| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Hepatitis C
19. Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to report on the departmental study on hepatitis C and its treatment. [13322]
Mr. Horam: There is no single departmental study. The standing group on health technology is taking forward, with the Medical Research Council, work on the effectiveness of alpha-interferon in the early treatment of hepatitis C. The Department is working on establishing a confidential national registry of HCV infection, drawing on information on cases of transfusion infection obtained from its "look back" exercise. It will shortly be seeking research proposals on establishing the prevalence, transmission routes and natural history of HCV infection.
Private Sector Care
20. Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS funding is now used to buy care in the private sector. [13323]
Mr. Malone: In 1994-95 health care purchased by the national health service from non-NHS providers amounted to about 1.6 per cent. of total NHS expenditure.
Emergency Beds
21. Mr. Robert Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the Royal College of Nursing to discuss the staffing for emergency beds. [13324]
Mr. Malone:
I met representatives of the medical and nursing professions, including the Royal College of Nursing, on 21 December 1995 to consider a range of issues relating to emergency care.
13 Feb 1996 : Column: 555
Mr. Jim Marshall:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the British Medical Association to discuss the availability of emergency beds. [13313]
Mr. Horam:
My right hon. Friend has regular meetings with representatives of the BMA when a range of issues are discussed.
22. Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on NHS capital projects to be funded through the private finance initiative. [13325]
Mr. Horam:
Patients will benefit from private finance initiative projects which will bring improvements to national health service hospitals up and down the country. The NHS has so far seen schemes worth over £200 million approved. The momentum for PFI is increasing, pushing up the quality of patient care all the time.
27. Mr. Wigley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many projects for new community hospitals have succeeded in attracting private capital under the private finance initiative; and how many projects for such hospitals are currently being held up awaiting a determination as to whether any such private finance may be available. [13330]
Mr. Horam:
I have previously given information on private finance initiative projects which have been approved by the National Health Service Executive for England, and I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 15 January 1996, Official Report, column 343. If, under the PFI, the private sector can improve health care facilities for the benefit of NHS patients and make the NHS's procurement of facilities more cost-effective, then this possibility must be investigated. However, we do not hold centrally the information requested.
23. Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's policy concerning the future funding of beta-interferon for multiple sclerosis; and if he will make a statement. [13326]
Mr. Malone:
Guidance issued recently EL(95)97 suggested that beta-interferon should be prescribed by hospital neurologists where clinically appropriate, and within local agreements between health authorities and hospitals. As with other hospital-prescribed drugs, the costs should be met from within health authority general allocations.
A copy of EL(95)97 is available in the Library.
24. Dr. Hampson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many major NHS building projects have been completed since 1979. [13327]
Mr. Horam:
A total of 842 major national health service building projects are reported as having been completed since 1 January 1980.
13 Feb 1996 : Column: 556
25. Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what impact the increase in the number of general practitioner fundholders from 1 April 1996 will have on health authority purchasing powers. [13328]
Mr. Malone:
Health authorities will continue to have a significant role as purchasers of hospital and community health services from April 1996. The developing role of health authorities as general practitioner fundholding expands, has been set out in guidance EL(94)79, "Developing NHS Purchasing and GP Fundholding--Towards a Primary Care-Led NHS". A copy of this guidance is available in the Library.
26. Mr. David Shaw:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has recently received in connection with fundholding general practitioners. [13329]
Mr. Malone:
I have regular meetings with the medical profession to discuss a range of issues, including general practitioner fundholding.
28. Mr. Mark Robinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients will be covered by general practitioner fundholding from April. [13331]
Mr. Malone:
We expect that over 50 per cent. of the population will be served by a fundholding practitioner from April 1996.
Mr. Harry Greenway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors' practices in the Greater London area are fundholding; how many are not; what costs to public funds are involved in each case; and if he will make a statement. [13607]
Mr. Malone:
A total of 325 general practitioner practices in Greater London are currently fundholders, serving more than a quarter of the population. A total of 1,438 general practitioner practices in Greater London are not currently fundholders. We expect the number of fundholders will rise to 578 practices serving 40 per cent. of the population of Greater London from next April.
General practitioner fundholders receive allocations to purchase healthcare on their patients' behalf. Similarly, health authorities receive funds to purchase health care on behalf of non-fundholders' patients and for non-fundholding services for fundholders' patients. General practitioner fundholders receive a management allowance to support them in directly managing resources and providing care on their patient behalf.
