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key parties, including the profession and National Health Service management, to discuss the way forward. A working group has been established to explore the key issues.78. Mr. Boswell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest figure for the number of hospital doctors in the National Health Service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The latest figure for the number of hospital doctors in the National Health Service in England is 45,574 as at 30 September 1988. This figure includes permanent paid and honorary staff.
Prescriptions
68. Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the number of people who do not take the full number of items listed on a prescription by their general practitioner.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not collected centrally.
Alcohol Abuse Services, Sheffield
70. Mr. Duffy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to next meet the chairman of the Trent regional health authority to discuss alcohol abuse services in Sheffield.
Mr. Dorrell : Ministers meet all regional health authority chairmen regularly and discuss a wide range of issues.
Social Workers
71. Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretay of State for Health what steps he is taking to assist in the recruitment of local authority social workers.
82. Mrs. Heal : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to assist in the recruitment of local authority social workers.
87. Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to assist in the recruitment of local authority social workers.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr Worthington) earlier today.
Medical Negligence
72. Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he proposes that National Health Service indemnity in cases of medical negligence will extend to National Health Service hospital trusts.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Yes.
West Midlands Regional Health Authority
79. Mr. Colin Shepherd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current annual level of capital spend for which the West Midlands regional health authority is responsible ; and what it was for the year 1978-879.
Mr. Dorrell : The annual accounts of the West Midlands regional health authority and the health authorities
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comprising the West Midlands region record total capital expenditure of £27.8 million (cash) in 1978-79 and £82.7 million (cash) in 1988-89 (the latest year available) representing an increase in real terms of some 35 per cent. measured at 1988-89 prices.Patient Care
81. Dame Jill Knight : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any initiatives are being taken to promote a better quality of care for patients.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The White Paper reforms aim to provide a better National Health Service with more attention to quality of care and customer service flowing from greater devolution, the separation of purchaser and provider functions and the introduction of contracts, wider choice and the extension of medical and clinical audit. These proposals are being reinforced by a £10 million programme of project-based initiatives to make the consumers' interest more central to the management and delivery of health care. The Government have also initiated talks with the royal colleges and other statutory bodies with an interest in assessing clinical standards in the National Health Service after implementation of the reforms. Agreement has been reached on the provision of advice and assistance in the assessment and monitoring of clinical standards for all National Health Service patients through a clinical standards advisory group. An amendment to the National Health Service and Community Care Bill has been tabled to provide a statutory basis for the group.
Regional Health Authorities (Funding)
84. Mr. Andrew Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a further statement on funding for regional health authorities in 1990-91.
Mr Dorrell : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Hargreaves) on 1 May at column 523.
Hospital Doctors (Working Hours)
88. Mr. Cox : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last visited St. George's hospital, Tooting to discuss doctors' working hours.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has not visited St. George's hospital to discuss this matter.
On 10 April 1990 I met the representatives of health departments, the joint consultants committee, including the presidents of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons and Physicians, the British Medical Association and National Health Service management, to begin the process of identifying and implementing ways forward on the complex issue of junior doctors' hours.
A working group is to explore the main issues relating to junior doctors' hours and strategies for tackling them. They are expected to make an initial report to the ministerial group during the summer.
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Organ Transplants
92. Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further representations he has received about the availability of human organs for transplantation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Since the reply given to my hon. Friend by my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 5 April 1990 at columns 736-37, we have received representations from hon. Members on behalf of the president of the British Kidney Patient Association and of several constituents. We are also in frequent contact with organisations and individuals interested in promoting organ donation.
Hospital Patients
93. Mr. Donald Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many in-patients are being treated annually by the National Health Service.
Mr. Dorrell : In the year ending March 1989, 6.6 million in-patient cases were treated in National Health Service hospitals in England, representing an increase of 22 per cent. since 1979.
