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NHS Plan
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards providing the additional intermediate care beds announced in the NHS Plan. [35410]
Jacqui Smith: The NHS Plan set a target of 5,000 extra national health service intermediate-care beds by March 2004, over the baseline of 1999–2000.
A survey undertaken last summer indicates that by the end of this year (2001–02) we shall have 2,400 extra beds.
Mental Health
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of the (a) proportion of those with a diagnosis of severe mental illness who are in employment and (b) trend in the prevalence of psychiatric disorder by employment status. [35510]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 February, 2002]: Information on the proportion of individuals with a diagnosis of severe mental illness who are in employment, and trends in the prevalence of psychiatric disorder by employment is not collected centrally by the Department.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in implementation of the National Service Framework for Mental Health. [35490]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 February, 2002]: The targets set in the mental health National Service Framework (NSF) for April 2001 were all achieved on time. These included 170 assertive outreach teams; almost 500 additional secure beds; over 320 additional 24 hour staffed care beds; access to services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for all those with complex mental health problems; investment to improve the physical environments in psychiatric wards; and guidance has been issued to ensure the safety, privacy and dignity of mental health patients.
Speech Therapy
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for speech and language therapists in the National Health Service. [36771]
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Mr. Hutton: The information requested in shown in the table.
| England | |
|---|---|
| Three month vacancy number | 200 |
| Three month vacancy rate (percentage) | 4.7 |
| Staff in post | 4,210 |
Notes:
1. 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)
2. 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 workforce censuses (whole time equivalent)
3. Staff in post is from the September 2001 non-medical workforce census
4. Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten
5. England totals include staff from Special Health Authorities
Source: Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2001 and HCHS Non-Medical Workforce Census September 2001
Mr. Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make speech and language therapy a statutory service. [36775]
Mr. Hutton: Speech and language therapists are a recognised profession, which have been state regulated since 1999. We have no plans for the service to be based in statute.
Treatment Abroad
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance is given to parents with the cost of visiting and telephoning their children in hospitals abroad for NHS treatment; if the Government will set up such a new scheme to help parents; and if he will make a statement. [33022]
Mr. Hutton: No children are being sent abroad for national health service treatment under the test bed scheme currently under way in the south east of England. If the NHS chooses to commission care for children overseas at some point in the future we would expect commissioners to ensure that children were accompanied by a parent or carer at the NHS' expense.
It is rare for children to travel abroad under the E112 scheme which requires prior authorisation from the NHS and the Department. The Department has not in the past paid for travel and non-hospital accommodation costs for the child and accompanying adult, although in practice the NHS has found ways, e.g. through charitable funds, to help in deserving cases. The Department is reviewing this policy as part of its wider review of the working of the E112 system.
Entertainment Costs
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the
25 Feb 2002 : Column 1024W
amount spent by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by his Department and how much reclaimed. [34450]
Ms Blears: The Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies classify management and accounting data about spending on food and alcohol in widely different ways. To provide the information requested would involve a disproportionate expense.
Mobile Telephones
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff. [34392]
Ms Blears: The information requested is not available centrally.
Failing Hospitals
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on allowing private sector managers to run failing hospitals. [34490]
Mr. Hutton: Poorly performing national health service organisations that fail to respond to special measures and meet their recovery plan will be put under the control of a new senior management. Franchise bids to run poorly performing NHS trusts will be invited from experienced NHS managers with a good track record for delivery. In future expressions of interest could be invited from elsewhere, and subject to a tender from an approved list.
The types of non-NHS organisation that might be interested in franchises to run zero rated NHS trusts are likely to include:
- organisations with specific experience and expertise in the health field;
non-health organisations with relevant management capability, but which would need to bring in staff with health expertise.
Social Services
Mr. Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of social services SSA was in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, (b) all unitary authorities and (c) on average in England, in each year from 1997–98. [34902]
Jacqui Smith: The social services standard spending assessment figures are set out in the table.
25 Feb 2002 : Column 1025W
| Stoke-on-Trent | Total unitaries(97) | Total England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 38.102 | 753.385 | 7,392.117 |
| 1998–99 | 41.200 | 1253.952 | 7,814.651 |
| 1999–2000 | 46.787 | 1331.024 | 8,268.000 |
| 2000–01 | 49.080 | 1399.805 | 8,693.400 |
| 2001–02 | 50.460 | 1435.596 | 8,955.400 |
| 2002–03 | 51.660 | 1475.623 | 9,230.994 |
(97) A number of new unitary authorities was created in 1998–99. Figures for unitaries are not, therefore, on a consistent and comparable basis.
The equivalent SSA figures per head of population are as follows:
| Stoke-on-Trent | Total unitaries(98) | Total England | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 150 | 146 | 151 |
| 1998–99 | 162 | 152 | 159 |
| 1999–2000 | 184 | 161 | 168 |
| 2000–01 | 195 | 169 | 176 |
| 2001–02 | 201 | 173 | 180 |
| 2002–03 | 207 | 177 | 184 |
(98) A number of new unitary authorities was created in 1998–99. Figures for unitaries are not, therefore, on a consistent and comparable basis.
Haemophilia
Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his policy to provide recombinant (synthetic) clothing factors for new haemophilia patients and children under 16; and if it applies to the provision of Factor VIIa to patients with inhibitors, who are resistant to Factor VIII and IX. [35282]
Yvette Cooper: In 1998 we notified health authorities that from 1998–99 all children under the age of 16 and new patients with haemophilia A should receive recombinant factor VIII. From April 1999 this policy was extended to recombinant factor IX for patients with haemophilia B. We have not issued any advice to health authorities on the treatment of patients with inhibitors, of which recombinant factor VIIa is one of a range of possible treatments. Guidance on overall management of these patients, including the use of recombinant factor VIIa, has however been issued by the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisation. A copy of these guidelines is available in the Library.
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