Where parents are separated their respective rights to information about their child's health or treatment depends on whether they have parental rights and responsibilities under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. It may also depend on the child's age, maturity and capacity to consent both to treatment and the disclosure of information about their care. In deciding whether or not to share information with a parent, the child's welfare should be the paramount consideration for NHS boards and trusts.Guidelines for health professionals on children's capacity to consent and confidentiality are included in Protecting Children - A Shared Responsibility: guidance for health professionals, issued by the Health Department in 2000. The recently published final report of the Confidentiality and Security Advisory Group for Scotland provides further advice on access to medical and health-related information. The Executive has no current plans to issue guidance on access to information specifically for separated parents.

The Scottish Executive has not conducted a survey of the research in this area. The outcomes of research of this nature will be reported in the professional literature. Chiropody and podiatry services are part of the range of services provided by Primary Care NHS Trusts. It is for the NHS locally to make an assessment of the needs of the local population.

The Scottish Executive has not conducted a survey of the research in this area. The outcomes of research of this nature will be reported in the professional literature. Chiropody and podiatry services are part of the range of services provided by Primary Care NHS trusts. It is for local NHS management to ensure that the provision of services is, where possible evidence based, and in accordance with good professional practice to secure improvements in health.

The Scottish Diabetes Group, the recently established national steering group for the implementation of the Scottish Diabetes Framework, will be taking forward work in relation to diabetic foot care. One of the action points of Scottish Diabetes Framework is to commission (by January 2003) a workforce study of diabetes services in hospitals and the community.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

The following table shows the total number of patients treated by chiropodists and podiatrists over the five-year period 1996 to 2000. Number of Treatments by Chiropodists and Podiatrists in the NHS

Year	Number of Treatments
1996	467,044
1997	472,820
1998	480,161
1999	494,133
2000	485,959

The figures need to be interpreted with some care. They are based on the number of courses of treatment provided to patients. Some patients will receive more than one course of treatment during the year, and therefore the number of people receiving chiropody or podiatry treatment will be less than the total number of treatments provided. It is not possible to identify the number of patients who receive more than one course of chiropody or podiatry treatment, and therefore we cannot estimate the number and percentage of people in the population who have seen a chiropodist or podiatrist.

No such statement is planned.

There are no plans to publish guidance of this nature. It is for the NHS locally to determine the range and level of services to be provided.

The only information that is collected centrally on the cost of chiropody/podiatry services is the cost of an out-patient attendance at a clinic where the patient is seen by a chiropodist. The average cost of an attendance in 2000-01 was £19.

Information on the number of chiropodists directly employed by NHSScotland is shown in the following table.

Chiropodists1 directly employed by NHSScotland
Headcount and Whole Time Equivalent at 30 September
	Headcount	WTE
1996	680	595.8
1997	699	606.9
1998	701	608.9
1999	735	633.0
2000	741	634.7

Source: National Manpower Statistics from payroll ISD Scotland.Note:1. Comprises qualified staff only and includes podiatrists.