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Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 14 February 2002, Official Report, column 671W, if the district valuer has completed the work required for the Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association to take a final decision on the acquisition of the site. [39131]
Ms Blears: Negotiations with the Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association are at an advanced stage. It is hoped that these will be finalised shortly and that a sale to them can be concluded.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the outstanding repair and maintenance backlog figures were (a) in each NHS region and (b) in England in each of the last five years. [39143]
Jacqui Smith: While backlog maintenance costs have risen since 199495 the bringing into use of new health care buildings resulting from the major capital investment programme within the NHS, in the order of £7 billion by 2010, should see a marked decrease in backlog maintenance costs. This is already evident in the smaller rate of change seen recently in backlog maintenance costs. It is estimated that the impact of this planned major capital investment, together with contributions from block capital issued directly to NHS trust should, if fully implemented, see the virtual eradication of most backlog maintenance costs within the NHS by 2010.
Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefit to Somerset of having a strategic health authority with Dorset. [38480]
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Ms Blears: The benefits of creating a new Health Authority for Somerset and Dorset were set out in the consultation document "Modernising the NHS: Shifting the Balance of Power in Somerset and Dorset". This was the subject of public consultation last year by the South West Regional Office of the Department of Health. Following consideration of the responses received during the consultation exercise the boundaries of the new health authority were announced on 18 December 2001.
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list non-Governmental organisations operating in the south-west region that receive public funds from his Department; and what amount of annual funding they received in the most recent year for which figures are available. [39186]
Ms Blears: The information requested cannot be identified from information held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to recompense hospitals who face major new expenditure, if the proposed new Health and Safety Executive regulations on asbetos come into effect. [39297]
Ms Blears [holding answer 1 March 2002]: Regulations to protect against the exposure to asbestos are already in existence. Under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987, it is the duty of all employers to prepare risk assessments and make arrangements to protect workers and, in the case of the NHS, patients. The proposed new regulation, which will formalise and expand upon existing regulations, will better protect against the risks of exposure to asbestos by imposing more rigorous management arrangements on employers. The regulations will ensure that where there is evidence of asbestos, it is managed effectively and safely so as not to cause risk of harm to anyone.
Cost analysis of the proposed new regulation indicates that the financial burden on the NHS will not be major. Hospitals will be expected to pay for such work out of their normal running cost allocation budgets.
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times for people in need of orthopaedic surgery in the Avon health authority have been in each of the last five years. [40429]
Ms Blears: The average median waiting times, from the date of a decision to admit a patient for treatment for the trauma and orthopaedics specialty to the admission date, in Avon health authority are shown in the table:
Median waiting time in days | |
---|---|
199697 | 101 |
199798 | 112 |
199899 | 125 |
19992000 | 104 |
200001 | 117 |
Source:
Health Episode Statistics database
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The figures are based on elective hospital in-patients admitted with a specialty code 110trauma and orthopaedic. There is currently no separate specialty code for orthopaedics alone.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people in (a) England and (b) each health authority were registered with an NHS dentist in (i) each year since 1997, (ii) 1979 and (iii) 1992. [40409]
Ms Blears: Arrangements are now in place to ensure that patients can gain access to NHS services simply by calling NHS Direct. This means that even if a patient chooses not to register with a dentist it will still be possible for that patient to access all forms of dentistry that are provided by the NHS.
The percentage of people registered with a general dental service (GDS) dentist per head of population by family health service authority is shown in table 1 for England at 30 September 1992.
The percentage of people registered with a GDS dentist per head of population by health authority is shown in table 2 for England at 30 September for each year since 1997.
Registrations were first introduced in October 1990, and therefore figures for 1979 are not available. From September 1996, the registration period was changed from 24 months to 15 months for adults, and from 12 months to 15 months for children. As a result of this, data held on registration numbers after 1997 is not comparable to earlier years. The data may also be affected by gradual improvements in the methods used for the removal of duplicate registration records, which were first employed by the dental practice board in 1993.
Notes:
1. Based on the number of registrations at 30 September 1992.
2. ONS mid year population estimates for 1992 are used to calculate the percentage of patients registered.
3. Registration rates reflect a 24 month registration period for adults whereas children's registrations lapsed at the end of the following calendar year. The basis of the later figures in table 2 are for a 15 month registration period for both adults and children.
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(27) Three health authorities Cambridge and Huntingdon, East Norfolk and North West Anglia were replaced by two health authorities Cambridge and Norfolk in April 1999.
Notes:
1. Based on the number of registrations at 30 September each year.
2. ONS mid year population estimates for 1997 to 2000 are used to calculate percentage of patients registered.
3. Registration rates reflect a 15 month registration period.
19 Mar 2002 : Column 305W
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