NHS Services
95. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what major changes there have been in provision of services within the National Health Service since 1979.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Since 1979, the level of spending on the National Health Service in the United Kingdom has increased by nearly 44 per cent. in real terms and the gross annual expenditure on the service now stands at over £29 billion (1990-91). The numbers of people providing care has also increased. There are 14,000 more doctors and dentists and 68,000 more nurses and midwives. These extra resources mean that 44,000 NHS operations are now carried out every week including a 22 per cent. increase in in-patient treatments, a 6.5 per cent. increase in out-patient attendances and an 81 per cent. increase in day cases over the 1979 totals. Considerable improvements have also been made in screening, vaccination and immunisation. Over 90 per cent. of low birth weight babies now survive the crucial first four weeks of life. The impact of these and other developments including the general improvement in standards of living can be seen in changes to key indicators such as the decline in the rate of infant mortality which now stands at an all-time low and the increase in life expectancy.
Day Patients
99. Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many day-patient cases were treated last year.
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Mr. Dorrell : In the year ending March 1989 there were over 1 million day-case admissions in England representing an increase of over 70 per cent. since 1979.
NHS Management
101. Miss Widdecombe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes are being made in management within the National Health Service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The National Health Service management executive is in close contact with regional health authorities as they take forward proposals for the delegation of functions and other management aspects of "Working for Patients". Considerations include the need for any changes to be made to management structures both in health authorities and units to improve services.
Progress overall in the implementation of the NHS review is good and we remain confident that management arrangements will be in place to enable the reforms contained in the NHS and Community Care Bill to be implemented next year, resulting in improved standards, more effective use of resources and better patient care.
Patient Choice
104. Mr. Janman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what specific ways the National Health Service reforms will extend patient choice ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Batley and Spen (Mrs. Peacock) on 1 May 1990 at column 534 .
General Practitioners
105. Mr. Burt : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are currently.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friends the Members for Beverley (Mr. Cran) and for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) earlier today.
Hospital Waiting Lists, Northumberland
106. Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of patients on the Northumberland health authority's hospital waiting lists ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : At 30 September 1989, a total of 1,610 patients were awaiting admission to hospital for in-patient treatment and 491 were awaiting day case treatment in Northumberland health authority. In September 1987, the corresponding figures were 1,789 and 539. Between September 1987 and September 1989 the percentage of patients waiting over a year fell from 20 per cent. to 11 per cent. for in-patients and from 7 per cent. to 3 per cent. for day cases.
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Medicine Imports
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of overseas production sites supplying parallel imports of medicines to the United Kingdom market under licence from his Department ; and how many such overseas sites have been inspected by the United Kingdom's medicines inspectors in each of the last five years.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are 143 overseas production sites currently listed on product licences for parallel imported medicinal products. Inspections of these sites carried out by United Kingdom medicines inspectors over the last five years are as follows :
1989 |7
1988 |5
1987 |5
1986 |12
1985 |1
Additional visits have been carried out on behalf of the United Kingdom by local inspectorates.
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Regional Health Authorities (Creditors)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by regional health authority the amounts creditors were due to be paid that were (a) one month, (b) two months, (c) three months, (d) four to six months, (e) six months to one year and (f) over a year overdue.
Mr. Dorrell : This information is not available centrally.
Land Sales
Mr Ralph Howell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his parliamentary reply of 9 May, Official Report , column 128, he will give a breakdown of the figures given for the proceeds from disposal of National Health Service land in the East Anglian region, to show proceeds in each of the district health authorities in the East Anglian region, for 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88 and 1988-89.
Mr. Dorrell : The regional health authority has provided the information in the following table. They are unable to provide a breakdown by districts for the years 1984-85 and 1985-86.
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Income from land sales
The figures given represent the total of sales within each district. The figures given for Norwich health authority therefore differ from those supplied on 26 April by my hon. Friend the then Paliamentary Under- Secretary of State at columns 293-94, which were restricted to sales of over £50,000.
Geriatric Beds
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing for each National Health Service region for 1980 through to 1989 (a) the number of geriatric beds, (b) the number of patients per geriatric bed and (c) the population over 65 years of age, in each case as an index taking 1980 as the base.
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Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is given in the tables. The following changes affect the comparability of figures over time : (a) In 1982 National Health Service restructuring led to changes in the region of management of some London hospitals.
(b) The 1987-88 and 1988-89 figures are for beds in wards classified as being for elderly patients whereas earlier figures are for beds assigned to the geriatrics department.
(c) The 1987-88 and 1988-89 figures for in-patients are for patients treated by a geriatric clinical consultant whereas earlier figures are for patients treated in the geriatric department. Some patients previously categorised as geriatric are now categorised as being treated in general medicine.
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Mid year population estimates, by Regional Health Authority, aged 65 and over, thousands.
|c|Index 1980=100|c|
|1980|1981|1982|1983|1984|1985|1986|1987|1988
--------------------------------------------------------------------
England |100 |101 |101 |100 |100 |102 |103 |105 |106
Northern |100 |101 |101 |100 |99 |102 |104 |105 |106
Yorkshire |100 |100 |100 |99 |98 |100 |101 |102 |103
Trent |100 |101 |101 |101 |101 |103 |105 |107 |108
East Anglia |100 |101 |102 |102 |103 |105 |107 |110 |112
North West Thames |100 |101 |101 |100 |100 |102 |103 |104 |105
North East Thames |100 |100 |99 |99 |98 |100 |101 |102 |102
South East Thames |100 |100 |100 |100 |99 |100 |101 |102 |102
South West Thames |100 |100 |100 |99 |98 |100 |101 |102 |102
Wessex |100 |101 |102 |102 |102 |105 |106 |109 |110
Oxford |100 |102 |103 |102 |102 |106 |109 |112 |114
South Western |100 |101 |101 |101 |101 |103 |105 |107 |108
West Midlands |100 |101 |101 |101 |101 |104 |106 |108 |110
Mersey |100 |101 |100 |99 |99 |101 |102 |104 |105
North Western |100 |100 |99 |98 |96 |98 |98 |99 |99
Source: Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys.
|c|In-patient cases treated per available bed, National Health Service hospitals, by Regional
Health Authority|c|
|c|Geriatric sector|c|
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987-88|1988-89
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England |4.8 |5.0 |5.3 |5.8 |6.3 |6.9 |7.3 |7.5 |8.2
Northern |4.8 |5.2 |5.1 |5.3 |5.3 |5.6 |5.6 |5.3 |6.0
Yorkshire |5.6 |6.2 |6.7 |7.3 |7.9 |8.9 |9.3 |10.3 |11.2
Trent |5.7 |5.9 |6.2 |6.6 |7.0 |7.6 |8.1 |7.1 |8.2
East Anglia |5.6 |6.0 |6.0 |6.3 |6.8 |7.6 |7.5 |7.8 |8.5
North West Thames |4.5 |4.6 |4.8 |5.4 |5.9 |6.2 |6.5 |7.1 |7.2
North East Thames |3.6 |3.4 |3.8 |4.2 |4.8 |5.4 |5.8 |6.4 |7.6
South East Thames |5.2 |5.5 |5.7 |6.0 |6.8 |7.5 |8.1 |8.5 |9.2
South West Thames |4.8 |4.4 |5.5 |6.2 |7.1 |7.4 |7.9 |8.4 |7.8
Wessex |3.7 |4.0 |4.2 |4.5 |4.8 |5.3 |6.0 |6.7 |7.8
Oxford |6.3 |6.8 |7.0 |7.5 |7.9 |8.1 |8.0 |6.9 |7.5
South Western |4.8 |5.2 |5.0 |5.8 |6.2 |6.8 |7.1 |7.7 |8.1
West Midlands |3.9 |4.1 |4.5 |4.8 |5.5 |6.1 |6.4 |6.4 |6.7
Mersey |4.7 |4.6 |4.9 |5.5 |5.6 |6.4 |7.0 |7.7 |9.4
North Western |5.0 |5.5 |6.0 |6.7 |7.2 |8.0 |8.4 |9.1 |9.7
SHAs |n/a |n/a |5.5 |6.7 |5.7 |4.8 |4.2 |4.5 |4.0
|c|Index 1980=100|c|
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987-88|1988-89
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England |100 |105 |111 |121 |131 |144 |151 |157 |171
Northern |100 |108 |106 |110 |109 |117 |117 |111 |125
Yorkshire |100 |110 |119 |131 |141 |159 |166 |183 |200
Trent |100 |104 |109 |116 |123 |135 |142 |124 |144
East Anglia |100 |106 |107 |111 |121 |134 |133 |139 |150
North West Thames |100 |103 |108 |121 |132 |138 |144 |159 |161
North East Thames |100 |96 |107 |117 |133 |150 |162 |178 |212
South East Thames |100 |107 |110 |116 |131 |144 |156 |163 |178
South East Thames |100 |92 |115 |130 |149 |154 |164 |175 |163
Wessex |100 |108 |113 |122 |132 |144 |163 |181 |212
Oxford |100 |107 |110 |118 |125 |128 |127 |108 |118
South Western |100 |109 |105 |122 |130 |143 |148 |161 |169
West Midlands |100 |106 |117 |124 |141 |158 |166 |167 |174
Mersey |100 |97 |103 |116 |119 |136 |148 |162 |199
North Western |100 |109 |119 |133 |142 |159 |167 |181 |192
SHAs |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a
Source: SH3 return, 1980 to 1986.
