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Breast Cancer
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of women aged 50 to 64 years were screened for breast cancer in (a) England and (b) each health authority in 2000–01. [44274]
Yvette Cooper: In 2000–01 70 per cent. of women aged 50–64 were screened for breast cancer. Information about the percentage of women screened in each health authority is provided in the statistical bulletin "Breast Screening Programme, England: 2000–01". Copies are available in the Library.
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Premature Babies
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the clinical needs of premature babies will be addressed within the maternity services section of the planned National Service Framework on Children. [45097]
Yvette Cooper: We have established a number of External Working Groups to provide advice on standards for the Children's National Service Framework. The needs of premature babies will be considered as part of the work of any relevant External Working Groups including maternity services.
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Western Sussex Primary Care Trust
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital allocations have been and will be made in respect of GP premises in the Western Sussex Primary Care Trust for 2001–02. [45337]
Ms Blears: The Western Sussex Primary Care Trust is an amalgamation of Regis and Chichester and Rural Primary Care Groups (PCGs). These PCGs received a share of the additional moneys for investment in primary care premises that were allocated towards the end of 2001. These were £25,000 for 2001–02 and £50,000 for 2002–03.
In addition, the PCGs have accessed the West Sussex General Medical Services discretionary fund, which included over £500,000 for cost rent and improvement grant projects. The Western Sussex share of that was £140,000 or 28 per cent. of the funding. With the agreement of all PCGs and Primary Care Trusts in West Sussex, this money has been held and managed as a shared resource for 2001–02.
Fibromyalgia
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the north east and (e) the UK; what information and support is available to people diagnosed with fibromyalgia; how many multidisciplinary clinics for fibromyalgia there are in the UK; and if he plans to fund a multidisciplinary clinic for fibromyalgia in the north east. [45217]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested on the incidence of fibromyalgia is not available in the form requested, as we do not collect data on the incidence of individual conditions. We do, however, have some information on finished consultant episodes as shown in the table.
| Area of residence | Number |
|---|---|
| QDG Gateshead and South Tyneside HA | 33 |
| Northern and Yorkshire RO | 227 |
| England | 1,360 |
The diagnosis (ICD-10) code used was M79.0— Other soft tissue disorders, not elsewhere classified; rheumatism, unspecified. This includes fibromyalgia and fibrositis.
An FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year. Figures in this table have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data.
People with fibromyalgia can access the normal range of NHS services according to their needs. There is also information available from NHS Direct on fibromyalgia either by telephone or on their website.
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We do not hold information centrally on how NHS services are configured locally. It is for NHS authorities in the north east to decide whether or not they want to fund a multidisciplinary clinic for fibromyalgia as they are responsible for commissioning local services.
Suicides
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made towards his target for the reduction of suicides; and if he will make a statement. [43718]
Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 147W.
Primary Care Trusts
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received from PCGs and PCTs on their state of preparation for new PCT responsibilities. [46737]
Mr. Hutton: I have received no representations from primary care groups (PCGs) or primary care trusts (PCTs) on their state of preparation for their new PCT responsibilities. All PCTs have been established after full and open consultation locally, giving every opportunity for views and concerns to be expressed and addressed at that stage.
Ring-fenced Funding
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent ring-fenced money allocated to specific services in Barnet (a) was used in 2001–02 and (b) is proposed to be used in 2002–03 for reducing deficits and for other purposes outside the ring-fence; what the original ring-fencing was proposed for in each case; and if he will make a statement. [46878]
Mr. Hutton: The main unified allocation for 2001–02 made to health authorities did not include ring-fenced allocations for specific services.
In 2001–02, some funds were hypothecated at a national level only.
In 2002–03, there is limited earmarking of funds within allocations. This is to allow HAs to be able to manage flexibly the resources available to them. The following sums are included in allocations with the intention that they are spent on the purpose for which they were allocated.
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| Mental health | 1,342 |
| CHD | 1,074 |
| Cancer | 1,360 |
| Information management and technology | 993 |
| Primary care | 1,494 |
| Capacity | 7,604 |
| 13,866 |
Barnet Primary Care Trust is still in the process of agreeing its financial plan for 2002–03.
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York Formula Calculations
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce the findings of the review into the York formula calculations. [47526]
Mr. Hutton: The intention is that, following the review, the new formula will be ready for 2003–04 allocations. We plan to announce these in the autumn.
Social Workers
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social workers have been recruited by local authorities since the Government launched its publicised recruitment drive last year. [47553]
Jacqui Smith: There was a rise of 780 whole-time equivalent social work staff working for councils between 30 September 1999 and 30 September 2000. More recent figures are not yet available. However, the main aim of the social care recruitment campaign is to raise the number of people applying for social work training by 5,000 by 2004. As the current social work training takes two years, and the earliest that someone reacting to the campaign could join a course is autumn 2002, we would not expect to see the effects of the campaign on an increase in social workers being recruited by local authorities until summer 2004 at the earliest.
Radiographers
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the vacancy rates for radiographers, broken down by health authority. [47547]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Hypothermia (Portsmouth)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in Portsmouth have died from hypothermia in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [46443]
Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mike Hancock, dated 10 April 2002:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning how many pensioners in Portsmouth have died from hypothermia in the last 12 months. (46443)
- The most recent annual figures are for the calendar year 2000. In that year, of those resident in Portsmouth Unitary Authority at death, there were four deaths among men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over where hypothermia (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code 991.6) was mentioned on the death certificate.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which public service agreement targets scheduled to be met in 2002 will not be achieved by the due date. [44820]
Mr. Hutton: Information about progress on public service agreement targets will be published in the Department's 2002 departmental report.
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