House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 24 Jan 2002 (pt 28)

West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many candidates (a) applied and (b) were interviewed for (i) the chairmanship and (ii) the post of chief executive of the new west midlands, south strategic health authority. [28593]

Yvette Cooper: I understand from the National Health Service Appointments Commission that there were six applications for the chair post, and three candidates were interviewed.

91 individuals applied in response to the advertisement to recruit chief executives designate to all strategic health authorities. 52 candidates were interviewed for all posts. Appointments were made to each authority from a shortlist of successful candidates.

Candidates were asked to indicate their preference in their applications in terms of the geographical location they wish to work based on the current NHS regional boundaries. 26 applicants expressed an interest in being a chief executive of a strategic health authority in the west midlands, either exclusively or as a multiple choice. 11 were interviewed.

NHS Trusts (Worcestershire)

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many candidates (a) applied and (b) were interviewed for the chairmanship of the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust after the resignation of Mr. Harold Musgrove. [28592]

Yvette Cooper: I understand from the National Health Service Appointments Commission that there were 17 applications for the post, and four candidates were interviewed.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used to select the Chairman of the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust. [28591]

Yvette Cooper: The criteria are set out in the National Health Service Appointments Commission guidance on the appointments process for NHS chairs and non- executives, a copy of which is in the Library. The Appointments Commission will shortly be sending copies of the guidance to all hon. Members.

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Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many candidates (a) applied and (b) were interviewed for the chairmanship of the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust. [28594]

Yvette Cooper: I understand from the National Health Service Appointments Commission that there were 11 applications for the post, and three candidates were interviewed.

Food Poisoning

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated for food poisoning arising from food prepared and consumed (a) at home and (b) by others outside the home, in each year since 1990. [28043]

Ms Blears: The information requested is not available centrally. The source of illness can generally be determined only when two or more cases are linked (an outbreak). The great majority of cases of food poisoning cannot be linked in this way.

Health Care Assistants

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many health care assistants were employed in (a) acute hospital trusts and (b) primary care trusts in England in each of the last five years; [28224]

(a)

(b)

Mr. Hutton: The information requested for the number of health care assistants is in the table.

We aim to increase recruitment of health care assistants by developing career paths to encourage unqualified staff to work in the national health service across general practice and acute care. Dedicated investment in NVQ training will allow NHS staff to gain transferable skills to recognised national standards and enable more staff to gain qualifications to enter professional training and progress their careers further. In 2001–02 we expect over 2,000 health care assistants to start nurse training courses.

Investing in staff who do not have a professional qualification supports the goal of increasing career opportunities and qualifications for the support work force, while improving the quality of direct care for patients and freeing up professionals to make better use of their skills.

NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS)—health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff⁽²⁸⁾ employed by acute hospital trusts and PCTs in England as at 30 September each yearHeadcount

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

All England

Health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 134,720 138,600 141,820 146,440 151,550

of which:

Health care assistants 20,220 21,500 24,630 25,470 27,500

Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 114,500 117,110 117,190 120,960 124,060

Acute hospital trusts

Health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 45,150 45,780 40,290 40,290 43,670

of which:

Health care assistants 10,000 11,130 9,980 10,830 11,300

Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 35,150 34,650 30,320 29,460 32,360

PCTs

Health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— 500

of which:

Health care assistants ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— 40

Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— ⁽²⁹⁾— 460

	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
All England
Health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	134,720	138,600	141,820	146,440	151,550
of which:
Health care assistants	20,220	21,500	24,630	25,470	27,500
Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	114,500	117,110	117,190	120,960	124,060

Acute hospital trusts
Health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	45,150	45,780	40,290	40,290	43,670
of which:
Health care assistants	10,000	11,130	9,980	10,830	11,300
Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	35,150	34,650	30,320	29,460	32,360
PCTs
Health care assistants and unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	500
of which:
Health care assistants	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	40
Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	⁽²⁹⁾—	460

⁽²⁸⁾ Unqualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff includes unclassifiable staff

⁽²⁹⁾ Not applicable

Notes:

1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

2. Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts.

