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Information Management
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how data quality for information management purposes is managed within the NHS. [15401]
Ms Blears: Information used for management purposes should be accurate, relevant and timely to inform decision making which is appropriate and based on evidence. National health service managers are responsible for ensuing that the data collected and used by their organisation are of sufficient quality to meet their needs. Ideally, data should be collected once only, and verified as close as possible to the source of the data. Most NHS information systems have in-built validation routines which can check the quality of data as they are entered on to the system.
Further data quality checks are usually made as data pass between organisations. Data used to support commissioning, for example, are exchanged via the NHS-wide Clearing Service. Within this process, data quality reports are produced and returned to the data originator. In addition, the Department's regional offices provide feedback to NHS hospital trusts on the quality of data held in the NHS-wide clearing service database. The Department also produces data quality reports on the records received as hospital episode statistics, as well as validating other centrally required returns based on aggregated information.
Information Technology
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which body within the Department of Health has responsibility for drawing up information technology strategy. [15398]
Ms Blears: The Department's information services group has responsibility for drawing up the information technology strategy for the Department.
The information policy unit has overall responsibility for the delivery of the information strategy for the national health service, ensuring that it is kept up to date and is co-ordinated with information and IT issues surrounding policy development.
Professor Denis Protti
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has received the assessment of Professor Denis Protti of the information for Health Strategy; and if he will make a statement. [15400]
Ms Blears: The report of professor Denis Protti has not been received.
Dental Care Development Fund
David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities benefited from the dental care development fund in 2000–01; and how much finance was awarded in each case. [15305]
Ms Blears: Information on the health authorities receiving dental care development fund awards and the amounts awarded are shown in the table.
26 Nov 2001 : Column: 738W
26 Nov 2001 : Column: 739W
Care Homes for Young People
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the planned national standards for care homes for young people. [16024]
Jacqui Smith: Draft national minimum standards for younger adults' care homes were published for consultation between 29 June 2001 and 21 September 2001. 500 responses were received, expressing a range of views. We are now considering those responses and will publish the final version of the standards shortly.
Registered Nursing Beds
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered nursing beds in (a) general and mental nursing homes, (b) private hospitals and (c) clinics there were in the North Yorkshire Health Authority area in (i) 1999 and (ii) 2000; and how many there are now. [15949]
Jacqui Smith: The information available is given in the table. Details relating to 31 March 2001 will be published at the end of November 2001, in the Statistical Bulletin "Community Care Statistics 2001: Residential personal social services for adults, England".
| 1999 | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Registered beds in nursing homes(45) | 3,974 | 4,198 |
| Registered nursing beds in private hospitals and clinics | 480 | 122 |
(44) As at 31 March
(45) Registered nursing beds in general and mental nursing homes
Source:
Department of Health annual returns
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential and nursing home beds are available in Kent; and how many were available in 1997. [17422]
Jacqui Smith: The table shows the number of residential care beds in the shire county of Kent and the number of registered nursing beds in East Kent and West Kent health authorities in 1997 and 2000. Details relating to 31 March 2001 will be published at the end of November 2001, in the Statistical Bulletin, "Community Care Statistics 2001: Residential personal social services for adults, England".
26 Nov 2001 : Column: 740W
| (47)1997 | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Residential beds(48) | 16,009 | 13,518 |
| Nursing beds(49) | 4,712 | 5,051 |
(46) As at 31 March
(47) Figures for registered nursing beds relates to registered beds during the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997
(48) Beds registered within Kent local authority, exclude children's beds
(49) Beds registered within East Kent and West Kent health authorities, all client groups
Source:
Department of Health's annual returns
Community Care Plans (Replacement)
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to launch the consultation on replacing community care plans; and if he will make a statement. [17262]
Jacqui Smith: The consultation process seeking views to remove section 46 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, which requires councils to produce a community care plan, was completed on 5 November 2001. By that date, 115 responses were received.
Prisons
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts provide psychiatrists and other staff to prisons. [16629]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 22 November 2001]: Psychiatrists and other mental health staff work in prisons under a range of different organisational arrangements, full details of which are not held centrally.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practices provide primary care services to prisons; and if he will make a statement. [16630]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 22 November 2001]: Information on the number of general practices providing primary care in prisons is not held centrally. However, a survey this year of doctors who work in prisons showed that from the 225 who identified themselves as general practitioners, 180 were part time with 120 contracted to work for less than 10 hours a week.
There is no single model governing the recruitment of doctors to prison health care. Historically the system is one of mixed provision in which primary care is provided by doctors directly employed by the Prison Service, general practitioners under contract and locums, or by a combination of these arrangements. This flexibility allows for the most effective use of local labour markets.
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