| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
10 Dec 2002 : Column 299W—continued
Medicines Control Agency
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed by the Medicines Control Agency at each major salary grade; what the total wage bill of the agency is; what its total income is from (a) charges and (b) other sources; and what plans he has to submit the agency to (i) greater control, (ii) closer scrutiny and (iii) enhanced accountability. [84211]
Ms Blears: At 31 October 2002 MCA had a total of 522.5 full time equivalent (FTEs) employees. These are analysed by grade as:
| FTEs | |
|---|---|
| Integrated payband 1 | 127.6 |
| Integrated payband 2 | 115.2 |
| Integrated payband 3 | 110.6 |
| Integrated payband 4 | 111.6 |
| Senior civil service | 57.5 |
| Total | 522.5 |
The salary costs of MCA are expected to be #22,248,000 for the year 2002–03. For the financial year 2001–02 MCA income from charges was #36,730,000. For the financial year 2002–03 the initial budget was set at #40,000,000. MCA's incomes comes entirely from charges so there are no other sources.
On 13 June 2002, we announced that the Medicines Control Agency would be merged with the Medical Devices Agency from 1 April 2003, with improved governance arrangements, including a new post of chairman and non-executive members on the board. The new agency will be called the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Professor Alasdair Breckenridge, CBE, has been appointed as its chairman-designate, following an open competition.
Mental Health
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients with mental health problems detained due to a risk of suicide had a face to face
10 Dec 2002 : Column 300W
assessment by a mental health professional within seven days of discharge from a hospital in the last year for which figures are available. [85636]
Jacqui Smith: The information is not available in the requested format. However, preliminary data relating to the target set for patients with severe mental illness and/or deliberate self harm shows an encouragingly high rate of follow up by face to face contact with a mental health professional. Further work is being done to ensure that our strategy to prevent suicide is fully implemented.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of mental health services following the introduction of the Mental Health Act 1999. [86142]
Jacqui Smith: Partnership arrangements under the Health Act 1999 have been available to National Health Service bodies and local government since April 2000. Since then, the Department has been notified of 44 partnerships involving mental health services. In addition, three of the first five care trusts were formed from mental health service providers.
The use of the Health Act 1999 is also being monitored through the annual local implementation plan process and in 2002 information has been collected on joint planning and the use of the flexibilities. Just under 90 per cent. of all local implementation teams reported that they were involved in joint planning and half were making other use of the flexibilities.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what performance targets his Department sets for monitoring mental health services to deaf people. [86146]
Jacqui Smith: The Department has just concluded a wide consultation of mental health services for deaf people. Together with an expert group, it is considering the large number of responses received and will publish conclusions in the New Year. The arrangements for monitoring performance will be considered as part of this.
Mr. Paul Marsden: : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the length of time spent by GPs on mental health training; [86155]
- (2) what proportion of (a) GPs and (b) practice nurses have received formal mental health training. [86157]
Mr. Hutton: Information about the proportion of general practitioners (GPs) who have received formal mental health training is not collected centrally. However, all doctors are expected to have an understanding of the psychological factors that affect patients and have the knowledge and skills of assessment of the mental state of patients.
The content of the general practice training curriculum is the responsibility of the joint committee on postgraduate training for general practice (JCPTGP), which is the competent authority for general practice training in the United Kingdom. The JCPTGP is an independent professional body, and it is required by section 9(3) of the Vocational Training Regulations
10 Dec 2002 : Column 301W
1997 to determine and publish the curriculum to be followed by a GP registrar (ie, a trainee GP). While not all GP registrars are required to spend a period of training in psychiatry, those who do may spend not less than six months or more than 12 months training in the specialty.
The Regulations mentioned above specify seven competencies which must be tested, and which the curriculum must therefore teach:
- factual medical knowledge sufficient to enable the doctor to perform the duties of a GP;
- the ability to apply factual medical knowledge to the management of problems presented by patients in general practice;
- effective communication, both orally and in writing; the ability to consult satisfactorily with general practice patients;
- the ability to review and critically analyze the practitioner's own working practices and to manage any necessary changes appropriately;
- clinical skills; and
- the ability to synthesize all of the above competencies and apply them appropriately in a general practice setting.
Therefore, GPs are expected to learn in training, the skills needed to deal with all their patients. As mental health issues are relatively common, GP registrars would be often exposed, while training, to the assessment, management and monitoring of patients with mental health problems.
The General Medical Council's education committee has the general function of promoting high standards of medical education and co-ordinating all stages of medical education to ensure that students and newly qualified doctors are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for professional practice. As pre-registration house officers, all doctors, including those who will eventually become GPs, are expected to have training in the psychological and social factors that affect patients. As senior house officers, all doctors are expected to develop medical knowledge and skills of assessment of the mental state of patients.
With regard to practice nurses, information about the proportion who have received formal mental health training is not collected centrally. Workforce development confederations are in the best position to understand local educational needs. Therefore, they work with National Health Service trusts, which are responsible for making decisions in which they balance development of existing staff and investment in training.
NHS Appointments (Political Affiliations)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in each year since 1996 who have been appointed to a position within the NHS have declared a political interest, broken down by political parties; and what proportion of the total number of appointees this represents for each political party. [83293]
Mr. Lammy: Information is not available in the precise form requested. The tables give the appointments made by Ministers to national health service bodies since the Government first took office in 1997, and the appointments subsequently made by the NHS Appointments Commission since it was established in 2001.
10 Dec 2002 : Column 302W
| Political party | Appointees | Proportion of total appointments (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 305 | 5.1 |
| Independent | 54 | 0.9 |
| Labour | 1,499 | 25.1 |
| Liberal Democrat | 230 | 3.9 |
| Other | 34 | 0.6 |
| Total declaring political interest | 2,122 | 35.6 |
| Not politically active | 3,842 | 64.4 |
| Total appointments for period | 5,964 | 100.0 |
| Political party | Appointees | Proportion of total appointments (percentage) |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 143 | 5.2 |
| Independent | 28 | 1.0 |
| Labour | 599 | 21.9 |
| Liberal Democrat | 111 | 4.1 |
| Other | 16 | 0.6 |
| Total declaring political interest | 897 | 32.8 |
| Not politically active | 1,835 | 67.2 |
| Total appointments for period | 2,732 | 100.0 |
NHS Direct
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the running costs of NHS Direct were in 2001–02. [86060]
Mr. Lammy: In 2001–02, the running costs for NHS Direct were #98.6 million.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors, (b) administrators and (c) nurses are employed by NHS Direct. [86067]
Mr. Lammy: NHS Direct employ approximately 2,500 (whole time equivalent) members of staff nationally. Of these around 1,050 are nurses, 470 call handlers, and 210 health information advisers. The remaining staff consists of managers, trainers, nurse supervisors and administration staff. Each of the 22 sites for clinical governance purposes employs a medical director (doctor).
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients spoke to a doctor within an hour of contacting NHS Direct, in the most recent period for which figures are available. [86068]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of callers to NHS Direct spoke to a qualified health professional in the most recent period for which figures are available. [86069]
Mr. Lammy: Calls made to NHS Direct involving clinical symptoms result in the caller speaking to a qualified health professional. The remaining calls are health information inquiries that are dealt with by health information advisers.
10 Dec 2002 : Column 303W
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |