| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
19 Dec 2002 : Column 1058W—continued
School-age Workers
Mr. Pond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the current LEA byelaws on the employment of school age children. [82425]
Jacqui Smith: Local authority byelaws are a matter of public record and anyone wishing to obtain a copy may do so from the authority concerned. It is not normal practice to include individual byelaws in the Library.
Secure Beds
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) high secure beds, (b) medium secure beds, (c) low secure beds and (d) long-term secure beds there were in each year since 1997. [87439]
Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the tables. The long-term secure bed numbers are included in these figures, but not separately identified in routine data collection.
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 1,374 |
| 1998 | 1,366 |
| 1999 | 1,320 |
| 2000 | 1,290 |
| 2001 | 1,263 |
| 2002 | 1,244 |
| Year | Medium | Other |
|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 1,493 | 986 |
| 1998–99 | 1,642 | 1,032 |
| 1999–2000 | 1,994 | 1,191 |
| 2000–01 | 2,231 | 1,353 |
| 2001–02 | (61)— | (61)— |
(60) Bed numbers are calculated from health authority returns of occupied bed days and assuming a 95 per cent. occupancy rate.
(61) Figures currently not available.
Specialist Register (Overseas Applicants)
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of scrutiny of training will apply to overseas applicants to join the UK specialist register. [87754]
Mr. Hutton: All doctors applying to join the specialist register must meet certain standards. For doctors possessing a specialist qualification awarded overseas, the qualification must be equivalent to the United Kingdom qualification, in specialties for which the UK itself awards a qualification, or, for all other specialties, give the doctor the knowledge and skill consistent with
19 Dec 2002 : Column 1059W
practice as a consultant in that specialty in the national health service. These requirements are set by the European Specialist Medical Qualifications Order 1995.
It is the job of the specialist training authority of the Medical Royal Colleges (STA) to assess whether these standards are met in individual cases. We are proposing to replace the STA with a new body, the postgraduate medical education and training board, under legislation we hope to bring before the House in the new year.
Surgical Specialties
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to increase the number of additional funded Higher Surgical Training next year; [87753]
- (2) what plans he has to increase the number of consultants in surgical specialities. [87892]
Mr. Hutton: As at March 2002, there were 4,969 consultants within the surgical group, which represents an increase of 21 per cent. since September 1997. Current work force projections suggest that by March 2004, there may be sufficient trained specialists to increase numbers in the specialties by around 1,000 over a 2,000 baseline.
In 2002–03, the surgical specialties were allocated 34 of the total number of centrally funded national training numbers. The combined ceiling posts were 316. This gives trusts considerable opportunity to fund extra posts themselves. The first round of bidding for ceiling posts suggests that locally funded surgical posts will be popular and that the ceiling is likely to be reached.
We have agreed that 316 additional higher specialist surgical training opportunities, with central and local funding, should be made available to be taken up by March 2004. Additionally, we are identifying and encouraging suitable doctors on the specialist register, but not working as consultants to compete for posts, establishing more part-time and job share posts and improving retention through a flexible careers scheme and flexible retirement.
Thrombolysis
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of heart attack victims in (a) Wiltshire, (b) the south west and (c) England received thrombolysis within 30 minutes in the most recent period for which records are available. [88005]
Ms Blears: According to data from the myocardial infarction national audit project for June to September 2002, the following percentage of eligible heart attack patients received thrombolysis within 30 minutes of hospital arrival:
- 57 per cent. of patients in Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority;
61 per cent. of patients in the south west (Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset and South West Peninsula Strategic Health Authorities);
63 per cent. of patients in England.
19 Dec 2002 : Column 1060W
Woodside Adolescent Unit
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the estimated total annual cost is of the new adolescent unit at Springfield hospital combined with the estimated annual cost of maintaining the replacement services under consultation for Surrey following the proposed closure of the Woodside Adolescent Unit; and what the current annual cost was of the Woodside unit in the last 12 months; [87523]
- (2) what discussions Surrey Oaklands initiated with the NHS in London about the closure of the Woodside Adolescent Unit; [87525]
(3) what the clinical reason was for the decision to transfer adolescent services from the Woodside Adolescent Unit to a new unit at Springfield hospital. [87524]
Ms Blears: In order to meet the needs of the local population, clinicians and commissioners in South West London felt that a local unit was needed with outreach provision, intensive care facilities, treatment available seven days a week and an ability to take emergency admissions where clinically indicated. This would better provide accessible specialist services to adolescents with mental health problems.
The new adolescent unit at Springfield hospital is estimated to cost #1.7 million, and will include the development of an outreach service to offer intensive pre and post-admission support to adolescents. Precise costs of proposed replacement services for Surrey will be available after the public consultation, depending on the outcome. However, East Surrey Primary Care Trust (PCT) is committed to maintaining the same level of funding as currently exists at #462,000. The annual cost of the Woodside unit is approximately #1.06 million, but other placements are made in both the national health service and the private sector, and costs vary according to the particular needs of the adolescent and the particular placement.
There have been regular quarterly meetings over the past three years, chaired by East Surrey Health Authority (HA) initially, and involving Merton Sutton and Wandsworth HA, South West London region. Surrey Oaklands formally declared its intention in March 2002 to close the unit in September 2002, but in July 2002, notified the South West Strategic HA that the closure had been deferred to allow more time for the service to be reconfigured.
All parties are fully aware of the impact that the withdrawal of South West London's funds would have on Woodside. Meetings are still held and are now chaired by East Surrey PCT, with the involvement of Wandsworth PCT and other stakeholders.