21/01/2009
Scrap Hospital Car Parking Charges - Paul Martin's Bill
12th. January 2009
Marlyn Glen is offering her full support to Paul Martin's Bill that, if passed, would see an end to the car parking charges at Ninewells Hospital that the SNP Government refused to remove.
Download the papers for his consultation on his Bill to scrap the charges
Marlyn Glen is supporting this Bill that would scrap car parking charges at Ninewells hospitals
MSP praises NHS Tayside staff for reduction in superbug count
15 January 2009
Marlyn Glen today praised the work of NHS Tayside’s infection control team in reducing the current level of incidence of the superbug MRSA in hospitals to its lowest level since January 2003.
The number of instances recorded of MRSA in the July-September quarter was 8.
In the comparable quarter last year, the figure was 25, and it has fallen in every successive quarter since.
Offering her congratulations, Ms. Glen said,
" The NHS staff have displayed the true spirit of public service in what Health Protection
Scotland are calling ‘a significant reduction’ in the NHS Tayside figures in the latest quarter."
The number of C difficile associated disease cases (CDAD) in July-September last year , 123, was the lowest figure found for any quarter in the 12-month period ending in that September.
The number of cases of CDAD fell from 580 in 2006/07 to 542 in 2007/08.
The rate of CDAD fell from 1.46 to 1.33 per 1000 total occupied bed days (OBDs) in the same period for those aged 65 and over.
Ms. Glen is also backing Labour plans which aim to cut the number of C difficile infections by half by March 2011.
These include :
Crash programme to provide isolation facilities for all C difficile and MRSA patients.
The provision of quality hand sensor -operated hand- washing facilities.
Superbug analysis at ward level to help track the spread of infection.
Sterile hygiene system for staff uniforms.
Facilities for steam cleaning of beds, curtains etc to be available in every hospital.
Budget for future increases in the levels of MRSA screening activity.
Marlyn Glen today praised the work of NHS Tayside’s infection control team in reducing the current level of incidence of the superbug MRSA in hospitals to its lowest level since January 2003.
The number of instances recorded of MRSA in the July-September quarter was 8.
In the comparable quarter last year, the figure was 25, and it has fallen in every successive quarter since.
Offering her congratulations, Ms. Glen said,
" The NHS staff have displayed the true spirit of public service in what Health Protection
Scotland are calling ‘a significant reduction’ in the NHS Tayside figures in the latest quarter."
The number of C difficile associated disease cases (CDAD) in July-September last year , 123, was the lowest figure found for any quarter in the 12-month period ending in that September.
The number of cases of CDAD fell from 580 in 2006/07 to 542 in 2007/08.
The rate of CDAD fell from 1.46 to 1.33 per 1000 total occupied bed days (OBDs) in the same period for those aged 65 and over.
Ms. Glen is also backing Labour plans which aim to cut the number of C difficile infections by half by March 2011.
These include :
Crash programme to provide isolation facilities for all C difficile and MRSA patients.
The provision of quality hand sensor -operated hand- washing facilities.
Superbug analysis at ward level to help track the spread of infection.
Sterile hygiene system for staff uniforms.
Facilities for steam cleaning of beds, curtains etc to be available in every hospital.
Budget for future increases in the levels of MRSA screening activity.
MSP calls for monthly online publication of NHS superbug figures
13 January 2009
Marlyn Glen is urging NHS Tayside to consider making reports available online on how effectively individual hospitals are performing against hospital acquired infection(HAI) on a monthly basis rather than through Health Board reports every two months.
New national guidelines just introduced mean that reporting on the rates of C difficile, MRSA, hand hygiene and cleaning will now be formally reported to the Health Board on a hospital-by-hospital basis every two months.
Ms. Glen said,
" I welcome the move that will allow patients and the public to see how successful individual hospitals such as Ninewells are in controlling HAI.
" The Health Board can now make these figures publicly available every two months.
" Reporting on a monthly basis online rather than through two-monthly health board reports will raise public awareness and help strengthen public confidence in the infection control regime"
Ms Glen said that NHS Tayside had provided her with information last August giving a breakdown of the number of instances that C difficile had been recorded in Ninewells and every other NHS Tayside hospital individually in the then seven month period since the start of the year.
198 instances of C difficile were reported at Ninewells.
A further 23 were recorded at the Royal Victoria Hospital, 41 at Perth Royal Infirmary and 23 in total at Arbroath, Stracathro , Liff and Whitehills.