Source:

Department of Health Non Medical Workforce Census

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Ambulance Service

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the maximum number of casualties the Isle of Wight ambulance service could cope with in one incident; and what additional resources are required to meet a major incident. [28234]

Ms Blears: It is not possible to define the number of casualties that the Isle of Wight could cope with in one incident. That would depend on the nature of the incident.

Each incident is assessed by a duty officer, and if there were insufficient resources available locally to deal with the incident, we would instigate the escalation procedure in our major incident plan. This would involve calling upon the neighbouring ambulance services (Hampshire ambulance national health service) for assistance.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of attendances is per year in district general hospital accident and emergency departments in (a) England, (b) south-west England and (c) south-east England. [28226]

Ms Blears: The Department does not collect this information in the form requested.

Accident and emergency attendance is collected by national health service trusts.

Primary Care Trusts

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis primary care trusts will be funded from 2003–04. [29221]

Mr. Hutton: We currently allocate funding to health authorities, and they allocate funding to primary care trusts, on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each health authority and primary care trust's fair share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of services for populations in equal need.

In future the intention is that allocations will be made direct to primary care trusts. This is subject to the passage of legislation through Parliament. Allocations will continue to be based on the principle of weighted capitation.

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MMR

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the role of Dr. Elizabeth Miller (a) in the designing of safety studies into MMR, (b) in clearing the original UK trial cohort of 10,000 children and (c) in advising his Department on the safety of MMR. [28788]

Yvette Cooper: Dr. Elizabeth Miller is currently head of the Immunisation Division of the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre of the Public Health Laboratory Services (PHLS). With PHLS colleagues Dr. Miller has conducted a number of studies designed to investigate possible adverse effects of measles, mumps and rubella vaccines. The results of these studies have been subjected to independent peer review and published as follows:

1. Miller C., Miller E., Rowe K., Bowie C., Judd M., Walker D. Surveillance of Symptoms following MMR Vaccine in Children. The Practitioner, 1989; 233: 69–75.

2. Miller E., Goldacre M., Pugh S., Colville A., Farrington P., Flower A., Nash J., Macfarlane L., Tettmar R. Risk of aseptic meningitis after Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine in UK children. Lancet 1993;341:979–982.

3. Farrington P., Pugh S., Colville A., Flower A., Nash J., Morgan-Capner P., Rush M., Miller E. A new method for active surveillance of adverse events from Diphtheria/ tetanus/pertussis and Measles/mumps/rubella vaccines. Lancet 1995; 345:567–569.

4. Nash J.Q., Chandrakumar M., Farrington C.P., Williamson S., Miller E. Feasibility study for identifying adverse events attributable to vaccination by record linkage. Epidemiology and Infection 1995; 114: 475–480.

5. Farrington C.P., Nash J., Miller E. Case Series Analysis of adverse reactions to vaccines: A comparative evaluation. American Journal of Epidemiology 1996;143:1165–73.

6. Taylor B., Miller E., Farrington P., Petropoulos M.C., Favot-Mayaud I., Li J., Waight P.A. Autism and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association. Lancet 1999; 353:2026–2029.

7. Miller E., Waight P., Farrington P., Andrews N., Stowe J., Taylor B. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and MMR vaccine (short report). Archives of Disease in Childhood 2001;84:227–229.

8. Farrington C.P., Miller E., Taylor B. MMR and autism: further evidence against a causal association. Vaccine 2001; 19:3632–3635.

Dr. Elizabeth Miller, under the direction of the then head of the immunisation division, Dr. Christine Miller, assisted in the design and analysis of the study in 10,000

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children that was carried out in 1987–88. The results of that study were not used for licensure of MMR vaccine in the United Kingdom. The responsibility for licensure resides with the Medicines Control Agency and is based on the evidence of vaccine safety, efficacy and quality provided by the manufacturer.

The Department would expect the head of the immunisation division to provide advice to the Department on all aspects of immunisation. Dr. Miller would also provide advice to the Department's independent advisory committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, and, as required to the Committee on Safety of Medicines.

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