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4 Nov 2002 : Column 129W—continued
Mixed Sex Wards
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are in mixed sex wards, broken down by trust. [74201]
Mr. Hutton: The Department does not collect information on the number of national health service patients treated in mixed sex wards as opposed to single sex wards. NHS trusts are required only to report on total patient throughput per annum.
NHS (European Doctors)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 21 October 2002, Official Report, column 128W, if he will list the contracts signed by NHS trusts to bring teams of doctors from continental Europe to work in the NHS. [78199]
Mr. Hutton: Six contracts to bring over overseas clinical teams have been signed by national health service trusts: two each by Central Middlesex and East Somerset NHS Trust, and one each by South Tyneside Healthcare Acute Trust, and Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust. A short-term contract was also signed at Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust.
NHS Direct
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time it took to get through to NHS Direct was over (a) the last month for which figures are available and (b) the previous six months. [77141]
Mr. Lammy: The average time it took to get through to NHS Direct in September 2002 was 55.73 seconds. The figures for the previous six months are shown in the table.
| Month | Seconds |
|---|---|
| March 2002 | 74.79 |
| April 2002 | 61.42 |
| May 2002 | 59.45 |
| June 2002 | 69.37 |
| July 2002 | 69.43 |
| August 2002 | 66.87 |
4 Nov 2002 : Column 130W
Mr Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of nurses working on NHS Direct at each grade. [77603]
Mr. Lammy: At present, the number of nurses working on NHS Direct at each grade is not collected centrally. The nurse grade structure for NHS Direct mainly consists of F and G grade nurses offering medical advice. NHS Direct accounts nationally for around 1,100 (whole time equivalent) nurses, a small number against the overall size of the nursing workforce 346,000 -whole time equivalent—in England. The service had and will continue to follow a range of strategies to minimise the impact of its recruitment on other parts of the National Health Service.
NHS Trusts (Private Operation Bills)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients have billed NHS trusts for operations carried out in the private sector; and how many of these were paid and at what cost. [78182]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 29 October 2002]: National health service trusts do not have the power to reimburse patients for operations they choose to have carried out in the private sector. Occasionally circumstances arise in which NHS trusts decide that it is appropriate, on a case by case basis, to make an ex-gratia payment in connection with such treatment. The Department does not hold information on the number of such payments, nor their costs.
NHS Vacancies (Mid-Essex)
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) nurse, (b) doctor and (c) consultant vacancies there were at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford at the latest available date; [77142]
- (2) how many (a) nurse, (b) doctor and (c) consultant vacancies there were in the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust at the latest available date. [77143]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table. Vacancy information is not collected for specific hospitals, therefore vacancy information is shown for Mid Essex Hospital Trust.
| Staff in post | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three month vacancy rate % | Number of three month vacancies | Whole time equivalent | Head- count | |
| All medical and dental staff | 3.1 | 0 | 110 | 160 |
| All consultants | 3.4 | 0 | 90 | 100 |
| All other doctors and dentists | 2.4 | 0 | 20 | 70 |
| All nurses | 1.6 | 20 | 1,290 | 1,720 |
| All qualified nurses | 2.2 | 20 | 880 | 1,170 |
Key notes:
1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March 2002.
2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).
3. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.
4. Three month vacancy rates are calculated using staff in post from the Vacancy Survey and the Consultant Census, March 2002.
5. Staff in post data are from the Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2001 and the Mini Consultant Census, March 2002.
6. Medical and dental figures exclude staff in training.
7. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
8. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.
Other notes:
9. Due to rounding, calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.
10. Figures may not match previously published data due to a different method of rounding used on the staff in post data.
Sources:
Vacancy Numbers and Rates: Department of Health Vacancies Survey March 2002 and Consultant census March 2002.
Non Medical Staff in Post: Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce census September 2001.
Medical and Dental Staff in Post: Department of Health Consultant census March 2002.
4 Nov 2002 : Column 131W
Nutrition
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the annual cost of under-nutrition to the NHS. [75701]
Ms Blears [holding answer 22 October 2002]: The number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) of in-patient care in national health service hospitals in England in 2000–01 for malnutrition was 321. This figure does not represent the number of patients as a person may have more than one FCE in the year. This is the final figure.
This information is extracted from hospital episode statistics (HES) system which contains details of patients admitted to and treated in NHS hospitals in England. HES does not hold data on cost of treatment for malnutrition.
Occupational Therapy
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the underlying reasons are behind the change in the number of occupational therapy first episodes of care from 2001–02 to 2000–01. [78060]
Mr. Hutton: Table 2 of XOccupational Therapy Services, Summary Information for 2001–02", England, a copy of which is in the Library, indicates that referrals from some sources to national health service occupational therapy services fell while others rose. Information is not collected centrally on the reasons for these changes.
Older People (Care)
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his oral statement on 23 July on older people's services, how many extra care home places will result from the plans he announced in each of the next three years. [78913]
Jacqui Smith: In the recently published national health service and social care planning guidance, XImprovement, Expansion and Reform: The next 3 years", the Government indicated a capacity assumption of an increase of 6,000 in the number of people in care homes supported by councils over the three years to 2006. We expect the majority of the places to be provided from April 2004 onwards.
4 Nov 2002 : Column 132W
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his oral statement on 23 July concerning services for older people, for what reasons he estimates there was a reduction in the number of households receiving home care over the last five years. [78914]
Jacqui Smith: Home care is only part of the care and support provided through non-residential social services. This includes home helps and home care, community equipment and housing adaptations, occupational therapy, day care, and direct payments. We are committed to improving the provision of non-intensive care and support as part of better preventive services.
Organ Retention
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organs are retained at Leicestershire hospitals from deceased persons. [77962]
Mr. Lammy: There are currently 153 organs retained by the three hospitals covered by the University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service Trust. Their retention complies with the Department's rules on the removal, retention and use of human organs. We have recently consulted on revised procedures and protocols for the taking, storage and use of human organs and tissue, and a code of practice on the import and export of body parts. That exercise will lead to a new Bill on human tissue in due course.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 16 October 2002, Official Report, column 870W, on parliamentary questions, how many statistical tables requested by hon. Members in parliamentary questions have been placed in the Library and not been published in the Official Report this session. [78372]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 31 October 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 16 October 2002, Official Report, column 870W.
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