a) Scotland and (b) Fife Health Board area; all ages, by sex: 1988-97.

In all comparisons the ratios of the observed to expected numbers of cases are close to one, and the associated 95% confidence intervals all include the value of one, indicating that any departure from the expectation is not statistically significant.Incidence of all malignant neoplasms excluding non melanoma skin (ICD-9 173 / ICD-10 C44)

(a) Compared with Scotland
	Observedregistrations	Expectedregistrations	O / E
Males	510	513	1.00
Females	518	505	1.03
(b) Compared with Fife HB
	Observedregistrations	Expectedregistrations	O / E
Males	510	494	1.03
Females	518	493	1.05

Source: SOCRATES (Scottish cancer registration database); these figures prepared on 6 February 2001.Population data supplied to ISD Scotland by GRO(S)

Question reference: S1W-13033

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 16 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake an investigation into a possible link between the chemical plant sited near Cowdenbeath and the incidence of cancer amongst local residents.

Available data show that cancer incidence in areas around the Mossmorran petro-chemical plant is no higher than might normally be expected when compared with other health board areas and with Scotland as a whole.Fife Council and Fife Health Board are working together with the companies involved and with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to address any concerns raised by local residents living in the surrounding areas.

Question reference: S1W-12734

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2001
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 6 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional (i) undergraduate and diploma nurse student, (ii) undergraduate physiotherapy student, (iii) undergraduate podiatry student, (iv) undergraduate occupational therapy student and (v) undergraduate speech language therapy student places are expected to be created in 2001-02 as a result of the 8% increase in funding for higher education set out by the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 23 November 2000.

The allocation of places to particular courses or institutions is a matter for the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council taking into account advice on workforce needs identified. The detailed allocation for 2001-02 academic year will be announced by SHEFC in March.In respect of nursing, this only applies to undergraduate courses funded by SHEFC. Most pre-registration nursing courses are funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department, with student places planned separately.

Question reference: S1W-12598

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 1 February 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will answer questions S1W-11654, S1W-11655, S1W-11656 and S1W-11657, lodged on 4 December 2000.

Question reference: S1O-02834

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 25 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what feedback it has had to date from interested parties in relation to Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change.

Question reference: S1W-10537

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 October 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 12 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the number of (i) non-consultant career grades broken down by individual grade and (ii) non-standard grades in Scotland over the last five years broken down by Health Trust.

Information on the total number of non-consultant career grade and non-standard grade staff employed by the NHS in Scotland is detailed in the following tables. Tables 1 and 2 show the number of medical and dental non-consultant career grade staff before and after the April 1999 reconfiguration of NHS Trusts; Tables 3 and 4 show the number of medical and dental non-standard grade staff before and after Trust reconfiguration. The tables should be read in conjunction with the notes below.

Table 1 - Medical and Dental Non-Consultant Career Grade³ Staff

Headcount by NHS Trust, 1995 to 1998

	1995	1996	1997	1998
Scotland⁴	1,936	1,857	1,891	1,903
Ayrshire & Arran Health Board Headquarters	1	1	2	2
South Ayrshire Hospitals NHS Trust	26	30	28	23
North Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust	40	43	43	45
Ayrshire and Arran Community Health Care NHS Trust	61	61	49	44
Borders Health Board Headquarters	1	1	1	1
Borders General Hospital NHS Trust	9	9	8	9
Borders Community Health Services NHS Trust	16	16	16	14
Argyll & Clyde Health Board Headquarters	3	3	4	4
Royal Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust	25	23	23	21
Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust	13	12	18	18
Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust	67	63	68	66
Lomond Healthcare NHS Trust	23	22	36	29
Argyll & Bute NHS Trust	34	35	38	38
Common Services Agency	39	39	33	26
Fife Health Board Headquarters	1	2	1	-
Queen Margaret Hospital NHS Trust	19	18	19	32
Fife Healthcare NHS Trust	79	74	73	71
Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	38	39	41	38
Greater Glasgow Health Board Headquarters	8	5	5	5
Southern General Hospital NHS Trust	19	19	21	19
Yorkhill NHS Trust	42	42	36	35
Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust	29	28	26	23
West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust	54	57	59	51
Glasgow Royal Infirmary University NHS Trust	33	30	25	21
Stobhill NHS Trust	16	17	15	13
Glasgow Community & Mental Health Services NHS Trust	104	103	102	107
Glasgow Dental Hospital and School NHS Trust	55	65	65	70
Highland Health Board Headquarters	5	4	6	6
Raigmore Hospital NHS Trust	34	29	31	34
Caithness and Sutherland NHS Trust	21	19	23	23
Highland Communities NHS Trust	42	43	50	56
Lanarkshire Health Board Headquarters	1	2	1	2
Monklands and Bellshill Hospitals NHS Trust	29	26	32	30
Law Hospital NHS Trust	22	24	23	31
Hairmyres & Stonehouse Hospitals NHS Trust	19	15	14	18
Lanarkshire Healthcare NHS Trust	80	77	80	90
Grampian Health Board Headquarters	4	4	4	4
Aberdeen Royal Hospitals NHS Trust	79	80	74	69
Grampian Healthcare NHS Trust	97	96	98	115
Moray Health Services NHS Trust	21	23	21	21
Orkney Health Board	12	13	13	17
Lothian Health Board Headquarters	21	7	7	22
West Lothian NHS Trust	54	48	49	45
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust	58	61	71	74
Edinburgh Sick Children's NHS Trust	27	23	23	21
Western General Hospitals NHS Trust	21	18	16	18
East & Midlothian NHS Trust	26	31	29	23
Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust	69	62	63	54
Tayside Health Board Headquarters	2	2	1	-
Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	77	56	58	56
Perth & Kinross Healthcare NHS Trust	41	38	41	36
Dundee Healthcare NHS Trust	46	43	46	41
Angus NHS Trust	21	21	26	27
Forth Valley Health Board Headquarters	3	5	5	5
Stirling Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	18	16	20	23
Falkirk & District Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	14	13	27	25
Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust	66	64	61	62
Western Isles Health Board	16	15	13	14
Dumfries & Galloway Health Board Headquarters	2	2	2	1
Dumfries & Galloway Acute & Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust	43	40	41	46
Dumfries & Galloway Community Health NHS Trust	62	51	49	57
Shetland Health Board	12	9	5	10

Notes:

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

2. Data is as at 30th September for the years shown.

3. Non-consultant career grades include Directors of Public Health, Chief Administrative Dental Officers, Assistant Chief Administrative Dental Officers, Medical Advisors, Assistant Prescribing Advisors, Associate Specialists, Staff Grade, Senior Clinical Medical Officers, Clinical Medical Officers, Senior Dental Officers, Dental Officers, Limited Specialists, Hospital Practitioners, Dental Advisors, Para 94 App, Para 107 App.

4. There is an element of double counting of "heads" in this table because doctors can hold contracts in more than one Trust.

Table 2 - Medical and Dental Non-Consultant Career Grade³ Staff

Headcount by NHS Trust, 1999

Scotland⁴		1,936
Ayrshire & Arran Health Board Headquarters		3
Ayrshire & Arran Acute Hospitals NHS Trust		73
Ayrshire & Arran Primary Care NHS Trust		55
Borders Health Board Headquarters		2
Borders Acute Hospital NHS Trust		7
Borders Primary Care NHS Trust		11
Argyll & Clyde Health Board Headquarters		4
Argyll & Clyde Acute Hospitals NHS Trust		61
Lomond & Argyll Primary Care NHS Trust		24
Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Primary Care NHS Trust		60
CSA		26
Fife Health Board Headquarters		2
Fife Acute Hospitals NHS Trust		63
Fife Primary Care NHS Trust		74
Greater Glasgow Health Board Headquarters		5
Yorkhill NHS Trust		33
South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust		39
North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust		180
Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust		102
Highland Health Board Headquarters		4
Highland Acute Hospitals NHS Trust		45
Highland Primary Care NHS Trust		79
Lanarkshire Health Board Headquarters		2
Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust		85
Lanarkshire Primary Care NHS Trust		89
Grampian Health Board Headquarters		3
Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust		105
Grampian Primary Care NHS Trust		98
Orkney Health Board		25
Lothian Health Board Headquarters		6
Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust		100
Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust		80
West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust		50
Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust		115
Tayside Primary Care NHS Trust		84
Forth Valley Health Board Headquarters		4
Forth Valley Acute Hospitals NHS Trust		41
Forth Valley Primary Care NHS Trust		64
Western Isles Health Board		13
Dumfries & Galloway Health Board Headquarters		2
Dumfries & Galloway Acute & Maternity Hospitals NHS Trust		50
Dumfries & Galloway Primary Care NHS Trust		62
Shetland Health Board		5

Notes:

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

2. Data is as at 30th September 1999.

3. Non-consultant career grades are as detailed in the notes for Table 1.

4. There is an element of double counting of "heads" in this table because doctors can hold contracts in more than one Trust.

Table 3 - Medical and Dental Non-Standard Grade³ Staff

Headcount by NHS Trust, 1995 to 1998

	1995	1996	1997	1998
Scotland	20	25	49	13
Ayrshire and Arran Community Health Care NHS Trust	-	-	* 7	*-
Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust	-	-	1	-
Kirkcaldy Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	-	-	-	1
Glasgow Dental Hospital and School NHS Trust	3	2	3	2
Highland Health Board Headquarters	8	9	7	1
Lothian Health Board Headquarters	-	-	*16	* 1
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh NHS Trust	5	8	7	2
Edinburgh Sick Children's NHS Trust	-	-	1	1
Western General Hospitals NHS Trust	3	5	5	3
Edinburgh Healthcare NHS Trust	1	1	1	-
Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust	-	-	-	1
Central Scotland Healthcare NHS Trust	-	-	1	1

Notes:

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

2. Data is as at 30th September for each of the years shown.

3. Non-standard grades may include Honorary Dental Surgeons, Hospital Specialists, Trust Grade Doctors, Salaried General Dental Practitioners in the Community, Dental Practice Advisors and Clinical Research Fellows.

4. *The fluctuation in figures between 1996, 1997 and 1998 for Lothian and Ayrshire and Arran is a result of changes in the coding of certain grades of staff.

Table 4 - Medical and Dental Non-Standard Grade³ Staff

Headcount by NHS Trust, 1999

Scotland	9
Ayrshire & Arran Health Board Headquarters	1
Lomond & Argyll Primary Care NHS Trust	1
Fife Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	1
North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust	2
Lothian Health Board Headquarters	2
Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust	1
Forth Valley Primary Care NHS Trust	1

Notes:

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

2. Data is as at 30th September 1999.3. Non-standard grades are as detailed in the notes for Table 3.

Question reference: S1W-11739

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 10 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to track continuously the numbers of NHS patients ready for discharge following the figures set out in the 30 September census report published by the Information and Statistics Division.

Question reference: S1W-11218

Asked by: Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 January 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Implementation Support Group (ISG) on junior doctors' hours and working conditions will make its next report and whether this report will include an update on the non-compliance rates reported to the ISG by NHS Trusts.

Chamber and committees