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HEALTH
Nurses (Sunderland)
Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give, for each year since 1989, the total number of (a) district nurses, (b) health visitors, (c) practice nurses, (d) midwives and (e) nursery nurses employed by Sunderland district health authority; [6308]
- (2) if he will give, for each year since 1989, the total number and the percentage of (a) district nurses, (b) health visitors, (c) practice nurses and (d) midwives employed by Sunderland district health authority on Whitley council or equivalent employment grades. [6309]
Mr. Horam: The information available is shown in the tables.
| 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | (13)1994 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District Nurses(11) | 80 | 90 | 90 | 100 | 80 | -- |
| Health Visitors(12) | 70 | 80 | 70 | 70 | 60 | -- |
| Midwives | 150 | 160 | 160 | 150 | 140 | -- |
| Nursery Nurses | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Notes:
(10) All staff in groups specified were employed by Sunderland DHA on Whitley council pay scales.
(11) Excludes senior nurses 1-5. Includes senior nurses 6-8 in health visiting, health visitors, HV fieldwork teachers, school health visitors, TB visitors with HV certificates, bank health visitors and dual/triple posts (HV/DN/Mid).
(12) Excludes senior nurses 1-5. Includes senior nurses 6--8 in district nursing, district nurses, district nurse practical work teachers, holders of dual post (DN/midwife), and bank district nurses.
(13) There were no staff in the groups specified employed by Sunderland DHA at September 1994 because on 1 April 1994 the two directly managed units in Sunderland DHA attained NHS trust status. There were 80 district nurses, 60 health visitors, 130 midwives and no nursery nurses employed by these NHS trusts at 30 September 1994.
-- denotes zero.
All figures rounded to the nearest 10.
Source:
Department of Health non-medical workforce census.
| 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practice Nurses | 10 | 30 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
Notes:
GMS practice nurses are not FHSA employees.
Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents.
Source:
Department of Health bi-annual census of general medical practitioners.
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King's Fund
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sums were given by his Department to (a) the King's Fund institute and (b) the King's Fund college in each of the last six years. [6228]
Mr. Horam: The Department has made the following grants to the King's Fund in the last six years:
Towards the running costs of the King's Fund centre:
No grants have been made specifically to the King's Fund institute or the King's Fund college but various ad hoc payments have been made to the King's Fund over the last six years in respect of individual projects and conferences. Some of these payments may have related to activities of the institute or college but this could be confirmed only at disproportionate cost.
Years
1989-90: £540,000
1990-91: £567,000
1991-92: £600,000
1992-93: £627,000
1993-94: £639,000
1994-95: £665,000.
Carers impact project Community participation project Contracts project Positive action project
£ £ £ £
1989-90 0 16,000 0 0
1990-91 0 30,000 0 0
1991-92 0 28,000 0 0
1992-93 75,000 9,500 20,000 25,000
1993-94 75,000 0 30,000 25,000
1994-95 75,000 0 30,000 25,000
Tobacco Advertising
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has received from the chief medical officer in respect of banning tobacco advertising. [7674]
Mr. Malone: The advice to Ministers is treated as confidential. The Department of Health's assessment of the effects of tobacco advertising is contained in the "Effect of Tobacco Advertising on Tobacco Consumption", a discussion document published in October 1992, copies of which are available in the Library.
Executive Agencies
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if answers sent to hon. Members in reply to parliamentary questions by the heads of executive agencies in his Department are (a) seen, (b) approved and (c) amended by him before they are sent; and if he will identify such letters to which amendments by him have been made in 1994-95. [7834]
Mr. Horam: Parliamentary questions are passed to the head of an executive agency for reply when the matter is one delegated to him under the agency framework document. The relevant Minister may see a copy of the reply before it is sent, but would not normally intervene
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in operational matters. The available information shows that no letters have been amended by Ministers of the Department, but no formal record is kept.
Genetic Testing
Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are being put in place to oversee developments in genetic testing. [8536]
Mr. Horam: As announced today in the Government response to the report of the Select Committee on Science and Technology, an advisory committee on genetic testing will be established to consider and advise on the ethical, social and scientific aspects of genetic testing. I am pleased to announce that the Rev. Dr. John Polkinghorne FRS, president, Queen's college, Cambridge has agreed to chair the committee. A copy of the press release that I am issuing today will be placed in the Library.
Private Home Care Agencies
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce regulation of private home care agencies to protect (a) existing users and disabled people who use such agencies and (b) others who may do so when the Community Care (Direct Payments) Bill is enacted; and if he will make a statement. [7766]
Mr. Bowis: On 22 September 1995 we published a consultation document, "Moving Forward", on the regulation and inspection of social services. Among other issues, it seeks views on whether statutory regulation should be extended to day and domiciliary care services. We shall decide on what action, if any, to take in the light of this review, including any implications for people who in the future may receive direct payments if Parliament approves the Community Care (Direct Payments) Bill. Copies of the consultation document are available in the Library.
Paracetamol
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has (a) to encourage the use of protected paracetamol and (b) to discourage the use of paracetamol products that do not include methodine. [7840]
Mr. Malone: There are no plans. Paracetamol is a safe and effective pain killer when used at the recommended dose. Paracetamol-methionine combinations have been assessed by the Medicines Control Agency and are authorised for sale from pharmacies. They may be preferred where there is a risk of an overdose.
Drug Deaths
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died in each of the past five years as a result of the use of (a) tobacco, (b) alcohol, (c) medicinal drugs, (d) heroin, (e) solvents, (f) ecstasy and (g) cannabis. [7841]
Mr. Bowis: It is estimated that in the Untied Kingdom about 110,000 deaths each year are smoking related.
It is not easy to estimate the annual number of deaths in the UK directly caused by alcohol consumption. Estimates in academic literature range between 5,000 and 40,000 deaths in England and Wales per annum, and
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reflect a wide range of methodological approaches. There is therefore currently no universally acceptable mortality figure.
Deaths from medicinal drugs are shown below.
Deaths from solvents are as follows:
Data on heroin, ecstasy and cannabis are contained in table 10 of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys publication "Mortality Statistics: Injury and poisoning" Series DH4. Copies of this publication are available in the Library.
1988: 1,859
1989: 1,712
1990: 1,771
1991: 1,791
1992: 1,971.
1989: 113
1990: 151
1991: 122
1992: 84
1993: 73.
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