| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Sierra Leone
Mr. Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Sierra Leone. [10750]
1 Nov 2001 : Column: 814W
Mr. Bradshaw: The Government's strategy towards Sierra Leone was set out in the Foreign Secretary's statement to the House on 6 June 2000. That strategy remains valid. Our objective is to ensure that the people of Sierra Leone are offered a realistic prospect of peace and stability.
Since the intervention of UK forces in May 2000 we have made good progress in helping the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations restore peace. There has been an effective ceasefire in place since May 2001. Some 20,000 combatants have now entered the disarmament process. The Revolutionary United Front has committed itself to a political agenda. Training by UK forces has transformed the Sierra Leone Army into a more effective and accountable force, but a significant challenge remains. We are now working hard with the United Nations and international partners to consolidate the peace, prepare the ground for free and fair elections in May 2002, and mobilise resources to rehabilitate Sierra Leone's shattered communities, institutions and economy.
Holocaust Memorial Day
Mr. Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans have been made by (a) his Department and (b) institutions involved in the preparations for Holocaust Memorial Day 2002. [11277]
Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, 1 November 2001, Official Report, column 851W.
HEALTH
Care Home Standards
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will (a) list the groups consulted on the drafting of care home standards; (b) publish the representations he received from those consulted, (c) indicate where these documents will be published; and if he will make a statement. [7992]
Jacqui Smith: The Department received 1,250 responses on "Fit for the future". A summary of these was placed on the website when the National Minimum Standards for Older People was published in March 2001. The Department has received 500 responses to the younger adult and adult placement standards and a summary of these findings will be made available in due course.
Winter Pressures
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources he plans to provide to (a) Worcestershire county council and (b) Worcestershire health authority to relieve winter pressures and to enable patients to be transferred from hospitals to more appropriate care; and if he will make a statement. [8039]
Jacqui Smith: On 9 October we announced a £300 million 'cash for change' initiative to tackle delayed transfers. This programme of investment and reform will
1 Nov 2001 : Column: 815W
help to free up beds in hospitals, reduce waiting times for treatment and ensure patients, particularly older people, are cared for in the most appropriate place. The resources will be used to purchase residential and nursing care, intensive home care and intermediate care from local providers.
Worcestershire county council is due to receive an allocation of £713,000 from the £100 million being allocated this year and Worcestershire health authority received an extra £382,000 in April to help it prepare for winter pressures.
Hospital Beds (Worcestershire)
Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the number of beds inappropriately occupied in (a) acute hospitals and (b) community hospitals in Worcestershire; and if he will make a statement. [8038]
Jacqui Smith: As at week ending 7 October 2001 it has been reported that the number of delayed transfers of care patients occupying national health service beds in the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust was 74, and 19 in the Worcestershire Community and Mental Health NHS Trust.
Worcestershire social services and the local health economy are working collaboratively to address existing needs. Worcestershire county council is due to receive an allocation of £713,000 from our 'cash for change' initiative. Worcestershire health authority also received an extra £382,000 in April to help it prepare for winter pressures.
1 Nov 2001 : Column: 816W
Pharmacies (NHSnet)
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to connect pharmacies to NHSnet. [8525]
Jacqui Smith: Our information strategy for the modern national health service 1998–2005—"Information for Health", published September 1998 stated that by the end of 2001 a project will be established to explore ways of using the NHSnet to link all computerised general practitioner practices to local community pharmacies. Both of these groups would link to the Prescription Pricing Authority. "Pharmacy in the Future—Implementing the NHS Plan", published in September 2000 pledged that electronic transfer of prescriptions would be introduced in the community by 2004.
The Department is working with the commercial sector to establish pilots to test the feasibility, benefits and costs of e-prescribing across the NHSnet. Good progress has been made since my noble Friend the Lord Hunt of Kings Health announced on 29 March 2001 the approval of three pilots to test the benefits, costs and risks of electronic transmission of prescriptions.
Mental Health Services
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff vacancies there are in the mental health sector of the NHS (a) nationally and (b) in each region. [10527]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the tables. Staff working in the Mental Health Sector are collected for the following disciplines:
| Percentage | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England(8) | Northern & Yorkshire | Trent | West Midlands | North West | Eastern | London | South East | South West | |
| Specific consultant specialties(9) | |||||||||
| Forensic psychiatry | 5.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.2 | 0.0 | 8.5 | 7.7 | (10)— |
| General psychiatry | 7.8 | 8.2 | 4.0 | 11.0 | 12.2 | 5.8 | 7.5 | 10.2 | 1.3 |
| Learning disabilities | 13.3 | 13.5 | 26.3 | 8.3 | 21.7 | 10.3 | 12.2 | 11.1 | 6.7 |
| Old age psychiatry | 9.3 | 10.0 | 11.4 | 7.9 | 14.6 | 16.1 | 2.3 | 8.5 | 0.0 |
| Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff | |||||||||
| Community learning disabilities | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 1.4 |
| Other learning disabilities | 3.4 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 4.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 6.2 | 5.0 | 5.1 |
| Community psychiatry | 2.6 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 7.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 |
| Other psychiatry | 3.9 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 7.3 | 6.1 | 2.3 |
| Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff | |||||||||
| Clinical psychology | 4.3 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 3.9 | 6.5 | 4.1 | 2.5 |
| Psychotherapy | 2.0 | 5.6 | 3.4 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 0.0 |
(6) Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents)
(7) Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the September 2000 medical and dental and non-medical work force censuses (whole-time equivalent)
(8) England percentages include staff from Special health authorities.