KH03 and SH3a returns, 1987-88 onwards.
|c|Average daily number of available beds, NHS hospitals, by Regional Health Authority|c|
|c|Geriatric sector|c|
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987-88|1988-89
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England |54,947 |55,550 |55,646 |55,801 |55,571 |55,320 |54,588 |53,276 |51,043
Northern |3,727 |3,676 |3,809 |3,885 |3,894 |3,940 |3,949 |4,075 |3,958
Yorkshire |5,259 |5,206 |5,090 |5,041 |4,938 |4,960 |4,827 |4,621 |4,291
Trent |5,053 |5,153 |5,204 |5,229 |5,233 |5,237 |5,263 |5,116 |4,901
East Anglia |2,340 |2,351 |2,372 |2,417 |2,452 |2,467 |2,497 |2,539 |2,500
North West Thames |3,348 |3,422 |3,366 |3,329 |3,380 |3,417 |3,460 |3,386 |3,305
North East Thames |4,416 |4,429 |4,555 |4,574 |4,635 |4,636 |4,614 |4,260 |3,972
South East Thames |4,247 |4,208 |4,237 |4,233 |4,088 |3,985 |3,740 |3,535 |3,384
South West Thames |3,015 |3,505 |3,064 |3,035 |2,975 |2,907 |2,878 |2,832 |2,834
Wessex |3,536 |3,534 |3,543 |3,510 |3,477 |3,468 |3,433 |3,203 |3,022
Oxford |2,071 |2,055 |2,027 |2,006 |1,974 |1,866 |1,825 |2,054 |1,832
South Western |3,696 |3,739 |3,771 |3,848 |3,807 |3,782 |3,720 |3,486 |3,464
West Midlands |6,181 |6,182 |6,256 |6,230 |6,235 |6,176 |6,054 |6,004 |5,665
Mersey |3,101 |3,073 |3,136 |3,171 |3,180 |3,120 |3,042 |2,909 |2,786
North Western |4,957 |5,018 |5,135 |5,193 |5,175 |5,230 |5,161 |5,128 |5,001
SHAs |0 |0 |80 |102 |127 |130 |126 |128 |128
|c|Index 1980 = 100|c|
|1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987-88|1988-89
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England |100 |101 |101 |102 |101 |101 |99 |97 |93
Northern |100 |99 |102 |104 |104 |106 |106 |109 |106
Yorkshire |100 |99 |97 |96 |94 |94 |92 |88 |82
Trent |100 |102 |103 |103 |104 |104 |104 |101 |97
East Anglia |100 |100 |101 |103 |105 |105 |107 |108 |107
North West Thames |100 |102 |101 |99 |101 |102 |103 |101 |99
North East Thames |100 |100 |103 |104 |105 |105 |104 |96 |90
South East Thames |100 |99 |100 |100 |96 |94 |88 |83 |80
South West Thames |100 |116 |102 |101 |99 |96 |95 |94 |94
Wessex |100 |100 |100 |99 |98 |98 |97 |91 |85
Oxford |100 |99 |98 |97 |95 |90 |88 |99 |88
South Western |100 |101 |102 |104 |103 |102 |101 |94 |94
West Midlands |100 |100 |101 |101 |101 |100 |98 |97 |92
Mersey |100 |99 |101 |102 |103 |101 |98 |94 |90
North Western |100 |101 |104 |105 |104 |106 |104 |103 |101
SHAs |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a |n/a
Source: SH3 return, 1980-1986
KH03 return, 1987-88 onwards
Hospital Beds, Peterborough
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total of hospital beds in each of the past five years within the constituency of Peterborough.
Mr. Dorrell : The available information is given in the table.
d |c|Average daily available beds, (wards open overnight) and in-patient|c| |c|cases treated, Peterborough District Health Authority|c| |c|1984 to 1988-89|c| Year |Available Beds |In-patient cases treated ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1984 |1,161 |30,250 1985 |1,146 |31,966 1986 |1,145 |32,137 1987-88 |1,148 |33,934 1988-89 |1,187 |35,163
DES/Stilboestrol
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will implement the recommendations made in 1989 by the European Commission regarding the drug DES/Stilboestrol ;
(2) if there are any plans to compile a register of people who have been exposed to the drug DES/Stilboestrol ;
(3) if he has any plans to assist individuals and their families who have been adversely affected by a prescription of the drug DES/Stilboestrol.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : About 7,500 women in the United Kingdom were prescribed diethylistlboestrol during pregnancy. There is published evidence that this may have increased their risk of getting breast cancer by a small amount. There is also evidence of an increased risk
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of the daughters of women who received diethylstilboestrol in pregnancy getting vaginal cancer (a rare disease) or cervical cancer.The number of women who might develop such a cancer is very small, and no specific arrangements have been made to identify them. However, the prospects for early detection of breast and cervical cancer, irrespective of its origin, have been greatly enhanced by the introduction of national screening programmes. It is open to any woman who does not fall within the age groups covered by the programmes to consult her doctor, who will arrange for any test which he or she considers necessary. Women who develop any symptoms which worry them should of course go immediately to their GP.
In June 1989 the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the use of diethylstilboestrol and its effects on the health of users and their children. The resolution called on the European Commission to identify those exposed to DES and to take appropriate action. It is for the European Commission to respond on the resolution.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is being conducted into the effects of the drug, DES/Stilboestrol.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This Department has sponsored no such research. Information about research conducted by other research institutions is not collected centrally by the Department.
Dentures
Mr. Teddy Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of complete and partial dentures, respectively, supplied under the National Health Service during the years 1978 and 1988.
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Mr. Dorrell : Figures for synthetic dentures are available as requested. Figures for metal dentures are available only as provided. Calendar year figures ceased to be kept from 1986.
England
|1978 |1988-89
|(calendar year) |(financial year)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of complete synthetic |1,042,060 |1,107,940
dentures supplied
Number of partial synthetic |586,750 |690,460
dentures supplied
Number of courses of treatment |52,140 |187,990
involving the provision or
repair of metal dentures
Total |1,680,950 |1,986,390
Diabetes
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on how many diabetes sufferers need one third ml amounts of insulin per dose, how much it costs to provide (a) the smaller syringes and (b) the larger syringes to diabetics for each of the last 11 years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : No information is available centrally on the numbers of diabetics needing one third ml of insulin per dose. The estimated costs of providing one half ml and 1 ml disposable syringes, available since 1 September 1987, on the list of appliances general practitioners may prescribe in England were as follows :
Year |ml size |£ million
------------------------------------------------------
1987 (last 2 quarters) |0.5 |0.7
|1 |minimal
1988 |0.5 |2.3
|1 |1.46
1989 (first 2 quarters) |0.5 |1.12
|1 |0.47
I cannot add to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Leicester, East on 17 May 1990 at column 492, that there is insufficient clinical demand for one third ml syringes for this product to be added to the general practitioners list.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies have been undertaken to establish levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in breast milk ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : The results of surveys on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) residues in food and human tissues, conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, have been published in food surveillance papers 13 and 16, copies of which are available in the Library. The levels of PCBs in breast milk have fallen. The Committee on the Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment has considered the report of the working party on pesticide residues and in commenting on PCB residues in human breast milk said
"the levels of PCBs found in the UK survey are at least one order of magnitude below the lowest levels which are claimed to have had adverse effects on infant health".