Marlyn Glen queries Minister on Dundee nursery education provision
12 December 2008
MSP queries Minister on Dundee nursery education provision
Marlyn Glen is questioning SNP Minister Adam Ingram on how many more nursery teachers Dundee needs to meet the Scottish Government’s commitment to meet its promise on nursery provision in the city last year.
This follows a letter from Children’s Minister Adam to Ms. Glen saying,
"The Scottish Government expects all local authorities will deliver the commitment to a teacher for all pre-school children on the basis of local needs and circumstances, and that the overall level of teacher involvement in pre-school education will increase."
Ms. Glen said,
" The SNP’s position has shifted significantly on this issue.
"The ill-defined ‘access to a fully-qualified nursery teacher for every nursery-age child‘ in Dundee has been watered down to the equally vague ‘ a teacher for all pre-school children on the basis of local needs and circumstances.’
" Being taught full-time by a teacher and ‘having access to one’ or ‘a teacher for all pre-school chidlren’ are not all the same thing.
" I am asking the SNP Government how many whole time equivalent GTC Scotland registered teachers they say are currently employed providing pre-school education in Dundee, and how that number compares the number needed to meet their election commitment last year on nursery education in Dundee."
MSP queries Minister on Dundee nursery education provision
Marlyn Glen is questioning SNP Minister Adam Ingram on how many more nursery teachers Dundee needs to meet the Scottish Government’s commitment to meet its promise on nursery provision in the city last year.
This follows a letter from Children’s Minister Adam to Ms. Glen saying,
"The Scottish Government expects all local authorities will deliver the commitment to a teacher for all pre-school children on the basis of local needs and circumstances, and that the overall level of teacher involvement in pre-school education will increase."
Ms. Glen said,
" The SNP’s position has shifted significantly on this issue.
"The ill-defined ‘access to a fully-qualified nursery teacher for every nursery-age child‘ in Dundee has been watered down to the equally vague ‘ a teacher for all pre-school children on the basis of local needs and circumstances.’
" Being taught full-time by a teacher and ‘having access to one’ or ‘a teacher for all pre-school chidlren’ are not all the same thing.
" I am asking the SNP Government how many whole time equivalent GTC Scotland registered teachers they say are currently employed providing pre-school education in Dundee, and how that number compares the number needed to meet their election commitment last year on nursery education in Dundee."
NHS Tayside indicative budget to rise by less than 1 per cent
30 November 2008
NHS Tayside Health Budget indicative budget to rise by less than 1 per cent in real terms.
Marlyn Glen revealed today that the indicative allocation from the SNP Government to NHS Tayside for its revenue budget in the next financial year shows an increase in real terms of only £2 million.
This is equivalent to an increase of less than half of one per cent of the allocation in real terms.
Ms. Glen said,
"These preliminary figures, even at this early stage, are a source of concern for their impact upon frontline services in the health service in Tayside.
" The real terms increase of less than one per cent will not keep up with impact on cost such as the needs of a growing ageing population and advances in medical science and technology."
Figures released to Ms. Glen by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) show that the 2008-09 budget for NHS Tayside was £566.4 million.
Next year’s draft budget is set at £568.5 million in real terms, representing an increase of £2.1 million or 0.4 per cent.
Ms. Glen commented,
"The Board may receive funding from other budget headings next year.
"However, the new NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee ( NRAC ) is to be introduced by the SNP Government then.
"This new formula will be phased in , but if it had reached its final stage of the phase-in next year , NHS Tayside would be losing the equivalent of over £10 million a year."
No extra money to tackle C difficile
13 November 2008
No extra money to tackle C difficile
Marlyn Glen has been informed by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon that NHS Tayside will receive no new money for the new campaign to reduce rates of C difficile by 30 per cent by 2011.
In addition, she told Ms. Glen that the share of the £54 million for tackling Health Acquired Infection that is to be spent on programmes within NHS Tayside over the next three years cannot be specifically identified.
Questioned by Ms. Glen about whether health boards such as NHS Tayside would receive additional money outwith the £54 million already allocated to reduce C difficile rates, Nicola Sturgeon said that additional funding to support the new target of up to £2 million was being made available to NHS Boards "from within the resources provided to tackle Healthcare Associated Infection in Scotland."
Ms. Glen said,
" C difficile is a major new problem that the NHS faces.
"This requires more new money, and not money that may now have to diverted from other resources.
" The £54 million already invested on tackling HAI has been welcomed on all sides, but it remains to be seen if it is sufficient for the task ahead."
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