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Beta Interferon
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the secondary waiting list for multiple sclerosis sufferers in need of beta interferon; and if he will make a statement. [113348]
Mr. Denham: The Department receives a high volume of correspondence on multiple sclerosis and beta interferon, some of which mentions waiting for assessment by a neurologist.
Information on waiting times for patients with multiple sclerosis is not collected but, nationally, the average waiting time of patients seen for a first outpatient
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appointment in neurology following general practitioner was 10.6 weeks (or 74 days) during October to December 1999-2000 (the latest data available).
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the adequacy of Shropshire Health Authority's allocation for 1999-2000, with reference to population growth. [113345]
Mr. Denham:
The 1999-2000 allocation for Shropshire Health Authority is £247.65 million. This represents a cash increase of £15.15 million or 6.51 per cent. This is above the national average increase of 6.50 per cent. for health authorities without health action zones.
In addition, the 2000-01 allocation for Shropshire Health Authority is £265.68 million. This represents a cash increase of £17.13 million or 6.89 per cent. This is above the national average increase of 6.69 per cent. for health authorities without health action zones.
For 1999-2000 Shropshire Health Authority's resident population increased by 0.80 per cent. compared to the national average of 0.48 per cent.
The objective of resource allocation is to distribute funds fairly based on the relative healthcare needs of populations. In doing so, account is taken of the latest available data, including changes to populations.
Mr. Keetch:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS dentistry in Hereford; and if he will make a statement. [113481]
Mr. Hutton:
We are aware that there is a problem of access to National Health Service dentistry in Herefordshire and have taken positive steps to address this problem. Four Investing in Dentistry grants have been approved totalling £100,000, guaranteeing promises of a further 8,000 NHS patient registrations. A proposal for a "phone and go" dental access centre in Herefordshire is currently being considered by the NHS Executive. If successful the dental access centre should be operational by the end of the year.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce legislation to transfer responsibility for the regulation of the medical and dental professions from the Privy Council to Parliament. [113427]
Mr. Denham:
The responsibility for setting the regulatory framework lies with Parliament. This has been discharged through the passing of the Medical Act 1983 and the Dentist Act 1983 and subsequent primary and secondary legislation.
Parliament already has sufficient powers to call the General Medical Council (GMC) and the General Dental Council to account before the Health Select Committee which met on the 2 March 2000 to consider the role of the GMC.
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We are discussing with the regulatory bodies the need to modernise the arrangements for accountability. It is important that these arrangements are fit for the purpose and retain the confidence of the public, the professions, Government and Parliament.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much it costs on average to train a person as a medical laboratory science officer. [113193]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 6 March 2000]: Given the multiple training routes for the pre-registration and post-registration training and the variable duration of study, it is not possible to provide a meaningful figure for the average cost of training a person as a medical laboratory scientific officer.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the salary level for each grade of medical laboratory science officer in the NHS; and how many employees there are on each pay level. [113201]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 6 March 2000]: National terms and conditions of service for medical laboratory scientific officers provide five grade pay scales.
| Grade | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Effective 1 December 1998: | ||
| Trainee MLSO | 7,476 | 9,796 |
| MLSO1 | 11,812 | 17,486 |
| MLSO2 | 16,169 | 23,931 |
| MLSO3 | 22,127 | 27,998 |
| MLSO4 | 25,885 | (32,753) |
| Grade | |
|---|---|
| Trainee MLSO | 1,000 |
| MLSO1 | 6,000 |
| MLSO2 | 3,000 |
| MLSO3 | 2,000 |
| MLSO4 | (10)-- |
Note:
(10) Less than 500; greater than zero
Improvement to pay, backdated to 1 April 1999, remains available.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many tests were performed by NHS medical laboratory science officers; and what was the ratio of tests per worker in each of the last 10 years. [113198]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 6 March 2000]: It is recognised that the workload in pathology laboratories is increasing but detailed information on the number of tests done by particular staff groups is not held centrally.
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Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what qualifications and training are required for a medical laboratory science officer grade 1; and what requirements exist for such staff to retrain on an annual basis. [113196]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 6 March 2000]: Medical Laboratory Science Officer 1s are graduates. They are state registered through the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine. To become state registered they need to possess an accredited first degree and to have undergone approved vocational training. The length of vocational training required depends on the entry degree and the ability of the individual.
Some MLSOs undertake programmes of continuing professional development that are approved by the Institute of Biomedical Science. These are not mandatory and there is no definite requirement, as yet, for staff to retrain on an annual basis.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average starting pay for (a) clinical psychologists, (b) clinical scientists, (c) speech and language therapists and (d) health advisers on sexually transmitted diseases working in the NHS. [113202]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 6 March 2000]: The pay of clinical psychologists, clinical scientists and speech and language therapists is negotiated in the Scientific and Professional Staffs Whitley Council. The Council's agreement provides for staff to be appointed to any point on the appropriate grade pay scale. The pay scales are:
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of staff morale in the professions working in the NHS who are not covered by the NHS pay review body. [113197]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 6 March 2000]: As part of the national Human Resource strategy "Working Together--Securing a quality workforce for the NHS" we have asked National Health Service trusts to carry out a staff attitude survey by April 2000.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the professions within the NHS that are not covered by the NHS Pay Review Body. [113204]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 6 March 2000]: National Health Service staff groups not covered by the remit of the pay review bodies are Administrative and
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Clerical, Ancillary, Ambulance (staff and officers), Maintenance, Professional and Technical (B), and Scientific and Professional.
Mr. Beith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects work to start on the building of the new Rothbury community hospital, Northumberland. [113796]
Mr. Denham:
No start date can be given for the scheme at present as it is dependent on the outcome of ongoing Private Finance Initiative negotiations.
Clinical psychologists
Clinical psychologist grade A
£14,949 minimum to £34,065 maximum--effective from 1 December 1998.
Clinical scientists
Clinical scientist grade B
£18,734 minimum to £35,087 maximum--effective from 1 April 1999.
Speech and language therapists
Speech and language therapist grade 1
£14,237 minimum to £14,806 maximum--effective from 1 April 1999
There are no nationally agreed pay scales for health advisers on sexually transmitted diseases working in the NHS. We do not collect information about their starting pay centrally.
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