| Previous Section | Home Page |
South East Staffordshire Health Authority
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) in-patients and (b) out-patients have been treated by South East Staffordshire health authority in each year since 1979.
Mr. Dorrell : Number of in-patients and out-patients treated by South East Staffordshire since 1979 :
Year In-patients Out-patients
|Discharges |Finished
|and deaths |consultant
|episodes<1>
------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |16,395 |- |92,999
1980 |17,420 |- |93,287
1981 |17,654 |- |101,920
1982 |18,217 |- |105,911
1983 |18,000 |- |110,314
1984 |18,805 |- |110,221
1985 |20,656 |- |112,325
1986 |25,676 |- |156,166
1987-88 |28,769 |- |157,872
1988-89 |27,135 |29,957 |152,793
1989-90 |- |30,871 |159,757
1990-91 |- |<2>32,378 |<2>160,351
<1> Includes well babies.
<2> Provisional.
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hospital doctors and (b) nurses have been employed by the South East Staffordshire health authority in each year since 1979.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I shall write to my hon. Friend.
Column 593
Mr. Lawrence : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants have been employed by South East Staffordshire health authority in each year since 1979.Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : This information is not available centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Sir James Ackers, the chairman of West Midlands regional health authority, for details.
Brain-damaged Babies
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each (a) regional health authority and (b) district health authority the number of babies where brain damage was reported at (i) birth and (ii) within 12 months of birth and associated with brain damage at birth.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Waiting Lists
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the latest figures for the time spent on national health service waiting lists for prostate operations and hysterectomies.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : During 1988-89, the latest year for which information is available centrally, the estimated median waiting time for ordinary and day cases admitted from the waiting list was six weeks for open excision of prostate and eight weeks for excision of uterus.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will review the proposals made by the Doncaster Royal infirmary and Mexborough Montagu hospital trust to increase the number of private beds at the Doncaster Royal infirmary ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : NHS trusts are free to supplement their NHS income by providing facilities for private patients as long as this does not interfere with their ability to meet their NHS obligations. The negotiations under way between the trust and a private company involve the possible rental of wards surplus to NHS requirements, as the patients have been moved into new, purpose-built accommodation. The objective is to generate additional income for the benefit of NHS patients and no patients will be adversely affected by the Doncaster project.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reasons why Doncaster Royal infirmary and Mexborough Montagu hospital NHS trust, have applied to the National Rivers Authority for permission to abstract quantities of water from the Sherwood sandstone strata.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The National Rivers Authority granted permission to the hospital 12 months ago for use of the water for non- drinking purposes, resulting in a saving to the NHS.
Mr. Leighton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the names and professions of the proposed non-executive and executive directors of the second wave of trusts in the North East Thames region.
Column 594
Mr. Dorrell : I will write to the hon. Member.
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many of the second waves of hospital trusts announced by him have made provision for a nurse to be on the board of the trust ; (2) how many of the existing trusts still have made no provision for a nurse to be on the board of the trust.
Mr. Dorrell : The NHS Trust Membership and Procedure Regulations 1990--Statutory Instruments 1990 No. 2024--places a statutory requirement on each trust to include a registered nurse or registered midwife as an executive director of the board, except where the trust does not provide services directly to patients or where the trust's
Baby Food
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what current guidance has been given to (a) maternity units in hospitals that have been granted trust status and (b) other maternity units in England regarding offers from manufacturers of free samples of milk powder or other infant formulae.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Maternity units in hospitals granted trust status remain part of the national health service and are, therefore, covered by the guidance contained in HC(89)21 issued to all regional, district and special health authorities in England and Wales in July 1989. It instructed them neither to accept nor distribute free samples and to refuse to accept subsidised supplies of infant formulae. A copy of HC(89)21 is in the Library. This was part of the Government's response to the World Health Organisation's programme to promote and protect breastfeeding. In addition, authorities were advised to ensure that acceptance of any gift or other commercial donation should not be seen to have influenced their purchasing choice.
Royal Liverpool Teaching Hospital
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the now withdrawn draft document concerning future commercialisation of health services at the Royal Liverpool teaching hospital ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Dorrell : Four letters have been received about this document. In each case correspondents have been assured that all the management and the clinicians in the trust rejected the unacceptable wording which suggested that future services at the Royal Liverpool university hospital might be commercialised. The document has now been amended.
NHS Charges
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current percentage of persons in the United Kingdom who are exempt from paying for (a) eye tests, (b) dental examinations and (c) prescription charges.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : It is estimated that 40 per cent. of the population in England are entitled to free national health service sight tests and that 47.7 per cent. are entitled to free prescriptions. The information relating to dental examinations is not available in the form requested. However, of those people actually attending the dentist, approximately 42 per cent. are exempt from charges, including examination fees.
Column 595
The information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland.Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the current categories of persons in the United Kingdom who are exempt from paying for (a) eye tests, (b) dental examinations and (c) prescription charges.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The following categories of persons are exempt from paying for eye tests, dental examinations and prescription charges :
(a) Children under 16 ;
(b) Young people over 16 and under 19 in full time education ; (
(c) Income Support and Family Credit recipients and their dependants ;
(d) People assessed as living on a low income under the NHS Low Income Scheme and their dependants ;
(e) War disablement pensioners whose treatment is for their accepted disability.
Additionally, the following categories of persons are exempt from paying specific charges :
Eye tests
(a) People who need certain complex lenses ;
(b) People who are registered blind or partially sighted ; (
(c) Diagnosed diabetics or glaucoma sufferers ;
(d) Close relatives aged 40 or over of diagnosed glaucoma sufferers ;
(e) Patients of the Hospital Eye Service.
Dental examinations
(a) Young People over 16 and under 18 ;
(b) Women who are pregnant at the time they are accepted for treatment ;
(c) Women who have had a baby in the last 12 months.
Precription charges
(a) Men aged over 65, women aged over 60 ;
(b) Pregnant women and women who have had a baby in the last 12 months ;
(c) People who suffer from one of a number of specified medical conditions ;
(d) People who are unable to leave home unaided because of a permanent physical disability.
Adoption
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social services adoption inquiries have been referred to the social services inspectorate in the last year for which figures are available ; how long the delays are subsequent to such referrals ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Information is not available in the form requested. The Department's social services inspectorate is in regular contact with local authority social services departments on all matters related to child care, including adoption. All inquiries referred to the inspectorate are dealt with as promptly as the nature of the inquiry allows.
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what appeal procedure exists for would-be adopters turned down by their local authority social services departments ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Where an adoption agency, including a local authority, decides that a prospective adopter is not suitable to be an adoptive parent, the agency should notify the prospective adopter of its decision in writing. As a matter of good practice, the reasons for the agency's decision should also be explained to the
Column 596
prospective adopter in the course of a counselling interview. There is no statutory right of appeal against this decision.Under the Complaints Procedure Directions 1990, a local authority may consider a representation made by, or on behalf of, an individual against a decision which the local authority has made in discharging its social services functions. The directions came into force on 1 April 1991. A copy is available in the Library and in the booklet "Community Care in the Next Decade and Beyond" published by HMSO in November 1990.
Miss Lestor : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non- British national children, and from which countries, received entry clearance to Britain with a view to adoption in (a) 1987, (b) 1988, (c) 1989 and (d) 1990.
Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 21 October 1991] : I have been asked to reply.
In 1990 entry clearances were issued to 113 Romanian and 54 Sri Lankan children with a view to adoption by British couples. Information is not available for children adopted in other countries, or in previous years.
Alder Hey Children's Hospital
Mr. Alton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of care at Alder Hey Children's (Trust) hospital ; and what representations he has received concerning incidents in the hospital mortuary and the death of a patient in a hospital corridor.
Mr. Dorrell : We have received no representations on the hospital mortuary at this hospital. The hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing) did raise a patient death with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last week. I understand that this case is likely to be the subject of legal proceedings.
The Royal Liverpool children's hospital has recently benefited from a £13 million investment in paediatric intensive care, which now provides treatment in the most modern facilities. The trust has reduced its waiting lists by 7 per cent. already since coming into operation in April.
National Children's Bureau
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the National Children Bureau entitled "Standing up for Children" to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mrs. Virginiaa Bottomley : I will write to my hon. Friend.
Child Employment
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to introduce changes to existing legislation governing child employment ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are no plans to introduce changes to the Employment of Children Act 1973.
The Children and Young Persons Act 1933 provides for local authorities to introduce bye-laws to meet local needs and employment conditions. The provisions of both primary legislation and bye-laws serve as an effective framework to protect children from exploitation.
Column 597
Sheffield Hospitals
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if in view of the failure of the Trent regional health authority to consult members and others who do not represent or who do not live in Sheffield but who have proper interest and relevant responsibilities in regard to the proposed change, to national health service trust status of the Children's and Western Park hospitals, he will instruct the regional authority to withdraw those proposals and recommence consultations.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : Trent regional health authority has fulfilled the requirement to consult the relevant community health councils and such other bodies and persons as it considers appropriate on these applications. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made the decision to grant NHS trust status on the basis of all the information available and has taken into account the wide range of views expressed during consultation.
Awayday Management Consultation
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement concerning the system of awayday management consultation in regional and area health authorities.
Mr. Dorrell : Management systems in regional and other health authorities are for local decision.
NHS Salaries
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the annual total cost of the salaries of administrative staff in the national health service in each of the years 1979 to date ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The annual total salaries and wages costs of administrative and clerical staff directly employed by health authorities in England are shown in the table.
The administrative and clerical staff group covers a diversity of job functions and duties--including finance, personnel, information technology, senior ambulance officers, hotel services, and secretarial services. In addition, about one third of all A and C staff work in direct support of clinicians--on medical and ward records, out-patient reception, medical secretary, and health education services--thus freeing clinical staff to concentrate their direct-care expertise and training where it is most needed.
|£ thousands
|(cash)
------------------------------------
1979-80 |486,891
1980-81 |603,565
1981-82 |662,774
1982-83 |707,211
1983-84 |744,211
1984-85 |760,058
1985-86 |795,336
1986-87 |850,140
1987-88 |921,263
1988-89 |1,018,233
1989-90<1> |1,085,236
<1> The latest year currently
available.
Sources:
1. Annual accounts of regional and
district health authorities in
England and those of the special
health authorities for the
London postgraduate teaching
hospitals (Predecessor authorities
prior to 1982-83).
2. From 1985-86-annual accounts of
Family Health Service Authorities (
formerly Family Practitioner
Committees) which became
independent from district health
authorities on 1 April 1985.
Notes:
1. The figures are gross costs and
include employers' national
insurance and superannuation
contributions.
2. Costs relating to the employment
of non-NHS (agency, etc.) staff and
the costs of employees on general
and senior management grades are
excluded. The Administrative and
Clerical staff costs of the
Prescription Pricing Authority and
other special health authorities
and bodies within the NHS are
similarly excluded.
Private Security Firms
Mr. George : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of private security firms currently employed by his Department, the number of employees for each firm on the contract, the total value of each contract and the total value of all contracts for each financial year since 1984-85.
Mr. Dorrell : The Department employs four private security firms. The anticipated total expenditure on these contracts for 1991-92 is £800,000.
To provide individual contract values would breach commercial confidentiality. Since a smaller number of firms were employed in earlier years, that would also be the effect of revealing the total expenditure for any previous year.
To provide information about the number of employees involved would be prejudicial to maintaining security.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to add sufferers from inflammatory bowel disease to those conditions which currently benefit from free prescriptions.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : There are already wide-ranging exemption arrangements, underpinned by the separate scheme for exemption on the ground of low income, which ensure that no one need be deterred from obtaining their necessary medication on financial grounds. Nearly 80 per cent. of NHS prescription items are currently dispensed free of charge.
Benzodiazepines
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the difficulties encountered by general practitioners using the yellow card scheme for prescribing drugs such as benzodiazepines.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The yellow card scheme is a voluntary scheme operated by the Committee on Safety of Medicines for the reporting of adverse reactions to medicinal products. It is not used for prescribing drugs.
Recently, in response to representations from the medical profession, the CSM has redesigned the yellow card and has issued guidance in relation to the reporting of serious reactions to established drugs. The CSM maintains a dialogue with the medical profession and welcomes all
Column 599
ideas for stimulating and encouraging more reporting. A number of these ideas are under active consideration at present.Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are adopted by the Committee on Safety of Medicines in dealing with complaints ; and what complaints the committee has considered about the use of benzodiazepines.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : The Committee on Safety of Medicines operates a freepost and freephone service for the medical professions. Complaints are investigated by the professional secretariat to the CSM and all serious matters are referred to the committee for advice. Complaints about benzodiazepines have mainly related to the dependance-producing side- effects and the comparative safety profiles of certain members of the group.
Ambulance Services
Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the number of responses from individuals and organisations to the Trent regional health authority in connection with the proposal to establish the South Yorkshire Ambulance Services Trust ; and what proportion of these responses expressed support for the proposal.
Mr. Dorrell : The regional health authority reported a total of 50 responses. The results of the public consultation exercise are available from the regional health authority. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State took full account of the comments, but they are not, of course, the only factors on which he based his decision.
City Hospital, Nottingham
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) loans, (b) debts, (c) interest payments and (d) other outstanding financial items there are between the City hospital, Nottingham, and his Department ;
(2) if he will make a statement on the possibilities open (a) to hospitals in general and (b) to the Nottingham City hospital to withdraw from opting- out if the loan repayment regime between trusts and the Government is not acceptable ;
(3) what financial arrangements exist for the purchase or transfer of existing buildings of the Nottingham City hospital from the current owners to the self governing trust ;
(4) what financial arrangements exist for the purchase or transfer of (a) new buildings and (b) the building programme of the Nottingham City hospital from the current owners to the self-governing trust ;
(5) when he (a) last visited and (b) next plans to visit Nottingham City hospital ;
(6) what is the current rate of interest payable on the 50 per cent. of fixed interest portion of the originating debt of (a) existing opted-out hospitals and (b) Nottingham City hospital ; and what are both items in current terms.
Mr. Dorrell : I will write to the hon. Member.
Hospitals (Opting Out)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the outstanding amount of loans payable to Her Majesty's Government from hospitals and other units
Column 600
which are currently opted-out ; and what is the total of interest payments received by Her Majesty's Government on such loans.Mr. Dorrell : I will write to the hon. Member.
Inter-country Adoptions
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the number of inter-country adoptions currently being processed by his Department, by (a) country and (b) length of time for which applications have been in process.
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley : I will write to my hon. Friend.
| Next Section
| Home Page |