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GPs
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of general practitioners he estimates will opt out of 24-hour responsibility. [56918]
Mr. Hutton: It is too early to estimate what proportion of general practitioners will respond to the opportunities offered by the planned new national GP contract.
Breast Cancer
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women were screened for breast cancer in each of the last five years. [56910]
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Yvette Cooper: The number of women screened by the NHS breast screening programme in England in each of the last five years are contained in the following table.
| Number of women screened | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 1,298,752 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,322,891 |
| 1998–99 | 1,232,310 |
| 1997–98 | 1,179,658 |
| 1996–97 | 1,109,845 |
Source:
Department of Health Statistics Division 3G KC62.
Waiting Lists
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1121W, on waiting lists, when the results of the regional office reviews of the listed trusts will be (a) completed and (b) published. [57024]
Mr. Hutton: The National Audit Office (NAO) report "Inappropriate Adjustments to NHS Waiting Lists" recommended that the Department investigate trusts where more than 10 per cent. of patients are suspended and which have more than 2 per cent. of patients waiting more than 12 months for treatment. There were 13 trusts that met both these criteria at the time of the report.
An investigation was already taking place in Royal United Hospitals Bath, one of the 13 trusts that met the NAO criteria. This commenced in December 2001 with the findings being made public in a press release (ref: 2001/0201) on 3 May 2002.
Between December 2001 and early May 2002, regional offices reviewed the waiting list position at the 12 other national health service trusts and found no evidence of inappropriate adjustments to waiting lists taking place. The findings of these reviews were also announced on 3 May.
Infectious Diseases
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of running each of the high security infectious diseases units in each of the past five years. [56996]
Yvette Cooper: The Department provided funding for the running costs of the high security infectious disease units at Coppett's Wood and Newcastle in the past five financial years as shown in the table:
| Coppett's Wood | Newcastle | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 333,405 | 171,169 |
| 1998–99 | 366,543 | 170,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 340,000 | 185,000 |
| 2000–01 | 321,000 | 180,000 |
| 2001–02 | 321,000 | 180,000 |
Note:
The figures for 1999–2000 to 2001–2002 include an annual transfer of £47,000 from the Scottish Executive.
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Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients in each of the last five years were treated in the high security infectious disease units in (a) London and (b) Newcastle; [57001]
- (2) for what diseases patients were admitted, and how many patients there were in each case, to each of the high security infectious disease units in each of the past five years; [57002]
(3) what the staffing levels were at each high security infectious diseases unit in each of the past five years. [56997]
Yvette Cooper: Patient admissions and diagnoses at the high security infectious disease units at Coppett's Wood (north London) and Newcastle from 1997 to 2001 are shown in the table:
| Coppett's Wood | Newcastle | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | (21)1 | (22)1 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 |
(21) Lassa fever
(22) Suspected Lassa fever, subsequently diagnosed as malaria
These units exist as a contingency arrangement to provide secure and specialist clinical care for patients with or suspected of having rare, highly contagious and serious infectious diseases such as Ebola and Lassa fevers. Admissions are therefore infrequent.
Sufficient medical, nursing and laboratory staff, who are routinely involved in the treatment, care and diagnosis of patients with infectious diseases, are on call for the medium and high security infectious disease units. This ensures that they maintain equipment and participate in regular training exercises so that the units remain in a state of readiness to admit and care for patients securely.
48-hour Access Target
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the NHS Plan 48-hour access target will apply in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland. [56928]
Mr. Hutton: This target applies only in England.
Vaccine Contracts
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value was of contracts awarded for supply of (a) BCG vaccines, (b) Tuberculin PPD solutions and (c) influenza vaccines in the last 12 months. [56655]
Yvette Cooper: No tenders were sought and no contracts awarded in the last 12 months for BCG vaccine or Tuberculin PPD solutions.
The value of the contract for a contingency supply of influenza vaccine cannot be disclosed as it is commercially confidential.
Staff Numbers
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were employed in the National
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Clinical Assessment Authority at 1 April; and what proportion of those staff have clinical contact with NHS patients. [56859]
Yvette Cooper: The National Clinical Assessment Authority employs 38 staff. Of those, 10 have clinical contact with national health service patients.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many staff were employed in the General Osteopathic Council at 1 April; and what proportion of those staff have clinical contact with NHS patients; [56869]
- (2) how many staff were employed in the Retained Organs Commission at 1 April; and what proportion of those staff have clinical contact with NHS patients; [56856]
(3) how many staff were employed in the General Optical Council at 1 April; and what proportion of those staff have clinical contact with NHS patients; [56871]
(4) how many staff were employed in the Nursing and Midwifery Council at 1 April; and what proportion of those staff have clinical contact with NHS patients; [56867]
(5) how many staff were employed in the General Medical Council at 1 April; and what proportion of those staff have clinical contact with NHS patients; [56866]
(6) how many staff were employed in the General Dental Council at 1 April; and what proportion of those staff have clinical contact with NHS patients; [56872]
(7) how many staff were employed in the Health Professions Council at 1 April; and what proportion of those staff have clinical contact with NHS patients. [56868]
Yvette Cooper: The table shows the number of people employed at 1 April 2002 in the seven independent health profession regulatory bodies. None of the staff have clinical contact.
| Name of regulatory body | Number of staff employed at 1 April 2002 |
|---|---|
| General Osteopathic Council | 20 |
| General Chiropractic Council | 8 |
| General Optical Council | 13 |
| Nursing and Midwifery Council | 139 |
| General Medical Council | 294 |
| General Dental Council | 60 |
| Health Professions Council | 51 |
Note:
Figures are based on head count.
Speech Therapists (Vacancies)
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for speech and language therapists; and if he will make a statement. [57087]
Mr. Hutton: As at 31 March 2001 there were 200 vacancies for speech and language therapists that had lasted for three months or more.
Between 1997 and 2001 the number of speech and language therapists working in the national health service has increased by 810 (11 per cent.) and the number of training places available for students has increased by over a hundred since 1998. There will be further increases in the number of students entering training as a result of the NHS Plan commitment to provide 4,450 more training places each year for therapists and other health
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professionals by 2004. The increased investment in training, work to make the NHS a better employer and encourage return to practice, will result in a continued increase in the number of speech therapists available to work in the NHS.
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