| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Schizophrenia
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects NICE to publish guidance relating to atypical antipsychotic medication for schizophrenia. [56592]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 16 May 2002]: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence issued its guidance on the use of newer (atypical) antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia on 6 June 2002.
Osteoporosis
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of orthopaedic beds were taken up with osteoporotic hip fracture patients in (a) Hull and the East Riding and (b) England and Wales, in the last two quarters for which figures are available. [57572]
Jacqui Smith: Information on the number of orthopaedic beds is not collected. Information on the average daily number of beds by broad ward classification is published annually for each national health service trust on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/ hospitalactivity. The latest available data are for 2000–01.
24 Jun 2002 : Column 723W
Carers Groups
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to mitigate the financial penalties on Carers Groups caused by the abolition of local inspection units. [57608]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 23 May 2002]: I believe this question concerns the impact on domiciliary care providers of the new regulatory arrangements under the Care Standards Act which require them to register with the National Care Standards Commission from 1 April 2002, and pay a registration fee.
Our policy is to set fees to recover the full cost of regulating and inspecting service providers. We decided, however, that full cost recovery should be phased in over five years, in order to allow providers to adjust to the new fee regime and to avoid destabilising the care sector.
We consulted extensively on the fee structure before finalising it. The fee levels for each service have been determined according to the total costs for that service and in all cases have been set at a level lower than full cost recovery for that service. Thus in the first year of regulation by the Commission domiciliary care providers will only pay 24 per cent. of the actual cost of registration and inspection. In addition, we have agreed to make a concession to small agencies and set the annual fee at 50 per cent. of the level for other agencies. A small agency is defined in the regulations as one where no more than two members of staff, including registered persons but excluding someone employed solely as a receptionist, are employed at any one time.
Cosmetic Treatment
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by his Department on the relative effectiveness of (a) Dysport and (b) Botox for cosmetic treatment. [59416]
Ms Blears [holding answer 24 May 2002]: The Department has not made any assessment of the relative effectiveness of Dysport and Botox for cosmetic treatments.
Care Provision
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) intermediate care beds and (b) registered care homes there were in (i) London and (ii) Kingston borough in (A) 1997 and (B) 2001; and if he will make a statement. [60076]
Jacqui Smith: There are no intermediate care figures for 1997. This is a new service and a new data collection. The only figures available are for May 2002 . There are 92 intermediate care beds in total in Kingston. 55 beds at Tolworth hospital, 29 at Surbiton hospital and eight beds at Hobrick house residential home. The total number of London beds for 2001–02 was 939. Kingston has an above average number of beds for their population compared to other London boroughs.
Previous data had been collected at health authority level.
The table shows the number of registered residential and nursing care homes, private hospitals and clinics in Kingston and London area in 1997 and 2001.
24 Jun 2002 : Column 724W
| 1997 | 2001 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| At 31 March | Kingston | London | Kingston | London |
| Residential care homes | 67 | 2,213 | 63 | 2,239 |
| of which: | ||||
| Local authority staffed homes | 5 | 299 | 5 | 241 |
| Independent homes | 62 | 1,914 | 58 | 1998 |
| Dual registered homes | 4 | 44 | 2 | 86 |
| Nursing homes(28),(29) | 19 | 406 | 20 | 462 |
| of which: | ||||
| General and mental nursing homes | 17 | 330 | 16 | 347 |
| Private nursing homes and clinics | 2 | 76 | 4 | 115 |
| Total care homes | 90 | 2,663 | 85 | 2,787 |
(26) Homes registered within Kingston-upon-Thames local authority, exclude children homes.
(27) Homes registered within Kingston and Richmond health authority.
(28) Registered general and mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics.
(29) Figures for registered nursing homes relates to the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997.
Source:
Department of Health's annual returns.
Good progress is being made towards meeting the NHS Plan target of 5,000 additional intermediate care beds by 2003–04. The target of 1,500 additional intermediate care beds by March 2002 has been met comfortably and as a result London has benefited from more intermediate care beds. A proportion of these additional beds will be in independent care homes.
Intermediate care is not a single service model—it is a range of services that can be provided in a range of settings to meet the individual needs of service users and their carers—the key is the principle of patient centred care and the assessment process that underpins it. The appropriate settings can include designated rehabilitation facilities, nursing and residential homes, sheltered housing, a range of community based options and, of course, people's own homes.
Cardiac Care
Mr. Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for heart bypass operations for patients from Essex hospitals was in each year since 1995. [60542]
Mr. Lammy: Essex residents are treated mainly at two specialist out of county hospitals; St. Bartholomews and The London National Health Service Trust, and Papworth Hospital National Health Service Trust.
Annual figures are not available.
Over the last three years for St. Bartholomews and The London NHS Trust the latest available average waiting time information for these operations is 6.62 months
Over the last two years for Papworth hospital NHS trust the latest available average waiting time information for these operations is 4.48 months.
- Source:
- Essex Health Authority Monthly Performance Returns
Mental Health
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the difference is between (a) earmarking and (b) ringfencing in the context of the additional revenue
24 Jun 2002 : Column 725W
and capital allocated to mental health services in 2002–03 to ensure that the funding reaches front line services in (a) England and (b) North Yorkshire. [60507]
Jacqui Smith: The additional £75 million allocated to health authorities in 2002–03 was earmarked for mental health. These are funds that are identified at health authority level with the intention that they be spent on the purpose for which they were allocated. This allows national health service organisations maximum flexibility to use the resources available to meet national and local needs.
The Secretary of State has a power under section 97(6) of the NHS Act 1977 to ring fence sums so that they can only be issued for the purpose for which they are issued. This power is used very sparingly.
The earmarked allocation is being monitored though to investment via the service and financial framework negotiations and reports. Department officials are working with front line NHS organisations to ensure sufficient emphasis and investment has gone into the NHS Plan commitments to ensure progress ready for the 2004 target dates.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the role of ward hostesses is in mental health trusts. [61460]
Jacqui Smith: The exact role of a ward hostess would be for local determination. However, in general terms the role would focus around meeting the needs of patients' food and drink requirements. The hostess should be integrated as a member of the ward team.
NHS Dentistry
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available to the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency for NHS dental provision. [60776]
Jacqui Smith: Information on funding of national health service dental provision is not available on a constituency basis.
The gross fees paid to general dental practitioners (GDP) within the old Morecambe bay health authority area, for providing NHS dental treatment, were £9.28 million in 2001–02. Additional sums are paid to GDPs, for example to reimburse business rates. Funding for hospital and community dental services is drawn from the health authority's main allocation. This information is not identified separately.
In 2001–02 the following additional funds were made available to Morecambe bay health authority to improve NHS dental services:
£308,000 revenue and £312,000 capital to establish a personal dental services dental access centre pilot scheme (DAC). The DAC has surgeries in Barrow and in Lancaster, to offer unregistered patients access to dental services. The revenue funding available for the current year for this DAC is up to £820,000 and a further capital payment will be made of around £160,000. The service aim is to treat up to 17,000 patients a year when both centres are fully operational.
24 Jun 2002 : Column 726W
An allocation of £270,800 was made in 2001–02 to GDPs from the modernisation fund for grants to local dental practices to provide practice improvements and additional facilities.
£7,500 was allocated to the health authority from the dental action plan fund to enable additional patient registrations to be secured.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |