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Paediatric Physiotherapy
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to ensure that children receive paediatric physiotherapy in line with their statements. [65499]
Mr. Hutton:
Following the consultation on the Green Paper "Excellence for All Children", my right hon. Friends, the Secretaries of State for Health and Education and Employment set up a joint working group to consider how to improve arrangements for providing speech and language therapy to children with special educational needs. This will include discussion of other therapies, including physiotherapy, which may form part of a statement of special educational needs.
19 Jan 1999 : Column: 428
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received ECT (a) with and (b) without consent in each of the last five years. [65908]
Mr. Hutton:
The information requested is not available centrally. The Department is undertaking a one-off survey on electroconvulsive therapy to cover activities in mental health trusts and other private hospitals and clinics over a three month period from January to March 1999. The results will be available later this year.
Dr. Brand:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives he is taking to improve the recuperation and rehabilitation services available for older people. [65323]
Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: A letter issued by the Government in 1997 entitled "Better Services for Vulnerable People" presented a programme of work which included as one of its objectives the improvement of recuperation and rehabilitation services for older people. It focused on three specific initiatives:
Through the additional £159 million winter pressures funding announced in November 1998 and the £65 million additional funds made available in the summer to support sustained reductions in waiting lists, health authorities and National Health Service trusts working with social services have been required to target investment in better community rehabilitation and recuperation schemes to enable patients to return home safely.
Dr. Brand:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the timetable for National Health Service trusts to take action to ensure they have in place adequate resources and quality assurance systems for older people in hospital. [65319]
Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: A Health Circular (HSC 1998/220) was distributed to chief executives of all health authorities and NHS trusts on 27 November 1998, together with a copy of the report commissioned from Health Advisory Service 2000 "Not Because They Are Old" concerning the care of older people on acute wards in hospital, requiring immediate appropriate remedial action where the essentials of care are not being provided.
The national service framework for older people will set standards for the care of older people. Progress against these standards will be monitored and performance will be made public. The national service framework will be developed over the next year to be operational from April 2000.
19 Jan 1999 : Column: 429
Dr. Brand:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will carry out a review of the merits of integrating care of the elderly with acute medical services. [65335]
Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 14 January 1999]: The new national service framework for older people will focus on those parts of the National Health Service that are particularly important to older people. It will look at how services are organised and delivered, and where appropriate define service models based on best practice.
Mr. Caton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will commission trials to assess the efficacy of nutritional therapy in treating mental health problems; [65975]
Mr. Hutton:
There is no strong evidence that nutritional deficiencies play a role in the causation of schizophrenia nor that nutritional therapy has a role in its treatment. The Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutritional Policy have set up a subgroup to look at folic acid and the prevention of disease, which includes mental illness.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what Government funding is available for voluntary organisations that assist child abuse sufferers. [65968]
Mr. Hutton:
Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 (S64) gives Ministers the power to make grants to voluntary organisations.
During the financial year 1998-99 the Department is providing a total of £416,324 in funding to six voluntary organisations assisting children at risk of, or who have experienced, child abuse;
The organisations are:
19 Jan 1999 : Column: 430
Mr. Gerrard:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new funding will be made available in 1999-2000 for grants under the Opportunities for Volunteering scheme. [66092]
Mr. Hutton:
The Department will provide funding of £6.9 million for the Opportunities for Volunteering Scheme in 1999-2000. The funding will enable existing grant commitments to be met while the Department develops, in consultation with the Opportunities for Volunteering, national voluntary organisations and other interested parties, its overall strategy to promote volunteering and targeting of the scheme. While the strategy is being developed it would not make sense for new Opportunities for Volunteering grants to be made, committing future funding. The position from 2000-01 will be included in the consideration of the strategy.
Ms Shipley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives the Government are undertaking to address problems faced by young carers. [66059]
Mr. Hutton:
The National Strategy for Carers, announced by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister last June, has been looking in depth at the needs of young carers, including, among other issues, at what action is already being taken through schools and how that can be enhanced. A United Kingdom consultative conference was held on 19 November 1998 to discuss how the needs of all carers might be better met and among the delegates present were representatives of young carers organisations. Through our national priorities guidance for health and social services authorities, we are also asking general practitioners, primary care teams and social services authorities to identify carers. We are also testing a new data collection system, the Referrals, Assessments and Packages of Care, in social services departments. Under this system, social services authorities will collect information about the assessments undertaken and carers identified. The data will be broken down by broad age group, including for young people under 18.
3. Mr. McAllion:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with representatives of the Cuban Government on their relations with the United States of America and Britain. [64587]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
My noble Friend the Under- Secretary of State visited Cuba in October and held discussions with the Vice-President and a number of Cuban Ministers. In November she received Sr. Cabrisas, Cuban Minister for Foreign Trade and discussed UK bilateral relations, among other subjects. Our Ambassador in Havana last month raised Cuba/US relations with the Cuban Government.
19 Jan 1999 : Column: 431
the development of joint investment plans in continuing care and mental health;
a national development programme which focuses on rehabilitation;
the development of a national framework for multi-disciplinary assessment in acute and community health care settings, jointly with social services.
This initiative was aimed at all vulnerable people but specifically mentioned older people as a priority for early work.
(2) what action he is taking to ensure that doctors are aware of evidence linking nutrition and forms of mental illness. [65976]
Childline, established in 1986 to listen to, comfort and protect children in trouble or danger. Funding for 1998-99, £163,000 core funding and £10,000 for the dedicated line for children in care.
St Christopher's Fellowship, providing care and accommodation to vulnerable children and young people. Funding for 1998-99, £25,000.
Kidscape, a registered charity founded in 1984 to prevent child abuse and bullying. Funding for 1998-99, £30,000.
Parentline UK, a national helpline established in 1993 to contribute to the prevention of child abuse and neglect by providing a service for anyone parenting a child. Funding for 1998-99, £25,000.
Churches Child Protection Advisory Service helps leaders of churches and children's organisations by providing advice and guidance on issues of child abuse and protection, and supporting individual children and families. Funding for 1998-99, £26,550.
Barnardos, a project to support children vulnerable to sexual exploitation and those involved in prostitution. Funding for 1998-99, £111,774.
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