(9) There are two other specialties (Child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy) that were not separately identified in the vacancy survey and are therefore not included here, but are in the total consultant figures.
(10) Figures based on less than 10 staff in post.
Note:
Percentages rounded to one decimal place
Source:
Department of Health Vacancies Survey 2001
(11) Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents)
(12) England totals include staff from Special health authorities
(13) There are two other specialties (Child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy) that were not separately identified in the vacancy survey and are therefore not included here, but are in the total consultant figures
(14) Figures based on less than 10 staff in post
Notes:
Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10
Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding
Source:
Departmental of Health Vacancies Survey 2001
1 Nov 2001 : Column: 817W
| Whole-time equivalents | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England(15) | Northern & Yorkshire | Trent | West Midlands | North West | Eastern | London | South East | South West | |
| Specific consultant specialties(16) | |||||||||
| Forensic psychiatry | 150 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | 10 | 0 |
| General psychiatry | 1,490 | 170 | 140 | 130 | 180 | 110 | 380 | 230 | 150 |
| Learning disabilities | 170 | 30 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 10 |
| Old age psychiatry | 300 | 60 | 30 | 30 | 40 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 20 |
| Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff | |||||||||
| Community learning disabilities | 3,340 | 430 | 250 | 590 | 490 | 510 | 310 | 630 | 140 |
| Other learning disabilities | 5,060 | 810 | 660 | 510 | 760 | 610 | 220 | 1,010 | 470 |
| Community psychiatry | 10,190 | 1,320 | 1,000 | 1,180 | 1,230 | 980 | 1,730 | 1,720 | 1,030 |
| Other psychiatry | 25,610 | 3,280 | 2,520 | 2,510 | 3,690 | 2,220 | 4,490 | 3,360 | 2,240 |
| Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff | |||||||||
| Clinical psychology | 4,050 | 510 | 310 | 500 | 490 | 270 | 920 | 600 | 390 |
| Psychotherapy | 410 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 30 | 30 | 200 | 50 | 30 |
(15) England totals include staff from special health authorities
(16) There are two other specialities (Child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy) that were not separately identified
Notes:
1. Whole-time equivalents are rounded to the nearest 10
2. Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding
3. Rates percentages can not be calculated from these figures
Sources:
Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census 2000
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census 2000
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women-only mental health day centres (a) have been established and (b) are planned to be established (i) in the current financial year, (ii) in 2002–03 and (iii) in 2003–04. [11529]
Jacqui Smith: [holding answer 31 October 2001]: A target has been set to ensure that women-only mental health day centres are in place in every health authority by 2004. Currently the Department knows of 88 women-only community day centres and services being run by the
1 Nov 2001 : Column: 818W
voluntary sector and supported, in part, by statutory sector funding. A considerable amount of development work is under way to further strengthen the delivery of high quality mental health services for women including the production of a national women's mental health strategy in 2002. The strategy document will describe the service specification for the provision of women-only mental health day centres and services, against which we will measure progress to ensure that this target is achieved by 2004.
1 Nov 2001 : Column: 819W
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the work of the Anam Cara mental health crisis house in Birmingham; and if he will make a statement on the efficacy of such alternatives to hospital care. [11532]
Jacqui Smith: [holding answer 31 October 2001]: The full report on the evaluation of services at the Anam Cara mental health crisis house is not due to be published until the new year. However, I understand that initial reports are very favourable.
For many people crisis houses such as Anam Cara can provide an appropriate alternative to hospital and help to meet the particular needs of women and of ethnic minority communities, especially where additional support can be provided. They can complement the 335 crisis resolution teams that we will be developing across the country over the next three years as we deliver the mental health commitments we set out in the NHS plan.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many out of area crisis mental health admissions which are not clinically indicated have taken place in each month of 2001 to date. [11528]
Jacqui Smith: [holding answer 31 October 2001]: The information requested is not available centrally.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what local reviews of mental health services (a) have so far taken place and (b) are proposed in the current financial year. [11526]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 31 October 2001]: The Department has co-ordinated two reviews of mental health services since the publication of the mental health National Service Framework in 1999. They have been co-ordinated through the local implementation teams (LITs).
In this financial year, the Department announced via the "Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide" that LITs should co-ordinate a comprehensive review of mental health services as part of the planning process required for implementation of the NHS Plan targets and mental health NSF targets. This process was aligned with the local modernisation reviews, which health authorities were required to co-ordinate as part of the implementation of all NHS Plan targets.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |