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Waiting Times

Miss Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the maximum waiting time for radiotherapy in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells has been in the last 12 months; and what the target is for maximum waiting times for radiotherapy. [56273]

Yvette Cooper: Information on radiotherapy waiting times is not collected centrally.

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The Government are committed to improving the whole cancer pathway from referral to diagnosis and, if needed, treatment. We have set out a series of targets that will come into force during the next few years. By 2005, there will be a maximum one month wait from diagnosis to treatment for all cancers and a maximum two month wait from urgent referral to treatment for all cancers. Information to monitor the achievement of these targets will be collected and published.

Hospital Treatment

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency patients attending Oldchurch A and E department received in-patient treatment in (a) each half-yearly period from 1994–95 to date and (b) each of the last 12 months. [56520]

Mr. Hutton: Data on patients admitted from accident and emergency are not available for the individual hospital requested. The Oldchurch hospital is part of Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust, which was formed in April 2001. Information on the number of patients admitted from an accident and emergency department is shown in the table. Previous years' figures are not available as this information was collected at health authority level.

Admission from accident and emergency departments, for Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS trust,
2001–02 quarters one to three

2001–02Number of patients admitted through A and E
Quarter three7,369
Quarter two6,338
Quarter one6,120

Source:

"Your guide to the NHS" form


John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients failed to attend for in-patient and day-care treatment in each of the past 10 years in England. [56527]

Mr. Hutton: Data on the number of in-patients and day-cases that failed to attend (FTAs) are shown in the table.

In-patient and day-case FTAs—NHS Trusts, England

QuarterPatients admittedPatient DNAsDNA rate percentage
1991–922,993,532192,0686.0
1992–933,111,627180,5385.5
1993–943,110,477179,5945.5
1994–953,376,016199,5355.6
1995–963,500,353207,5155.6
1996–973,549,073223,2555.9
1998–993,826,507171,3824.3
1999–20003,682,180146,5993.8
2000–013,467,338125,8603.5
2001–021791,62328,2993.5
2001–022814,97328,3933.4
2001–023822,61628,6813.4

Note:

Data for 1997–98 was collected at year end only, not on a quarterly basis, and is not included because of issues surrounding the quality of the data.

Source:

Department of Health form KH06


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John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people attended the A and E department at Oldchurch hospital in Havering in (a) 1992–93 and in each subsequent year to 2000–01 and (b) each of the last 12 months. [56521]

Mr. Hutton: Data on accident and emergency (A and E) attendances are not collected on a monthly basis. From 2001–02, the information is available on a quarterly basis and previous to this on an annual basis.

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A and E data are not available for the individual hospital requested. The Oldchurch hospital is part of Barking, Havering and Redbridge hospitals national health service trust, which was formed in April 2001 (previously it was part of Havering hospitals NHS trust). Information on the number of A and E attendances at the NHS organisation that contained the Oldchurch hospital is given in the table.

Accident and emergency service activity, for the selected NHS trust, 1992–93 to 2001–02 quarter 4

NameFirst attendancesFollow-up attendancesTotal attendances
2001–02 quarter 4Barking, Havering and Redbridge hospitals NHS trust41,8462,00043,846
2001–02 quarter 3Barking, Havering and Redbridge hospitals NHS trust43,7092,58746,296
2001–02 quarter 2Barking, Havering and Redbridge hospitals NHS trust43,3821,94045,322
2001–02 quarter 1Barking, Havering and Redbridge hospitals NHS trust43,7701,90445,674
2000–01Havering hospitals NHS trust76,4163,74480,160
1999–2000Havering hospitals NHS trust79,9733,68483,657
1998–99Havering hospitals NHS trust86,1186,24092,358
1997–98Havering hospitals NHS trust88,1826,86995,051
1996–97Havering hospitals NHS trust89,2738,51697,789
1995–96Havering hospitals NHS trust86,1678,60394,770
1994–95Havering hospitals NHS trust93,3569,191102,547
1993–94Havering hospitals NHS trust100,62712,856113,483
1992–93Barking, Havering and Brentwood DHA110,52915,850126,379

Source:

Department of Health form KH09


Committee Mandates

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the advisory committee on training in nursing is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [56756]

Mr. Hutton: The advisory committee on training in nursing (ACTN) is one of a group of committees set up to advise the European Commission and member states on matters relating to the training of workers whose professions come under sectoral directives guaranteeing free movement and automatic recognition of qualifications.

