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Long-term Care
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to set out the Government's proposed course of action following the report of the Royal Commission on long-term care. [82657]
Mr. Hutton:
While the Commission has been sitting, work has already taken place in many of the areas which their report highlights, such as developing a national strategy for carers and the extension of the direct payments scheme to people aged 65 and over. Where the
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Commission is recommending new policies for the future, these proposals will require more detailed consideration over the coming months.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the pay increases for 1999-2000 agreed by Her Majesty's Government following the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations were included in April salary payments to staff; and if he will make a statement. [83140]
Mr. Denham:
The Advanced Letters promulgating the pay increases for 1999-2000 were issued to the National Health Service on 12 March 1999 for hospital doctors and dentists, and on 8 April 1999 for nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine. It is for NHS employers to implement the new payscales as quickly as possible and some employees have received the pay increases in their April salary. In some trusts this has not been possible but payment will be backdated to 1 April.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make it his policy to require hospitals to draw up nutritional plans for patients as part of their clinical management; [82770]
Ms Jowell:
Clinical governance is central to the clinical care of patients, and will cover issues such as hygiene and nutrition where they have a direct impact on clinical outcomes. The current Patients' Charter includes standards about food in hospitals. Consideration is being given to how these can be taken forward in the new National Health Service Charter, enabling all aspects of nutritional care to be included in the quality agenda.
Standards of nutrition will not be set by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. NICE will set clear quality standards which will help the NHS by providing information on clinical decision making and best practice and by ensuring that patients have faster access to effective modern treatments.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on developing an accreditation system for doctors who are long-term locums; and if he will make a statement. [82769]
Mr. Denham:
The Audit Commission recommended an accreditation system for long-term locum doctors in its report "Cover Story: the use of locum doctors in NHS trusts" which was published on 21 April.
We are committed to quality assurance and support for all doctors, not just locums. We have already confirmed our support for the General Medical Council's proposals. These will require all doctors to demonstrate that they remain fit to practise in their chosen field, whether employed in a substantive or a locum post in hospitals or
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general practice. This will be achieved by a process of revalidation of each doctor's GMC registration. The GMC has identified locum doctors as a specific group to which it will need to pay particular attention. We will be working closely with the GMC over the next two years as these proposals are developed.
The Audit Commission makes clear that full and consistent implementation of our "Code of Practice" by trusts will help to assure the appointment, management and quality of locum doctors. We will be looking very carefully at the Audit Commission's findings and their recommendations to see whether we need to take further action to encourage implementation of our Code and whether any changes are required.
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about NHS staffing levels for nurses in East Sussex. [81838]
Mr. Denham:
Since the beginning of April we have received representations from the hon. Members for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) and for Lewes (Mr. Baker), and also the Group Editor of the Eastbourne Herald and the Eastbourne Gazette about National Health Service staffing levels for nurses in East Sussex.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people claimed incapacity benefit directly after a period of work, or after a period receiving statutory sick pay, in 1998-99; and of these, how many would not qualify for incapacity benefit under the Government's proposed changes to the contribution conditions. [82695]
Mr. Bayley:
Figures for 1998-99 are not yet available. For 1997-98, information on the employment status of claimants is available but is not yet correlated with details of their contributions records.
In 1996-97, the number of new claims for Incapacity Benefit where the employment status was shown as either employed or self employed was 357,000; of these 236,100 came directly from employment and 120,900 after receiving Statutory Sick Pay.
20.7 per cent. of these claims failed to qualify for Incapacity Benefit because they did not meet the current contribution conditions. Had the proposed new contribution conditions applied, 28.5 per cent. of them would not have qualified.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what data he has collated on the number of people receiving incapacity benefit who are capable of work; and what assessment he has made of the implications of this for the reform of the all work test. [82720]
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Mr. Bayley:
In order to qualify for Incapacity Benefit a person must satisfy a test of incapacity for work, either for their own occupation, (in some cases, and in the shorter term), or under the All Work Test. This does not mean that people who satisfy the All Work Test are unable to do any work at all; it simply establishes that their incapacity is such that it would be unreasonable to expect them to seek work as a condition for getting benefit. In practice, many people who satisfy the All Work Test may be able to do some work if they have the right help and support. Survey evidence shows that around two million disabled people already work and over one million more would like to do so.
Measures in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill replace the All Work Test with the Personal Capability Assessment (PAC). The PCA will continue to assess the extent of people's incapacity in order to determine their benefit entitlement, using the same criteria as now. There will be no change in the way in which people qualify for benefit and there is no intention to tighten the gateway.
However, the PCA will also be able to provide information about what a person is capable of doing, despite their medical condition. This information can then be used by Personal Advisers to help them provide the support which disabled people need if they want to return to work.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people a year he estimates will lose entitlement to incapacity benefit as a result of the changes provided for in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill; and what proportion will be entitled to income support. [82722]
Mr. Bayley:
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 22 February 1999, Official Report, column 169.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of total payroll for Benefits Agency staff is paid as performance-related pay. [82568]
Angela Eagle:
Since 1995 all pay increases have been performance related. Information on the proportion of the total payroll that is paid as performance-related pay is available only at disproportionate cost. To obtain such information would involve looking at each individual member of staff's starting date, pay records, and performance appraisal markings.
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many dedicated anti-fraud staff there are in (a) the Benefits Agency and (b) the Child Support Agency. [82696]
Mr. Timms:
All staff in both Agencies have a vital role to play in reducing fraud and error. In addition, the Benefits Agency has two specialist fraud investigation teams, the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service and the Benefits Agency Security Investigation Service, with 5,472 staff in total. The Child Support Agency has fraud liaison officers who refer cases where fraud is suspected to the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service.
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(2) what action he is taking to raise awareness of the nutritional needs of patients among NHS trust managers; and if he will ensure that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence develops nutritional standards for hospital nutrition. [82771]
Source:
1 per cent. sample of claimants.
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