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2 Dec 2002 : Column 608W—continued
HEALTH
Spectacle Vouchers
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the value of vouchers for the purchase of spectacles for people on low incomes; and if he will make a statement. [84854]
Mr. Lammy: Optical voucher values are reviewed every year and we will be making an announcement about the 2003–04 rates shortly.
Recruitment
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to encourage private recruitment agencies to sign up to the Government's guidelines on banning the recruitment of nurses from developing countries. [84892]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has written to those commercial agencies it is aware of, asking them to provide references from national health service and other customers confirming compliance with the code of practice. The code of practice states that developing countries should not be targeted for recruitment.
The list of agencies who are working in line with the principles of the code of practice appears on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/international- recruitment and NHS organisations are strongly advised to refer to the list when establishing new contracts.
The Department will write again to those agencies who have not replied and to any other agencies brought to its attention.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the South African health department regarding the recruitment of nurses to the UK. [84893]
Mr. Hutton: Departmental officials visited South Africa last year to share the United Kingdom's strategy and position on international recruitment and co-operation. The South African Ministry of health has asked for the Department's assistance with workforce evelopment and the establishment of a chief nursing officer post. Officials are due to visit South Africa in February 2003, to meet with senior officials of the Department of Health South Africa.
A&E Waiting Times
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the single longest wait recorded in an accident and emergency department has been this year. [83292]
Mr. Lammy: This information is not available.
Accidental Deaths
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accidental deaths of people on low incomes have occurred in each year since 1997. [83170]
Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply. The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
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Air Ambulances
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on sponsorship arrangements for air ambulances. [84027]
Mr. Lammy: In England, there are 12 air ambulance services provided by 12 independent air ambulance charities. Fund raising for air ambulances is organised by independent local charities. In most cases the national health services also supports the services by providing fully trained paramedics to crew the aircraft when they respond to emergencies. In addition, in 2001–02 the Government allocated £1.3 million to five of the 12 charities. Consideration is being given to further Government funding in 2002–03.
Cancelled Operations
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled in each of the last 10 years (a) as a total figure and (b) as a percentage of all patients treated. [83291]
Mr. Hutton: Information on the total number of operations cancelled are not collected. Figures are collected on the number of patients whose operations are cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons at the last minute. Data were not collected on cancelled operations before 1994–95.
These data, as a percentage of elective general and acute admissions and first finished consultant episodes, are provided in the table.
(33) Operations cancelled at the last minute are the number of patients whose operations are cancelled on the day patients are due to arrive or after arrival in hospital or on the day of their operation.
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Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled (a) on the day of admission and (b) prior to admission for non-clinical reasons in each quarter since June 2001, broken down by NHS hospital trust. [84039]
Mr. Hutton: Data are collected on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons on the day patients are due to arrive or after arrival in hospital or on the day of their operation. These data are not broken down into whether an operation was cancelled on the day of admission or prior to admission. These data are available at trust level on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data—requests.htm.
Community Health Councils
Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if it is his policy that Community Health Council staff will not be made redundant until the Community Health Council has been formally abolished; [84068]
- (2) what guidance he plans to give employing authorities on making redundancy payments to Community Health Council staff; [84067]
(3) if he will offer salary protection in cases where posts for the Clearing House staff are graded at salaries lower than those paid to Community Health Council staff; [84069]
(4) what the total cost is of making all remaining Community Health Council staff redundant. [84066]
Mr. Lammy: The Government takes the view that community health council (CHC) staff have valuable skills which are important to the smooth running of the national health service. We are working closely with the trade unions to ensure every action is being taken to support CHC staff to find suitable alternative employment. This includes the setting up of a clearing house system, training and careers interview facilities.
We are also currently working with the trade unions and other interested parties to develop a human resources (HR) framework which will provide support to CHC staff and managers. The HR framework will cover a variety of areas including employment options and the role of the clearing house system that will be
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established to help CHC staff find employment in the NHS family and the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH).
The CPPIH has agreed to advertise all their vacancies through the clearing houses as well as in the national and local press. CHC staff applying for a post with the CPPIH who meet the specific job criteria would be guaranteed an interview.
The Government currently has no plans to make CHC staff redundant until all employment options have been fully considered. It is therefore not possible to give a redundancy cost at this time.
Redundancy terms for CHC staff, as strategic health authority (StHA) employees, are covered in Section 45 of the General Whitley Council Handbook or in accordance with the contract of employment for senior and general managers. A copy of the General Whitley Council Handbook is available in the Library.
Pay protection arrangements for those staff who find suitable alternative employment in a StHA are outlined in Section 48 of the General Whitley Council handbook.
Where CHC staff find suitable alternative employment in NHS trusts, trusts have the power to recognise previous service in the NHS.
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