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Dental and Optical Examinations
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people, who do not qualify for free examinations, have received (a) dental and (b) eye examinations in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [112398]
Mr. Hutton: Data on dental examinations in England is available only for the last two years.
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard examination | 13.0 | 13.6 |
| Extensive examination | 1.6 | 1.7 |
| Year | Million |
|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 6.589 |
| 1994-95 | 6.465 |
| 1995-96 | 7.009 |
| 1996-97 | 6.689 |
| 1997-98 | 7.115 |
| 1998-99 | 7.430 |
Since 1 April 1999, everyone aged 60 and over has been eligible to receive a free, National Health Service sight test and numbers of NHS sight tests have increased by some 50,000 per week in England alone. We expect to see some reduction in the number of private sight tests in 1999-2000 as a result of the increased NHS activity.
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Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations have been cancelled in breach of the patients charter in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [112460]
Mr. Denham:
The information requested is available in the Library.
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those (a) NHS community hospitals and (b) other NHS hospitals which have closed since May 1996; and if he will make a statement. [112399]
Mr. Denham:
The information requested is not available centrally.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the papers relating to Integrate Services in Warrington which are currently held by the North-West Regional Executive; [111822]
(3) if he will set up an inquiry into the destruction of papers relating to Integrate Services by the Warrington Community Healthcare Trust; and if he will make a statement; [111819]
(4) what discussions his Department has had with the North Cheshire Health Authority on ways of ensuring that residents currently cared for by Integrate Services in Warrington continue to benefit from assets purchased with money given for their care; and if he will make a statement; [111820]
(5) what discussions he has had with (a) the North-West Regional Executive and (b) North Cheshire Health Authority on the case of Integrate Services since 9 February; and if he will make a statement. [111823]
Mr. Hutton:
Integrate Services is currently the subject of an inquiry by the Charity Commissioners. I understand that the Commissioners have confirmed that the organisation enjoys full legal ownership of these holiday assets.
While I am concerned by the apparent lack of robust handover arrangements for documentation when management responsibility for the Section 64 grant changed hands, there are already clear guidelines on record keeping by National Health Service bodies. At the time of the transfer from Warrington Community Healthcare NHS Trust to North Cheshire Health Authority, HC(89)20 was in force. I am, therefore, instructing North Cheshire Health Authority to investigate the continuity of record keeping with regard to this Section 64 grant.
The NHS Executive North West has had, and continues to have, ongoing discussions with North Cheshire Health Authority and briefs Ministers accordingly. There have been no direct discussions between Ministers and the health authority on this subject.
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Papers held by the Regional Office include correspondence from the Royal College of Nursing, two members of the management committee of Integrate Services and the new Chair of that Management Committee; the health authority paper; the independent report; and related briefing material.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of practising midwives are aged under 30 in (a) England, (b) the North-west Region and (c) North Cheshire Health Authority. [111817]
Mr. Denham:
The information requested is shown in the table.
(2) what steps his Department has taken to review the legal status of holiday assets currently owned by Integrate Services in Warrington and purchased from Section 64 grant; and if he will make a statement; [111818]
| Under 30 | 30 and over | |
|---|---|---|
| England total | 11 | 89 |
| North-west region | 9 | 91 |
| North Cheshire HA | 7 | 93 |
Notes:
1. Percentages are calculated from figures expressed as whole- time equivalents
2. Figures exclude learners and agency staff
Source:
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census
Dentistry (Pensions)
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health If he will make a statement on the effects which staging the fee increases to general dental practitioners for the financial years 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 will have on general dental practitioners' pensions. [112031]
Mr. Denham:
National Health Service pensions are based on actual levels of pensionable remuneration and not on deemed or notional earnings. Where staging occurs, only earnings actually received are taken into
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account in the calculation of pensions. The effect of staging, therefore, is slightly to reduce the pension from the figure that would be payable had staging not occurred. The degree to which this happens for an individual will depend on when that person retires and their earnings in the years before the staging and during the years when the staging applied. General Dental Practitioners' pensions are calculated on total career earnings uprated in accordance with a formula agreed with the profession.
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) numbers of and (b) cost to the NHS of employing locum doctors in (i) general practice and (ii) hospital medicine for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [112395]
Mr. Denham:
Figures on the number of locum staff working in the hospital medical sector are no longer collected centrally. The figures were last collected in September 1996 when there were 2,500 hospital medical locums. Figures on the number of locum staff working in general practice are not collected centrally.
| TFR3 | HFR 25 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 108,851.61 | 164,250.81 | 273,102.43 |
| 1995-96 | 109,321.44 | 1,876.80 | 111,198.24 |
| 1996-97 | 116,581.75 | 409.23 | 116,990.98 |
Notes:
Data after 1996-97 is not available
Data provided by FPB-ATA
Locum costs in general practice are not separately identified from other practice expenses. Information is available only on locum allowances paid to GPs in respect of attendance at training courses, prolonged study leave, sickness and confinement. Expenditure was as follows:
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| For single handed rural GPs attending training courses | Sickness | Confinement | Prolonged study leave | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 95,761 | 4,112,600 | 2,199,685 | 624,455 | 7,032,501 |
| 1995-96 | 122,616 | 4,629,919 | 2,167,949 | 623,081 | 7,543,565 |
| 1996-97 | 213,320 | 4,157,683 | 2,197,246 | 748,824 | 7,317,073 |
| 1997-98 | 419,450 | 3,898,453 | 2,524,973 | 1,032,067 | 7,874,943 |
| 1998-99 | 238,260 | 4,545,889 | 3,051,148 | 1,438,380 | 9,273,677 |
Sources:
1. Annual financial returns of family health services authorities, 1994-95 and 1995-96
2. Annual financial returns of health authorities, 1996-97 to 1998-99