- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether anti-tumour necrosis drugs for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis have been assessed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Answer
A technology appraisal of Etanercept and Infliximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is expected to be issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in March 2002.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 18 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has produced guidance to health boards on prescribing anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Answer
Health boards determine their prescribing policy on new medicines, taking into account local needs and advice from their Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee. The Scottish Medicines Consortium will provide a single Scottish source of advice to local Area Drug and Therapeutics Committees. In addition, some new medicines will be evaluated by the Health Technology Board for Scotland. The advice of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is also made available publicly.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients with rheumatoid arthritis are currently being prescribed anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs.
Answer
This information is not available centrally. Infliximab and Entanercept are available on NHS prescription. However, their use depends on the clinical judgement of specialists experienced in the management of rheumatoid arthritis. Data on drugs dispensed in hospitals is not held centrally. Centrally collected data relates to items dispensed in the community by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what national guidelines are available for prescribing anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs to patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Answer
No national guidelines are available at present on the prescribing anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs to patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The Health Technology Board for Scotland will issue a Comment on the technology appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence on Entanercept and Infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis which is expected to be issued in March 2002.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what funds have been made available to health boards to help them prescribe anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha drugs for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Answer
Health boards' unified budgets include provision for the cost of prescribed medicines and are set to allow for the introduction of new medicines and the greater use of existing therapies. As these funds form part of their unified budget, health boards have the flexibility to decide locally how to use them. It is for health boards and trusts to agree the amount to be set aside for new medicines or treatments.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients with suspected cancer failed to receive an appointment within two weeks after the referral from their general practitioner to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley, in each year since 1999-2000.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22130.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 5 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients with suspected cancer in the Argyll & Clyde NHS Board area failed to receive a hospital appointment within two weeks after the referral from their general practitioner in each year since 1999-2000.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland recently completed its assessments of breast, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancer services across Scotland, including where applicable referral standards. National reports setting out their assessments are expected to be published in the near future.Aggregated information derived from prospective clinical audit of cancer services may be available locally about referral times where a cancer diagnosis has been confirmed. Contact details for Chief Executives of NHS boards and trusts are available from
www.show.scot.nhs.uk.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister plans to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg later this year.
Answer
The composition of the UK delegation will be decided in due course.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 17 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve cancer services for patients in Eastwood.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's cancer strategy, Cancer in Scotland: Action for Change is backed up by £40 million additional investment over three years, the emphasis of which is to build capacity within cancer services, across the total patient journey. Implementation plans are aimed at ensuring more equitable, rapid, high quality and effective treatment for people with cancer.
- Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been charged with litter offences over the last three years.
Answer
The available information is given in the following table.Persons proceeded against in Scottish Courts where the main offence was a litter offence, 1998-2000
