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Lymphoedema
Mr. Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of treatment for lymphoedema is available (a) nationally, (b) within the West Midlands and (c) in Walsall. [11998]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 2 November 2001]: Data on the number of lymphoedema clinics across the United Kingdom are not collected either centrally or regionally.
We are aware of the following services available to patients in Walsall: Little Bloxwich day hospice has a full time specialist lymphoedema nurse who runs lymphoedema clinics; St Giles hospice has two lymphoedema nurses providing services.
Nuclear Accidents (Iodine)
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what stocks of iodine doses are held against the possibility of nuclear accidents. [12616]
Jacqui Smith: The exact figure is not held centrally by the Department as stocks are held in locations close to operating nuclear installations, however, I have been advised that nearly three million tablets were produced in 1998 and are held by the various parts of the nuclear industry throughout the United Kingdom including Ministry of Defence sites.
Partnership Grant
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been paid to local authorities in 2001–02 under the partnership grant; and how much is allocated for 2002–03. [12363]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 5 November 2001]:The partnership grant was last paid in 2000–01. It has been subsumed in the promoting independence grant, which amounts to £296 million in 2001–02 and is provisionally £862 million in 2002–03.
National Care Standards Commission
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accountants there are in the planned establishment for the inspection function of the National Care Standards Commission; and how many have been recruited. [12342]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 5 November 2001]: There are no plans to recruit accountants within the inspection function of the National Care Standards Commission. The headquarters of the Commission has two posts requiring qualified accountants, one of whom has already been recruited. The Commission may seek external accountancy advice as necessary.
Clinical Negligence
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many claims for clinical negligence against the
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NHS which went to trial were successful; and of these how many were (a) legal aid cases and (b) pursued on a no win, no fee basis, for the latest year for which figures are available; [11950]
- (2) how many claims for clinical negligence against the NHS went to trial; and of these how many were (a) legal aid cases and (b) pursued on a no win, no fee basis for the latest year for which figures are available; [11949]
(3) how many claims for clinical negligence were (a) made against the NHS and (b) settled out of court; of these how many were (i) legal aid cases and (ii) pursued on a no win, no fee basis; how many went to trial; and of these how many were legal aid cases in the latest year for which figures are available. [11948]
Ms Blears [holding answer 5 November 2001]: Comprehensive data on the total number of clinical negligence claims are not collected centrally.
However, the national health service litigation authority handles clinical negligence claims made against the NHS under two risk pooling schemes, but only those at above certain values. Of the claims held by the NHS litigation authority on its database, there were 4,570 reported to the relevant NHS body in the year 2000–01.
The NHS litigation authority's database does not show whether cases are settled out of court or go to trial. However, the NHSLA estimates that approximately 95 per cent. of cases which they settle are done out of court. It is also not possible to distinguish from NHSLA data whether a case is funded by legal aid or under a conditional fee arrangement (no win, no fee). However, the NHSLA estimate that approximately 95 per cent. of all cases are legally aided, while the number being pursued under a conditional fee arrangement is limited to around a dozen.
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost was to the NHS of clinical negligence cases in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and in each year what was the proportion paid in legal fees. [11953]
Ms Blears [holding answer 5 November 2001]: Figures on the amounts included in the National Audit Summarised Accounts for clinical negligence expenditure for the latest available years are as follows:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 235 |
| 1997–98 | 144 |
| 1998–99 | 221 |
| 1999–2000 | 373 |
Source:
National health service summarised accounts for health authorities, NHS trusts and NHS litigation authority
Figures prior to 1996–97 are not available because clinical negligence was not separately identified in the accounts before that date.
Changes to accounting policies mean that these amounts are not directly comparable.
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The summarised accounts do not show, and it is therefore not possible to break down, separately what proportion of these figures are for legal fees.
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate is of the annual cost to the NHS of a no-fault compensation scheme for clinical negligence. [11954]
Ms Blears [holding answer 5 November 2001]: There are no reliable estimates of likely costs of no-fault compensation.
No-fault compensation is among the issues now being considered by the Chief Medical Officer's advisory committee looking at the options for reforming the system for dealing with clinical negligence claims. The Department has recently commissioned Professor Paul Fenn, Professor of insurance policy at the University of Nottingham, to conduct a study evaluating the potential cost of alternative systems for compensating patients.
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many claims for clinical negligence were made against the NHS in each of the last five years, for which figures are available. [11951]
Ms Blears [holding answer 5 November 2001]: Comprehensive data on the total number of clinical negligence claims are not collected centrally.
However, the national health service litigation authority handles clinical negligence claims made against the NHS under two risk pooling schemes, but only those at above certain values. The NHS litigation authority does not hold data on whether a case is funded by legal aid or under a conditional fee arrangement (no-win no-fee). Of the claims held by the NHS litigation authority on its database, the information requested is set shown in the table:
| Year | All claims |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 4,017 |
| 1997–98 | 6,711 |
| 1998–99 | 6,415 |
| 1999–2000 | 5,973 |
| 2000–01 | 4,570 |
Doctor Suicides
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the suicide rate was among NHS doctors in the latest 12 month period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [12600]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 5 November 2001]: The information requested is not available centrally.
Avon Health Authority
Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the proportion of the administrative budget of Avon health authority that will be transferred to (a) primary care trusts, (b) the Strategic Health Authority and (c) the regional Government office from April 2002. [12368]
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Ms Blears [holding answer 5 November 2001]: Avon health authority is undertaking preliminary work on the transfer of budgets from the authority to those organisations that are assuming its functions. It is not, however, possible to provide robust estimates on final allocations until the functions and structures of each organisation are agreed in the new year.
Beta Interferon
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the mechanism by which patients will be able to participate in the extended clinical trials of the beta interferon drug. [12344]
Ms Blears: We are currently holding discussions with the manufacturers to consider a range of options under which drugs for multiple sclerosis might be made available under the national health service. One option is a risk-sharing scheme which will evaluate their clinical and cost effectiveness, and until these discussions are concluded we cannot provide the information requested.
Overseas Doctors
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what disciplinary regimes overseas doctor applicants to the NHS will be subject to while employed in the UK. [12709]
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Mr. Hutton: In order to practise in the United Kingdom, all doctors must be registered with the General Medical Council.
Overseas hospital doctors employed in the national health service are subject to exactly the same disciplinary regimes as all other doctors. Also, overseas doctors working as general practitioners in the NHS are subject to the same disciplinary systems as other GPs.
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