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Royal London Hospital Trust
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the level of price increases which the Royal London Hospital Trust has charged health authorities using its services (a) last year and (b) in the current year; what is the proposed increase for next year; what measures it is taking to achieve its three per cent. efficiency savings target; and if he will make a statement. [66100]
Mr. Denham: Information on the level of service agreements between individual National Health Service trusts and health authorities is not routinely collected by the NHS Executive. A national schedule of reference costs, published on 2 November 1998, contains information on hospital costs for 1997-98 and is available in the Library. Information on 1998-99 costs will be available in June 1999.
The NHS as a whole is expected to achieve an overall 3 per cent. efficiency improvement in 1999-2000. Details of measures taken by individual NHS trusts will be available from NHS trusts themselves.
Sickness Absence
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets for the reduction of sickness absence rates have been set for NHS trusts in England for the period to (a) 2001 and (b) 2003; and what account was taken in setting these targets of trusts' individual current sickness absence rates. [65911]
Mr. Denham: Targets for reductions of sickness absence rates for National Health Service trusts have been set at 20 per cent. by 2001 and 30 per cent. by 2003.
These targets reflect those defined by the Cabinet Office for the public sector as a whole, and therefore do not take into account individual NHS sickness absence rates.
Physiotherapy (Recruitment)
Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to tackle recruitment problems in physiotherapy. [66039]
Mr. Denham:
We are employing a twin track approach to enable the National Health Service to secure the physiotherapists it needs by ensuring that training levels are sufficient to get a better match between supply and demand and by investing in initiatives to improve the recruitment, retention and return to practice of qualified staff, including more supportive and family-friendly ways of working.
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Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the average pay levels for each nursing grade from 1992 to date; and if he will make a statement; [66048]
Mr. Denham:
Estimated total annual average earnings for nursing staff by grade, taken from the Department's August 1997 earnings survey, are shown in the table. Similar information for earlier years is not available centrally, but advance letters issued to the National Health Service containing information about the national rates of pay for nursing staff since 1992 have been placed in the Library. These advance letters also give details of the percentage increases in the national rates of pay for nursing staff since 1992.
(2) if he will list the percentage pay increases to nurses for each year from 1992 to date; and if he will make a statement. [66047]
| £ per annum | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grade | August 1997 | December 1998 (20) |
| A | 11,200 | 11,800 |
| B | 12,500 | 13,100 |
| C | 14,500 | 15,200 |
| D | 15,600 | 16,400 |
| E | 18,200 | 19,100 |
| F | 20,800 | 21,900 |
| G | 22,300 | 23,500 |
| H | 23,900 | 25,100 |
| I | 26,200 | 27,500 |
(20) Figures for December 1998 are extrapolated from figures for August 1997. They assume no change in the number of staff on each grade or incremental point, and incorporate all parts of the 1998-99 pay settlement for nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff.
Notes:
It is not possible to show annual percentage changes because the available figures do not cover a discrete 12 month period. Between August 1997 and December 1998 components of the 1997-98 and 1998-99 national pay settlements for nursing staff would have been implemented.
Total annual average pay was estimated across all incremental points for each grade.
Data are rounded to the nearest £100.
Source:
Department of Health's August 1997 NHS Earnings Survey
Hospital Bed Statistics
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of (a) general and (b) acute NHS hospital beds (i) nationally and (ii) in Shropshire for each year from 1992 to date; and if he will make a statement. [66050]
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Mr. Denham:
Bed availability data are collected by National Health Service trusts. The information provided in Table 2 is an aggregate of the figures for all NHS trusts to reflect the 1997-98 structure of the Shropshire Health Authority geographic area.
| Year | Acute(21) | General (22) and acute | Total (23) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 115,140 | 157,247 | 242,677 |
| 1992-93 | 112,862 | 153,208 | 232,201 |
| 1993-94 | 109,713 | 147,153 | 219,476 |
| 1994-95 | 108,008 | 144,803 | 211,812 |
| 1995-96 | 108,296 | 142,624 | 206,136 |
| 1996-97 | 108,869 | 140,515 | 198,848 |
| 1997-98 | 107,807 | 138,047 | 193,625 |
| Year | Acute(21) | General (22) and acute | Total (23) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991-92 | 1,076 | 1,216 | 1,709 |
| 1992-93 | 978 | 1,092 | 1,565 |
| 1993-94 | 859 | 1,096 | 1,510 |
| 1994-95 | 872 | 1,110 | 1,500 |
| 1995-96 | 817 | 1,084 | 1,471 |
| 1996-97 | 843 | 1,117 | 1,515 |
| 1997-98 | 791 | 1,059 | 1,398 |
(21) Since 1996-97, acute figures have included paediatric intensive care beds.
(22) General and acute is defined as acute plus geriatric.
(23) Total figures are for all specialities excluding neonatal cots in maternity wards.
Source:
Department of Health publications "Bed availability and occupancy for England" and "Bed availability for England"
Commercial Lobbyists
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rules or guidance his Department has to govern the (a) formal and (b) informal interaction between his civil servants and commercial lobbyists. [66201]
Mr. Denham: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice), on 27 July 1998, Official Report, column 4.
The guidance that was referred to in the response has since been fully adopted by the Department and its agencies.
Hospital Re-admissions
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the first and second quarter figures for 1998-99 for the number of patients aged (a) under 20, (b) 20 to 59 and (c) 59 to 74 years who were readmitted to hospital as an emergency within 28 days of discharge. [66466]
Mr. Denham:
The information is not available in the form requested. We will be publishing clinical indicators shortly which will include information on emergency re-admissions which occur within 28 days of hospital discharge. Data are being compiled using a complex
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process which links different hospital episodes for the same patient and will be available for the financial years 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total number of nurse training places for each year from 1992 to date; and if he will make a statement. [66046]
Mr. Denham:
The information requested is shown in the table.
| Year | Project 2000/ traditional commissions | Degree commissions | Total commissions (Project 2000/ traditional and degree) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 14,883 | 190 | 15,073 |
| 1993-94 | 12,439 | 199 | 12,623 |
| 1994-95 | 10,594 | 255 | 10,849 |
| 1995-96 | 11,495 | 256 | 11,751 |
| 1996-97 | 13,011 | 297 | 13,308 |
| 1997-98 | 14,429 | 297 | 14,726 |
| 1998-99(24) | 15,523 | (25)1,314 | 16,837 |
(24) 1998-99 data is forecast and subject to change.
(25) The increase in degree commissions in 1998-99 compared to 1997-98 is primarily due to the transfer of funding and responsibility for degree programmes from DfEE to Department of Health from September 1998.
Notes:
1. The training activity is funded through the Non-Medical Education and Training levy. It excludes training activity funded through Department for Education and Employment/other means.
2. In addition to the training activity there are pre-registration midwifery training commissions. However, this is not included here because we do not have comparable data for each year.
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