- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what role patients should have in the filling of vacancies in single GP practices.
Answer
The filling of any generalpractice vacancy is taken forward in terms of the NHS (General MedicalServices) (Scotland) Regulations 1995. No specific role for patients isset out in the regulations but it is open to NHS boards, when they are requiredto select a candidate where more than one application is received, to takeaccount of the views of patients or patient groups.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with local government complaints procedures.
Answer
Local government complaintprocedures are a matter for individual councils. If the individual making thecomplaint is not satisfied with the outcome, it is open to them to approach the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman who can investigate complaints ofmaladministration or service failure.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a review of the National Health Service (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 and, if so, when such a review will be published.
Answer
It is proposed that theNational Health Service (General Medical Services) (Scotland)Regulations 1995 be revoked on 1 April 2004 when the National Health Service(Primary Medical Services Performers’ Lists) (Scotland) Regulations 2004,which are to be laid before the Parliament, come into effect to implement thenew contract for general practitioners.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what processes and procedures are followed once interview committees have made recommendations on who should fill a vacancy for a single GP practice and, in particular, how and when these are referred to the Scottish Medical Practices Committee, how and when they are referred to Scottish Ministers for a final decision, what criteria are used for endorsing these recommendations at each stage of the process and what role is played by NHS trusts and boards.
Answer
Where more than oneapplication is received from medical practitioners for a general practicevacancy by a NHS board it is required to select the candidate it wishes to bereferred to the Scottish Medical Practices Committee. The National HealthService (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 apply. It is open to a board toestablish its own committee to consider applications, and, where appropriate,to interview candidates. The regulations require the board to forward theselected application to the Scottish Medical Practices Committee once the periodfor appeals by any doctor whose application has not been selected has expiredwithout any appeal being made.
The Committee is required bythe regulations to grant the application which has been selected by the board. Casesdo not come before ministers except where there is an appeal. The selection ofcandidates is a matter for the board and the criteria which the regulations laydown are that the board shall have regard to any desire expressed by anapplicant to practise with other general practitioners in the locality or as anadditional doctor who may be required in the area or any desire expressed byother doctors in the locality to take any applicant into practice with them.The board shall have special regard to these matters in cases where any applicantis a relative of a general practitioner in the locality.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are used for deciding the outcome of appeals against recommendations by interviewing committees for applications to fill vacancies in single GP practices.
Answer
Any appeal to the ScottishMinisters by a doctor who is not selected by a NHS board for a general practicevacancy must be on a point of law.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in respect of the advertising of vacancies for single GP practices; how often, and where, such vacancies are advertised, and how long should be allowed for potential applicants to respond to such adverts.
Answer
The National Health Service(General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 provide that any notice of ageneral practice vacancy shall be published by a NHS board in such a mannerthat it considers will bring the vacancy to the attention of prospectiveapplicants from outside its area. The notice must include details of the natureof the practice, its location and the period determined by the board for thesubmission of applications. In publishing a notice of vacancy the board shouldtake account of any directions given by the Scottish Medical PracticesCommittee.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many vacancies in single GP practices have been advertised in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.
Answer
The National Health Service (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 set out the procedures to fill general practice vacancies. It is open to any registered medical practitioner to apply for such a vacancy. The regulations require the NHS board to describe the details of the practice in a notice of vacancy and these will include whether the out-going GP practised alone. They also provide that any applicant may indicate whether he or she, if selected, intends to practise with other doctors and so any practice which was vacated by a single-handed GP may become part of a group practice.
Information on the number of vacancies which arose in single GP practices is not available. The total number of vacancies which have been filled in the last five years for which information is available is as follows:
| Year | Number |
| 1998 | 183 |
| 1999 | 189 |
| 2000 | 208 |
| 2001 | 183 |
| 2002 | 213 |
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 12 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it will make in (a) the current financial year and (b) each of the next three financial years to the funding of the Sector Skills Development Agency.
Answer
The Sector SkillsDevelopment Agency is presently core-funded to operate across the UK by theDepartment for Education and Skills.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how often recommendations made by interviewing committees in respect of filling a vacancy for a single GP practice have been (a) rejected or (b) referred back for further consideration, in each of the last five years.
Answer
When more than oneapplication for a general practice vacancy is received the National HealthService (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 require a NHS board to select theapplication which it wishes to be considered by the Scottish Medical PracticesCommittee. The establishment of a committee to interview candidates on behalfof a board is a matter for the board itself and information on the number ofcases where the recommendation of such a committee is rejected or the matter isreferred back for further consideration is not available centrally.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what account should be taken of patient objections to a particular applicant for a vacancy for a single GP practice by (a) it, (b) the interviewing committee and (c) the Scottish Medical Practices Committee.
Answer
The National Health Service(General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 do not provide for objections bypatients to any applicant for a general practice vacancy.
