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Delayed Discharges
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide the latest delayed discharge percentages by local authority within the star rating system. [68394]
Jacqui Smith: There is no direct numerical relationship between the local authority star ratings and the figures for delayed discharge. The evidence upon which the ratings are based includes a wide range of information from inspections, joint reviews and monitoring, as well as the performance indicator data. Judgments that lead to the ratings are made against a set of standards, taking all this information into account. Information from Quarter 4 of 2001–02 on the numbers and percentage of delayed discharges at national and regional level, together with the reasons for delay, has been placed in the Library.
Social Services Grants
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on schemes submitted by local authorities for the personal social services performance grant for 2002–03. [68395]
Jacqui Smith: Councils have until 25 July 2002 to provide final details of their performance fund schemes to the Department. There is therefore as yet no information on the final schemes.
Doctors (Suspensions)
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 846W, on doctors (suspensions), whether the definition of suspension includes absence on special leave, gardening leave and other paid absence; what the total costs to the NHS are of the suspensions for (a) the latest quarter for which figures are available and (b) the equivalent quarter for each of the previous six years; and if he will make a statement on the other information that is available from the Department's data collection exercise. [68657]
Mr. Hutton: For the purposes of the central quarterly data collection exercise into the long-term suspension of hospital medical and community dental staff, the definition of suspension does not include special leave, gardening leave or any other paid absence.
Based on national health service trust returns to the Department, the total cumulative costs of current suspensions lasting over six months for the first quarter of 2002 (1 January to 31 March) is £5,095,742.
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Figures for the first quarter for the last three years is as follows:
- 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2000: £3,956,225
1 January 2001 to 31 March 2001: £4,245,789
1 January 2002 to 31 March 2002: £5,095,742.
The Department collects details which identify the individual doctor concerned in order to validate information relating to the suspension. This is not published in order to protect the confidentiality of the individual.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors were suspended for (a) less and (b) more than six months (i) at the latest date for which figures are available and (ii) for the equivalent quarter for each of the last six years. [68656]
Mr. Hutton: National health service trusts routinely report suspensions lasting six months or longer to the Department. Figures are not available for suspensions lasting less than six months.
As at quarter ended 31 March 2002 (the latest date for which figures are available) there were 29 doctors suspended for more than six months.
The figures for the last three years is as follows:
- 1 January 2000 to 31 March 2000: 32
1 January 2001 to 31 March 2001: 31
1 January 2002 to 31 March 2002: 29.
Mental Health
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if there is an (a) named person, (b) named organisation and (c) multi-agency group responsible for mental health promotion in County Durham and Darlington. [68141]
Jacqui Smith: A health promotion lead has been identified for County Durham and Darlington. Easington Primary Care Trust (PCT) is the lead organisation for mental health promotion, on behalf of all PCTs in County Durham and Darlington. The multi-agency group responsible for mental health is the County Durham and Darlington mental health promotion steering group. There are 34 members of the group which includes all PCTs, County Durham and Darlington Priority Services National Health Service Trust and representatives from general practitioner practices, users and carers, prisons, health promotion services, the police and social services.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has started to collect data on (a) the number of NHS nurses who work in mental health, (b) how many leave the service each year and (c) how many NHS nurses are recruited to mental health each year. [68155]
Mr. Hutton: The non-medical work force census currently includes community psychiatry, other psychiatry, community learning disabilities and other learning disabilities among other detailed areas.
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An exercise to re-define occupation codes and collect work force data by care groups is under way and will provide a more accurate picture of number of nurses working in mental health.
In a separate exercise we are also modelling nurse labour market by branch, including mental health. This work will include consideration of mental health nurses joining and leaving the national health service each year.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, (1) pursuant to his answer of 5 February 2002, Official Report, column 926W, on mental health, if he will list the data for 2001–02 in the same form; [68294]
- (2) what the highest level of occupancy of beds on a single day in an acute mental health ward in London has been in 2002. [68168]
Jacqui Smith: Occupancy levels are not collected on a daily basis for acute mental health wards. The average bed occupancy rate for each National Health Service trust, including London, in the financial year 2000–01 is available from http://www/doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/
Data for 2001–02 are not yet available.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the evaluation of the Working Minds programme includes an assessment of how many people with a diagnosis of severe mental illness have found employment as a result of the programme; and if he will make a statement. [68123]
Jacqui Smith: The evaluation of the mind out for mental health campaign, including the Working Minds programme, does not include an assessment of how many people have found employment as a result of the programme. However, as I indicated to the hon. Member in my reply on 30 October 2001, Official Report, column 648W, the Working Minds programme works in partnership with employers to create positive shifts in workplace attitudes and behaviour surrounding mental health. Its objectives are far greater than helping people with mental health problems to find employment; the programme seeks to bring about a fundamental, long-term change in employers' policy and practice so that people with mental health problems are able to participate fully in the workplace. We are currently considering the findings of the evaluation.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the draft strategy on mental health services for people from black and ethnic minorities. [68149]
Jacqui Smith: The draft strategy is still being developed. We are aiming to publish a consultation document in the autumn.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care mental health workers are in (a) employment and (b) training. [68140]
Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 13 February 2002 at column 469W, when I said that funds to support the appointment of 1,000 new graduate primary care mental health workers would be allocated in 2003–04. This year, £2.5 million has been made available to establish new training programmes to
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support them when they are employed. This initiative is being led by South Trent workforce development confederation.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent on the National Institute for Mental Health; and what its budget is for 2002–03. [68165]
Jacqui Smith: The National Institute for Mental Health—England has a budget of £6,818,000 in 2002–03.
The budget will fund eight development centres across the country which will act as a main point of contact for frontline staff to, network, find solutions and put them into practice. It will also fund a mental health research network and eight other national programmes, to deliver change at a national level, help staff implement national plan commitments, and broaden capacity in the development centres to support the frontline.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many "Working Minds Employers' Toolkit" have been produced in the current financial year. [68125]
Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 8 July 2002, Official Report, column 783W.
An additional 2,000 copies of the "Working Minds Employers' Toolkit" were printed in March 2002. Copies of the toolkit are still available and there are no plans at present to produce additional copies in this financial year.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the 10 community mental health teams with the highest caseload per care staff member; [68129]
- (2) what the total caseload is of early intervention teams for mental health; [68137]
(3) how many early intervention teams for mental health (a) are in place and (b) offer a comprehensive service as described in the model. [68135]
Jacqui Smith: The numbers and configuration of community mental health teams are being monitored by the mental health mapping project. Data from autumn 2001 have recently become available. Copies of a mental health mapping atlas, which contains this information, have been deposited in the Library.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much money is allocated for the Mind Out for Mental Health campaign in 2002–03; and how much was spent in 2001–02; [68166]
- (2) what the communications expenditure of the Mind Out for Mental Health campaign was in 2000–01 and 2001–02; and what the communications budget is for 2002–03. [68167]
Jacqui Smith: Expenditure on the Mind Out for Mental Health campaign was as follows:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 573,000 |
| 2001–02 | 1,300,000 |
Decisions have not yet been made on communications expenditure for 2002–03.
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Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons are for variations in the use made of guardianship under section 7 of the Mental Health Act 1983. [68143]
Jacqui Smith: The purpose of guardianship, under the Mental Health Act 1983, is to enable patients to receive community care where it cannot be provided without the use of compulsory powers. Local social services authorities have the responsibility for applying guardianship orders and we know that there is variation in their use. We believe that the reasons for this may include a lack of awareness and understanding of the provisions, and a lack of powers to compel compliance with a guardianship order.
The draft Mental Health Bill which was published on 25 June 2002 addresses these problems by introducing a legal framework that will enable patients on orders, under the Mental Health Act, to be based in the community. These will supersede guardianship orders and will provide a clearer statutory basis for protecting patients in the community.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of local implementation teams for mental health services have emergency beds available for a crisis. [68138]
Jacqui Smith: Local implementation teams (LIT) have a planning function and also report back on progress with implementation of the mental health national framework service and NHS Plan. The teams do not themselves have available any service resources. However the trusts and social services departments supply information on the availability of services in their areas to the appropriate LIT.
All trusts will have beds available for the needs of people in an emergency and many now have 'crisis beds' available at special crisis houses supported by trusts, social services and/or voluntary organisations.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the contribution made by (a) the electronic media and (b) the written media in changing attitudes and behaviour surrounding mental health as part of the Mind Out for Mental Health campaign. [68124]
Jacqui Smith: An evaluation of the Mind Out for Mental Health campaign, including the media strand, has been undertaken by an independent research company. We are currently considering the findings of this evaluation which covered all the main aspects of the campaign, including the campaign website.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which services within mental health are collecting the mental health minimum data set. [68106]
Jacqui Smith: The mental health minimum data set has been designed to provide person-based information about adult and elderly people in contact with specialist mental health care services in England. The data set is being implemented on a phased basis with all adult and elderly services due to assemble it from their operational systems from April 2003.
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Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the mental health of children in local authority care. [68110]
Jacqui Smith: A number of initiatives are under way to improve the mental health of children in local authority care. These include several targeted projects funded through the child and adolescent mental health services innovation grant, new guidance on promoting the health of looked after children and the development of a national healthy care standard which will support care providers in developing a healthy care environment.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by his Department in developing reporting lines which differentiate between (a) mental health crisis admissions out of areas which are not clinically indicated and (b) those which are so indicated; and if he will make a statement. [68153]
Jacqui Smith: The Department is looking at the best way of capturing information on admissions that are appropriately referred and dealt with by out of area services and those that are not.
This is a complicated area, and the Department needs to develop a way of assessing the use of out of area treatments that does not overburden the service with additional data collection, instead trying to use the systems already in place like the hospital episode statistics. This will take time, and in the meantime we are focusing attention on the development of crisis resolution services that will help avoid unnecessary out of area treatments.
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