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Suicides (Mentally Ill People)
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in reducing the suicide rate among severely mentally ill people since 1997. [10012]
Jacqui Smith: [holding answer 29 October 2001]: We take the issue of suicide very seriously. This is why strategies to reduce suicide form a major part of the Government's programme outlined in "Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation, (OHN)" and why the Department funds the "National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness". It is too early to assess progress on the overall "OHN" target to reduce the death rate from suicide and undetermined injury by at least a fifth by the year 2010. This is because the most recent three-year pooled data overlap the start of OHN,
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which was published in 1999. However, the Department is taking steps to implement recommendations concerning those with a severe mental illness outlined in the most recent report of the national confidential inquiry called "Safety First", published in March 2001.
Maternity Units
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average cost to the NHS of deliveries in (a) midwife-led maternity units and (b) acute units. [10015]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 29 October 2001]: The information is not available in the format requested. The Reference Costs 2001 Collection, due to be published in
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late November 2001, separately identifies those deliveries that are hospital based from those that are based in the community or at home. This information will not, however, differentiate between who leads the professional group, for example, midwives or obstetricians.
The table shows the average costs for all hospital based deliveries.
| £ mean average | ||
|---|---|---|
| HRG code/label | NELIP | ELIP |
| N06—Normal delivery with complications/comorbidities | 1,176 | 1,102 |
| N07—Normal delivery without complications/comorbidities | 738 | 785 |
| N08—Assisted delivery with complications/comorbidities | 1,420 | 1,189 |
| N09—Assisted delivery without complications/comorbidities | 1,035 | 1,106 |
| N10—Caesarean section with complications/comorbidities | 2,126 | 2,406 |
| N11—Caesarean section without complications/comorbidities | 1,738 | 1,761 |
Breast Cancer
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in achieving maximum target wait times of one month from diagnosis to treatment for breast cancer by 2001; and to what stage of treatment this refers. [11064]
Ms Blears [holding answer 29 October 2001]: Full implementation of the maximum target wait of one month from diagnosis to their first definitive treatment for breast cancer will be rolled out by 31 December 2001. National health service trusts have submitted action plans setting out their plans to achieve the 2001 targets and have established shadow monitoring arrangements to monitor their progress. Central monitoring will commence on 1 January 2002.
Private Sector Concordat
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients treated under the concordat with the private sector are at state retirement age. [10489]
Mr. Milburn [holding answer 30 October 2001]: The Department does not collect information on National Health Service funded cases in the private sector in the form requested. In 1999–2000 36 per cent. of finished consultant episodes in NHS trusts in England involved people over the state pension age (65 for men, 60 for women); however it is not necessarily the case that the same proportion will apply to patients treated under the concordat.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessments he has made of future activity levels under the concordat with the private sector. [10491]
Mr. Milburn [holding answer 30 October 2001]: Latest figures show there have been in the region of 60,000 National Health Service funded cases in the private sector since the concordat between the NHS and the independent sector was signed in October last year. Officials are in discussion with private sector providers
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with a view to developing a national framework agreement to build longer-term relationships between the NHS and the private sector. The aim of this agreement would be to double the number of elective procedures carried out in the private sector on the NHS's behalf. On that basis we believe that next year NHS-funded elective activity in the private sector should exceed 100,000 cases.
Nottingham Health Authority
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the additional resources required to bring the Nottingham health authority up to 100 per cent. of its weighted capitation in (a) cash and (b) percentage terms. [11306]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 30 October 2001]: Nottingham health authority's distance from weighted capitation target for 2001–02 is £7 million in cash terms or 1.55 per cent. below target. For 2001–02, Nottingham health authority received an allocation of £465 million, which is an increase of £39 million in cash terms or 9.15 per cent. The weighted capitation formula is used to set targets that inform allocations, but the formula does not determine allocations.
Community Mental Health Staff
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many additional community mental health staff (a) have been employed and (b) will be employed in the current financial year [11523]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 31 October 2001]: Community mental health staff are employed by the national health service, local authorities and voluntary and independent sector organisations. Data currently collected by the Department identify community psychiatry nurses. However, medical, therapy and social care staff working in mental health services in the community are not identified separately. Between 1997 and 2000 the number of qualified community psychiatry nurses employed in the NHS increased from 9,740 to 11,080.
It is not possible to say how many community mental health staff will be employed in the current financial year. The work force census is carried out on 30 September each year. Data for 2001 will be published in January 2002.
Mental Health (Prisoners)
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners with serious mental illness (a) have left prison and (b) will leave prison in the current financial year without (i) a care plan and (ii) a care co-ordinator. [11531]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 31 October 2001]: At present prisons do not keep records in a form that would readily provide the statistics requested. The NHS Plan, published in July 2000, gave a commitment that by 2004 no prisoner with serious mental illness will leave prison without a care plan and a designated care co-ordinator. Work is under way to develop mental health in-reach services in prisons in order to meet this and other NHS Plan commitments relating to mental health services for prisoners. A start is being made in 12 prisons in England in this financial year and it is expected that in-reach will be in operation in about 70 prisons with the greatest
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mental health need by 2004. We are working with Her Majesty's Prison Service to ensure that information is collected to enable us to track progress with this initiative.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of prisoners with severe mental illness are in receipt of treatment. [11530]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 31 October 2001]: It is estimated that at any one time around 5,000 prisoners have severe mental illness and, depending on the capacity of the prison health care team, will receive some support and treatment. The NHS Plan, published in July 2000, gave a commitment that by 2004, 5,000 prisoners at any time will be receiving more comprehensive mental health services in prison. Work is under way to develop mental health in-reach services in prisons in order to meet this and other NHS Plan commitments relating to mental health services for prisoners. A start is being made in 12 prisons in England in this financial year and it is expected that in-reach will be in operation in around 70 or so prisons with the greatest mental health need by 2004.
In 1999, the latest year for which statistics have been published, 742 prisoners were transferred to hospital as restricted patients for treatment for mental disorder under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
NHS Costs
Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the change in the NHS deflator measure of cost increases for each of the last 10 years; what the annual increase in the retail price index was for each year; and if he will make a statement. [10809]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 31 October 2001]: The table shows the national health service inflation index and the retail price index from 1991–92 to 2000–01.
| Year | NHS inflation index | Retail prices index |
|---|---|---|
| 1991–92 | (17)— | 4.0 |
| 1992–93 | 5.8 | 1.9 |
| 1993–94 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
| 1994–95 | 2.6 | 3.5 |
| 1995–96 | 3.7 | 2.7 |
| 1996–97 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| 1997–98 | 2.1 | 3.6 |
| 1998–99 | 3.9 | 2.0 |
| 1999–2000 | 4.5 | 2.6 |
| 2000–01 | (17)— | 2.3 |
(17) Not available
The table shows that the NHS deflator has risen by approximately 7 per cent. above the retail prices index, over the last decade. This is primarily because NHS pay has increased faster the RPI. This shows that NHS staff are receiving real terms pay increases.
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