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NHS Pensions
Mr. William O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he has discussed with the chief executive of the NHS pension scheme the position of NHS employees applying for sickness retirement pension on the grounds of myalgic encephalomyelitis; and if he will make a statement; [5297]
(2) how many employees in the NHS have applied for ill-health retirement because of myalgic encephalomyelitis; [5299]
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(3) how many employees in the NHS have been awarded ill-health retirement pensions because they suffer from myalgic encephalomyelitis; and if he will make a statement; [5298]
(4) if he will set up an independent inquiry into the work of the NHS Pensions Agency with particular reference to their refusal to acknowledge myalgic encephalomyelitis as a medical condition in respect of ceasing work; and if he will make a statement. [5296]
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the availability of NHS pensions to persons who leave the NHS as a result of myalgic encephalomyelitis; [5006]
(2) if he will introduce an appeal structure for persons who are refused an NHS pension. [5007]
Mr. Malone: Under the national health service pension scheme regulations, an employee must be accepted as permanently incapable of efficiently discharging his or her duties before an ill-health retirement pension can be awarded. The scheme's medical advisers examine each application on the evidence available and with full regard to prevailing professional opinion. Applications in respect of myalgic encephalomyelitis are treated no differently to other conditions. In all cases, the scheme's medical advisers must be satisfied about the permanent nature of the condition.
ME is recognised as a potentially debilitating and distressing condition which affects thousands of people. However, it presents particular difficulties because of its nature and because opinions vary about it in the medical profession. The medical consensus suggests that in the majority of cases the effects should not be permanent.
Since 15 August 1994, when separate records were first kept, there have been 200 applications for ill-health retirement from ME sufferers. In 19 cases, pensions have been awarded.
Scheme members are currently able to challenge decisions about entitlement through the NHS Pensions Agency's comprehensive internal review procedures. If scheme members are dissatisfied with the outcome, they may ask my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to determine their case. The pensions ombudsman also has powers to investigate individual complaints.
I am satisfied that the chief executive and his staff are administering the scheme in accordance with the scheme's regulations in all of these cases.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what occasions certificates under section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 were signed by a member of his Department; how long each certificate was valid; and in what circumstances medical records can be used for the purpose of safeguarding national security. [5338]
Mr. Horam:
No such certificates have been signed in the Department of Health. I cannot deal in advance with the circumstances that might apply if an application for a section 27 certificate were to be made.
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Mr. Sims:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical and nursing staff worked in occupational health within the NHS in England and Wales for the last three years for which figures are available; and what were the grades of these employees. [5388]
Mr. Malone:
The information available for England is shown in the attached tables. Information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| England total | 600 | 580 | 600 |
| Unqualified | |||
| Grade A | (6)-- | (6)-- | (6)-- |
| Grade B | (6)-- | (6)-- | (6)-- |
| Others | -- | (6)-- | (6)-- |
| Qualified | |||
| Grade C | 10 | 10 | (6)-- |
| Grade D | 30 | 30 | 20 |
| Grade E | 50 | 50 | 60 |
| Grade F | 80 | 90 | 90 |
| Grade G | 230 | 220 | 240 |
| Grade H | 100 | 90 | 100 |
| Grade I | 100 | 80 | 70 |
| Senior Grade 6 | -- | -- | -- |
| Others | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Notes: 1. Learners (nurses on traditional nurse training courses), Project 2000 Students, Agency Nursing staff and GMS staff are not included. 2. Senior Nurse Managers and Seniors grades 1-5 are excluded. All data are rounded to the nearest ten whole-time equivalents.
(6) Five or less.
Source: Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.
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| Whole-time equivalents | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | ||
| Consultant | 32 | 34 | 44 | |
| Staff grade | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Associate specialist | -- | -- | -- | |
| Senior registrar | 8 | 9 | 8 | |
| Registrar | 5 | 3 | 4 | |
| Senior house officer | -- | -- | -- | |
| House officer | -- | -- | -- | |
| Other(7) | 25 | 26 | 28 | |
| Total | 74 | 75 | 87 | |
Note:
(7) Includes hospital practitioners, clinical assistants and other grades.
All data are rounded to the nearest whole-time equivalent. Source: Department of Health Medical Workforce census.
NHS Capital Charges
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health over what period the weighted average of the gross domestic product deflator and the indexation applied to NHS capital charges forecast is to rise 2.73 per cent., as stated in paragraph 15 of the NHS finance director's letter, FDL (95) 59; by how many percentage points his Department's index of hospital and community health service pay and prices forecast is to rise over the same period; and by how many percentage points the national health service pay and price index has exceeded the gross domestic product deflator in each of the last five years. [5292]
Mr. Horam: The forecast weighted average of the gross domestic product deflator and the indexation applied to national health service capital charges quoted in FDL(95)59 applies to the period 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997.
The Department does not forecast hospital and community health services pay and price inflation.
| Change on previous year | 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCHS pay and prices index | 6.3 | 8.7 | 10.1 | 6.9 | 3.4 |
| FHS index | 6.1 | 9.9 | 10.6 | 4.7 | 0.8 |
| GDP deflator | 7.0 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 4.1 | 2.9 |
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Doncaster Healthcare Trust
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of Doncaster Healthcare trust's compliance with EU procurement regulations. [5504]
Mr. Horam: I am satisfied on the evidence available that the trust has acted in full compliance with the
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requirements of the public supply, works and services contracts regulations.
Beds
Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of (a) day care beds, (b) pay beds for day care in each national health service hospital in the Sunderland district health authority area in each year since 1989. [5469]
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Mr. Horam: Information on numbers of pay beds is not available centrally. The available information is shown in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| 1989-90(8) | 14 |
| 1990-91(8) | 17 |
| 1991-92(8) | 17 |
| 1992-93(8) | 21 |
| 1993-94(9) | 30 |
| 1994-95(10) | 31 |
(8) Sunderland District Health Authority.
(9) City Hospitals (Sunderland) and Priority Health Care Wearside
Directly Managed Units.
(10) City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust and Priority Healthcare
Wearside NHS Trust.
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