| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Whistleblowers
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures exist in his Department for a civil servant to report actions which (a) are illegal, improper, or unethical, (b) are in breach of constitutional
2 Nov 2000 : Column: 601W
convention or a professional code, (c) may involve possible maladministration and (d) are otherwise inconsistent with the civil service code. [135460]
Ms Stuart: The Department is committed to achieving the highest possible standards of service and ethical standards in public life in all of its practices. The civil service code enables all civil servants to report their concerns to, among others, their senior manager, the Departmental security officer or the Civil Service Commissioners. In addition the Department will shortly introduce a "whistleblowing" policy covering disclosures by staff of malpractice, illegal acts or serious omissions of duty at work. The policy has been developed in line with the best practice advised by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. It enables staff to raise--at an early stage and in the right way--any concerns they may have about activities within the Department.
Correspondence
Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 18 September regarding a constituent (reference POH(6)5608/54). [135457]
Ms Stuart [holding answer 30 October 2000]: A reply to my hon. Friend's letter was sent on 31 October.
Nurses (Overseas Recruitment)
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued regarding the recruitment of nurses from overseas; and if he will make a statement. [135835]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 31 October 2000]: The Department published guidance on international nursing recruitment in November 1999. The guidance stresses that international recruitment should be valued and has made a valuable contribution to the National Health Service throughout its history; is a two-way process in view of the increasing globalisation of the world's nursing work force; and is viable only when its professional and service value can be clearly demonstrated, and if the recruit's placement in the NHS will have no negative impact upon their home healthcare system.
Each NHS region is appointing a team to lead on international recruitment. This activity will be managed across the entire region to ensure that best practice is followed and promoted. They will also promote collaboration between trusts, to achieve efficient, ethical international recruitment.
Children's Society
Mr. Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Children's Society about the Safe House in Leeds; and if he will make a statement. [136096]
Mr. Hutton: We would like to pay tribute to the Children's Society and all those involved over the years in running the Leeds Safe House. We are pleased to see that, although the refuge has closed, the Society will continue to help young runaways in Leeds through its work in the Leeds Safe on the Streets network.
2 Nov 2000 : Column: 602W
The Children's Society and the Department are currently in discussions about developing other more flexible ways of meeting the needs of children and young people who run away from home and we are keen to see these develop for all such children across the country.
Medical Training
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what programmes in undergraduate medical training there are which ensure that doctors study both educational and clinical psychology. [136094]
Mr. Denham: Individual university medical schools determine their own undergraduate medical curricula in the light of the recommendations from the General Medical Council's (GMC) Education Committee, which has the statutory responsibility to determine the extent of knowledge and skill required for the granting of primary medical qualifications in the United Kingdom. The Committee's most recent recommendations were published in the 1993 report "Tomorrow's Doctors".
University medical schools are in the process of implementing the recommendations contained in the report and the GMC is monitoring progress.
Diagnostic and Treatment Centres
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the newly proposed diagnostic and treatment centres will be located; and if he will make a statement. [135845]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 1 November 2000]: No decisions have been made on the location of the diagnostic and treatment centres announced in The NHS Plan. We are working with NHS Executive Regional Offices to determine where these new centres will be located, and will announce details when this process is complete.
Pharmacists
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for funding pharmacists to deliver medicines to the patient's door. [135846]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 1 November 2000]: "Pharmacy in the Future--Implementing the National Health Service Plan", which was published on 12 September, sets out our programme for pharmacy in the National Health Service; copies are available in the Library. We shall be discussing with the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee changes in the terms of service and distribution of the global sum for community pharmacy to establish minimum standards and promote and reward high-quality services. When parliamentary time permits, we will introduce legislation to allow a new form of agreement between the NHS, pharmacists and pharmacy owners.
Expenditure
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will set out the gross expenditure on family
2 Nov 2000 : Column: 603W
health services, by service, for each year since 1979-80, in the same format as figure 11.12 of Cm 4603, "The Government's Expenditure Plans 2000-01"; [136023]
- (2) what was the gross expenditure on general medical services, as a percentage of gross family health services expenditure, in each year since 1979-80; [136022]
(3) what percentage of gross NHS expenditure was represented by gross general medical services expenditure in each year since 1979-80. [136024]
2 Nov 2000 : Column: 604W
Mr. Denham [holding answer 1 November 2000]: The information requested is shown in the table for the years 1989-90 to 1998-99.
Expenditure figures from 1979-80 to 1997-98 are not held in the format requested.
It is also not possible to provide expenditure figures for 1999-2000 as the general medical services discretionary element became part of the unified allocation to health authorities.
2 Nov 2000 : Column: 603W
| 1989-90 | 1990-91 | 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | % real terms growth 1989-90 to 1998-99 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs non-discretionary | 1,952 | 2,091 | 2,210 | 2,356 | 2,352 | 2,243 | 2,210 | 2,014 | 2,171 | 1,837 | (5)-- |
| Drugs discretionary | 0 | 0 | 125 | 295 | 628 | 1,009 | 1,296 | 1,794 | 1,936 | 2,519 | (5)-- |
| Drugs Total | 1,952 | 2,091 | 2,335 | 2,651 | 2,980 | 3,252 | 3,506 | 3,808 | 4,107 | 4,356 | 81.6 |
| General Medical Services | |||||||||||
| Non-discretionary | 1,569 | 1,484 | 1,656 | 1,768 | 1,840 | 1,902 | 1,965 | 2,073 | 2,198 | 2,243 | 16.3 |
| Discretionary | 0 | 464 | 600 | 686 | 715 | 723 | 754 | 800 | 835 | 878 | 54.0 |
| Total General Medical Services discretionary and non-discretionary | 1,569 | 1,948 | 2,256 | 2,454 | 2,555 | 2,625 | 2,719 | 2,873 | 3,033 | 3,121 | 61.9 |
| PMS(6) | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | 37 | (5)-- |
| General Dental Services | 948 | 1,040 | 1,246 | 1,306 | 1,222 | 1,279 | 1,290 | 1,323 | 1,348 | 1,438 | 23.4 |
| PDS(6) | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | (5)-- | 4 | (5)-- |
| Dispensing Costs | 518 | 561 | 603 | 658 | 677 | 679 | 706 | 746 | 768 | 781 | 22.7 |
| General Ophthalmic Services | 108 | 111 | 141 | 172 | 192 | 213 | 223 | 237 | 241 | 240 | 80.8 |
| Total FHS spend | 5,095 | 5,751 | 6,581 | 7,241 | 7,626 | 8,048 | 8,444 | 8,987 | 9,497 | 9,977 | 59.4 |
| Gross GMS as a percentage of Gross FHS | 30.8 | 33.9 | 34.3 | 33.9 | 33.5 | 32.6 | 32.2 | 32.0 | 31.9 | 31.3 | |
| Total NHS expenditure (Gross) | 21,132 | 23,654 | 26,785 | 29,371 | 31,075 | 32,890 | 34,430 | 35,729 | 37,793 | 39,884 | 53.6 |
| Total GMS as a percentage of gross NHS | 7.4 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.8 |
(5) n/a
(6) Discretionary
Notes:
1. Data are taken from the Published Departmental Report for GMS data.
2. Personal Medical Services (PMS) and Personal Dental Services(PDS) schemes are Primary Care Act pilots designed to test locally managed approaches to the delivery of primary care. PDS and PMS expenditure figures, although not allocations, exclude any related capital investment by NHS trusts. PDS expenditure figures are also gross of patient charge income whereas allocations are net of charges.
3. From 1993-94 onwards, gross HCHS revenue, gross NHS revenue and NHS total gross expenditure is inflated because of the interest dividends paid by NHS Trusts.
4. Please note that Discretionary GMS data were not available in 1998-99 as they did not start until 1990-91.
2 Nov 2000 : Column: 603W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |