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Hospitality
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the hospitality budget for (a) his Department and (b) the NHS management executive for each year since 1989. [13755]
Mr. Horam: There is no hospitality budget for the Department and its agencies or the national health service executive, which is part of the Department.
Casualty Units
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many casualty units there were in each year since 1989. [13648]
Mr. Horam: The information is not available in the form requested.
Casualty unit is not a term used in the national health service. It is a colloquialism which could cover anything from minor injuries unit to a full trauma centre.
10 Feb 1997 : Column: 10
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 238 |
| 1992-93 | 226 |
| 1993-94 | 218 |
| 1994-95 | 216 |
| 1995-96 | 211 |
Before 1991-92 information was collected on an individual site basis. Comparable information for earlier years is not therefore available.
Compulsory Competitive Tendering
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if there is compulsory competitive tendering in the national health service. [14346]
Mr. Horam: Since 1983 there has been a requirement to market test cleaning, catering and laundry services, at regular intervals, through a competitive tendering process.
Prostate Brachytherapy
Sir Julian Critchley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to extend the practice of prostate brachytherapy within the NHS. [14356]
Mr. Horam: None. The practice of prostate brachytherapy is a matter for clinical decision in discussion with the patient.
NHS Trusts
Sir Ralph Howell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what instructions he gives to health trusts regarding visits to (a) hospitals and (b) other medical centres, with special reference to when the closure of the hospital or centre is being considered; [14673]
- (2) what steps he proposes to take (a) to make the proceedings of health trusts more accessible to members of the public and (b) to ensure better consultation about the work of health trusts. [14826]
Mr. Horam: Visits to trust premises are a matter for local management. Health authorities are however required to consult local interests over any proposal substantially to change services.
The code of practice on openness states:
10 Feb 1997 : Column: 11
Sir Ralph Howell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons hospital beds in Norfolk are currently being closed. [14824]
Mr. Horam:
It is for health authorities and trusts locally to calculate the number of beds needed to respond to the needs of patients, taking account of a wide range of factors. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. John Alston, CBE, chairman of East Norfolk health authority and Mr. John Durance, chairman of North-West Anglia authority, for details of changes in bed provision for that area.
Sir Ralph Howell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations have been postponed in Norfolk in the last year for which figures are available. [14825]
Mr. Horam:
The number of operations cancelled in Norfolk can be found in "Information on Cancelled Operations and Breaches of the Patient's Charter Standard". Copies of this document are available in the Library.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the annual change in the number of patients in the Trent region who have had operations cancelled (a) on the day they were due to go into hospital and (b) after admission since 1994-95. [15017]
Mr. Horam:
Information on operations cancelled for non-medical reasons on the day a patient is due to be admitted, or after admission, is available in the Library.
10 Feb 1997 : Column: 12
Mr. Charles Kennedy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department ceased collecting and holding centrally details of total numbers of hospital closures; what is the latest period since 1979 for which such figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [15170]
Mr. Horam:
Information was collected on hospital closures until 1991. From that time responsibility for local closures has been devolved to health authorities and trusts, taking into account local priorities. A list of those substantial variations in services that have been contested by community health councils is available in the Library.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by age, the number of deaths occurring at Rotherham district general hospital in 1995 and 1996 on (a) Monday, (b) Tuesday, (c) Wednesday, (d) Thursday, (e) Friday, (f) Saturday and (g) Sunday. [14278]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from John Fox to Mr. Denis MacShane, dated 10 February 1997:
10 Feb 1997 : Column: 11
"NHS trusts must hold at least one public meeting a year. An agenda, papers, the accounts and the annual report must be publicly available at least seven days in advance of the meeting. Provision must be made for questions and comments to be put by the public. Public meetings must be held in readily accessible venues and at times when the public are able to attend. Providing the public with access to more frequent general meetings or board meetings is good practice already followed by an increasing number of trusts."
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked the Director of the Office for National Statistics to reply to your recent question on deaths at Rotherham District General Hospital. The Director has asked me to reply in his absence.
The data are shown in the attached tables. Figures for 1996 are provisional and relate only to the first two quarters of 1996.
(3) In 1995, there were 53 Sundays and 52 occurrences of each other weekday.
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(4) During the period covered in this table (January to June), each weekday had 26 occurrences.
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10 Feb 1997 : Column: 13
Mr. Chris Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those EU countries with lower perinatal mortality rates than the United Kingdom. [12035]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 7.7 |
| Spain | 7.3 |
| Austria | 6.8 |
| Finland | 5.9 |
| Denmark | 5.8 |
| Sweden | 5.8 |
Source:
Eurostat--Demographic statistics 1996.
Note:
(5) Stillbirths and deaths within the first week of life per 1,000 live and stillbirths.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 9.1 |
| Ireland | 9.0 |
| Germany | 7.4 |
| Spain | 6.6 |
| Luxembourg | 6.3 |
| Austria | 6.1 |
| Sweden | 5.9 |
| Denmark | 5.4 |
| Finland | 5.1 |
Source:
Eurostat--Demographic statistics 1996.
Note:
(6) Stillbirths and deaths within the first week of life per 1,000 live and stillbirths.
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