The ACTN was set up by Council Decision 77/454/EEC. Its mandate is set down in Article 2, which states that:








Each advisory committee has three members per member state—one each from the practising profession, the education establishments and the competent authorities concerned. Three alternates are also appointed. Members and alternates are nominated by Ministers following consultation with the relevant professional bodies.

Advisory committee expenses fall to be paid by the Commission (or on occasion by the professions concerned). There is thus no direct charge to public funds.

Member states are currently considering Commission proposals for streamlining the directives and processes relating to free movement of professionals. None of the advisory committees has met during the last 12 months; and none of them has any items under consideration.

In April this year, the issues arising from the Commission's proposals for the future of professional recognition were submitted to the Parliamentary Scrutiny Committees (Explanatory Memorandum No. 7239/02- COM(2002)119final).

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the advisory committee on medical training is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [56755]

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Mr. Hutton: The advisory committee on medical training (ACMT) is one of a group of committees set up to advise the European Commission and member states on matters relating to the training of workers whose professions come under sectoral directives guaranteeing free movement and automatic recognition of qualifications.

The ACMT was set up by Council Decision 75/364/EEC. Its mandate is set down in Article 2, which states that:








Each advisory committee has three members per member state—one each from the practising profession, the education establishments and the competent authorities concerned. Three alternates are also appointed. Members and alternates are nominated by Ministers following consultation with the relevant professional bodies.

Advisory committee expenses fall to be paid by the Commission (or on occasion by the professions concerned).

Member states are currently considering Commission proposals for streamlining the directives and processes relating to free movement of professionals. None of the advisory committees has met during the last 12 months; and none of them has any items under consideration.

In April this year, the issues arising from the Commission's proposals for the future of professional recognition were submitted to the parliamentary Scrutiny Committees (Explanatory Memorandum No. 7239/02—COM(2002)119 final).

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the advisory committee on the training of dental practitioners is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [56758]

Mr. Hutton: The advisory committee on dental training (ACDT) is one of a group of committees set up to advise the European Commission and member states on matters

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relating to the training of workers whose professions come under sectoral directives guaranteeing free movement and automatic recognition of qualifications.

The ACDT was set up by Council Decision 78/688/EEC. Its mandate is set down in Article 2, which states that:








Each advisory committee has three members per member state—one each from the practising profession, the education establishments and the competent authorities concerned. Three alternates are also appointed. Members and alternates are nominated by Ministers following consultation with the relevant professional bodies.

Advisory committee expenses fall to be paid by the Commission (or on occasion by the professions concerned).

Member states are currently considering Commission proposals for streamlining the directives and processes relating to free movement of professionals. None of the advisory committees has met during the last 12 months; and none of them has any items under consideration.

In April this year, the issues arising from the Commission's proposals for the future of professional recognition were submitted to the parliamentary Scrutiny Committees (Explanatory Memorandum No. 7239/02—COM(2002)119 final).

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the advisory committee on the training of midwives is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [56757]

Mr. Hutton: The advisory committee on the training of midwives (ACTM) is one of a group of committees set up to advise the European Commission and member states on

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matters relating to the training of workers whose professions come under sectoral directives guaranteeing free movement and automatic recognition of qualifications.

The ACTM was set up by Council Decision 80/156/EEC. Its mandate is set down in Article 2, which states that:








Each advisory committee has three members per member state—one each from the practising profession, the education establishments and the competent authorities concerned. Three alternates are also appointed. Members and alternates are nominated by Ministers following consultation with the relevant professional bodies.

Advisory committee expenses fall to be paid by the Commission (or on occasion by the professions concerned). There is thus no direct charge to public funds.

Member states are currently considering Commission proposals for streamlining the directives and processes relating to free movement of professionals. None of the advisory committees has met during the last 12 months; and none of them has any items under consideration.

In April this year, the issues arising from the Commission's proposals for the future of professional recognition were submitted to the Parliamentary Scrutiny Committees (Explanatory Memorandum No. 7239/02-COM(2002) 119final).


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