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Pharmacists
Mr. Chris Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received from the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee regarding the timetable of payments to pharmacists; [35151]
- (2) if he will arrange for his Department to make 100 per cent. payments to pharmacists a month and a day after prescriptions are dispensed; and if he will make a statement. [35148]
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Mr. Malone: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Dudley, West (Mr. Pearson) on 8 March at column 397. The payment timetable was also raised by representatives of the pharmaceutical services negotiating committee on 6 June.
Learning Disabilities
Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has received the results of the evaluation of different types of residential provision for people with learning disabilities which he announced on 19 December 1995; and if he will make a statement. [35576]
Mr. Bowis: I have received the report of the first phase of the evaluation and I am considering the recommendations, including those for further work in this area. The report includes information which will be helpful to commissioners of services for people with learning disabilities and copies are therefore being sent to health and local authorities and other interested organisations. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
NHS Computers
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the NHS executive has taken to safeguard its computer systems in respect of the century date change. [35369]
Mr. Horam: Preliminary analysis of the Department of Health's own mainframe computer systems, which includes those within the national health service executive, has already been undertaken to assess the likely impact of the change of millennium. A further more detailed analysis is under way to assess fully the impact and likely costs of the change.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many computers are used in the NHS. [35337]
Mr. Horam: This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trusts and health authorities have taken action to safeguard their computer systems from the year 2000 problem. [35341]
Mr. Horam: At present it is not known how many trusts and health authorities have taken action to safeguard their computer systems from the year 2000 problem. However, the national health service executive has taken steps to increase awareness of the problem and is marshalling best advice and guidance to assist it in taking appropriate action in good time.
Child Abuse Inquries
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be assisting Sir William Utting in his review of children's homes and child care arrangements; what steps he is taking to ensure the input of charitable organisations, psychologists and those with experience of police involvement in tackling organised paedophile activity; and if he will make a statement. [35368]
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Mr. Bowis: Sir William will be provided with a small secretariat and will have access to Departmental facilities. Sir William has agreed that the review should be accessible to a wide range of organisations and individuals who may wish to contribute their views. It will be for Sir William to determine how this is best achieved once the review is under way.
Mental Health
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the hospital budget has been spent on mental health services in each year since 1979. [35331]
Mr. Bowis: The information is shown in the table. The figures since 1988 reflect the shift from hospital to community mental health services. For example, the latter rose by 32 per cent. between 1988-89 and 1990-91 and by 40 per cent. between 1991-92 and 1994-95 for mental health nursing expenditure.
| Year | Percentage of hospital budget spent on mental health services |
|---|---|
| 1979-80 | 13.4 |
| 1980-81 | 13.6 |
| 1981-82 | 13.6 |
| 1982-83 | 13.6 |
| 1983-84 | 13.5 |
| 1984-85 | 13.6 |
| 1985-86 | 13.6 |
| 1986-87 | 13.6 |
| 1987-88 | 14.4 |
| 1988-89 | 14.4 |
| 1989-90 | 14.1 |
| 1990-91 | 13.7 |
| 1991-92 | 13.2 |
| 1992-93 | 13.0 |
| 1993-94 | 12.4 |
| 1994-95 | 12.0 |
1. The mental health expenditure figures used to calculate the percentages are made up of the following:
(a) In-patient and out-patient expenditure--the consultant specialties of mental health, child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, psychotherapy and old age psychiatry;
(b) day patient expenditure--in the categories mental health (alcoholism, drug abuse, psychogeriatrics and general), child and adolescent psychiatry and forensic psychiatry.
2. The hospital budget figures cover all in-patient, out-patient and day patient services and other services provided by hospitals. Community-based services are not included.
Non-NHS Staff
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 18 December 1995, Official Report, columns 934-35, on non-NHS staff, what information his Department collates on the grades of staff concerned and the source of their employment. [35370]
Paediatric Care
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of children admitted to hospital have been cared for in a children's ward under the supervision of a consultant paediatrician in each quarter since April 1994 in each region. [35332]
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Mr. Horam: These data are not available centrally. All children treated in a children's ward are under the supervision of a consultant paediatrician, but some children are treated in a suitable specialist or adult wards and are then under the supervision of an appropriate consultant.
Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients diagnosed since April 1995 requiring coronary artery bypass grafts have not received them within one year. [35333]
Mr. Horam: This information is not available centrally.
Out-patient Appointments
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people have not received an out-patient appointment within 13 weeks in each district in each quarter since April 1995; and what proportion this constitutes of the total; [35334]
- (2) how many people have not received an out-patient appointment within 26 weeks in each district in each quarter since April 1995. [35335]
Mr. Horam: A pilot collection has been established on a trust basis of the numbers of patients not yet seen within 13 and 26 weeks for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant following written general practitioner referral. Figures will be published once continuity and validity of the data have been established.
Local Authority Audits
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of Tuesday 25 June, Official Report, column 89, if he will list the authorities which have yet to submit their audited returns for 1994-95; and when he expects the outstanding audited returns to be submitted. [35366]
Mr. Bowis: We have now received the audited returns for 1994-95 for all local authorities in England.
Hospital Admissions
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people admitted to hospital through an accident and emergency department were not given a bed within three to four hours in each quarter from April 1995; and how many were not given a bed within two hours from April 1996 in each district. [35336]
Mr. Horam: This information is not available centrally.
2 Jul 1996 : Column: 374
District Nurses
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have not been seen by a district nurse team member (a) within four hours as an urgent case, (b) within two working days as a non-urgent case and (c) by appointment on the day asked for after giving 48 hours' notice in each quarter since April 1994 in each district. [35338]
Mr. Horam: This information is not available centrally.
Elderly People (Abuse)
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the levels of abuse of elderly people in different care environments. [35339]
Mr. Bowis: We are undertaking a number of activities to enable an assessment to be made of the nature and extent of elder abuse and to promote practical help for people who are subject to, or at risk of, abuse.
We helped to establish the organisation Action on Elder Abuse in 1993 and are funding its telephone helpline. We are also financing an independent evaluation of the helpline which will provide evidence of prevalence and types of abuse. Action on Elder Abuse produced a free guidance leaflet in 1995 on abuse in care homes.
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