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Intermediate Care
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional funding he intends to make available to health authorities to pay for placements at residential care homes by way of intermediate care. [138827]
Mr. Hutton: The National Health Service Plan makes available new resources rising to £900 million annually to the NHS and social services for intermediate care and related services by 2003-04, over and above additional recurrent funding of £150 million this year, and a one-off allocation of £63 million to help expand capacity this winter.
The additional investment will be used to support a wide range of intermediate care and related services which aim to promote the independence and improved quality of care for older people, including residential intermediate care. The precise use of the funds will be for local health and social care communities to determine together, based on joint plans aimed at maximising the contribution of all partners in health and social care towards the development of effective intermediate care.
Prisoners (Psychiatric Hospitals)
Dr. Brand: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how convicted prisoners transferred to private psychiatric hospitals under section 41 of the Mental Health Act 1953 are funded; and if he will make a statement. [138774]
Mr. Hutton: Where a prisoner is transferred to either a National Health Service or private psychiatric hospital under section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983, responsibility for funding the placement rests with the health authority for the area in which the individual was usually resident before the commencement of the detention. Where a previous address cannot be determined, the health authority for the area in which the offence was committed is responsible for funding the placement.
Free Nursing Care
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for North
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Devon (Mr. Harvey) of 14 November 2000, Official Report, columns 812-13, what provision has been made to meet the cost of free nursing care; how much will transfer to health authority budgets from social services budgets for this purpose cost; and how much is to replace payments previously made by people under means- testing. [138990]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 20 November 2000]: We have estimated that the additional cost to the Exchequer of providing free nursing care, as outlined in the NHS Plan, will be £420 million over the next three years. This additional cost arises principally from the replacement of the costs of nursing care incurred by individuals in nursing homes, who are not supported by local authorities or the NHS. Additional funding of this level was included in the Department of Health programme in the recent spending review settlement.
Provision for the costs of free nursing care has been included in the Department's spending review settlement and will be made available to the NHS for that purpose subject to Parliament's approval of legislative proposals on free nursing care.
Home Care (Charges)
Ms Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to issue guidance on charges for home care by local authorities. [139434]
Mr. Hutton: We plan to consult with representatives of service users, carers, local councils and other interested parties on draft guidance for home care charges by the end of the year, with a view to guidance being issued to local councils by April 2001.
Social Services Expenditure (Stoke-on-Trent)
Mr. Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the standard spending assessment for social services in Stoke-on-Trent for each year from 1997-98. [139517]
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Mr. Hutton: The personal social services standard spending assessment for Stoke on Trent for each year from 1997-98 are as set out in the table.
| Year | Social services standard spending assessment |
|---|---|
| 1997-98 | 38.102 |
| 1998-99 | 41.200 |
| 1999-2000 | 46.787 |
| 2000-01 | 49.080 |
Notes:
Figures for 2001-02 will be announced shortly
Pathology Services
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS pathology service sites which are not accredited by Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA) UK Ltd. [139520]
Mr. Denham: The Department does not hold a central register of pathology laboratories. A list of those which have received accreditation is available in the Library.
NHS Recruitment
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses and (b) doctors have been recruited into the NHS in each of the last three years. [139046]
Mr. Denham: In 1997 there were 318,860 qualified nurses in the National Health Service. This increased to 323,460 in 1998 and 329,640 in 1999.
In 1997 there were 89,620 qualified doctors in the NHS. This increased to 91,840 in 1998 and 93,980 in 1999.
NHS Funding (Coventry)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of NHS funding in Coventry, South in each year since 1997. [139048]
Mr. Denham: The level of National Health Service funding for Coventry South is not available. The table lists Coventry Health Authority's annual allocations in each year since 1997.
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1998-99(15) | 144.5 |
| 1999-2000 | 199.5 |
| 2000-01 | 213.9 |
| 2001-02 | 241.3 |
(15) Figures for 1998-99 are not directly comparable to following years' allocation. Unified budgets introduced from 1999-2000.
The figures show that Coventry Health Authority has benefited from a year on year increase in its allocation, and in 2001-02 the allocation is a £19.3 million (8.7 per cent.) increase on the previous year, which is £13.4 million (6.04 per cent.) in real terms.
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Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of (a) doctors and (b) nurses in Coventry South in each year since 1997. [139047]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is not available for Coventry South. The number of doctors and nurses within Coventry health authority in each year since 1997 are listed in the table.
As part of the National Health Service Plan the next few years will see a major expansion in staff numbers in the NHS. By 2004 there will be 7,500 more consultants, 2,000 more general practitioners and 20,000 more nurses. Coventry will of course benefit from the Government's commitment to this unparalleled increase in the number of key NHS staff.
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry health authority(18) total | |||
| Of which: | 3,660 | 4,330 | 4,360 |
| All nursing staff | 3,070 | 3,670 | 3,660 |
| Of which: | |||
| Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff | 2,910 | 3,510 | 3,510 |
| Practice nurses(19) | (20)160 | (20)160 | (20)150 |
| All doctors | 590 | 660 | 700 |
| Of which: | |||
| HCHS medical and dental staff(21),(22) | 420 | 500 | 530 |
| Practitioners (excluding GP retainers)(19) | 170 | 170 | 180 |
(16) Nursing staff includes non-medical nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff and practice nurses.
(17) Doctors includes general medical practitioners and hospital, public health medicine and community health service medical and dental staff.
(18) Coventry health authority contains the following organisations: Walsgrave Hospitals NHS Trust and Coventry Healthcare NHS Trust.
(19) Practice nurses and general medical practitioners data, as at 1 October each year.
(20) Headcount data were collected for the 1997 Census. Data for 1998 and 1999 were only collected as WTEs. Headcount data for these years have been estimated.
(21) Figures exclude hospital practitioners and clinical assistants most of whom work as GPs and have already been counted.
(22) Practitioners include unrestricted principals, restricted principals, assistants, registrars and salaried doctors.
Notes:
1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
2. Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
3. Figures exclude learners and agency staff.
Source:
Department of Health non-medical workforce census.
Department of Health general and personal medical services statistics.
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.
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