This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Funding to tackle killer diseases
24/10/2003
Nearly £5m of funding to tackle Coronary Heart Disease
and Stroke in Scotland was announced today.
The funding will go towards a wide range of projects
across Scotland aimed at improving services for both
conditions.
This is the second tranche of money from the £40 million
CHD/Stroke strategy announced in 2002.
It will be used for:
- rapid access chest pain clinics
- increased numbers of specialist nurses
- improved rehabilitation services for both CHD and
stroke
- ensuring every part of the country has access to a
dedicated stroke unit
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:
"Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke are two of the
biggest causes of illness and death in Scotland, and their
prevention and treatment is a top priority for the Scottish
Executive and NHSScotland.
"While there are fewer people dying from these
conditions, much more needs be done in order to further
reduce the number of preventable deaths. Poor diet, smoking
and lack of exercise are serious health risks and something
we can all take responsibility for.
"The emerging Managed Clinical Networks (MCNs) for
cardiac services and stroke in each NHS Board area have
been playing a key role in determining the local priorities
which should benefit. Through these Networks, front-line
clinicians and patients have a real say in shaping services
locally.
"Like the additional investment which has been made
available for our Cancer Plan, the money for these CHD and
stroke projects is ring-fenced and will be closely
monitored to make sure it is spent on the purposes for
which it is intended.
The Minister also announced the creation of a National
Advisory Committee on CHD, chaired by Professor Ross
Lorimer.
He said:
"We have also been looking at the machinery for taking
forward the CHD element of the Strategy, and have decided
to create a National Advisory Committee on CHD, to parallel
the National Advisory Committee on Stroke.
"The new Committee will cover the full spectrum of CHD
issues, from primary prevention to cardiac rehabilitation.
Its remit will also include other heart conditions, such as
valve problems and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This is in
keeping with the focus of the local MCNs, which deal with
all cardiac services, not just CHD.
"I am very pleased to be able to announce that
Professor Ross Lorimer, who chaired the CHD and Stroke Task
Force, has agreed to act as chair of the new National
Advisory Committee on CHD. I am also pleased that Dr Boon
has agreed to continue his involvement with the strategy by
chairing the Committee's sub-group on cardiac
interventions."
Professor Lorimer added:
"I was heavily involved with the work of the CHD and
Stroke Task Force for three years, and have continued to
take a keen interest in the development of the Strategy. I
am delighted to have the opportunity of taking forward this
extremely important piece of work."
The funding is:
Argyll and Clyde £668,000
Ayrshire and Arran £211,000
Borders £140,000
Fife £55,000
Forth Valley £179,000
Grampian £542,000
Greater Glasgow £1,100,000
Highland £212,000
Lanarkshire £379,000
Lothian £772,000
Shetland £30,000
Tayside £376,000
Western Isles £42,000
Total £4,726,000
The detailed breakdown of the funding for Grampian will
be announced shortly. NHS Dumfries & Galloway
(£310,000) and NHS Orkney (£103,000) have already received
their share of the additional funding.
The CHD/Stroke strategy was published in October 2002
and included a range of measures aimed at tackling both
conditions.
The Executive also announced investment of £40m over 3
years to help implement the strategy -£10m is available in
£10m in 2003-04, £15m in 2004-05, and £15m 2005-6.
In addition to investment £40m to support the
implementation, the Executive is carrying out a range of
work to tackle CHD and Stroke throughout Scotland and
address the risk factors associated with these conditions,
for example:
- investing £6 million over three years in the
national health demonstration project, Have a Heart
Paisley, which is leading the way in CHD and stroke
prevention
- providing new additional investment of more than
£170 million over the next years three years to
accelerate health improvement throughout Scotland
- working through the Food and Health Co-ordinator to
drive forward the Scottish Diet Action Plan and improve
access to healthy foods in schools and communities
- working through the Physical Activity Co-ordinator
to make Scotland more active and take forward the
recommendations of Physical Activity Task Force
report
Targets for CHD are:
- Reduce deaths by 50 per cent in the under 75s by
2010 from a 1995 baseline
- By December 2004, maximum wait for angiography
should be eight weeks from seeing a specialist
- By December 2004, maximum wait of 18 weeks for
surgery or angioplasty after angiography
The additional funding announced today complements the
funding for CHD
and stroke from the New Opportunities Fund which was
announced by the Deputy Minister for Health & Community
Care on September 10.