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Care Home Standards
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of existing residential capacity that will be lost if his Draft Required Standards for Residential and Nursing Care are implemented. [102994]
Mr. Hutton: Occupancy rates for care homes and nursing currently runs nationally at about 85 per cent., and locally, in some regions such as Lancashire, at about 50 per cent.
The number of beds which would need to be de-commissioned nationally in order to comply with the Centre for Policy on Ageing's proposed standards was estimated for the Department of Health by Laing and Buisson as approximately 4.2 per cent. for residential care homes and 8.1 per cent. for nursing homes. This information was published in September last year.
Further information on the possible impact of some of the proposed standards is set out in the annexes to the consultation document, "Fit for the Future?"
Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding the methodology used by his Department in making their regulatory impact assessment in respect of the Draft Required Standards for Residential and Nursing Homes; and if he will make a statement. [102993]
Mr. Hutton:
We have not received any comments specifically directed at methodology used in the regulatory impact assessment in the consultation document, "Fit for the Future?". However, we have yet to evaluate all the comments which are being received on "Fit for the Future?". We will carefully consider all the comments we receive.
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Mr. Brady:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the lowest number of intensive care beds available in each region of England and Wales on each day between 20 December and 10 January. [104649]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 13 January 2000]: Information collected by the Department is unvalidated management information gathered over a period of hours primarily to give an indication of bed availability. However, the position may change constantly and it is not possible to establish whether the figures obtained reflect the lowest, maximum or average occupancy for that day. Even when no beds are reported as available, National Health Service trusts may invoke contingency arrangements to give patients the care they need. For this reason it is not possible to provide the information requested. The unvalidated management information has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his target waiting time for calls to NHS Direct to be answered; what measures are in place to monitor waiting times; and what waiting times were being achieved at the latest date for which figures are available. [104777]
Ms Stuart:
NHS Direct does not have an explicit target waiting time for all callers by which time their call will be answered.
In November, the latest information available, 81 per cent. of calls were answered within 15 seconds, and calls were answered on average within 25 seconds.
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the current definition used by his Department of an epidemic. [104775]
Yvette Cooper:
The epidemiologists definition of an epidemic is an increase in the frequency of occurrence of a disease in a population above its baseline level for a specified period of time. The term epidemic can be used when describing the pattern of either infectious or chronic diseases in the population.
Administrative definitions can be set for different diseases in which an arbitrary threshold is selected above which the term "epidemic" is applied. In the case of influenza, the Department introduced in 1996 an administrative definition of an "epidemic" for a rate of consultation (with a sample of general practices) of 400 per 100,000 population in a week.
Such influenza activity in England is thus monitored through the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) sentinel surveillance scheme. This records the number of first visits to a general practitioner with influenza-illness. Other respiratory illnesses prevalent at this time of year are recorded separately.
This system does not and cannot measure the real incidence of influenza since it is restricted to those people who visit their general practitioner. This year a major
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campaign was run to encourage people to choose their own remedy, to consult a pharmacist and to use NHS Direct, as alternative sources of advice.
The severity of the disease itself can also vary from year to year. This year the elderly have been particularly affected by the complications of influenza. The level of cases of acute bronchitis, a serious complication of influenza, is the highest the RCGP surveillance system has seen for 15 years. In describing epidemics some other countries formally include measures of severity in the definition of an epidemic. For example, the United States declares an epidemic when the proportion of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza passes a certain threshold.
The Department has not introduced administrative definitions of an epidemic for diseases other than influenza.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much money is spent per head of population on health services in (a) South Lancashire and (b) North Lancashire Health Authority area; [105115]
(3) what assessment he has made of the provision of satellite renal services at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital; [105116]
(4) if he will make a statement on the financial situation of the South Lancashire Health Authority; [105114]
(5) what plans he has to introduce new and enhanced existing medical services at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital; [105170]
(6) if he will end the practice of postcode medicine in Lancashire by merging the relevant health authorities. [105113]
Ms Stuart:
South Lancashire and North West Lancashire health authorities commissioned Professor Sir Leslie Turnberg to review the provision of medical services in Chorley, South Ribble and Preston and to recommend the best configuration of services to meet the needs of local residents. The Boards of Chorley and South Ribble National Health Service Trust and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust endorsed the recommendations of that review team.
The NHS Executive is currently undertaking organisational development work designed to improve health and health services in the north west. Any proposals for organisational reconfigurations of health authorities arising from these discussions will be subject to formal public consultation.
Figures for expenditure per head of population in South Lancashire and North West Lancashire, are given in the table.
South Lancashire Health Authority planned for an income and expenditure deficit of £1.1 million for 1999-2000--the forecast outturn at Q3 indicates that this plan will be achieved. The authority is planning to return to a recurrently balanced financial position in the short term.
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The health authority has commissioned an independent review of the health economy within South Lancashire and all relevant parties, the health authority, primary care groups and NHS Trusts are supporting this review. It is intended that the review will assist the health economy in South Lancashire to identify solutions to the current financial position.
(2) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of medical services at Chorley and South Ribble Hospital; [105117]
| 1998-99 | £ |
|---|---|
| North West Lancashire Health Authority | 649.68 |
| South Lancashire Health Authority | 606.42 |
| North West Region | 649.50 |
Notes:
1. The majority of drugs expenditure has been accounted for by the Prescription Pricing Authority rather than individual health authorities. Also the majority of General Dental Services expenditure is not available by health authority.
2. Figures are taken from health authority annual accounts which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from cash allocations in each year.
Source:
Health authority accounts for 1998-99.
Mid-year resident population estimates for 1998.
Care in the Community
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to require organisations which provide care in the community to ensure that residents in receipt of the mobility component of disability living allowance retain that money or have it expended solely on their behalf. [104818]
Mr. Hutton: The Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance may not be taken into account for charging purposes. Section 73(14) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 requires these payments, or the right to receive them, be disregarded in any charging schemes which have regard to a person's means.
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