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Gender Impact Assessment
Jackie Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by his Department since June 1997, stating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published. [91680]
Ms Jowell: The Government are committed to ensuring their policies are fair and inclusive and responsive to this issue. This aim is contained in guidance (published 1998) which helps Departments consider the impact of their policies on women and other groups, and is a cornerstone of the Modernising Government White Paper.
The Women's Unit undertook to supplement this general guidance by developing more specific guidelines for policy makers on how to consider the needs and requirements of women.
A cross-departmental project led by the Women's Unit will produce these guidelines by drawing together principles of good practice and will illustrate their application through a series of case studies.
Final guidelines on gender impact appraisal together with a project report and the progress being made by Departments to assess the impact of their policies on women will be circulated to Government Departments and placed in the Library when complete.
Progress will also be reflected in future Modernising Government milestone reports.
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the performance of NHS trusts in complying with Government targets on payment of invoices. [91723]
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Mr. Denham:
The Public Sector Payments Policy (PSPP) target is for 95 per cent. of bills to be paid within contract terms or 30 days where no terms have been agreed.
National Health Service performance in paying bills promptly has improved significantly over the last few years. Currently the NHS pays 83 per cent. of its bills within 30 days--85 per cent. if the value of bills is taken into account. This is a significant improvement on the 79 per cent. performance reported in 1997-98.
NHS Executive regional offices monitor closely the PSPP performance of individual NHS trusts and work with poor performing NHS Trusts to improve compliance with the policy.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what records are kept of the drugs administered to children in care; and if he will make a statement; [91714]
(3) what safeguards are in place to ensure that children in care are protected from receiving (a) inappropriate medical treatment and (b) incorrect prescribing of drug treatment; and if he will make a statement. [91716]
Mr. Hutton:
Whenever possible, children placed in local authority care should be given a medical examination and a written health assessment before they are placed. A child should then be medically examined every six months up to the age of two, and at least every twelve months thereafter. Once assessed, the medical needs of children in local authority care should be set out in the general care plan for each child. Children would be registered with a general practitioner and any necessary medical treatment and drug prescribing would be carried out under the supervision and guidance of the child's general practitioner or, if a child is in a hospital, under the supervision and guidance of the appropriate hospital medical staff.
Details have to be kept of all medicinal products administered to children placed in a residential home, and by whom they are administered. This must be recorded in writing on each occasion in a central record and on the child's individual record. Where a medicinal product may not be safely self-administered by a child it should be undertaken only by a member of staff of the home or by a doctor or nurse. Children aged 16 and over are in general entrusted with the retention and administration of their own medication, and should be provided with a secure place to keep medication.
Children of 16 and 17 are entitled to consent on their own behalf to medical treatment, as are those under 16 who have sufficient understanding of what is proposed. Where a child is subject to a care order, the local authority acquires parental responsibility for the child and may consent to treatment on behalf of the child, including in circumstances where the child's parent has refused to consent.
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Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his target for the recruitment of nurse consultants; what estimate he has made of the impact on NHS employment costs of this initiative; and if he will make a statement. [91543]
Mr. Denham:
It will be for National Heath Service bodies to determine the number of nurse, midwife and health visitor consultants they wish to employ. Terms and conditions of employment are being negotiated and we will issue guidance to the NHS about establishment of such posts when these have been completed.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many student nurses are working at NHS hospitals within the Greater London area. [91773]
Mr. Denham:
There are currently 9,972 whole time equivalent nurses and midwifes studying for degrees or diplomas within London. During their period of training, a student nurse or midwife would either be on a clinical placement or in a university carrying out academic work.
Mr. Love:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned on the impact on cancer services (a) in Greater London and (b) the South East of the decision to designate St. Bartholomew's as a cancer centre; when the research will be published; and if he will make a statement. [91780]
Mr. Denham:
The National Health Service Executive's London Regional Office is undertaking a review of the planned commissioning of cancer services in North East and North Central London. The review forms part of the assessment of the current development programmes at Bartholomew's and The London NHS Trust, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust and Havering Hospitals NHS Trust. Ministers will receive a report upon the review's completion.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the Government bodies involved in formulating cancer care policies and strategies, with a brief outline of each organisation's work; and if he will make a statement. [92036]
Mr. Hutton:
We recognise the importance of seeking expert advice to assist in the development of policy for cancer detection and care. The National Cancer Forum has been established to advise on the on-going implementation of the Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services. It includes leading cancer clinicians, specialist nurses, representatives from cancer research, voluntary and patient organisations, and regional National Health Service representation. The National Cancer Forum is chaired by the Chief Medical Officer.
The Cancer Care Action Group is a forum which brings together a larger group of voluntary organisations with the NHS Executive regional structure. It is chaired by the Chief Nursing Officer and its role is to advise, and make recommendations to the National Cancer Forum, on key issues on developments in cancer and palliative care
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policy at a national level and the implications for voluntary sector organisations, and to represent those with cancer and their carers in so doing.
The United Kingdom National Screening Committee, chaired by Dr. Henrietta Campbell, Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, advises UK Health Ministers about the introduction, modification or withdrawal of national screening programmes. The Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening and the Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening are both currently chaired by Professor Martin Vessey. Their role is to advise on the development of the breast and cervical screening programmes. The Advisory Committee on Cancer registration advises on the strategy and development of the national cancer registration scheme.
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is set by the NHS as the minimum acceptable (a) distance between hospital beds in acute care wards and (b) accommodation space per patient in acute care wards. [91934]
Mr. Denham:
Health Building Note (HBN) No. 4 "Adult Acute Wards" (1990) stipulates a minimum requirement for bed space (in multi-bedded wards) as 2900 mm x 2500 mm. More recent guidance published in 1995 in HBN 40 volume 2 indicates that this should be increased to 2900 mm x 2700 mm to reflect the increasing use of hoists, extra space around the bed for access and movement and in recognition of the space needs for those who depend on walking frames and wheelchairs to assist mobility.
Accommodation space per patient in an acute ward will vary depending on several factors, eg the mix of single rooms with en-suite facilities and multi-bedded bays, the extent of support area provided, the physical layout of the ward and the total number of beds.
HBN 4 provides a notional figure of 23.96 square metres per bed.
HBN 4 and HBN 40 are available in the Library.
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is (a) the minimum acceptable provision of bath facilities in an acute care hospital ward and (b) the maximum acceptable number of patients per bath and per toilet facility. [91933]
Mr. Denham:
Health Building Note (HBN) 4, "Adult Acute Wards" (1990), recommends one bathroom and one assisted bathroom for 24 or 28 bedded wards.
HBN 4 also includes a schedule of accommodation that indicates two bathrooms to 28 patients, one being an assisted bath, but that basic ratio would need to be considered by planners in the light of the specific medical requirements of the ward.
More single bedrooms with en-suite facilities are being provided in new ward accommodation and this will affect the general level of toilet provision. HBN 4 schedule of accommodation indicates a ratio of one toilet to 3.5 patients in a 24 bedded ward which has 3 single rooms with en-suite facilities.
Copies of HBN 4 are available in the Library.
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(2) in what circumstances a parent of a child in care may refuse prescribed medical treatment for the child; and if he will make a statement; [91715]
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