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A further, more comprehensive, survey on the levels of PCBs and other organochlorine residues in human breast milk is currently under way. The results should be available at the end of this year.Hospital Beds
Mr. John D. Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of hospital beds in each of the past five years within the constituency of Northavon.
Mr. Dorrell : The available information is given in the table.
|c|Available beds and in-patient cases treated, Frenchay
and Southmead|c|
|c|district health authorities, 1984-1988/89|c|
|Average daily |In-patient
|available beds|cases
------------------------------------------------------------
Frenchay
1984 |2,666 |22,255
1985 |2,529 |22,407
1986 |2,431 |21,788
1987-88 |2,293 |23,130
1988-89 |2,168 |22,585
Southmead
1984 |1,802 |32,909
1985 |1,688 |33,965
1986 |1,602 |34,989
1987-88 |1,477 |35,592
1988-89 |1,420 |34,141
Source: SH3 return, 1984-86.
SH3 and KHO3 returns 1987-88 onwards.
Incontinence
Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information the Ko"rner database collects on the continence advisory service and the provision of incontinence supplies.
Mr. Dorrell : Ko"rner community returns do make provision for the recording of the annual number of patient contacts made by community continence nurses, but since many districts treat this service as part of the general duties of community nurses, they do not identify it within their returns. No information is available through Ko"rner on the provision of incontinence supplies.
Performance-related Pay
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give details of the maxima of performance-related pay paid out by Central Manchester, South Manchester and Trafford district health authorities in the financial year 1989-90.
Mr. Dorrell : The maxima of performance-related pay for general managers in Central Manchester, South Manchester and Trafford health authorities is 6 per cent. and for senior managers it is 4 per cent. Details of performance-related pay awarded to individual general managers are confidential between them and their employers.
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Project 2000
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will announce the detailed timetable for the full introduction of the Project 2000 training initiative for nurses in each part of England, giving the specific implementation dates for each health authority.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : As I announced in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 17 May at column 494, we have now approved the implementation of Project 2000 in 17 more schools of nursing over the next 12 months. This is in addition to 16 schemes approved last year. Approval has now been given to nearly 40 per cent. of nursing schools in England, covering a total of 64 health districts, and about 20,000 student places. We have provided central funding of approximately £38 million in 1989-90 and 1990-91 for the implementation of Project 2000 in England.
The timetable for future implementation must be largely determined by the funding which can be made available against the background of other competing needs. We must also have regard to the size of the management and planning tasks involved at a time when we recognise that the National Health Service is undergoing many other changes.
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the problems that will arise in respect of manpower planning in health authorities in England if the introduction of the Project 2000 training initiative for nurses is not fully implemented as originally planned in 1990-91 ;
(2) what assessment he has made of the problems that will arise in respect of administrative and personnel matters if the introduction of the Project 2000 training initiative for nurses is not fully implemented as originally planned in 1990-91 ;
(3) what assessment he has made of the problems that will arise in respect of nurse morale if the introduction of the Project 2000 training initiative for nurses is not fully implemented as originally planned in 1990-91 ;
(4) what assessment he has made of the problems that will arise in respect of nurse recruitment in health authorities in England if the full introduction of the Project 2000 training initiative for nurses is not implemented as originally planned in 1990-91.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : It has always been envisaged that the implementation of Project 2000 in England would be phased over a number of years.
Health Authority Capital Charges
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether estimates of health authority capital charges have been completed and valued ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Most health authorities have now compiled asset registers in preparation for capital charging. Estimates of capital charges for the first period of shadow operation in 1990-91, based on valued asset registers as at 31 March 1990, are expected to be available during July.
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Cervical Smear Tests
Mr Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what up-to-date information he has about the extent of delays in processing cervical smear tests ; what steps he proposes to take to reduce delays ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Information is not available in the form requested. Laboratories must aim to return the results of cervical smear tests to the doctor who undertook them within one month. Where this target is not met health authorities are required to take action to reduce delays. This has taken the form of overtime working or increasing the number of laboratory staff and making use of other less busy laboratory facilities either in the National Health Service or private sector. As at March 1990, the latest available date, over 80 per cent. of laboratories were meeting this one-month target. The average processing time of those districts which were failing to meet the target was 7.1 weeks.
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