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Prostheses Users
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the cost of extra contractual referrals (a) in total and (b) for prostheses users in each year since 1994-95. [69222]
Mr. Hutton: Information on extra contractual referrals (ECRs) outturn expenditure has been collected by health authorities since 1994-95. Actual outturn expenditure figures (unaudited) for ECRs are available from 1994-95 through to 1997-98 and forecast outturn figures for 1998-99. The figures are:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 386 |
| 1995-96 | 438 |
| 1996-97 | 494 |
| 1997-98 | 530 |
| 1998-99 | (25)495 |
(25) forecast outturn
Information on ECRs for prostheses users is not collected centrally.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how his Department calculates the cost-benefit ratio of out of area referrals for prostheses users whose own limb centre cannot meet their individual needs for comfort, capability and cosmesis; [69223]
- (2) how many extra contractual referrals were made (a) in total and (b) for prostheses users in each year since 1994-95. [69221]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is not collected centrally or validated, but it may be available at health authority level for individual health authorities.
Disablement Services
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if disablement service users are involved in assessing the effectiveness of mechanisms to address the variations in access to, and quality of, disablement services; [69169]
- (2) what representations he has received about the effectiveness of mechanisms to address the variations in access to, and quality of, disablement services; [69153]
(3) what mechanisms are in place to help ensure consistent access to, and the quality of, disablement services; [69170]
(4) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of mechanisms to address the variations in access to, and quality of, disablement services; [69151]
(5) how his Department assesses the effectiveness of mechanisms to address the variations in access to, and quality of, disablement services. [69152]
Mr. Hutton:
In carrying forward the programme of modernisation set out in our White Paper "The new NHS" we are aiming to reduce inequalities in the provision of health services, including services for disabled people, raise the quality of the services provided and involve users and carers more directly in the decisions made about those services. We have received representations from emPOWER, the charity consortium of users of prosthetics, orthotics, wheelchairs and electronic assistive
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technologies, about improving services for disabled people. We have discussed the issues with them and will be taking their views into account in the development of policies and services for disabled people.
Mr. Sanders:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will access the benefits of establishing a disablement services national service framework to help ensure consistent access to, and quality of, disablement services; [69168]
Mr. Hutton:
A rolling programme of National Service Frameworks (NSFs) was launched in April 1998. The initial programme of work is taking forward established frameworks on cancer and paediatric intensive care and developing frameworks for coronary heart disease and
8 Feb 1999 : Column: 120
mental health. There will usually be only one new NSF a year and the next two NSFs will be for older people (spring 2000) and diabetes (spring 2001).
The charity consortium emPOWER has asked us to consider the establishment of a disablement services NSF and we discussed this idea with them at a recent meeting. Any proposal for the establishment of a disablement services NSF will be considered alongside other proposed potential subjects for an NSF.
Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS Trust and Health Authority appointments which were not made by the due date and which remained outstanding on 1 February. [69495]
Mr. Denham:
The information requested is shown in the table.
8 Feb 1999 : Column: 119
(2) what representations he has received calling for a disablement service national service framework. [69154]
| Region/Body | Number of Chairs | Number of Non-Executives |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | ||
| Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Horizon NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| West Herts Community Health NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| North West | ||
| Chester and Halton Community NHS Trust | 1 | 2 |
| Christie Hospital NHS Trust | 1 | 2 |
| Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHS Trust | 1 | 2 |
| Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Manchester Health Authority | 0 | 1 |
| Mancunian Community Health NHS Trust | 1 | 1 |
| Oldham Hospital and Community Services NHS Trust | 0 | 2 |
| Tameside and Glossop Community and Priority Services NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Warrington Community NHS Trust | 0 | 2 |
| Wirral Hospital NHS Trust | 1 | 1 |
| Northern and Yorkshire | ||
| Calderdale and Kirklees Health Authority | 0 | 1 |
| North Cumbria Health Authority | 0 | 2 |
| London | ||
| BHB Community Healthcare NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| City and Hackney Community Services NHS Trust | 0 | 2 |
| Croydon Community Health NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Enfield Community Care NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust | 0 | 2 |
| King's Healthcare NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Pathfinder Mental Health Services NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Trent | ||
| Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Grantham and District Hospital NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Leicestershire Health Authority | 0 | 1 |
| Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust | 0 | 2 |
| South East | ||
| East Surrey Health Authority | 0 | 2 |
| South West | ||
| Bath Mental Healthcare NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Gloucestershire Ambulance Service NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust | 1 | 0 |
| Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| West Midlands | ||
| Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull (Teaching) Hospitals NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Walsall Community Health NHS Trust | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 6 | 45 |
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NHS Hospital Beds
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of provision of beds in NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [69742]
Mr. Hutton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced last September the establishment of a national inquiry into hospital beds. Once the inquiry is completed, its findings will be published.
Doctors and Dentists (Pay)
Mrs. Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to implement in full the recommendations in paragraph 2.34 and 2.35 of the report of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration; and if he will make a statement. [69923]
Mr. Denham: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) on 1 February 1999, Official Report, columns 524-25. It gave the Government's response to these two pay review body recommendations to allocate an extra £50 million a year from 2000-01 to reward individual consultants for increases in workload and intensity of work.
Our negotiations with the profession on a new consultant contract are covering these issues. We will consider the recommendation very carefully in the context of the negotiations, and are willing to make an investment in rewards and incentives if the negotiations deliver a better service for patients. We will, therefore, decide on the level of any extra funding for future years, and how such funding might be allocated, when the negotiations are complete.
Nurses (Working Hours)
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has obtained concerning the extent to which inflexibility in working hours deters nurses from taking up employment in the National Health Service. [69636]
Mr. Denham: The National Health Service Executive ran a one-off survey in January 1998 to follow-up the 1995 Office of Population Censuses and Surveys report "Qualified Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors", which identified ways in which qualified nurses who had left nursing could be attracted back into the profession. The results from this survey, which include the impact of working practices, will be released shortly.
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