29. Mr. Jessel:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made towards achieving the targets set out in "The Health of the Nation". [13332]
Mr. Horam:
Progress towards the targets set out in "The Health of the Nation" is described in "Fit for the Future", the second report on the strategy. This was published in July 1995 and copies are available in the Library.
Mr. Ronnie Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the effect on public sector manpower in Northumberland health
13 Feb 1996 : Column: 557
authority of the implementation of the Health Authorities Act 1995. [13559]
Mr. Malone:
I have made no such estimate.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people who have died as a result of side effects of drugs in each of the last five years. [14060]
Mr. Malone:
The available information on deaths recorded by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in England and Wales as a result of adverse effects of drugs, medicaments and biological substances is shown in the table.
| Year | Number of deaths |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 108 |
| 1991 | 84 |
| 1992 | 93 |
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new plans he has to reduce deaths and serious illnesses caused by medicines. [13303]
Mr. Malone: We already have in place well-established systems for licensing and monitoring the safety of all medicines available in the United Kingdom, which ensure that the benefits of medicines outweigh any risks and prevent users coming to unnecessary harm. These systems continue to be developed, in particular to take advantage of advancements in drug development and pharmacoepidemiology.
Private Patient Activity
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to the need to ensure that marginal cost contracts apply only to unplanned spare capacity in the internal market for the benefit of NHS patients and not to private activity. [14510]
Mr. Malone: National health service costing for contracting guidance already disallows marginal cost contracting other than where unplanned spare capacity arises. We see no reason, however, why in those circumstances a distinction should be drawn between NHS and private purchasers.
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration has been given to external and internal auditors having a specific brief to audit private patient activity within the NHS and to set compliance with Treasury rules. [14502]
Mr. Malone:
External auditors are independent and exercise their professional judgement about how they carry out their responsibilities. Internal auditors review areas on a cyclical basis with the frequency determined by taking account of risk and materiality. Private patient activity will be examined as part of this process.
13 Feb 1996 : Column: 558
Mr. Battle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is taking to ensure that private patient activity in the NHS is not adversely affecting NHS patients and their healthcare. [14506]
Mr. Malone:
This is primarily the responsibility of national health service trusts, which must comply with the provisions of section 5(9) and schedule 2, paragraph 14 of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. These prevent private patient activity being undertaken to the detriment of NHS patients.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make statements on the (a) change in volume, (b) costing, (c) pricing and (d) auditing of private patient activity in the NHS. [14508]
Mr. Malone:
Accommodation and services are made available to private patients in national health service hospitals only when criteria set out in legislation are met. NHS gross income from private patient activity in England rose from £176.3 million in 1993-94 to £193.5 million in 1994-95, the latest year for which figures are available. Guidance has been issued to the NHS on costing and pricing. The recent report by National Economic Research Associates concluded that NHS pay beds are managed in accordance with their statutory and financial obligations, and generate a sizeable profit for the NHS to use to improve services for all patients. The accounts of NHS bodies, including income and expenditure from private patient activity, are subject to statutory audit by auditors appointed by the Audit Commission. The National Audit Office also has access rights to audit the activities of NHS bodies.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration has been given to the need for NHS trusts to adhere to the six principles governing their pay bed and private patient activities. [14507]
Mr. Malone:
The six principles were set out in the "Management of Private Practice in Health Service Hospitals in England and Wales", copies of which are available in the Library. This guidance remains in force.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether NHS trusts should produce audited accruals-based accounts according to generally accepted accounting practices for their private patient activity. [14505]
Mr. Malone:
Guidance issued last year--FDL(95)01--reminds the national health service of the requirement to maintain memorandum trading accounts for income generation schemes. MTAs are accruals based, and available for scrutiny by internal and external auditors. The guidance does not explicitly refer to private patient activity, but it is accepted good practice to apply the guidance to these also.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the use of public assets for the development of private patient activity. [14509]
Mr. Malone:
Subject to the responsibilities set out in section 5(9) and schedule 2, paragraph 14 of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990, NHS trusts are free to undertake private patient activity and to capitalise it from any sources, with normal investment appraisal processes applying.
13 Feb 1996 : Column: 559
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |