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Care Homes
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the latest estimate he has available is of the (a) cost of implementing physical changes to residential and nursing homes and (b) annual cost of staffing implication resulting from the Care Standards Act 2000. [32699]
Jacqui Smith: The latest estimate of the cost of compliance with the new standards and regulations for care homes was published in the regulatory impact assessment, which was placed in the Library in December 2001.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) average and (b) longest times waited by patients assessed as needing a care home whilst on an acute assessment ward before leaving the ward for a care home were in the last 12 months (i) in the UK and (ii) in North Yorkshire. [36916]
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Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally in the form requested.
Ageism
Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on how the £12 million dedicated to countering ageism in the NHS has been allocated. [34404]
Jacqui Smith: No such allocation of dedicated funding has been made. The programme of action provided by the National Service Framework for Older People to address the issues of age discrimination is centred on giving older people fair access to all services. This is regardless of age, on the basis of clinical need in the national health service, and in social care services by ending the use of age in eligibility criteria to restrict access to available services. Older people as the major users of health and social care services will benefit from increased levels of funding over the coming years, building on the announcements in the NHS Plan.
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Fertility Treatment
Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the NICE guidelines for fertility treatment will be published. [34617]
Ms Blears: I understand that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has not yet published a timetable for development of these guidelines.
Accountancy Contracts
Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the (a) number and (b) value of contracts awarded by his Department to (i) Arthur Andersen, (ii) Deloitte Touche, (ii) Ernst and Young, (iv) KPMG and (v) PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants in each year since 1997. [34988]
Ms Blears: The Department does not centrally hold a record of individual contracts. However our financial records show the following total payments made by the Department (excluding its agencies) to (i) Arthur Andersen, (ii) Deloitte Touche, (iii) Ernst and Young, (iv) KPMG and (v) PricewaterhouseCoopers by fiscal year since April 1997:
| 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (i) Andersen | 51,547 | 7,226 | 0.00 | 1,774 | 0.00 |
| (ii) Deloitte Touche | 72,350 | 45,445 | 11,083 | 55,604 | 342,730 |
| (iii) Ernst and Young | 26,229 | 18,211 | 23.00 | 30,918 | 66,676 |
| (iv) KPMG | 331,712 | 166,943 | 222,802 | 33,054 | 1,147,785 |
| (v) PricewaterhouseCoopers | 143,710 | 196,890 | 244,699 | 1,039,566 | 308,364 |
Working Conditions and Practices
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed in his Department on a job share contract; and what percentage of vacant positions was advertised on this basis in the last 12 months. [35361]
Ms Blears: Employees working on job-share contracts are recorded as "part-time" workers. It is therefore not possible to identify the number of staff employed on a job-share contract, as the figures do not differentiate between those actually employed part-time and those employed specifically on a job-share contract.
The policy of the Department is to assume that all jobs are capable of being carried out on a part-time basis and, therefore, no specific reference is made in advertisements to the fact that the post is suitable for part-time working. Recruiting managers are expected to make reasonable adjustments to job descriptions or other aspects of the job to meet the needs of applicants with non-standard working hours or working patterns.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [35926]
Ms Blears: The Department does not hold any data specifically on the number of reported cases of work related stress. While the Department collects data on sickness absence, which includes stress, it is not possible to identify if the cause of the 'stress related illness' was work related. It is not possible, therefore, to identify costs.
The Department's settlement/compensation payments are made to address a number of circumstances, of which work-related stress is only one element. Central records giving compensation payments on the grounds of work-related stress are not recorded separately.
The Department has a number of procedures in place to help managers and staff to be aware of and to reduce work-related stress. The Department has:
- issued guidance for managers and staff in line with health and safety legislation on 'Working Time Regulations'.
Has a mental health policy that recognises that stress at work is a significant contributor to mental health problems.
Issued guidance to managers and staff on the causes of stress and how to reduce this.
Provides staff with a free confidential counselling service, "Care First", and
encourages its staff to attend relevant training or discuss any concerns with their line managers.
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As part of the 'revitalising health & safety' initiative aspects of the above will be reviewed in relation to stress in the workplace.
St. George's Hospital, Tooting
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial allocation has been made to St George's Hospital, Tooting in each of the last 10 years. [35322]
Mr. Hutton: St George's Healthcare National Health Service trust does not receive a financial allocation but receives income for the services it provides to other NHS organisations. The Trust also receives income from other sources including overseas and private patients as well as funding for education, training, research and development.
St George's was established on April 1 1993. The total income of the Trust since its establishment is as follows:
| Year | Income |
|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 139,109 |
| 1994–95 | 143,092 |
| 1995–96 | 152,098 |
| 1996–97 | 161,793 |
| 1997–98 | 173,135 |
| 1998–99 | 185,927 |
| 1999–2000 | 227,622 |
| 2000–01 | 223,195 |
Note:
The Trust received additional one off funds in 1999–2000 to offset impairments to fixed assets (£21 million).
Thrombolysis Treatment
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at which hospital A and E departments thrombolysis treatment is not available. [35982]
Ms Blears: All Accident and Emergency Departments have the capability to provide thrombolysis for patients suffering from heart attacks and the vast majority provides this treatment. In a very small number of trusts, arrangements for the management of patients with heart attacks include rapid admission to Coronary Care Units for thrombolysis rather than treatment in the Accident and Emergency Department.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at which hospital with coronary care units thrombolysis treatment is not available. [35983]
Yvette Cooper: Thrombolysis treatment is available at all coronary care units. Providing thrombolysis for heart attack patients as quickly as possible is the subject of one of the standards set out in the National Service Framework, our ten-year programme for improving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when thrombolysis treatment will be made available at Hull Royal Infirmary. [35984]
Jacqui Smith: Thrombolysis treatment has been administered at Hull Royal Infirmary since 1987.
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Hospital Waiting Times
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long waiting times are and how many people are waiting for referral to cancer specialists in the Hull and East Riding over the last 12 months. [35980]
Jacqui Smith: In Hull and East Riding patients waiting to see a cancer specialist, with few exceptions, are seen in outpatients within a week and inpatients within two to three days.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long waiting times are and how many people are waiting for examinations for cancer in Hull and the East Riding. [35978]
Jacqui Smith: Patients in Hull and East Riding, who are referred by their general practitioner with suspected cancer, should be seen within two weeks in accordance with the NHS cancer plan targets.
From January to December 2001, of the 2,413 patients referred via the two week wait process only 15 waited longer than two weeks and all of these were seen within 42 days of urgent GP referral.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many have waited longer than eight weeks to see a cancer specialist after being referred by their GP in Hull and the East Riding in the past 12 months. [35979]
Jacqui Smith: Health authority records show that, in Hull and East Riding, 2,413 patients were referred via the two week wait process from January to December 2001. Of these only 15 waited longer than two weeks and all of these were seen within 42 days of urgent general practitioner referral.
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients admitted to A and E departments in Hull and East Riding have waited more than 12 hours before being treated in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [35985]
Jacqui Smith: All patients waiting in Accident and Emergency at Hull Royal Infirmary are treated within 12 hours. During the year 2001, there were no 12-hour inappropriate waits in Accident and Emergency at Hull Royal Infirmary.
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