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"Removing Barriers"

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department ensured that the report, "Removing Barriers", published by the Local Government Association, was taken into account during the 1997–98 comprehensive spending review; and which of its recommendations have been implemented. [8050]

Jacqui Smith: In reaching our view of what to include in the comprehensive spending review 1998 we consulted widely and took into account the views of the Local Government Association (LGA) and other stakeholders.

The LGA report "Removing Barriers", which was published in 1997, highlighted the need for an active dialogue between the Department and the Department of Social Security (Department for Work and Pensions) on the interaction of the benefit system, and the local management of statutory welfare duties.

Departmental Ministers and officials regularly meet their opposite numbers in DWP, and with LGA representatives to discuss issues of mutual interest.

In the 1998 CSR we secured increased resources for social services averaging 3.1 per cent. a year in real terms for the years 1999–2000 to 2001–02.

Intermediate Care

Mr. Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to build hospitals devoted to intermediate care. [8023]

Jacqui Smith: The NHS Plan set the target of an extra 5,000 intermediate care beds by 2003–04. These will be provided in a range of settings—in existing acute and community hospitals, in redesigned nursing homes or in purpose built facilities. The precise arrangements will be a matter for local decision. As part of our funding for intermediate care over the next two years, around £65 million will be for capital investment to support this development.

General Practitioners

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners (a) left and (b) were recruited into the NHS in each of the last four years. [7599]

Mr. Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table.

15 Oct 2001 : Column: 1043W

General practitioners: Analysis of work force—joiners and leavers 1996–97 to 1999–2000—England

Number
1996–971997–981998–991999–2000
UPEs(89),(90)26,85527,09927,39227,59127,704
Joiners1,3021,3331,2291,203
New joiners1,0291,069967958
of which to:
GMS1,0291,047920886
PMS224772
Re-joiners273264262245
of which to:
GMS273256249219
PMS81326
UPEs transferring directly from:
GMS to PMS331501394
PMS to GMS02473
Leavers1,0581,0401,0301,090
of which from:
GMS1,0581,0401,0131,058
PMS1732
Change in UPEs244293199113

(89) UPEs include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs

(90) Numbers of UPEs at 1 October each year from 1996 to 1999 and 30 September from 2000. Other rows relate to changes between successive October/September Censuses

Source:

Department of Health Statistical Bulletin "Statistics for General Medical Practitioners in England 1999–2000"


Waiting Lists

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients in each health authority in England have been waiting for treatment for more than 12 months. [7625]

Mr. Hutton: The table shows, for each health authority in England, the percentage of patients who were waiting 12 months or more for admission to hospital on 31 August 2001.

As part of the NHS plan, the national health service is working towards reducing the current maximum in-patient wait of 18 months to 14 months by March 2002, 12 months by March 2003, nine months by March 2004 and then ultimately six months by the end of 2005.

Health authorityPercentage waiting more than 12 months
Hillingdon5.8
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster1.8
Redbridge and Waltham Forest8.3
Bedfordshire7.0
Berkshire3.7
Buckinghamshire5.6
Croydon9.6
East Kent6.9
West Kent5.3
Kingston and Richmond6.1
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham8.5
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth5.4
East Surrey8.7
West Surrey10.9
East Sussex, Brighton and Hove6.4
West Sussex9.3
Barking and Havering6.1
Brent and Harrow6.0
Camden and Islington4.4
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow5.2
East London and City4.7
North Essex6.1
South Essex3.9
South Lancashire2.4
Liverpool4.0
Manchester6.3
Morecambe Bay2.6
St. Helens and Knowsley3.4
Salford and Trafford6.4
Sefton3.3
Stockport3.8
West Pennine2.4
Northamptonshire4.8
Oxfordshire4.6
Suffolk4.6
Barnsley0.4
North Derbyshire0.7
South Derbyshire2.6
Doncaster0.3
Leicestershire2.6
Lincolnshire4.3
North Nottinghamshire1.0
Nottingham2.3
Rotherham0.4
Sheffield1.2
Bury and Rochdale3.2
North Cheshire7.9
South Cheshire4.7
East Lancashire1.6
North West Lancashire1.5
North and Mid Hampshire4.9
Southampton and South West Hampshire6.4
Somerset3.4
South and West Devon6.6
Wiltshire5.9
Avon6.5
Birmingham2.0
Wigan and Bolton3.7
Wirral2.8
Bradford0.8
County Durham and Darlington0.9
East Riding and Hull3.5
Gateshead and South Tyneside0.5
Leeds3.0
Newcastle and North Tyneside1.1
North Cumbria1.8
South Humber0.8
Northumberland0.9
Sunderland0.5
Tees0.4
Wakefield2.3
North Yorkshire1.2
Calderdale and Kirklees0.8
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly5.1
Dorset0.1
North and East Devon5.5
Gloucestershire1.6
Coventry2.7
Dudley2.2
Herefordshire3.7
Sandwell0.8
Shropshire3.5
Solihull1.2
North Staffordshire2.9
South Staffordshire5.2
Walsall0.8
Warwickshire1.1
Wolverhampton1.4
Worcestershire5.0
Cambridgeshire4.2
Norfolk5.3
Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire6.3
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey6.9
Hertfordshire6.1
Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich5.8
England total4.4

15 Oct 2001 : Column: 1045W

Epoetin

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information his Department has collated on the availability of Epoetin to treat anaemia in renal disease in England; and if he will make a statement; [6493]

Jacqui Smith: There is much published information to show that the successful treatment of anaemia in renal disease can improve patients' well-being and their quality of life. The majority of renal patients require epoetin to attain recommended haemoglobin levels. Data on the availability of epoetin are collected in surveys commissioned by the Department of Health. The last survey was conducted in 1998 and the results were published last year in the 3rd annual report from the United

15 Oct 2001 : Column: 1046W

Kingdom Renal Registry (copies available in the Library). This showed that 74 per cent. of all dialysis patients were being prescribed epoetin.

Diabetes

Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the diabetes National Service Framework. [8067]

Jacqui Smith: We will be publishing a standards document this autumn, which will set out national standards to improve the quality of care for people with diabetes. The standards document will include the aims of the National Service Framework, the underpinning evidence and proposed service models. It will indicate the broad direction of travel over what will be a ten year programme, starting in April 2003.

We will publish the delivery strategy (including milestones) for the Diabetes NSF next summer.

We shall also be setting up an Implementation Group this autumn, which will work with the national health service and other interested parties to develop a delivery strategy for the Diabetes NSF that takes account of the changing roles and responsibilities of NHS organisations emerging from "Shifting the Balance of Power". The agreed delivery strategy, including milestones, service models, performance indicators and underpinning programmes, will be published next summer.


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