Chamber and committees

The published guidance on the best organisation of eating disorder services invites agencies to explore all mediums that can offer improved access to services and advice.A teleconferencing link is already established between the Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen and Lerwick Health Centre, with validated positive results for patients and therapists for all conditions including eating disorders. The Grampian Eating Disorder Service has also piloted the use of teleconferencing for people with eating disorders from Aberdeen, Peterhead and Fraserburgh.The Scottish Telemedicine Action Forum has recently funded a project designed to further extend the existing specialist psychological therapies for eating disorders service to the whole of the Grampian area. More generally, the Remote and Rural Area Resource Initiative has been established to advise and help with more effective means of delivering care in rural and remote areas of Scotland.

Specific guidance offering agencies a template for change and improvement in the provision and organisation of services, promotion, prevention and care was published in October last year.The visiting Mental Health and Well Being Support Group has also announced that eating disorders will feature for particular attention, with other topics, in their second round review of the strategic approach to change and improvement in mental health services by the care agencies.The outcome reports of progress made in each case, are published within four weeks of each visit and are available on the support group's website at:www.show.scot.nhs.uk/mhwbsg.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-23216 on 11 March 2002.

Throughout Scotland, people suffering from eating disorders are diagnosed and treated by general psychiatrists. In addition, specialist services have been established in Lanarkshire, Lothian, Highland and Grampian. These services range from specialist eating disorder teams to single nurse specialist posts. Some of the specialist services are available to residents of other NHS board areas.

All authorities have received help to establish multi-agency teams to develop programmes aimed at reducing youth crime. The Executive is completing a mapping exercise of all local authorities to measure progress. The results will be available in the Parliament's Reference Centre shortly.

Funding for Local Rural Partnerships is provided by the Executive through the Rural Strategic Support Fund, an element of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund. The fund is operated by an annual bidding process. No application has been submitted to the scheme from, or on behalf of, the Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership for the 2002-03 bidding round.

During the 2001-02 financial year, the Executive has made available some £211,000 to local rural partnerships through the Rural Strategic Support Fund. The fund, which facilitates the establishment of local rural partnerships, is one of the three elements that make up the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund.

Local Rural Partnerships are funded by the Executive through the Rural Strategic Support Fund. This fund is one of the three elements that make up the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund.No funding has been sought by Highland Perthshire Communities Partnership from the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund in the last three financial years, although the partnership did receive some funding in earlier years.

Our published guidance calls for agencies to work together to access accurate information to better inform parents, education, health and social work professionals and others in the identification of the early and other signs of eating disorders.For schools, the advice contained in National Guidance 5-14 Health Education already includes strands on physical, emotional, and social health. These in turn link to suggested discussion areas for pupils on body image, peer and media influences and how this can impact on lifestyle choices.For those in higher education the institutions already provide a range of welfare, personal counselling and advisory services to students on a range of life issues and in some cases specific reference is already made to eating disorders.

NHS trusts are responsible for recruiting the staff, specialist and otherwise required for the effective delivery of service outcomes. Information on the staffing levels for individual departments is not held centrally but is held by local NHS trusts. Contact details for NHS trusts are available on www.show.scot.nhs.uk.