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Drug Prescribing (Children)
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) in what circumstances the prescribing of a drug to a child in care can be challenged by the parents, if they believe that the child may have suffered an adverse reaction to the drug, where that adverse reaction is (i) reported and (ii) unreported; [115521]
- (2) in what circumstances independent medical advice can be sought when there is a disagreement between parents and the local authority with a duty of care for a child who may have suffered an adverse reaction to a drug, where that reaction is (a) reported and (b) unreported; and if he will make a statement; [115523]
(3) in what circumstances the local authority with a responsibility of care for a child could challenge the prescribing of a drug to that child if they believe the child may have suffered an adverse reaction to the drug, where that adverse reaction is (a) reported and (b) unreported. [115522]
Mr. Hutton: Where a child is looked after by a local authority and is on a care order, the local authority has parental responsibility for the child. It shares that parental responsibility with the child's parent(s), but the local authority has the power to determine the extent to which the parents may exercise their parental responsibility in relation to the child. Where a child is looked after by a local authority and the authority is accommodating the child, it does not have parental responsibility--but a person may arrange for someone else to discharge all or some of it on their behalf, so a parent whose child is accommodated may arrange for the local authority to be responsible on their behalf. Even without such an arrangement, the local authority may do what is reasonable for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child's welfare, which may include arranging for urgent medical attention.
Centrally Funded Special Schemes
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total spending by his Department for the last five available years on centrally funded special schemes in (a) the Northern and (b) the Yorkshire and Humberside Region. [114904]
Mr. Denham: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Correspondence
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire of 24 January about care homes in Worcestershire. [115568]
Mr. Hutton: I replied to the hon. Member on 22 March.
Psychiatric Beds
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of available acute psychiatric beds were used in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) the first two quarters of 1999-2000. [115786]
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Mr. Hutton:
The percentages of available acute psychiatric beds used in 1997-98 and 1998-99 were 86.5 per cent. and 87.5 per cent. respectively.
Data for the first two quarters of 1999-2000 for the same breakdown are not available as the source of the acute psychiatric bed availability and occupancy figures are collected annually.
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the coming into force of the Human Rights Act 1998 on the provision of children's services. [115847]
Mr. Hutton:
Government Departments are undertaking a broad assessment of the likely impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on their work, as part of the preparations for implementation on 2 October 2000. This task is in progress in the Department of Health and includes children's services with our other responsibilities.
Mr. Hammond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he was unable to act prior to publication of the Waterhouse report in extending the consultancy index to include people named in that report. [115848]
Mr. Hutton:
We were unable to act on the information contained in the Waterhouse report until after the report had been presented to Parliament. However, following publication, immediate action was taken to extend the Department's consultancy index to include eligible named individuals who had been convicted of offences against children or against whom a clear finding had been made in the report. This action enabled us to include on the index individuals falling into these categories who had not previously been referred to the index through another route.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of Avon health authority's scheme to reduce outpatient waiting times by guaranteeing a number of outpatient appointments for each primary care group; and if he will make a statement. [116002]
Mr. Denham:
Avon health authority, working with local general practitioners and trusts, is looking at ways of improving orthopaedic waiting times. As part of this work the health authority is considering how the successful pilot scheme, operated by North Bristol National Health Service Trust and North West Bristol Primary Care Group, which guarantees individual GP practices a specified number of outpatient appointments can be extended across the health authority area. No formal assessment of the North Bristol pilot scheme has been undertaken by the NHS Executive. We welcome local initiatives to reduce outpatient waiting times by involving PCGs.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he will take to ensure that services for
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children with learning disabilities in the Weston-Super-Mare area will not decline following the disbandment of Phoenix NHS Trust. [116010]
Ms Stuart:
It is the responsibility of Avon health authority, working together with local National Health Service trusts and primary care groups, to ensure that appropriate services for children with learning disabilities are provided. I understand that the Chief Executive of the authority has recently written to the hon. Member assuring him of the health authority's commitment to ensuring that the same level of services is available following the disbandment of Phoenix NHS Trust.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the staff to patient ratio for children with learning disabilities within the Weston Area Health Trust; [116006]
Ms Stuart:
The Department does not collect the requested information. The hon. Member may wish to contact Ms Martha Perriam, Chairman of Weston Area Health National Health Service Trust, for the information.
Mr. Cotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the annual NHS funding allocated to Avon Health Authority for 2000-01. [116004]
Ms Stuart:
Avon Health Authority's revenue allocation for 2000-01 is £629.4 million, which represents a cash increase of £40.7 million (6.9 per cent.). Money from the £660 million announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 March will be allocated to health authorities shortly.
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has begun to consider the conclusions of the review of the Capital Prioritisation Process; and when he expects to make an announcement on the outcome. [116116]
Mr. Denham:
The review of the capital prioritisation process is currently under way. Ministers will make an announcement about the outcome in due course.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of Oxted and Limpsfield Community Hospital. [116043]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 23 March 2000]: The Surrey and Sussex National Health Service Trust is currently preparing a full business case for the reprovision of Oxted and Limpsfield Community Hospital. The case will be assessed by the South East Region of the NHS Executive once it has been submitted.
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Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were on NHS inpatient waiting lists in each year since 1979 for which figures are available (a) nationally and (b) in each health authority (i) fully and (ii) partially in Hampshire, including the unitary authorities of Southampton and Portsmouth. [116019]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 23 March 2000]: The information requested can be found in the "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England. Quarter ending", copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff of children's homes providing 24 hour care in the (a) voluntary, (b) local authority and (c) private sector were (i) raped, (ii) sexually assaulted, (iii) victims of grievous bodily harm and (iv) murdered by residents in the last three years. [116199]
Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 24 March 2000]: Information about the number of incidents of violence against the staff of children's homes is not collected centrally. However, we are determined to reduce substantially the incidence of violence towards everyone working in social care. We have set up a taskforce to produce a national action plan by November 2000 with recommendations and timescales for action to reduce violence against social care staff and to promote the safety and welfare of all social care workers.
(2) if he will estimate the staff to patient ratio for children with learning disabilities within the Weston Area Health Trust following the disbanding of the Phoenix NHS Trust. [116007]
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