Chamber and committees

As mentioned in the answer to question S4W-18006, Scotland is at the forefront of trying to introduce a pricing control such as minimum unit pricing of alcohol in order to protect public health. The Scottish Government has had discussions regarding minimum unit pricing of alcohol with a range of countries in the European Economic Area over the last few years. The discussions have been both informal and formal and have been wide ranging, including consideration of the evidence-based information available.

There is a shortage of clinical oncologists across the UK but there are specific issues in the North of Scotland.

Through the North of Scotland Planning Group, which comprises NHS Highland, Grampian, Tayside, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland, immediate work is underway to ensure patients who require highly specialised clinical oncology expertise continue to be receive high quality effective treatment, which may see some patients travelling to Edinburgh and Glasgow in the short to medium term.

The National Planning Forum (a joint body of Scottish Government and NHS boards) has established a working group to look at radiotherapy needs in the short, medium and longer term and to make recommendations on how best to ensure the availability of safe, effective, person centred and sustainable services for patients. That work is being supported by the Radiotherapy Programme Board who are working with cancer centres to agree sustainable care pathways and by the Scottish Cancer Task Force to ensure NHS Scotland has the required capacity and workforce to meet the current and any anticipated increases in demand over the coming years.

<>In July 2013, the Scottish Government published A Donation and Transplantation Plan for Scotland 2013-2020. This plan sets out the ways in which we hope to improve donation and transplantation in Scotland. The plan builds on the very good progress made over the last five year period during which Scotland achieved a 74% increase in deceased organ donations as well as a 36% increase in transplants with deceased donor organs. The plan can be viewed in full on the Scottish Government website at: www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/07/7461

Information on the total number of consultants in medical and clinical oncology and the number of clinical nurse specialists (CNS) in oncology by NHS board in headcount and whole time equivalent can be found in the following tables.

Information on the number of consultants by cancer site is not available.

Please note, the figures shown in the tables below may not reflect the true number of consultants who work in oncology as the recording of consultants specialties does not take into account the duel or multi specialisms which some consultants practice.

Information on the number of clinical nurse specialists by cancer site is available at:

https://isdscotland.scot.nhs.uk/Health-Topics/Workforce/Publications/2013-11-26/Clinical_Nurse_Specialists_S2013.xls?31631977

A change in the definition of a clinical nurse specialist in 2011 means that the numbers are not strictly comparable across the years, in addition due to the multidisciplinary nature of the CNS role a nurse may work in more than one specific specialty.

Table 1. The number of medical oncologist consultant staff in post in NHS Scotland from Sep 2008 to Sep 2013 (WTE and headcount):

Sep-08

Sep-09

Sep-10

Sep-11

Sep-12

Sep-13

	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count
NHS Scotland	33.0	38	8.9	12	11.1	13	9.9	13	7.7	9	8.7	9
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	-	-	-	-	2.0	2	1.0	1	-	-	-	-
NHS Grampian	1.0	1	1.0	1	1.0	1	1.0	1	-	-	1.0	1
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	6.5	8	5.4	7	1.5	2	2.8	4	2.1	3	3.0	3
NHS Highland	-	-	-	-	1.0	1	1.0	1	1.0	1	1.0	1
NHS Lothian	24.3	27	1.3	2	4.4	5	2.9	4	2.9	3	3.0	3
NHS Tayside	1.2	2	1.2	2	1.2	2	1.2	2	1.7	2	0.7	1

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS), ISD Scotland

Ref: IR2013-02040

 

Table 2. The number of clinical oncologist consultant staff in post in NHS Scotland from Sep 2008 to Sep 2013 (WTE and headcount)

Sep-08

Sep-09

Sep-10

Sep-11

Sep-12

Sep-13

	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count
NHS Scotland	65.1	70	46.4	49	78.5	85	81.3	88	82.2	89	79.6	86
NHS Grampian	7.0	7	7.4	8	7.4	8	7.0	7	7.8	8	5.6	6
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	25.8	28	26.4	28	41.8	46	39.8	44	40.2	44	39.8	43
NHS Highland	4.0	4	4.0	4	3.0	3	3.0	3	3.0	3	3.0	3
NHS Lothian	21.7	24	-	-	18.0	19	23.1	25	23.4	25	23.4	25
NHS Tayside	6.6	7	8.6	9	8.4	9	8.4	9	7.8	9	7.8	9

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS), ISD Scotland

Ref: IR2013-02040

 

Table 3. The number of oncology clinical nurse specialists staff in post in NHS Scotland from Sep 2008 to Sep 2013 (WTE and headcount

