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HEALTH
Special Advisers
Mr. Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints have been reported in his Department under paragraph 11 of the Civil Service Code since 13 May 1999; and how many of them related to special advisers. [25335]
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Ms Blears [holding answer 9 January 2002]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
The procedures for making complaints under the civil service code are set out in the Department's staff handbook. Civil servants are encouraged, in the first instance, to raise complaints made under paragraph 11 of the "civil service code" with their line manager. If for any reason this is not felt to be possible, perhaps because the line manager is part of the complaint, individuals may take their complaint to a nominated official (or officials). It is not possible to provide a comprehensive figure for the number of complaints made within this Department under paragraph 11 of the code as there is no requirement for managers to report to the centre details of complaints made under the civil service code which are resolved within the management line.
Waiting Lists
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to seek information from the chief executive of each NHS trust about possible inappropriate adjustments to in-patient waiting lists. [25489]
Mr. Hutton: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Following publication of the National Audit Office report we commissioned the Audit Commission to initiate a system of spot-checks on waiting list statistics hospital- by-hospital.
The Government believe that this approach is the best way to ensure that such inappropriate adjustments do not happen again.
In addition, the Government are identifying a series of measures which will help identify at an early stage any trusts where there appears to be a problem in managing their waiting lists.
Data in waiting lists returns will continue to be routinely validated by the Government statistical service. Any discrepancies will be resolved directly with the trusts prior to finalising the figures for publication.
In future, any manager found to have deliberately distorted waiting figures will face dismissal on grounds of gross misconduct. This will be supported by a new code of conduct for NHS managers. Anyone who breaches that code of conduct will not be re-employed as a manager anywhere in the NHS.
GPs
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of general practitioners are connected to NHSnet. [27473]
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Mr. Hutton: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
The latest figures available as at 28 February 2002 show that over 98 per cent. of general practitioners in England have NHSnet connections in their practices.
Ambulance Services
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost per head of (a) emergency and (b) non-emergency ambulance services in (i) Shropshire, (ii) Wiltshire and (iii) the Isle of Wight in the last financial year. [28228]
Ms Blears: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
The information requested is shown in the table.
| Ambulance trust | Non-emergency services | Emergency services |
|---|---|---|
| Shropshire's community and mental health services NHS trust | 0.99 | 14.88 |
| Wiltshire ambulance service NHS trust | 2.44 | 12.40 |
| Isle of Wight health care NHS trust | 3.42 | 11.45 |
Source:
Annual financial returns of NHS trusts 2000–01
Weighted population estimates 2000–01
Arthritis
Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each regional health authority area are being prescribed anti-TNF drugs for arthritis. [28502]
Jacqui Smith: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is conducting an appraisal of these treatments. Guidance to the national health service is expected in April 2002. We expect health authorities and primary care trusts to fund treatments from their unified allocations which are increasing on average next year by 7.2 per cent. in real terms. We do not hold information centrally about current usage of these drugs.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to provide funding for the increased supply of the drugs Infliximal and Etanercept; [28617]
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- (2) what percentage of sufferers of inflammatory arthritis in the UK have been prescribed the drugs Infliximal and Etanercept; and if he will give a breakdown by health authority area of the numbers of people who have been prescribed these drugs; [28619]
(3) what assessment has been made of the cost of prescribing the drugs Infliximal and Etanercept for treatment of inflammatory arthritis (a) in total and (b) per sufferer of this condition; and what evidence he has assessed on the long-term effectiveness of these drugs compared to other available forms of treatment. [28616]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 18 January 2002]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March, Official Report, column 192W.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is conducting an appraisal of these treatments. Guidance to the national health service is expected in April 2002. We expect health authorities and primary care trusts to fund treatments from their unified allocations which are increasing on average next year by 7.2 per cent. in real terms. We do not hold information centrally about current usage of these drugs.
Care Homes
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that the new strategic health authorities from April 2002 take responsibility for patients in nursing homes for whom the present health authority is paying part only. [31153]
Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Responsibility for funding services for patients will pass to the relevant primary care trust (PCT) in April 2002. Care and funding are provided on the basis of assessed need, so the PCT will take on the same responsibility as the health authority, except where the needs have changed.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the average length of stay of a resident in (a) a local authority nursing home and (b) a privately owned nursing home; and if he will make a statement. [39171]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested on average length of stay in privately owned nursing homes is not collected centrally.
Local authorities do not own or run nursing homes.
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds in care homes there were in Kent in (a) 1997 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [39459]
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Jacqui Smith: Information on the number of residential places and registered nursing beds in Kent, at 31 March each year, is shown in the table.
| (a) 1997(20) | (b) 2001(21) | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of residential care homes(17) | 16,009 | 15,928 |
| Number of beds in nursing homes(18),(19) | 4,712 | 4,868 |
(17) Excludes places in childrens' homes.
(18) Private nursing homes, hospitals and clinics.
(19) Information is presented for East Kent and West Kent health authorities.
(20) Figures for registered nursing beds relates to registered beds during the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997.
(21) Information is presented for the county of Kent prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1998. Figures for 2001 therefore relate to the area corresponding to the unitary authority of Medway Towns and the county area of Kent.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average length of time it takes to set up a (a) residential home and (b) nursing home from the time of its original planning application. [39442]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 4 March 2002]: The information requested is not available centrally.
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