The National Overview identified the availability of such services, which are a key element in allowing people to return home when they are ready for discharge, as an issue for NHS boards to consider. NHS boards should aim to achieve thestandards of care set by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Any significantshortfall should be identified through local clinical audit and governancearrangements. Where necessary NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will carry outfollow up visits. Any major issues can be addressed through the annualaccountability review process.

NHS boards should aim toachieve the standards of care set by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. Anysignificant shortfall should be identified through local clinical audit andgovernance arrangements. Where necessary NHS Quality Improvement Scotland willcarry out follow up visits. Any major issues can be address through the annualaccountability review process.

NHS Quality ImprovementScotland has monitored the systems for ensuringthat this documentation is in place through the Generic Clinical GovernanceStandards and will continue to monitor this through the Healthcare GovernanceStandards which are currently being consulted on.

The £6.8 million annualallocation continues within individual authorities’ grant aided expenditureresources, and we expect authorities to continue to use these resources for drugrehabilitation services. There has been no change to these arrangements whichhave been in place since 2001-02.

Decisions at local level onspending priorities are a matter for individual authorities in liaison withtheir partners on drug action teams (DAT). This is to ensure an integratedapproach to the provision of all drugs services in the DAT area, and to providebest value.

Discharge arrangements aremonitored by NHS boards in conjunction with their local authority partners.

Participation in the ScottishHip Fracture Audit is on a hospital basis and full coverage in all board areasis expected from 1 April 2004.

We recognise the problems atlocal level which are identified and highlighted in the report. To addressthese issues we will consider therecommendations on management information carefully and discuss with NHS boardshow improvements can be made. Thestrategic planning of medical equipment requirements is one of a number ofcomponents integral to the planning of sustainable clinical services. Arequirement for NHS boards to identify capital investment on medical equipmentas part of the financial information to support local health plans is beingintroduced from 1 April 2004 and as a follow up to the Audit Scotland reportall NHS boards will be asked to respond to the recommendations made and detailwhat action they propose to take to comply with the recommendations.

The Community Care andHealth (Scotland) Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities to notify carerswho appear to them to be eligible to have an assessment of their support needsas a carer, that they may be entitled to have such an assessment. The act alsoprovides powers to require health boards to draw up NHS Carer InformationStrategies that will set out how NHS staff will similarly inform carers oftheir right to an assessment. Executive guidance to the NHS on the format andcontent of NHS Carer Information Strategies will be available later this year.Authorities and boards must be able to demonstrate compliance with any legislativeduties placed on them. The Executive is committed to monitoring the impact ofits Carers Strategy, including the new legislative measures to support carers. From2004-05 the Executive will be collecting data from local authorities on thenumbers of carers’ assessments being carried out. Other performance indicatorsand outcome measures will be developed in due course. These are expected tolook at the time intervals between an assessment being requested, theassessment being carried out and the provision of services.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6151 on 17 March 2004 All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the parliament website, the search facility forwhich can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6151 on 17 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliamentwebsite, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa.