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Sir John Wheeler: This information is not available in the format requested. The table shows how many emergency calls were received by the Eastern ambulance trust and the Southern health and social services board during the quarter 1 January 1995 to 31 March 1995.
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Activation times, defined as the time from receipt of an ermgency call until an ambulance is on its way, and response times, defined as the time from receipt of an emergency call until the arrival of an ambulance with the patient, are also shown. Information on the time from the receipt of an emergency call to the arrival of the patient at hospital is not collected centrally.
|Total
|number of
Total emergency Total number of
number of calls emergency calls
emergency activated responded to
within
|calls |within 3
Board/trust |received |minutes |8 mins |18/21 mins
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern |6,819 |5,726 |3,355 |6,493
Southern |1,345 |1,168 |<1>667<> |<1>1,255
Notes:
Information is not collected centrally below board/trust level.
Abortive calls have been excluded.
<1> The response time was not recorded for one emergency call.
Race Relations
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his proposals for race relations legislation and his proposals for consultation thereon. [24600]
Mr. Ancram: Following a period of public consultation, in response to a question from the hon. Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy) on 27 April 1995, Official Report, column 705 , my right hon. and learned Friend made clear his intention to introduce race relations legislation to Northern Ireland by means of an Order in Council. A draft proposal for an Order in Council will be published and comments sought in due course.
HEALTH
Staff
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many posts were lost in (a) the Department of Health and (b) agencies for which the Department of Health is responsible, listing the total lost posts agency by agency in (i) 1993 94, (ii) 1994 95; and how many posts are proposed to be lost in 1995 96; [25077]
(2) what changes there have been in the numbers of staff employed by (a) the Department of Health and (b) agencies for which the Department of Health is responsible, listing the number of staff agency by agency in (i) 1993 94, (ii) 1994 95; and what changes are projected for 1995 96; [25065]
(3) what changes there have been in the numbers of staff in employment by grade in (a) her Department and (b) each agency for which her Department is responsible in (i) 1993 94, (ii) 1994 95; and what are the projected figures for 1995 96; [25630]
(4) how many staff of (a) the Department of Health and (b) for which the DOH is responsible were employed on
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a casual or short-term basis in (i) 1993 94, (ii) 1994 95; and what are the projected figures for 1995 96. [25421]Mr. Sackville: The number of permanent and casual staff employed by my Department and each of its executive agencies in 1993 94, projected outturn for 1994 95, and plans for 1995 96 are published in my Department's annual report, a copy of which is in the Library. No projections broken down by grade are available.
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff of (a) the Department of Health and (b) agencies for which the Department of Health is responsible (i) took early retirement, (ii) took voluntary redundancy, (iii) took compulsory redundancy and(iv) were retired on medical grounds in (1) 1993 94 and (2) 1994 95; and what were the projected figures for 1995 96. [25516]
Mr. Sackville: The information is shown in the table.
|1993-94|1994-95|1995-96
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Health
Early retirement |105 |33 |137
Voluntary redundancy |0 |104 |237
Compulsory redundancy |0 |54 |0
Retired on medical grounds |38 |37 |0
Medicines Control Agency
Early retirement |5 |5 |2
Voluntary redundancy |0 |3 |0
Compulsory redundancy |0 |0 |0
Retired on medical grounds |1 |2 |1
National Health Service Estates
Early retirement |6 |1 |7
Voluntary redundancy |0 |3 |9
Compulsory redundancy |0 |1 |0
Retired on medical grounds |0 |0 |1
National Health Service Pension Agency
Early retirement |15 |6 |37
Voluntary redundancy |0 |4 |24
Compulsory redundancy |0 |0 |0
Retired on medical grounds |0 |0 |5
Medical Devices Agency
Early retirement |0 |0 |16
Voluntary redundancy |0 |3 |7
Compulsory redundancy |0 |0 |0
Retired on medical grounds |0 |0 |0
Notes:
The Medical Devices Agency did not become an Agency until 27 September
1994 and the figures quoted for it represent the numbers leaving from
that date. Figures relating to staff leaving prior to the Agency
launch are included in the figures for the Department of Health.
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the annual cost to the Department of staff leaving under redundancy/early retirement schemes to incorporate (i) added years lump sum payments for (ii) redundancy
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payments, (iii) pension payments including enhancements and (iv) any other special arrangements for (a) 1993 94, (b) 1994 95 and projected for (c) 1995 96 and (d) 1996 97. [25639]Mr. Sackville: The costs to the Department of early retirement and redundancies are borne from the Department's running costs provision.
A detailed breakdown of the various costs could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The total costs borne on the Department's running costs in 1993 94 and 1994 95 were £4.51 million and £6.51 million respectively. For 1995 96, the amount is estimated at £2.73 million. Projections for 1996 97 will be determined during the coming public expenditure survey.
Notes:
1. Figures include ongoing costs of redundancies/early retirements from previous years.
2. Costs shown for 1993 94 and 1994 95 include moneys paid to paymaster to offset costs of redundancies/early retirements in future years.
3. Costs take into account Treasury contribution, from 1 October 1994 to 31 March 1997, of 80 per cent. of costs of reducing staff numbers in that period.
Hospital providers
Mr. Mike O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much as a percentage and in real terms hospital provider prices have changed in each of the last two years for providers serving Warwickshire residents, identifying each hospital provider's individual price change. [25206]
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Mental Disorder
Sir Andrew Bowden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contribution she expects her Department to make to the committee of specialists recently appointed by the Committee of Ministers to the Council of Europe to consider revision of Committee of Ministers' recommendation No. R(83)2 on the legal protection of persons suffering from mental disorder placed as involuntary patients following recommendation 1235(1994) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; and if she will make a statement. [25327]
Mr. Bowis: I understand that the members of this committee have not yet been appointed. We are currently considering how we can most effectively contribute to its work.
Contracting Out
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) for each piece of work subject to a bidding process under the auspices of (a) her Department and (b) agencies for which her Department is responsible (i) where work was contracted out, who were the successful bidders and(ii) which contracts were won by in-house bidders in(1) 1993 94, (2) 1994 95 and (3) 1995 96; [25652]
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(2) what work has been contracted out (a) by her Department and (b) by agencies for which the Department is responsible in (i) 1993 94, (ii) 1994 95 and(iii) projected for 1995 96. [25527]Mr. Sackville: Available information of all contracts awarded, as part of the Department's "Competing For Quality" market-testing programme, will be placed in the Library.
Detailed information of contract awards can be found in the "Market Testing Bulletin". This is issued monthly, and copies are available in the Library.
Medicines Commission
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the occasion in the last five years upon which the Medicines Commission has reviewed the functions of the Committee on the Safety of Medicines and of the Medicines Control Agency; and if she will publish the findings of the reviews. [25608]
Mr. Sackville: The Committee on the Safety of Medicines, together with all other committees established under section 4 of the Medicines Act 1968, reports with respect to the performance of its functions to the Medicines Commission on an annual basis. These reports are available in the Library.
The functions of the Medicines Control Agency are not within the remit of the Medicines Commission.
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Dental Services
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the estimated percentage of the population with tooth decay, giving the figures for (a) the total United Kingdom population and (b) those aged one to 10 years; [25365]
(2) what is the estimated number of cases amongst those aged one to 10 years of (a) tooth decay and (b) tooth extraction due to tooth decay. [23569]
Mr. Malone: The table shows the proportion of children in England aged from 0 to 10 years with permanent teeth which are actively decayed, filled or missing due to decay. In young children, it is difficult to establish whether a tooth has been lost naturally or through decay. The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys adult dental survey, 1988, shows that in England, 43 per cent. of dentate adults in the survey had decayed or unsound teeth. For further explanation of decay in primary teeth and levels of adult tooth decay, I refer the hon. Member to the following OPCS publications--"Adult Dental Survey (1988)" and "Children's Dental Health in the United Kingdom (1993)". These publications are held in the Library. Information relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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General Dental Service: percentage of children aged 0-10 years
with permanent teeth which are actively decayed, filled or missing
due to decay
England
Age
Tooth condition |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actively decayed |<1>- |3 |8 |11 |13 |14
Filled (otherwise sound) |<2>- |1 |4 |7 |14 |16
Missing due to decay |<1>- |<1>- |1 |1 |1 |3
Source:
Children's dental health survey OPCS.
<1> indicates a proportion of less than 0.5 per cent.
<><2> indicates zero value.
General Dental Service: average number of permanent teeth for children
aged 0-10 years which are actively decayed, filled or missing
due to decay
England
Age
Tooth condition |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actively decayed |<1> |<1> |0.1 |0.2 |0.2 |0.3
Filled (otherwise sound) |<2>- |<1> |<1> |0.1 |0.2 |0.3
Missing due to decay |<1> |0.1 |0.2 |0.3 |0.5 |0.6
Source:
Children's dental health survey OPCS.
<1 >Indicates a proportion of less than 0.5 per cent.
<2> Indicates zero value.