Sep-08

Sep-09

Sep-10

Sep-11

Sep-12

Sep-13

	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count	WTE	Head count
NHS Scotland	165.2	180	170.0	187	182.6	198	245.1	271	242.8	269	237.7	264
National Waiting Times Centre	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.0	1	1.0	1
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	14.4	15	12.6	14	13.0	14	13.0	14	13.4	15	13.8	15
NHS Borders	4.4	5	4.4	5	3.4	4	3.4	4	3.4	4	2.4	3
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	7.0	7	7.0	7	7.0	7	8.4	9	7.4	8	7.4	8
NHS Fife	8.8	9	9.5	10	8.0	8	8.0	8	7.8	8	7.7	8
NHS Forth Valley	11.8	13	10.8	12	10.8	12	10.8	12	9.8	11	9.6	11
NHS Grampian	10.7	13	20.4	24	19.6	22	21.4	24	22.4	25	26.9	30
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	42.6	45	40.7	43	54.6	57	57.9	61	58.3	61	52.4	55
NHS Highland	11.5	13	11.3	13	11.5	13	11.5	13	11.3	13	10.5	12
NHS Lanarkshire	13.0	14	14.5	16	15.1	17	32.8	37	32.3	37	32.1	37
NHS Lothian	13.1	17	12.0	15	12.1	15	52.9	63	51.9	61	51.0	60
NHS Orkney	-	-	-	-	0.7	1	0.7	1	0.7	1	0.7	1
NHS Shetland	2.8	3	2.8	3	2.8	3	3.0	3	3.7	4	3.0	3
NHS Tayside	20.2	21	19.2	20	19.2	20	17.4	18	15.4	16	13.4	14
NHS Western Isles	4.8	5	4.8	5	4.6	5	3.8	4	3.8	4	5.6	6

Source: Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS), ISD Scotland

Ref: IR2013-02040

The information requested is not available centrally. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed that, as of 22 November 2013, of the 599 outpatient appointments postponed, 48 patients have still to be seen but that all have dates scheduled.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18385 on 28 November 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Prospectively looking for cancer clusters is not regarded as a useful method of cancer prevention. A study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer demonstrated that clusters found by scanning methods may be caused by localised exposure to environmental or occupational carcinogens, infectious processes or random variation and that it is very difficult to distinguish between these.

Information Services Division investigate suspected cancer clusters when an organisation such as an NHS board or member of the public believe that cancer incidence or mortality is higher than normal in a particular area. ISD also investigate suspected cancer clusters where there is a concern about a possible source of carcinogens in a particular area.

When investigating suspected cancer clusters, ISD works with health boards, the Scottish Government and other groups such as the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment.

The usual method of investigation is to calculate standardised incidence ratios (or standardised mortality ratios if mortality is being investigated). This compares the actual number of cases in an area with the number that would be expected if the rates from a reference population are applied to that area (the reference population is usually Scotland but other areas can be used).

Table 1 shows the number of initial investigations into suspected cancer clusters that ISD have carried out since 2004 and how many of these investigations found statistically significant increases in cancer incidence in the areas being investigated. It should be noted that a statistically significant difference alone does not indicate that there is a causal relationship and the potential exposure of concern. More in-depth investigation would normally be required for this to be determined.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 1: Number of investigations into suspected cancer clusters and the number that returned statistically significant results; 2004-2013

	Completed information requests on cancer clusters	Number of statistically significant results
2004	4	0
2005	1	0
2006	0	0
2007	2	1
2008	1	1
2009	2	0
2010	4	0
2011	7	0
2012	2	1
2013	3	2
Total	26	5

Source: ISD Scotland

Ref: IR2013-02039

ISD are not aware of any collection of data on cancer clusters that would enable comparison between Scotland and other countries.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

However, there has been no cost to crofters in relation to mandatory registration on the Crofting Register in the last five years as the requirement to register croft land as a result of a ‘trigger’ contained in the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 only commenced on 30 November 2013. In order to allow crofters time to prepare for the introduction of the requirement to register croft land in the event certain regulatory applications, the Scottish Government introduced the Crofting Register provisions on a voluntary basis from 30 November 2012, for the first year of the Crofting Register.

In relation to the costs of regulatory applications, these will vary between applicants, depending on, for example, any legal or other professional advice incurred prior to submitting a regulatory application.

The A819, A822 and A708 are classed as local roads and are, therefore, the responsibility of those local authorities through whose area the routes run.

The Scottish Government is providing local government in Scotland with over £10.3 billion in 2013-14. Decisions about local road investment are a matter for individual councils.

The Scottish Government is committed to promoting a multi-faith and multi-cultural society based on mutual trust, respect and understanding.

The Scottish Government funded the Scottish Working Group on Religion and Belief Relations to write and publish Belief in Dialogue: Religion and Belief Relations in Scotland Good Practice Guide (2011), which provides guidance (including examples of successful activities) in bringing together people of different faiths and beliefs to develop and engage in dialogue and relationship building.

We have also allocated over £1 million (2012-2015) to support faith-based projects to create, among other things, opportunities for the development of interfaith and cross-cultural awareness and understanding, including raising awareness of the dietary needs of some people because of their religious beliefs.

In school education, religious and moral education enables children and young people to explore the world’s major religions and to develop their own beliefs and values. Through Curriculum for Excellence, from the early years to level four, the experience and outcomes for religious and moral education include strands that enable children and young people to develop their knowledge and understanding of a variety of practices and traditions associated with world religions, including dietary requirements.