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54. Mr. Cunliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received from local authorities regarding earmarked grants for community care.
66. Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received from local authorities regarding earmarked grants for community care.
116. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received from local authorities regarding earmarked grants for community care.
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Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department has received many representations in correspondence and at regular meetings with local authority associations about all aspects of community care finance, including earmarked grants.48. Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the proposed implementation date for the Government's proposals on community care.
50. Mr. Dunnachie : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the proposed implementation date for the Government's proposals on community care.
109. Mr. Terry Fields : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the proposed implementation date for the Government's proposals on community care.
123. Mr. Doran : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the proposed implementation date for the Government's proposals on community care.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The proposed implementation date for the community care proposals is 1 April 1991.
34. Mr. John Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on his plans for community care.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have received many representations both in correspondence and at regular meetings with organisations concerned with our plans for community care.
NHS Patients
28. Mr. Roger King : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of in-patients being treated by the national health service.
40. Mr. Andrew MacKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in total are being treated by the national health service annually.
69. Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many in-patients are being treated each year by the national health service.
105. Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of patients being treated annually by the national health service.
Mr. Dorrell : The latest available information is contained in a statistical bulletin "NHS hospital activity statistics for England 1979- 1988/89" reference 2/1/90, copies of which have been placed in the statistics section of the Library.
Child Care
Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's estimate of the number of statutory child care cases currently unsupervised because of the shortage of local authority social workers.
30. Mrs. Heal : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's estimate of the number of statutory child care cases currently unsupervised because of the shortage of local authority social workers.
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55. Mr. Graham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's estimate of the number of statutory child care cases currently unsupervised because of the shortage of local authority social workers.
110. Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's estimate of the number of statutory child care cases currently unsupervised because of the shortage of local authority social workers.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not available centrally. The regional offices of the social services inspectorate will continue to monitor the situation within their areas.
Patient Care
31. Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to promote the quality of care for patients.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Dame J. Knight) on 5 June at column 584.
NHS Nurses and Midwives
32. Mr. Hunter : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in the pay and conditions of nurses and midwives employed by the national health service since 1979.
51. Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in the pay and conditions of nurses and midwives in the national health service since 1979.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Pay for nursing and midwifery staff has risen by an average of 43 per cent. in real terms since 1979. In 1983 the Government established an independent pay review body to recommend levels of pay for nursing and midwifery staff. All seven review body reports have been accepted in full, with staging in three cases.
Hours of work were reduced from 40 to 37 a week during 1980-81 without loss of pay. This was equivalent to a 6.5 per cent. increase in pay.
New clinical and education grading structures were introduced in 1988 and 1989 respectively which provide better and more flexible career opportunities for those staff engaged in clinical and teaching practice. A new pay structure for senior nurse managers has recently been agreed in the nursing and midwifery staffs negotiating council.
Community Charge Capping
Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by his Department of the implications of community charge capping for local authority social service provision.
35. Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by his Department of the implications of community charge capping for local authority social service provision.
76. Mr. Allen McKay : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by his Department of the implications of community charge capping for local authority social service provision.
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112. Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by his Department of the implications of community charge capping for local authority social service provision.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The charge capping which, if the House approves, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment intends to set, represents his view of what is reasonable and appropriate in all the circumstances of the authorities concerned. It will be for each of the authorities to decide how to restrain their excessive budgets to within the level of the cap.
Social Workers (Recruitment)
37. Mr. Meale : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to meet representatives of local authorities to discuss recruitment of social workers.
84. Mr. Martlew : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to meet representatives of local authorities to discuss recruitment of social workers.
95. Mr. McWilliam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to meet representatives of local authorities to discuss recruitment of social workers.
114. Mr. Bill Michie : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to meet representatives of local authorities to discuss recruitment of social workers.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have regular meetings with local authority associations when they can raise this matter if they wish.
