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HEALTH
Patient Records
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of (a) primary care and (b) hospital trusts have implemented electronic patient record systems. [47000]
Ms Blears: Currently 98 per cent. of general practitioners' practices are computerised and linked to a national electronic network to support email communications and web browsing. Most of them operate clinical systems as part of their practice computerisation and an electronic patient record (EPR) will be part of the system. The level of detail and functionality varies significantly from practice to practice. In the majority of cases at present it will cover the electronic storage of basic patient and administrative details, medication and recent consultations with the GP.
At present six trusts have complete hospital wide EPR systems that meet the functionality described under level 3. However many more have some applications in place, for example results reporting and order communications. In addition some trusts have chosen to implement elements of EPR beyond level 3 with functionality around decision support and knowledge management or picture archiving and communications systems to support improved patient care.
That is why we are taking action by introducing a new national programme and implementation plan for information technology (IT) in the National Health Service. This will significantly step up the pace of getting
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modern IT in place to support frontline patient care and also ensure that IT both drives change and gets the best from the extra resources the NHS is now getting.
The key points from the programme are:
- a new national IT programme director who will be responsible for the implementation of this programme;
- stringent national standards for data and IT in the NHS;
- an improved partnership with the IT industry and healthcare IT suppliers to increase the IT capacity for the NHS;
- a new procurement strategy to accelerate the impact of IT across the NHS
- better central management which will include a ministerial taskforce chaired by my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, The Lord Hunt of Kingsheath, to ensure the advice and involvement of key healthcare professional and representative groups.
The intention has always been to have a first generation of electronic records in use across the NHS from 2005. This will be the starting point from which the NHS can begin to apply the electronic record as a clinical tool in diagnosis, treatment, interventions and healthcare. By 2008, as indicated in "Delivering the NHS Plan", we will expect to see all the advanced applications and functionality of electronic patient records in all primary care trusts and trusts.
Mount Vernon Hospital
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what discussions he has had with the Eastern Region Health Authority and the London NHS Region about the future of services at Mount Vernon Hospital; [48900]
- (2) how many meetings he has had with NHS agencies about services provided at the Mount Vernon Hospital. [48904]
Mr. Hutton: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has not formally met with National Health Service agencies or regional offices. I have been made aware of the issues at my regular meetings with the director for London's directorate of health and social care. Also my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health has had regular meetings with the director for the midlands and east of England on this issue.
Correspondence
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in replying to the letter from the hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield to him dated 1 October 2001. [51579]
Ms Blears: I regret the delay was due to an administrative oversight.
Primary Care Premises
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of primary care premises are over 30 years old. [53366]
Mr. Lammy: The data held centrally are those from surveys of health centres and general practitioner (GP) premises carried out by district valuers in 1999. These data indicate that some 52 per cent. of premises were originally constructed over 30 years ago.
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This proportion will be reduce as new premises are constructed under the NHS Plan.
Committee Mandates
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the Standing Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use 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. [55369]
Mr. Lammy: The standing committee on medicinal products for human use is a regulatory committee which assists the European Commission (EC) in exercising its powers of implementation and facilitates the adoption of draft measures in the field of medicinal products for human use. It also adopts decisions on centralised marketing authorisation applications and other regulatory actions referred to it by the European medicines evaluation agency (EMEA). It operates mainly by written procedures as set out in legislation. It meets only exceptionally, either on the chairman's initiative or at the reasoned request of the representative of a member state. The committee last met on 23 March 2000. The UK is represented by the chief executive of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) or his deputy and, as MCA is a trading fund of the Department, no cost to public funds is generally incurred in supporting the committee's work.
Together with member states, the EC is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to
- "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
As an obligation under this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report of the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February 2002 (Com (2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.
Mr. Lammy: The pharmaceutical committee fulfils a useful role in that it provides a forum for European Union member states to exchange views and information. Its task
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is to assist the European Commission (EC) and to examine:
- any question relating to the application of directives on proprietary medicinal products which are brought up by its chairman—either on his initiative or at the request of the representative of a member state;
any other question in the field of proprietary medicinal products brought up by its chairman—either on his initiative or at the request of the representative of a member state.
The UK is represented jointly by two senior public health officials from the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Department. The EC reimburses travel and subsistence costs for one delegate from each member state. The annual cost of the committee's work to public funds varies according to the number of meetings held and make-up of the UK representation. The MCA provides the main Government support for the work of the committee and usually represents the UK. As the MCA is a trading fund of the Department, this incurs no cost to public funds. If a Department official attends with the MCA delegation, his/her expenses will be borne out of public funds. This has happened twice in the last 12 months and the amount of travel and subsistence involved was in the region of £860.00.
Information about associated costs to public funds attributable to the Department, other than travel and subsistence, is not readily available and would incur disproportionate cost to identify.
The committee considers a wide range of issues relating to medicines regulatory matters and a summary of its discussions is put on the EC's website after each meeting. Further details and documents are available from the EC on request.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Community action programme on the prevention of drug dependence in the framework of the action plans for public health is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the United Kingdom 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. [57479]
Ms Blears: The EU Committee for the implementation of the Community action programme on the prevention of drug dependence was mandated under Article 5 of Decision 102/97/EC of the European Parliament and the Council (amended under Article 4 of Decision 521/2001/EC). The committee assisted the Commission in taking forward the programme by providing opinions on proposed measures by the Commission. It is due to terminate with the introduction of the new EU action programme on public health.
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The committee met once in the last year, in January 2002. The United Kingdom is normally represented by an official from the Department.
Costs of the committee to public funds are minimal. Meetings last one day and the Commission pays the travel costs of nominated representatives. UK Departments are required to pay subsistence and UK travel costs.
The financial framework for implementation of the Community action programme on the prevention of drug dependence, from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002, is euro 5.38 million.
The Commission has now decided which projects it will fund. This list will be published on the Department's website.
Together with member states, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
As an obligation to this Decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February 2002 (Com [2001] 783 Final).
As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/index en.html.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the Community action programme on health monitoring in the framework of the action plan for public health is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the United Kingdom 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. [57476]
Ms Blears: The EU Committee for the implementation of the Community action programme on health monitoring was mandated under Article 5 of Decision 1400/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. The committee assisted the Commission in taking forward the programme by providing opinions on proposed measures by the Commission. It is due to terminate with the introduction of the new EU action programme on public health. The EU health monitoring programme is focused on the establishment of a consistent, permanent and coherent community health monitoring system.
The committee met on two occasions in the last 12 months. One UK official from the Department attended the October 2001 and February 2002 meetings.
Domestic travel and subsistence claims paid from public funds were £348. The Commission reimbursed international travel costs.
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Full details of the health monitoring work programme—including details of all projects funded between 1998 and 2001—are presented on Europa (the EU on-line website: http://europa.eu.int/index—en.htm).
Together with member states, the Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to
- "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
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