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Treatment Inconsistencies

30. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made on eliminating inconsistent provision of treatments between health authorities. [122892]

Mr. Denham: We are setting standards through the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the National Service Frameworks. We are ensuring local delivery through clinical governance and monitoring delivery through the performance assessment framework and the Commission for Health Improvement. We are working with relevant parties, utilising the record increases in National Health Service funding announced in the Budget, to improve NHS performance.

34. Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to fund the elimination of wide variations and discrepancies between local areas in health service provision. [122896]

Mr. Denham: We allocate funding to health authorities on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each health authority's target fair share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.

It is for health authorities in partnership with primary care groups and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.

Tackling unacceptable variations in performance and treatment is one of the key challenges we have set the National Health Service. We are working with key professionals and frontline staff to see how we can improve NHS performance and productivity so that we make the best use of the record increases in NHS funding announced in the Budget.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he proposes to take to ensure uniformity in the availability of complex and expensive medical treatments. [122870]

Mr. Denham: The availability of complex and expensive medical treatments is achieved through the work of the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group (for services with a national caseload) and the new regional commissioning arrangements introduced in April 1999.

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In addition, national standards are being set by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the National Service Framework programme, local delivery is ensured through Clinical Governance, and services are monitored through the Performance Assessment Framework, the Commission for Health Improvement and national patient surveys.

Gene Technology

31. Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the impact of gene technology on the delivery of health services. [122893]

Yvette Cooper: We are aware of the rapid advances being made in gene technology. However, much research is still needed to determine the clinical utility of any developments. A strategy project is considering the implications for health services and the new Human Genetics Commission will keep this under review.

Podiatry Services

32. Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue guidance to primary care groups on foot care and podiatry services for elderly and disabled people and their carers. [122894]

Mr. Hutton: Guidance on the provision of podiatry services is contained in "Feet First", the report of a joint Department of Health and NHS Chiropody Task Force published in 1994. A steering group has conducted a review of "Feet First" and we shall consider carefully its recommendations.

Audiology Services

35. Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about his plans to improve audiology services in the NHS. [122897]

Mr. Hutton: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (Mr. Henley) today, Official Report, columns 143-44.

NHS Reform

36. Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what budget has been set for the public consultation on the future of the NHS. [122898]

Mr. Denham: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) on 18 May 2000, Official Report, column 240W.

Children's Hospices

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that children's hospices receive the same level of national health service funding as other hospices. [122864]

Ms Stuart: Unlike hospices for adults, children's hospices provide mainly respite care for children with complex needs and their families. To be worthwhile, such care needs to be convenient and flexible to the needs of the family, so a number of different models, including respite at home or in hospices or hospitals, are available in different localities. Where there is a hospice, I know these services are highly valued by users and by the local health economy

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Health authorities must use their recurrent funding to meet the assessed health needs of their resident population, including the need for palliative or respite care for children or adults. Precise levels of funding are a matter for local discussion and agreement, based on local health needs assessment as set out in Health Improvement Programmes.

Hospital Waiting Lists (Southend)

Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in reducing hospital waiting lists in Southend-on-Sea. [122891]

Mr. Denham: Since the fourth quarter of 1996-97, Southend Hospital NHS Trust has reduced the total number of patients on their in-patient waiting lists by 959. Out-patient long waiters are currently falling, and Southend Hospital NHS Trust has achieved its locally agreed target for reduction in the number of long waiting out-patient for 1999-00.

NHS Funding (Colchester)

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that NHS services in Colchester receive at least the national average per capita funding. [122895]

Mr. Denham: We allocate funding to health authorities on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each health authority's target fair share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.

For 2000-01, North Essex Health Authority's allocation per weighted head of the population is £687, compared to the average for England of £688.

Health authorities allocate resources direct to their primary care groups in accordance with national guidelines. The formula used to set targets for primary care groups is essentially that used for health authorities. Health authorities determine the pace of change at which individual primary care groups within their area move towards their fair share targets.

North Essex Health Authority is currently calculating Colchester Primary Care Group's budget for 2000-01.

Osteopaths

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trained osteopaths have been compelled to cease practising since the introduction of the provisions of the Osteopaths Act 1993; what assessment he has made of the operation of the personal and professional profile process; and if he will make a statement. [121111]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 8 May 2000]: Under the provisions of the Osteopaths Act 1993, the General Osteopathic Council is responsible for the development, promotion and regulation of the profession of osteopathy. During the transitional period of registration, which ended on 8 May 2000, the Council decided to require all applicants to complete an extensive 'professional profile and portfolio' as evidence that they meet its criteria for

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the safe, lawful and competent practice of osteopathy. In some cases the registrar may also request an interview or a test of clinical competence before making a decision.

We were not involved in the development of the 'professional profile and portfolio', but it appears to be based firmly on the principles of determining competence and could form a basis for professional lifelong learning. It is an innovative and comprehensive approach which should go a long way towards giving the public the assurance they deserve that all registered osteopaths are able to practice osteopathy safely and competently.

It is an inevitable consequence of an effective professional self-regulatory scheme that, either at its inception or subsequently, some practitioners will not meet the standard required for safe and competent practice and will either have to take remedial training or find alternative employment. From information provided by the General Osteopathic Council, of the 1,911 practitioners whose applications for registration have been decided so far only 80 have been refused.

NHS (Financial Assistance)

Mr. Nicholls: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people his Department estimates are eligible to claim financial help with (a) NHS prescriptions, (b) NHS dental treatment, (c) NHS wigs and fabric supports and (d) travel to hospital for NHS treatment. [122780]

Mr. Denham: In England, it is estimated that the following are eligible to claim financial help when they incur costs for:
























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In addition, around 0.3 million people may be eligible for financial assistance on a sliding scale with the costs of (b), (c) and (d) because they are named on an NHS charges certificate for limited help.

The figures cannot be totalled as there will be overlap between the groups; for example, women who have had a child in the past 12 months might also be on a low income, many war pensioners will be entitled to free prescriptions on age grounds.

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