Column 763
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cases of tooth decay were treated in the United Kingdom in (a) 1994 95 and (b) 1990 to1995; [23566]
(2) what is the estimated cost of treating tooth decay for (a) the NHS and (b) patients for (i) 1994 95 and(ii) 1990 to 1995. [23568]
Mr. Malone: Information is not available about the cost of treating tooth decay or the number of cases. The
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total costs of the general dental service in England and the total number of adult courses of treatments are shown in the table. Since 1990, the majority of treatment for children has been paid for on a capitation basis and courses of treatment are not separately identifiable. Information relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.Column 763
General Dental Service: number of adult courses of treatment and cost<1>
England
|Cost of the GDS
|borne
|Number of adult |Total NHS gross |by the Exchequer |Cost borne by
|patient
Year |courses of treatment|expenditure |(millions) £ |(millions) £
|(millions) £
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990-91 |22,558,739 |1,039.996 |660.267 |379.729
1991-92 |24,273,099 |1,245.970 |842.000 |403.970
1992-93 |25,141,300 |1,305.879 |911.092 |394.787
1993-94 |24,847,648 |1,221.719 |854.695 |367.024
1994-95 |24,913,096 |1,282.294 |897.266 |385.028
<1> The cost of figures for 1994-95 are provisional.
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been deregistered from NHS dental treatment; and how many NHS dentists have given up NHS dental work entirely since July 1992. [26292]
Mr. Malone: Since July 1992, 891,554 patients have been deregistered by their dentists for reasons other than retirement. In the same period, a total number of 426 dentists removed their names completely from the dental list for reasons other than retirement. The number of dentists contracted to provide national health service general dental services has, however, increased in the period by over 2 per cent.--15,745 on 31 March 1995 compared with 15,426 on 30 June 1992--and, over the same period, there have been some 33 million additions to NHS dentists' lists. These additions include patients moving from one dentist to another and patients re- registering with the same dentist after a gap.
Heart Disease
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) cases of heart disease and (b) deaths due to heart disease were recorded for (i) 1994 95 and (ii) 1990 to 1995. [23567]
Mr. Sackville: The number of finished consultant episodes for hospital in-patients suffering from heart diseases is published in "Hospital Episode Statistics" which are available from 1988 89 to 1993 94. Copies of the publications are available in the Library. The table shows the number of deaths due to heart disease--ICD codes 390 429--in England and Wales, 1990 93.
1990: 173,453
1991: 174,447
1992: 169,539
1993: 178,963
This information is not yet available for 1994 and 1995. International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.
Column 764
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated cost to the NHS of treating heart disease for (a) 1994 95 and (b) 1990 to 1995. [23570]
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Yellow Card Scheme
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's latest estimate of the percentage of adverse drug reactions which are reported by general practitioners via the yellow card system. [25520]
Mr. Sackville: The percentage of all adverse drug reactions reported by general practitioners is not known, as there is no means of knowing the total number of adverse drug reactions. A recent survey found that 77 per cent. of general practitioners have used the yellow card reporting scheme. Of 17,635 reports received in 1994 through the scheme, approximately 63 per cent. originated from general practitioners. Most of the remainder were reported by hospital doctors and pharmaceutical companies.
Committee on the Safety of Medicines
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will consider inviting a consumer representative to sit on the Committee on the Safety of Medicine to complement the medical experts. [26243]
Mr. Sackville: The Committee on the Safety of Medicines is an expert scientific advisory body, and as such members need to have relevant and appropriate expertise. Members do not represent organisations, but contribute by their individual expertise and judgment to the advice given by the body to the licensing authority.
Column 765
Chelation Therapy
Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been undertaken into chelation therapy; what consideration has been made to make it available within the national health service on a non- discretionary basis; and if she will make a statement. [25591]
As with all other forms of treatment, it is for local purchasers to decide in the light of available resources and competing priorities, on the purchase of the most appropriate forms of treatment to meet the assessed health needs of their population.
GP Fundholding
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research she has commissioned to evaluate general practitioner fundholding against joint commissioning; [25920]
(2) what evidence she has evaluated to the effect that general practitioner fundholding is more cost effective than joint commissioning. [25921]
Mr. Malone: As independent studies have shown, general practitioner fundholding has been a major success since 1991 in improving services for patients. Over 41 per cent. of the population is now registered with a fundholding GP. Joint commissioning is a subsequent development which involves both fundholding and non-fundholding general practitioners working in partnership with health authorities to plan and purchase services. We will be developing our research programme to assess these developments, including the full evaluation of the 51 total purchasing sites, over the coming months.
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner fundholding practices per family health service authority are currently in dispute, arbitration or subject to appeal over oneor more of their budgets; and if she will make astatement. [25932]
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many first, second, third and fourth wave fundholders have since left the scheme. [26199]
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally. Indications are that the small number of fundholders who have left the scheme have done so largely because of changes in the practice partnership.
Hospital Closures
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list all hospitals with overnight beds closed in each year since 1979. [25922]
Mr. Malone: Information on closures of hospitals has never been collected centrally in the form requested.
Special Hospitals
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to grant trust status to Ashworth hospital on Merseyside, Broadmoor hospital in Berkshire and Rampton hospital in Nottinghamshire; and if she will make a statement. [26200]
Column 766
Mr. Bowis: I expect to be making a statement shortly about future management arrangements for the special hospitals.
Mental Health
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are in place for the management and multi-agency response to the initial onset of an acute psychiatric emergency occurring in the community; and if she will make a statement. [25931]
Mr. Bowis: The Mental Health act code of practice provides guidance to practitioners on the steps to be taken if a patient requires emergency psychiatric assessment in the community. Copies of the code are available in the Library.
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department has, within the past year, made strategic recommendations on how best to allocate mental health expenditure in relation to needs for services. [26075]
Mr. Bowis: The annual priorities and planning guidance for the national health service sets the broad direction for the planning and delivery of health services for the coming year. The guidance for 1995 96 identifies mental health as a priority for the medium term. It is the responsibility of district health authorities to prepare local health strategies and purchasing plans to address the national priorities whilst also taking full account of local health needs. A copy of the guidance for 1995 96--EL(94)55--is available in the Library.
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the organisations that were involved in her Department's consultation process prior to the publication of the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Bill. [26019]
Mr. Bowis: The information will be placed in the Library.
Local Pay
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local pay offers from NHS trusts to nurses, midwives and professions allied to medicine have been connected to changes in employment and working conditions in the current pay round; and if she will make a statement. [25937]
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally. Terms of local pay offers are a matter for employers.
Ethnic Minorities
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to address the specific health needs of different ethnic minority groups; and if she will make a statement. [25938]
Mr. Sackville: We are totally committed to ensuring that people from ethnic minorities should benefit fully from the national health service. The reforms we have introduced into the NHS require health authorities to assess the health needs of their local population and to deliver the services to meet these needs. To improve information about the use of health services by people from ethnic minorities from 1 April 1995 it is mandatory to record the ethnic group of patients who use in-patient or day- case services. This data will enable purchasers and
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providers to examine the uptake of services, monitor standards and identify any gaps in service provision.Since 1989, we have made available £3 million to provide funding for projects to improve access to health services and information for ethnic minorities. The projects are now related specifically to "The Health of the Nation" key areas and to the rights and standards outlined in the patients charter. The patients charter is available in 11 ethnic languages and has been widely distributed.
We have also established the ethnic health unit as part of the NHS Executive. The aim of the unit is to promote good practice in the NHS, support managers in developing links with local communities and to build ethnic health into the mainstream work of the NHS. The unit has funded many local initiatives to improve services to ethnic minorities.
Child Abuse
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the social services departmental inspectorate last inspected Newcastle city council social services department; when it next intends to do so; what specific advice has been given to Newcastle social services department in respect of the issues raised in the Hunt report into a multiple child abuse case in Newcastle; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of remedial action taken to deal with the shortcomings identified by the Hunt report. [26206]
Mr. Bowis: The social services inspectorate has undertaken a number of inspections relating to different services provided by Newcastle city council's social services department, the most recent in January this year.
Mr. Hunt's report following his independent inquiry into multiple abuse of children in nursery classes raised issues for several local authority departments and the area child protection committee as well as the Newcastle city council social services department. I am advised that the recommendations requiring immediate action have now been implemented and inspectors from my social services inspectorate are continuing to monitor progress.
Oculogenital Clinic, Moorfields Eye Hospital
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if statutory consultation requirements were met in relation to the decision by Moorfields Eye hospital to close its oculogenital clinic. [25962]
Mr. Sackville: The decision on whether to consult is a matter for the local health authority. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Roland Everington, chairman of Camden and Islington health authority, for details.
Air Pollution
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations she has had in the last year with other Ministers and Departments concerning combating the levels of air pollution and its effect on health; and if she will make a statement. [25960]
Mr. Sackville: Ministers in the Department of Health hold frequent meetings with other Ministers to discuss a variety of matters, which will sometimes include the effects of air pollutants upon health. On this issue we are advised in particular by the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution Episodes.
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will specify the air-borne pollution most damaging
Column 768
to health as indicated by Her Department's research into the causes of asthma and links with air pollution. [26602]Mr. Sackville: Levels of air pollution vary considerably from place to place and at different times, and there is no one pollutant which is consistently the most damaging. The effects on individuals are determined by the duration of exposure as well as the level of pollution, and sensitivity to pollutants may also vary between individuals. The Department of the Environment's air quality information line--0800 556677--provides information on the levels of pollutants.
Sex Change Operations
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost to public funds of a sex change operation carried out on the NHS. [26017]
Mr. Sackville: As there are a wide range of patient conditions and particular treatment needs, it is not possible to state, with certainty, how much a sex change operation costs.
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