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NHS Name and Logo
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he takes to protect the NHS name and logo from use by companies for commercial gain. [57892]
Mr. Lammy: We have a clear strategy for branding the National Health Service and we adopt a strong position in protecting the brand against inappropriate use.
In every case where we are aware of misuse by third parties, we contact the organisation concerned and request that the logo is removed. Where necessary, we take the advice of our solicitors.
The NHS logo is a registered trademark.
Medical Emergencies
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision is made for ensuring that patients are not at risk in emergency situations when members of a full emergency medical team are on call rather than on duty on site; and if he will make a statement. [58397]
Mr. Lammy: The responsibility for ensuring that emergency services, including a full emergency medical team, are staffed according to the demand for emergency care, lies with individual National Health Service trusts.
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Individual trusts have policies and procedures in place to provide an appropriate emergency response for the wide spectrum of emergency care that they may need to provide from individual cases to major incidents.
Mr Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations are in place to ensure that hospitals that have the facility for full emergency theatre teams have such teams on duty on site during the night; and if he will make a statement. [58396]
Mr. Lammy: The responsibility for ensuring that emergency services, including the provision of emergency theatres, are staffed according to the demand for emergency care, lies with individual trusts. Normally, trusts who provide a 24 hour emergency service will have a core theatre team to cover emergency surgery and an additional complement of staff Xon-call" to supplement the core team if required. This aspect is not Xregulated" as such, but will form part of trusts' clinical governance and risk management programmes. The Commission for Health Improvement audit and inspection includes the organisation and standards of emergency care provided by trusts.
Funding (Luton, South)
Margaret Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what moneys have been provided (a) directly
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and (b) via agencies for which the Department has responsibility to the Luton, South constituency since 1997. [58588]
Mr. Lammy: Monies have been provided to the former Bedfordshire Health Authority and to the Luton Health Action Zone. The funds are not specifically identified to the Luton, South constituency because deployment is a matter for local determination.
The overall settlement for Bedfordshire in 2002–03, #419.9 million, was a #39.1 million or 10.5 per cent. increase, the fourth largest of any health authority in England.
The constituency does, however, have some of the highest deprivation in Luton and health action zone funding is targeted at areas of deprivation.
Air Ambulance Service
Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Air Ambulance Service is funded in each region in which it operates. [59691]
Mr. Lammy: Funding for ambulance services in England is provided by independent air ambulance charities.
In recognition of the time it takes local air ambulance charities to build their fundraising base, short-term government funding of #2.2 million has been made available across 2001–02 and 2002–03 to help the five air ambulance charities in England who have asked for temporary assistance in meeting their operational costs. The money will be shared between Yorkshire, Dorset and Somerset, North West, East Anglia and Thames Valley and Chiltern air ambulance.
In addition, in January 2002, guidance was issued to National Health Service ambulance trusts and their commissioners stating that the salary costs of the NHS clinical staff who crew that aircraft should be met from NHS funds. This equivalent to around #150,000 per aircraft each year or a total of around #2.1 million across England.
Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when decisions on the XOptions for Change" consultation on the future of NHS dentistry will be made; and if he will make a statement. [59319]
Mr. Lammy: The Government plan to publish the final Options for Change report shortly.
Dentistry
Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to provide incentives for dentists to stay in the NHS. [55328]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 10 May 2002]: Over the last 18 months we have spent #100 million on modernising National Health Service dentistry. #10 million of this was for the dental care development fund and the dentistry action plan fund to support local plans to improve access. This money enables health authorities to assist dentists seeking to set up new practices and to expand and modernise existing ones. Furthermore, the #35 million Modernisation Fund provided grants for dentists to improve facilities.
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Additionally, the commitment payment scheme, introduced from April 1999, provides incentive payments to dentists, depending on how much NHS work they undertake. From April 2002, the scheme was extended to include dentists who have 5 years or more service in the NHS. Officials continue to work with the profession to see how the scheme might be strengthened in the future.
The Department is also undertaking work with the profession and other stakeholders through the modernising project Options for Change, to test out new methods of providing NHS dentistry.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses of treatment were delivered through personal dental access services in each year since 1998. [60869]
Mr. Lammy: The total number of courses of treatment carried out in the personal dental service (PDS) is shown in the table for each of the years 1998–99 to 2001–02.
The table includes courses of treatment carried out in dental access centres as well as other PDS pilots.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 73 |
| 1999–2000 | 217 |
| 2000–01 | 312 |
| 2001–02 | 480 |
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses of treatment were delivered through dental access centres in each year since 1998. [60871]
Mr. Lammy: The total number of courses of treatment carried out in dental access centres is shown in the table for each of the years 1998–99 to 2001–02.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 5 |
| 1999–2000 | 23 |
| 2000–01 | 70 |
| 2001–02 | 197 |
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many personal dental services posts were (a) established and (b) filled, broken down by health authority, in each year since 1998. [60866]
Mr. Lammy: The available information is for the number of dentists working in the personal dental service (PDS). This is shown in the table by health authority at 31 March for each year from 1999 to 2002.
The figures are on a headcount basis rather than whole time equivalent and take no account of part-time working.
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Some of the PDS dentists also work in other National Health Service dental services such as the General Dental Service and the Community Dental Service.
1. Number at 31 March each year.
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Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) What the total gross fees authorised for payment for personal dental services were for England and Wales in each year since 1998: [60868]
- (2) What the total gross fees authorised for payment for dental access centres were for England and Wales in each year since 1998. [60870]
Mr. Lammy: The figure for this is not available. Dentists working in dental access centres and other personal dental services pilots are salaried employees of primary care trusts and National Health Service trusts. Their income is not drawn from fees.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mean number of decayed, missing and filled primary teeth was for children aged five, broken down by health authority, in every year since 1996; and what percentage of children aged five had no experience of tooth decay, broken down by health authority, in each year since 1996. [60796]
Mr. Lammy: The British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) carries out a survey every second year to monitor the dental caries experience of five year-old children. The latest results are for 1999–00.
Information on the mean number of decayed, missing or filled teeth for five year-old children by health authority trust for the years 1995–96, 1997–98 and 1999–00 has been placed in the Library.
Information on the percentage of five year-old children with no decayed, missing or filled teeth for 1995–96, 1997–98 and 1999–00 has been placed in the Library.
Figures for National Health Service trusts have been provided where the health authority figures are not available.
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