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Departmental Publications
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's publications have been
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available in (a) Braille, (b) audio tape and (c) large print in each year since 1992; and what percentage of the total number of publications this represents in each case. [7641]
Mr. Boateng:
Publications made available in Braille, audio tape and large print by this Department for each year since 1992 are given in the table.
Information on the percentage of the total number of publications this represents in each case could only be provided at a disproportionate cost. The Department does not have a central record of all publications produced.
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| Braille | Audio tape | Large print |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | ||
| -- | While You Are Pregnant | -- |
| -- | Keep Warm Keep Well | -- |
| -- | Community Care Changes in April 1993 | Community Care Changes in April 1993 |
| -- | The Health of the Nation and You | -- |
| 1993-94 | ||
| Continence | Continence | -- |
| European Drug Prevention Week: You and Your Child | European Drug Prevention Week: You and Your Child | European Drug Prevention Week: You and Your Child |
| Keep Warm Keep Well | -- | |
| 1994-95 | ||
| Informability | Informability | Informability |
| -- | Helios Speeches | Helios Speeches |
| -- | Keep Warm Keep Well | -- |
| -- | Inform 92 | -- |
| Maternity Services Charter | -- | Maternity Services Charter |
| The Patients Charter and You | The Patients Charter and You | The Patients Charter and You |
| 1995-96 | ||
| Patient's Charter | Patient's Charter | Patient's Charter |
| Dual Sensory Guidelines | Dual Sensory Guidelines | -- |
| Practical Guide for Disabled People (HB6) | Practical Guide for Disabled People (HB6) | -- |
| -- | Keep Warm Keep Well | -- |
| -- | Searching For Service | -- |
| -- | Continence | -- |
| 1996-97 | ||
| How To Get The Best From Maternity Services | -- | -- |
| -- | Keep Warm Keep Well | -- |
| -- | Community Care | -- |
| -- | -- | NHS Complaints |
| -- | Help With NHS Treatment Costs (HC11) | Help With NHS Treatment Costs (HC11) |
| -- | Moving into a Care Home | Moving into a Care Home |
| NHS Complaints | NHS Complaints | NHS Complaints |
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Joint Commissioning
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to encourage joint commissioning between NHS trusts and social service departments of local authorities; and if he will make a statement. [7633]
Mr. Boateng: It is health authorities rather than National Health Service trusts who are responsible for joint commissioning with social service departments. Social care, health and housing are becoming increasingly inter-related and this needs to be reflected both in the planning and commissioning of services and in the care package delivered to individuals.
Officials are looking into new ways of working to further support joint commissioning between agencies.
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Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the list of medical conditions set out in the National Health Service (Remission of Charges) Regulations 1988 and the National Health Service (Remission of Travelling Expenses and Charges) (Scotland) Regulations 1988 to include acute mental illnesses, with particular reference to (a) manic depression and (b) schizophrenia. [7700]
Mr. Milburn:
Prescription charges and all other aspects of Government spending, are being reviewed as part of the Government's comprehensive spending review.
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Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will investigate delays in the referral of children with obstetrical brachial palsy for primary nerve surgery. [7636]
Mr. Boateng:
Most children with obstetrical brachial palsy make a spontaneous recovery, but in severe and persistent cases--once identified-early referral to consider surgical remedy is desirable. The decision to refer, and when to do so, is a matter for clinical judgment.
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Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the total number of emergency admissions to national health service hospitals by region for (a) October, (b) November, (c) December, (d) January and (e) February in each of the years (i) 1994-95, (ii) 1995-96 and (iii) 1996-97. [7612]
Mr. Milburn:
Information in the form requested is only available at present for the year 1994-95. However quarterly figures for non-elective finished consultant episodes are available for 1995-96 and 1996-97.
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| Region | October 1994 | November 1994 | December 1994 | January 1995 | February 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern | 21,097 | 20,852 | 21,634 | 21,698 | 20,244 |
| Yorkshire | 25,075 | 25,050 | 26,151 | 26,088 | 23,556 |
| Trent | 26,908 | 26,077 | 25,722 | 23,908 | 20,796 |
| East Anglian | 15,104 | 14,694 | 15,863 | 15,490 | 13,582 |
| North-west Thames | 16,105 | 16,021 | 16,399 | 15,881 | 14,582 |
| North-east Thames | 24,670 | 24,940 | 25,991 | 26,040 | 23,297 |
| South-east Thames | 21,523 | 21,624 | 22,179 | 21,938 | 19,823 |
| South-west Thames | 15,770 | 15,644 | 16,624 | 16,035 | 14,726 |
| Wessex | 16,372 | 16,392 | 17,748 | 17,340 | 16,404 |
| Oxford | 13,166 | 13,087 | 13,849 | 14,248 | 12,939 |
| South Western | 19,055 | 18,883 | 20,223 | 20,166 | 18,105 |
| West Midlands | 31,858 | 31,935 | 33,915 | 33,945 | 30,484 |
| Mersey | 18,201 | 17,985 | 18,927 | 18,958 | 16,503 |
| North Western | 30,382 | 30,203 | 30,766 | 30,181 | 27,323 |
| England | 295,285 | 293,387 | 305,990 | 301,917 | 272,364 |
Notes:
These data are grossed for coverage. Figures are rounded and may not total.
Source:
Department of Health, Hospital Episode Statistics HES.
1. All figures are derived from the NHS Executive's Quarterly Monitoring system. Figures for 1995-96 have been adjusted to estimate the effects of definitional and boundary changes to allow direct comparison with 1996-97 information.
2. The figures relate to activity commissioned using NHS funds by health commissions in 1995-96 and health authorities in 1996-97. This includes activity in private hospitals and NHS hospitals outside England, but excludes private patients and patients from outside England treated in English hospitals.
3. The figures are on a different basis to the long standing series published annually in "Ordinary and day case admissions for England". This annual series is based on activity reported by NHS hospital and community Trusts and includes private patients and patients from outside England.
4. Non-elective finished consultant episodes comprise largely of all episodes during a patient spell in hospital which began either with an emergency admission or with a transfer from another hospital.
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Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account he takes of the expenditure levels and policy priorities of local authorities in respect of their social
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service functions before deciding on the allocation of funds to (a) health authorities and (b) NHS trusts. [7634]
Mr. Milburn:
Allocations to health authorities are informed by a weighted capitation formula which reflects the health needs of local resident populations. The need
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of populations for social service provision is assessed separately. We are assessing how better to ensure more effective collaboration between health authorities and Social Services departments.
National Health Service trusts receive most of their income through contracts with health authorities and general practitioner fundholders. They are not directly funded by the Department of Health.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new plans he has to introduce cuts and savings in his Department as a result of the effect on his Department's budgets for 1997-98 and 1998-99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if he will make a statement. [8304]
Mr. Milburn:
All Departments are reallocating spending within their Departmental ceilings as part of the comprehensive spending review.
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