Cot Deaths
39. Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what Government support is presently given to the study of sudden infant death syndrome ; what plans he has to increase it ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry have jointly accepted the responsibility for examining the claim that chemical emissions from cot mattresses may be a contributory factor in sudden infant death syndrome. The Department of Health has requested the Medical Research Council (MRC) to commission a critical review of the research literature on sudden infant death syndrome.
The MRC is the main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research in the United Kingdom. The MRC receives its grant in aid from the Department of Education and Science. In 1988-89, the latest financial year for which figures are available, the MRC spent approximately £62,000 on research into sudden infant death syndrome. In the same year, the MRC spent a further £310,000 on other research which may contribute in part to an understanding of sudden infant death syndrome.
65. Mrs. Maureen Hicks : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on the appointment of a paediatric pathologist for each regional health authority to support cot death research.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Information from regional health authority short-term plans for 1990-91 submitted last February shows that there is at least one paediatric
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pathologist in post in 10 regions : in two others there are vacant posts which are being advertised and in each of the remaining two regions the health authorities plan to introduce a funded post by April 1991.Regional Health Authorities (Funding)
41. Mr. Arbuthnot : 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.
District Health Authorities (Deficits)
Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's current projection for the number of district health authorities that will be in deficit at the end of the financial year.
43. Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's current projection for the number of district health authorities that will be in deficit at the end of the financial year.
53. Mr. Pendry : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's current projection for the number of district health authorities that will be in deficit at the end of the financial year.
89. Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's current projection for the number of district health authorities that will be in deficit at the end of the financial year.
Mr. Dorrell : The national health service management executive is engaged in continuing discussions with regional health authorities. It is not yet possible to identify the number of district health authorities that will have an underlying deficit in 1990-91.
Oakham Hospitals (Ministerial Visit)
44. Mr. Latham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he is now in a position to announce a date for the proposed visit to hospitals in Oakham, Rutland, of the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Loughborough (Mr. Dorrell).
Mr. Dorrell : I shall write to my hon. Friend.
District Health Authorities (Financial Year)
45. Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Health when is the beginning of the financial year for district health authorities.
Mr. Dorrell : The answer is 1 April.
Disabled People (Legislation)
46. Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has completed his discussions with the local authority associations on sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.
97. Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of his
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consultations on implementation of sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.101. Sir George Young : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will now implement sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.
121. Mr. Hannam : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in consultation with local authorities on implementation of sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.
Mr. Dorrell : I refer my hon. Friends and the right hon. Members to the reply I gave the hon. Members for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) and for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) on 28 June at column 309.
Premature Deaths (Bootle)
47. Mr. Carr : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to combat the high incidence of premature deaths in Bootle caused by lung cancer and heart disease.
Mr. Dorrell : As the responsibility for health promotion and disease prevention services in Bootle is primarily for the health authority locally, the hon. Member may wish to write to the chairman of South Sefton health authority for details.
Local Authority Homes (Transfer)
57. Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by his Department of the implications of the transfer of local authority homes into the independent sector.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The White Paper "Caring for People" made it clear that the Government see the future development of community care, including residential care, taking place in partnership between the private, voluntary and statutory sectors. Local authorities will continue to have a valuable role to play in provision. The transfer of some local authority homes to the independent sector may, however, provide more choice for users and also more competition between providers, leading to better value for money and a more cost-effective service.
Speech Therapists
60. Mr. Bellingham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding speech therapists in west Norfolk.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have received a few letters on the subject.
Health Expenditure
61. Mr. Kennedy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the real terms increase in health expenditure since June 1987.
Mr. Dorrell : Expenditure information is available only for financial years. Planned expenditure for the NHS (England) in 1990-91 is £23.5 billion. This will mean a real terms increase since 1987-88 of 9.7 per cent.
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Patient Services (Collaboration)
63. Mr. Maples : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of collaboration between the national health service and the private sector on services to patients.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The independent health sector performs some 510,000 operations and treats 900,000 out-patients each year. It also provides 68,000 nursing home beds, mainly for long-stay elderly patients. This represents a significant additional input to national health care.
