There is no central register of children and young people with speech, language or communication impairments. However, the number of school pupils receiving additional support due to a language or speech disorder is reported annually in Pupils in Scotland and the Independent School Census. Pupils in Scotland is available on the government website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/04/20113524/7,

The Independent School Census can be located at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/04/20113524/7.

Based on UK and international studies, the estimate of the number of people in Scotland who may have late effects of polio (LEOP) is between 6,000 and 10,200. Accurate estimates of prevalence are however difficult, for a number of reasons. Counting cases of diagnosed Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) excludes the many polio survivors who may be experiencing new problems as a result of their previous polio, but who may not have PPS as clinically defined. This wider group can be referred to as experiencing LEOP.

The number of people with LEOP or PPS is not formally monitored. The working group set up by the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee is however, with advice from the Scottish Public Health Network, attempting to establish a better estimate of prevalence.

The Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (SMASAC) working group, convened in early 2009, is currently considering the best way to organise services for people in Scotland who have post-polio syndrome/late effects of polio (PPS/LEOP). This includes consideration of a multidisciplinary clinic model, which currently does not exist in Scotland, and the development of a managed clinical network (MCN) model. The MCN model would ensure that people with PPS are referred to the appropriate specialists for their particular needs, while maintaining local services for those people whose needs can be met at primary care/community level.

The SMASAC working group expects to complete its report and recommendations by spring 2010. Meantime, patients can be referred to local specialists according to their particular needs.

Other services such as those provided in England can be accessed by Scottish patients, if funding for such assessment or treatment is agreed by the patient''s NHS board of residence. This would normally only be approved if the specific assessment or treatment was not available in Scotland, or for other exceptional circumstances.

The expenditure on speech and language therapy in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board is shown in the following tables.

NHS Board	1999-2000 £000	2000-01 £000	2001-02 £000	2002-03 £000	2003-04 £000	2004-05 £000	2005-06 £000	2006-07 £000	2007-08 £000
Argyll and Clyde	1,151	1,976	1,711	2,212	1,683	2,110	2,399
Ayrshire and Arran	601	1,187	1,105	1,280	1,242	1,558	1,601	1,769	1,858
Borders	466	542	484	524	664	809	935	1,279	1,222
Dumfries and Galloway	533	693	755	856	1,086	472	862	653	662
Fife	1,092	1,367	1,338	1,297	1,377	1,624	2,237	2,318	2,060
Forth Valley	1,228	1,596	1,695	1,757	1,969	1,118	1,228	1,512	1,457
Grampian	1,437	1,820	1,960	2,279	2,063	2,413	2,564	2,554	2,930
Greater Glasgow	2,449	2,120	2,255	2,313	2,125	2,341	2,474
Greater Glasgow and Clyde								4,117	4,176
Highland (old)	778	778	1,182	1,151	1,405	1,344	1,122
Highland (new)								2,178	2,031
Lanarkshire	2,278	2,273	1,927	2,624	2,642	2,772	3,204	3,459	3,439
Lothian	1,329	2,417	1,069	1,206	1,027	1,087	783	893	1,229
Orkney	61	65	97	79	86	96	99	95	146
Shetland	71	80	104	79	60	50	138	105	124
Tayside	591	1,188	1,425	1,473	1,936	2,043	2,039	1,711	1,825
Western Isles	222	252	417	535	653	771	544	468	511
Total	14,287	18,354	17,524	19,665	20,018	20,608	22,229	23,111	23,670

 

Evidence from the 1996 International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) suggested that around 800,000 (23%) working age adults in Scotland have low levels of literacy. The Scottish Government has set in hand a further wide ranging survey to update these findings. The results will be available in spring 2010. Currently, the Scotland Performs website measures literacy and numeracy through the use of a proxy indicator. That indicator has shown a steady decrease in the percentage of adults with SCQF Level 4 qualifications or below, to 15% in 2008.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The following table details the level of spend by the Scottish Prison Service for speech and language therapy services since 1999.

2000-01	£8,123
2001-02	£8,424
2002-03	£8,727
2003-04	£15,540
2004-05	£20,003
2005-06	£12,041
2006-07	£18,676
2007-08	£21,285
2008-09	£20,640
2009 - Year to date	£12,292
Total	£145,751

 

Information on what the cost is to the economy of adults with a speech, language or communication impairment is not held centrally.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

A speech and language therapist is contracted from Forth Valley Health Board to work 14 hours in HMYOI Polmont. There is no provision in any other prison.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service does not assess every prisoner for communication impairment or difficulties with literacy and numeracy and therefore do not hold the information requested.

Since the submission of Petition PE873 in 2007, considerable progress has been made. Scottish Government officials met representatives of the Scottish Post Polio Network (SPPN) in August 2007 to discuss how to improve service for people living with PPS in Scotland. As a result of these discussions, in early 2009 the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (SMASAC) agreed to set up a working group, with a remit to consider issues around the definition of the condition, the collection of robust data on its prevalence in Scotland and the development of best practice guidelines. This work is now well under way, and the working group is due to present its recommendations to SMASAC in spring 2010.

To promote awareness of the management of the condition, the Scottish Government Health Directorates have, on behalf of SPPN, issued a copy of guidance on The Late Effects of Polio produced by Queensland Health, Australia, to clinicians across NHSScotland who had indicated an interest in the subject.

Recognising also that awareness-raising should be extended to polio survivors in the community who may benefit from a better understanding of PPS and the treatment options available, the Scottish Government funded a national media campaign featuring case studies of polio survivors which ran in national and local press through September and October 2009. This has been extremely successful in promoting contact with the SPPN and thereby directing polio survivors to sources of help, advice and medical opinion/treatment. The working group will also be able to draw on a wider range of patient experience in producing its report.