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NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency will publish its annual business plan. [46859]

Ms Blears: We are pleased to announce that the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency's annual business plan has been published and copies have been placed in the Library.

Medical Devices Agency

Mr. Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the key targets for 2002–03 for the Medical Devices Agency. [46860]

Ms Blears: We have agreed the Agency's key targets for 2002–03 and copies have been placed in the Library.

Nursing and Midwifery and

Health Professions Councils

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if appointments have been made to the Nursing and Midwifery and Health Professions Councils in readiness for their formal establishment on 1 April. [46929]

Mr. Hutton: The Nursing and Midwifery and Health Professions Orders 2001 provide for the Privy Council to make appointments to the new Councils. I can confirm that members have accepted the invitations to serve for a three-year term from 1 April 2002. The following is a list of their names.


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No Secrets Guidance

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make his policy to include adult protection indicators arising from the implementation of No Secrets in the performance indicator framework; and if he will make a statement. [45634]

Jacqui Smith: This Department is not currently planning to inspect local councils for compliance with the XNo Secrets" guidance. We have commissioned the Centre for Policy on Ageing to undertake an analysis of all local council multi-agency codes of practice. Once the results of this work are made available a decision will be made on the need to follow up the XNo Secrets" guidance.

At present there are no plans to include a specific adult protection indicator in the Personal Social Services Performance Assessment Framework. There are however several existing indicators of relevance to adult protection (for example emergency admissions, avoidable harm from falls and hypothermia, clients receiving reviews and inspections of residential care). A decision on including a specific adult protection indicator will be made once the Centre for Policy on Ageing have concluded their analysis.

Community Pharmacists

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to utilise community pharmacists in the review of medication of older people. [45642]

Jacqui Smith: The NHS Plan set a target for all Primary Care Trusts to have schemes in place so that people get more help from pharmacists in using their medicines by 2004.

The National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People highlighted the importance of medication review and the role pharmacists can play in helping older people take their medicines more effectively.

We are investing in medicines management services including through the collaborative hosted by the National Prescribing Centre. This initiative will build on and complement other local initiatives through which community pharmacists are involved in reviewing the medication of older people, as promoted in the NSF.

Nursing Care Payments

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those homes which have received a letter

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from the Minister of State, Department of Health, the hon. Member for Redditch (Jacqui Smith), following representations regarding the failure to pass on the free nursing care payments to residents. [45698]

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to four national care home providers about their fees and charging structures in the light of the introduction of National Health Service funded nursing care following the receipt of correspondence from concerned individuals. As a result of the responses received, on 11 March I announced my intention to issue a national model contract; to amend regulation 5 of the Care Home Regulations; and to ask the National Care Standards Commission to ensure that the minimum standard relating to contracts was enforced.

Domiciliary Care

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to prevent (a) financial, (b) sexual, (c) physical and (d) mental abuse against older people in home care settings. [45624]

Jacqui Smith: Statutory guidance on the prevention of elder abuse, XNo Secrets", was issued on 20 March 2000 to councils with social services responsibilities. This required the implementation of local multi-agency codes of practice by 31 October 2001.

Care providers registered with the National Care Standards Commission will be required to comply with the protection of vulnerable adults scheme from 1 August 2002.

The National Care Standards Commission will take account of National Minimum Standards for domiciliary care agencies in deciding whether agencies comply with the forthcoming Domiciliary Care Agencies Regulations. The prevention of financial, sexual, physical and mental abuse in the home care setting will be an essential part of the National Minimum Standards.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the Protection of Vulnerable Adults consultation document. [45635]

Jacqui Smith: We are planning to begin a consultation exercise involving all relevant stake-holders within the next few months.

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