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Health Services (Hazel Grove)

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies for general practitioners there were in the Hazel Grove constituency in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001. [156179]

Mr. Denham: The number of vacancies for general practitioners for the Stockport health authority area in 1992, 1997 and 2001 is not available. However the number of general practitioners (GP) in Stockport health authority during this period is as follows:

	All practitioners	Unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)(8)
1992	173	150
1997	175	155
2000	192	166

Notes:

1. General medical practitioners (excluding GP retainers) includes UPEs, restricted principals, salaried doctors (paragraph 52 of Statement of Fees and Allowances) and personal medical service (PMS), others; and

⁽⁸⁾ UPEs includes general medical services, unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.

2. GP retainers were collected for the first time in the 1999 census. For comparability they have been excluded from the 2000 figure.

3. There were six GP retainers in Stockport health authority as at 30 September 2000.

Source:

Department of Health general and personal medical services statistics

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 270W

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS registered dentists there were in the Hazel Grove constituency in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001. [156180]

Mr. Hutton: Information on the number of dentists is available by health authority rather than by constituency.

Hazel Grove constituency was located in Stockport Family Health Service, Authority (FHSA) at September 1992. From April 1996 Stockport FHSA changed to Stockport health authority (HA).

The number of dentists in the general dental service at 30 September is shown in the table for Stockport FHSA for 1992 and HA for 1997 and 2000.

General Dental Service: Number of dentists by HA at 30 September each year

	Number of dentists(9)
1992
Stockport FHSA	107
1997
Stockport HA	113
2000
Stockport HA	114

⁽⁹⁾ The number of dentists includes principals on a HA list, assistants and vocational dental practitioners

Doctors and Nurses (Stockport)

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies for NHS doctors and nurses there were in the Stockport health authority area in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001. [156181]

Mr. Denham: The Department has no information available for 1992 and 1997. The March 2001 vacancy survey is currently being collected and the results should be published in July 2001.

Teenage Pregnancy

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the current level of teenage pregnancy in the UK. [156169]

Yvette Cooper: The Office for National Statistics published details of conception rates for 1999, including those among teenagers, on 22 March. To coincide with publication of the data, a statement was issued by this Department (press release 2001-0143).

The statistics show that in England, conception rates among the under 16s fell by seven per cent., and by four per cent. among the under 18s. This is encouraging news.

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 271W

However, our rates remain high and we cannot afford to be complacent. That is why we are stepping up our programme to tackle teenage pregnancy.

Action planned for the next six months includes: an assessment of advice and contraception services; providing sex and relationship education in all young offender institutions; issuing new guidance on involving young people in devising teenage pregnancy strategies and for youth workers and social workers on their role in preventing teenage pregnancy; and providing information to all areas about local projects which are already making an impact.

Information about levels of teenage pregnancy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is available from the devolved administrations.

Health Professionals (Contracts)

Mr. Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's negotiations with the British Medical Association for new contracts for health professionals. [156452]

Mr. Denham: Our proposals for a new approach to the consultant contract and a consultation document on a new award scheme were published on 21 February.

We are committed to seeking a negotiated outcome.

Osteopaths Act

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 26 March 2001, Official Report, column 451W, on the General Osteopathic Council, if he will report back to those hon. Members who have raised concerns about the implementation of the Osteopaths Act 1993. [156270]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer sent 30 March 2001]: It is my intention to report back to all those hon. Members who spoke in the Adjournment Debate, and to those who have written to me to raise concerns about the implementation of the Osteopaths Act.

GP's (Shropshire)

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there were in Shropshire (a) in May 1997 and (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [156563]

Yvette Cooper: We are committed to increasing the number of staff working within the National Health Service and funds have been made available to employ 2,000 more general practitioners (GPs) by 2004. The table illustrates the number of general medical practitioners (GMP) in Shropshire health authority area.

Number of GMPs (excluding GP retainers)⁽¹⁰⁾ in Shropshire health authority on 1 October 1997 and 30 September 2000

	1997	2000
All practitioners	260	262
Of which: Unrestricted principles and equivalents (UPEs)(11)	239	243

⁽¹⁰⁾ GMP (excluding GP retainers) includes UPEs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (paragraph 52 "Statement of Fees and Allowances") and personal medical services others.

⁽¹¹⁾ UPEs includes GMS Unrestricted Principles, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs.

Note:

GP Retainers were collected for the first time in the 1999 census, for comparability they have been excluded from the 2000 figure--there were 14 GP retainers in Shropshire health authority at 30 September 2000.

Source:

Department of Health general and personal medical services statistics

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 272W

Flu Vaccinations

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of those aged over 65 years received flu vaccinations in Shrewsbury and Atcham this winter; and if he will make a statement. [156497]

Yvette Cooper: Final monitoring figures received from the flu co-ordinator for Shropshire Health Authority at the end of December 2000, reported that 67 per cent. of those aged 65 and over received a flu immunisation. This is 7 percentage points higher than the national target of 60 per cent. coverage set at the start of the campaign.

Cervical Screening

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reasons underlying the length of time between the decision by NICE on the approval of the Thin Prep Pap Test and its planned implementation. [156551]

Yvette Cooper: The pilot study to assess the feasibility of using liquid based cytology (LBC) in the National Health Service cervical screening programme is being progressed in line with the overall guidance published by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) in June 2000. LBC is being piloted in conjunction with human papilloma virus (HPV) testing.

Since NICE's recommendation, the three sites for the pilot study have been selected, pilot staff have been trained in the new procedures, and new equipment has been installed on site. Screening began in March 2001, as originally planned.

Cancer

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the time patients have to wait to receive cancer scans and biopsies. [156768]

Yvette Cooper: We are making significant investment in equipment of £93 million from the New Opportunities Fund which is being used to buy over 300 pieces of equipment for the breast screening programme, along with 34 MRI scanners and 30 linear accelerators. A further £100 million from the Modernisation Fund is being used to update and replace 66 CT scanners and planning equipment for cancer treatment.

We have launched a new initiative to increase the number of histopathologists in training by investing £1.3 million to fund three pilot training centres. We are also investing £2.5 million a year in a training programme for general practitioners, nurses, surgeons and gastroenterologists to undertake endoscopy. Investment in work force means that by 2006 there will be nearly 1,000

5 Apr 2001 : Column: 273W

extra cancer specialists. Over the summer cancer networks will be developing three year service delivery plans to include work force, education and facilities strategies.

The cancer services collaborative has demonstrated that by changing the way cancer services are provided, for example by pre-planning and pre-booking care, waiting times can be cut and a major impact can be made on cancer care. From 1 April 2001 the improvements in cancer care developed by the collaborative are being rolled out to every cancer network in the country, supported by up to £15 million central funding.

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