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3 Dec 2002 : Column 756W—continued
Community Health Councils
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will extend the guarantee of employment under Shifting the Balance of Power by a further 12 months for CHC staff; what his policy is on the terms of 'CHC Transition Issues: Human Resource Framework' issued by his Department in November 2001; and if he will make a statement on the TUPE rights of CHC staff. [84404]
Mr. Lammy: A 12-month guarantee of continued employment was given until 31 March 2003, for all staff, including Community Health Council staff, affected by Shifting the Balance of Power (StBOP) who were transferring to strategic health authorites (StHAs) on 1 April 2002. Over 20,000 staff were involved in StBOP reorganisation. Because of the numbers involved, a one years employment guarantee was given to enable a smooth transition. The 'CHC Transition Issues: Human Resource Framework was issued to cover only the transfer to the StHAs. It was not intended for any other purpose. We are currently working with the trade unions and other interested parties on a new human resources document to support CHC staff and managers affected by the abolition of CHCs.
The commission for patient and public involvement in health is a non-departmental public body and is not part of the National Health Service. Its role will be very different to those of CHCs. As a result, the Government has received legal advice that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) would not apply.
Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the abolition date is for community health councils. [84444]
Mr. Lammy: Community Health Councils (CHCs) will be abolished once the new arrangements for patient and public involvement are functioning. We will make an announcement as soon as a date is set.
Contraception
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his action to reduce the rate of conceptions among women under 18-years-old. [83164]
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Ms Blears: The Social Exclusion Unit Teenage Pregnancy Report was published in June 1999. This set out the Government's teenage pregnancy strategy with the goal of reducing the under 18 conception rate by 50 per cent., by 2010. An interim reduction target of 15 per cent., by 2004 is set out in the Government Manifesto and NHS Plan. A second goal of the strategy is to increase to 60 per cent., by 2010 the participation of teenage parents in education, training or employment to reduce their long term risk of social exclusion.
The strategy has a 30 point action plan. 26 of the action points have been completed with two action points, 11 and 20, due to be completed by the end of the financial year.
Action point 13 is to deliver guidance on the circumstances in which different health professionals may prescribe, supply and administer contraceptives to under 16s. Further work is being undertaken to identify the extent and nature of confusion among health professionals to inform the need and content of further guidance.
The target completion date for Action point 29 is 2003.
There are encouraging early signs that the strategy is working. There has been a 6 per cent., reduction in the under 18 and under 16 conception rate from the baseline year of 1998 with latest data showing a reduction in the under 18 conception rate for the 12th successive quarter.
However, considerable further work is needed to ensure that activity is sustained and monitored. Our response to the first annual report of the independent advisory group on teenage pregnancy was published in June 2002 and sets out a further programme of work to deliver our headline goals. Our commitment is further underlined by the inclusion of the under 18 reduction target in the public service agreements for both the Department and local government.
Delayed Discharges
26. Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of delayed discharges was in (a) North Yorkshire and (b) England on (i) 1 April 1997 and (ii) 1 April 2002. [82642]
Jacqui Smith: The delayed discharge rate for people aged 75 and over in North Yorkshire in the first quarter of 1997–98 was 3.9 per cent. In the last quarter of 2001–02, the rate was 8.5 per cent. The equivalent rates for England were 13.3 per cent., and 9.4 per cent., respectively, a reduction of 21 per cent., in the number of older people whose discharge was delayed.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in each (a) local authority, (b) primary care trust and (c) health authority in England will be required to implement the proposed fines for delayed discharge. [83850]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 28 November 2002]: Health and social care agencies have, over a number of years, developed local information systems to help them tackle delayed discharges. In the future, they will need to agree between themselves what data they need to prepare for the introduction of reimbursement. That information should flow from existing systems.
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Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he will measure the degree to which delayed discharges are widespread in March 2004 in order to ascertain whether targets relating to delayed discharges have been met. [84043]
Jacqui Smith: This will be evident from the progress achieved by March 2004 in comparison with the number of delayed transfers of care at the time that the NHS Plan was published.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his definition of a delayed discharge is. [84044]
Jacqui Smith: The definition used in information collected via the Department's Service and Financial Framework Report returns specifies that Xa delayed discharge occurs when a patient is ready for transfer from an 'acute' bed, but still occupying an 'acute' bed in a hospital. The patient being ready for transfer when a clinician in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team have decided both that the patient no longer requires to occupy an 'acute' hospital bed and is safe to be transferred."
Dementia
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what amount of the NHS budget has been spent on providing specialist treatment for people with dementia in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [84856]
- (2) what provision the NHS makes for specialist staff to treat people with dementia; and if he will make a statement; [84855]
(3) what plans he has to (a) develop specialist care and (b) to increase funding, for the treatment of people suffering from dementia; and if he will make a statement. [84857]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 2 December 2002]: The Government fully recognise the importance of ensuring that the needs of people with dementia and their carers are met. For that reason, the national service framework (NSF) for older people has set a standard and within this a service model that includes access to specialist care. NSF implementation will ensure that people with dementia receive the care and treatment they need. There are milestones to monitor progress.
The Government are making available by 2003–04 an extra £1.4 billion for new investment in better health and social services for older people. Older people with dementia will benefit from this new investment and the Government have confirmed its commitment to ensuring that, as appropriate, people with dementia receive drugs and treatments recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Final decisions on funding for mental health in 2003–04 will be made soon as part of the work on primary care trust allocations and central budgets.
In 2001 there were 350 consultants in the old age psychiatry in England—most established services now have more than one. Following publication of the NSF for older people, the Department is examining the training needs of all staff working with people with dementia.
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Information on national health service spending on specialist treatment for people with dementia is not available.
Detained Children
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children in England, who were the subject of inquiries in 2001–02 under (a) section 17 and (b) section 47 of the Children Act 1989 were in (i) prison service detention, (ii) local authority secure units subject to section 23(5) Children and Young Persons Act 1969 and (iii) local authority secure units subject to section 25 Children Act 1989. [84074]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Diabetes
Mr. Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people under the age of 18 years were diagnosed as diabetic in (a) Lancashire and (b) the North West of England in the last year for which figures are available. [82376]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally. However, The latest in-patient admissions information held by the Department for the number of people under the age of 18 years with diabetes in the Lancashire health authorities and the North West Region is shown in the table.
| 2000–01 | Number |
|---|---|
| QCX East Lancashire HA | 21 |
| QCY North West Lancashire HA | 24 |
| QC4 Morecambe Bay HA | 7 |
| North West | 296 |
Notes:
The primary diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the diabetes national service framework. [85219]
Mr. Lammy: We shall be publishing the delivery strategy for the diabetes national service framework in the next few weeks.
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