The Government's White Paper "Working for Patients" encourages increased collaboration with the independent sector. It is frequently mutually beneficial to share expensive resources, and there are numerous examples of NHS and independent units collaborating in the use of buildings, high- technology equipment, support services and key manpower. Such joint ventures increase the options available to NHS managers as well as to patients, and release or generate resources in the NHS for further improvement in health services for all. The independent sector also makes a useful contribution in helping to reduce waiting times.
107. Mr. Fishburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what examples there are of partnerships between the national health service and the private sector currently operating.
Mr. Dorrell : A number of successful and cost-effective joint ventures are operating between the health service and independent sector which release NHS resources for further improvement to health services for all. Some examples are shown in the table.
Health Authority |Provider |Nature of service
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Central Manchester |Nuffield Hospitals|Eye surgery
Coventry |Bioplan |Day surgery and
|Endoscopy
National Hospital |BUPA |Magnetic Resonance
for Nervous |Imaging Scanner
Diseases Special
Health Authority
West Lambeth |Churchill Clinic |ENT surgery
West Midlands |AMI Priory |Lithotripsy
Region | Hospital
|Birmingham
91. Mr. Boswell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on collaboration between the national health service and the private sector.
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 Thurrock (Mr. Janman) on 1 May at column 517.
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GP Lists
68. Mr. Leigh : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the size of the average general practitioner's list.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : 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 Wimbledon (Dr. Goodson-Wickes) on 20 February at column 717.
Sports Injuries
70. Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to increase research and training into the treatment of sports injuries.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are no plans to do so.
Hospital Closures
72. Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have been closed within the Trent region during the last five years.
Mr. Dorrell : The following table gives the numbers of hospitals/facilities which we are aware were approved for total closure in the last five years in the Trent region.
Hospital/ Hospital/ In- Out-
facilities closed |facilities opened|patients |patients
|treated | treated
Calendar |Financial
year |year
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989 |13 |- |- |- |-
1988 |9 |1988-89 |9 |626,101 |3,335,852
1987 |4 |1987-88 |8 |612,890 |3,343,899
1986 |7 |1986 |7 |592,398 |3,400,645
1985 |1 |1985 |8 |578,370 |3,300,193
It is important to bear it in mind that closures are often balanced by new facilities or other reprovision and that the closure figures in themselves do not necessarily reflect any reduction in overall service provision.
Northwick Park Hospital
73. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has held discussions with interested parties recently on the future of Northwick Park hospital.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : No. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State announced in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr Hughes) on 9 March at column 898 , a steering group has been established to look at the implications of the proposed closure of the clinical research centre at Northwick Park hospital. The steering group is chaired by the Department of Health and has representatives from the health service and the Medical Research Council. The steering group will be making its first report to Ministers in the near future.
Eye Tests
75. Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any proposals to commission a further survey into the impact of eyetest charges.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are no plans to do so.
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38. Mr. John P. Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further evidence has been made available to his Department regarding the effects of the introduction of charges on the number of eyesight checks undertaken.
81. Mr. Rogers : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further evidence has been made available to his Department regarding the effects of the introduction of charges on the numbers of eyesight checks undertaken.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : We have received no new independent evidence on sight test demand since the publication of the independent NOP report earlier this month.
NHS Reforms
77. Mr. Campbell-Savours : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make a statement as to preparations for his reforms of the national health service.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Royal Assent to the National Health Service and Community Care Act was received on 29 June. Preparations for implementation of the reforms from 1 April 1991 are proceeding according to plan.
Out-patient Services
78. Mr. Carrington : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any changes will be made to out-patient services as a result of the proposals in the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Out-patient departments, like others, will benefit from the emphasis on improved quality of care and efficiency in the delivery of services.
Hospital Doctors
79. Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the percentage change in the number of hospital doctors in the national health service since 1979.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The number of hospital doctors in the national health service in England has risen from 39,859 at 30 September 1979 to 45,574 at 30 September 1988, an increase of 14 per cent.
These figures include permanent paid and honorary staff.
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