| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
20 Jan 2003 : Column 139W—continued
Primary Care Trusts
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the primary care trusts which have been classified as being in under-doctored areas on the basis of the number of general practitioner principals, or equivalents, per weighted head of the population; what funding is being targeted at these primary care trusts in order to aid general practitioner recruitment; and if he will make a statement. [89828]
20 Jan 2003 : Column 140W
Mr. Hutton: A list of the primary care trusts which have been classified as under-doctored areas have been placed in the Library. The following strategic health authorities have no PCTs with under-doctored areas:
- North Central London
- North West London
- Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
- South West Peninsula
- Thames Valley.
The average PCT budget will grow over the next three years by 30.8 per cent. No PCT will receive an increase in funding over the next three years of less than 28 per cent. None of the growth money has been identified for specific purposes. PCTs will be able to use these extra resources to deliver on both national and local priorities.
The Department has a series of measures to enhance general practitioner recruitment and retention. These include 'golden hello' payments, a returners campaign, a flexible career scheme, a retainers scheme, international recruitment and delayed retirement payments.
In the 50 per cent. of PCTs with the lowest numbers of GPs per 100,000 weighted population, 'golden hello' payments of up to £12,000 are available rather than a maximum of £5,000 for other areas.
To date, 1,988 GPs have received a 'golden hello' payment, 993 of which by GPs taking up posts in under-doctored areas.
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the funding allocated to primary care trusts for 2003–04 according to their distance from target funding. [90953]
Mr. Hutton: Primary care trust revenue allocations for 2003–04, ranked by their distances from targets as determined by the weighted capitation formula, have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to primary care trusts on their freedom to use private contractors as suppliers in the provision of health services. [91353]
Mr. Hutton: Health Service Circular 2000/007, "Securing Service Delivery: Commissioning Freedoms of Primary Care Trusts", issued in April 2002, made clear that primary care trusts should feel free to commission care from wherever they can obtain the best services for patients. Commissioning decisions should be judged against the twin tests of high clinical standards and good value for money.
Prostate Cancer
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to implement the prostate cancer public awareness programme proposed as part of the NHS Prostate Cancer Programme launched in September 2002. [89656]
Ms Blears: The national health service prostate cancer programme stated that an education programme for the public, patients and professionals on the risks associated with individual testing for prostate cancer will be introduced. This has been achieved through the prostate
20 Jan 2003 : Column 141W
cancer risk management programme, which sent out evidence-based primary care resource packs to all general practitioners in England from 23 September 2002 to aid them in counselling men who are worried about prostate cancer. This ensures that men make an informed choice about whether or not to have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test based on an information leaflet developed specifically for men about the advantages and disadvantages of having a PSA test.
The Department of Health is funding a Section 64 grant to the Prostate Cancer Charity to increase further information about prostate cancer. This is supporting the creation, review, provision and dissemination of a range of awareness material, supported by £135,000 over three years.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he estimates that the prostate cancer five year survival rate in England will reach the current European average. [89659]
Ms Blears: The actions set out in the National Health Service Cancer Plan will mean that England will have the fastest improvement in cancer services across Europe over the next five years and eventually a reduction in the death rate from cancer among people aged under 75 years by at least 20 per cent. by 2010. The NHS prostate cancer programme sets out the specific action proposed for prostate cancer.
European comparisons of cancer survival rates require careful interpretation, especially for prostate cancer, where differing levels of prostate specific antigen testing affect the numbers of men identified with the disease and where a significant proportion of men with prostate cancer will die of another cause.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action he is taking to improve the five year survival rates from prostate cancer in England; and if he will make a statement; [89680]
- (2) what progress has been made towards the achievement of the Government's NHS prostate cancer programme; and if he will make a statement; [89669]
(3) what plans he has to encourage men to make more use of (a) traditional prostate cancer tests and (b) PSA tests; [89657]
(4) what action he is taking to encourage (a) more charitable funding and (b) more Government funding for research into prostate cancer. [89658]
Ms Blears: Good progress has been made since the national health service prostate cancer programme was launched on 6 September 2000, setting out the Government's approach to improving prostate cancer services in England and Wales.
As part of the prostate cancer risk management programme (PCRMP), evidence-based primary care resource packs were sent to all general practitioners in England from 23 September 2002 to aid them in counselling men who are worried about prostate cancer, ensuring the men make an informed choice about whether or not to have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test.
20 Jan 2003 : Column 142W
Other elements of the PCRMP include ensuring that a systematic and standardised follow-up pathway is available for individuals whose test result is above the PSA threshold and action to improve the quality of laboratory testing of PSA samples. Primary care and laboratories were informed of recommendations from the scientific reference group which supports the PCRMP in September 2002.
By 2003–04 the Department of Health will be directly funding £4.2 million of research a year on prostate cancer. This is a 20-fold increase compared with 1999–2000. Two National Cancer Research Institute prostate cancer research collaboratives have been established in Newcastle and London. Funded research includes studies on various treatments for prostate cancer, improving the PSA test and ethnic differences in prostate cancer incidence. The National Cancer Research Institute considered prostate cancer as part of its Strategic Analysis in 2002, but made no specific recommendations.
The Department of Health is funding a Section 64 grant to the Prostate Cancer Charity to increase further information about prostate cancer. This is supporting the creation, review, provision and dissemination of a range of awareness material, supported by £135,000 over three years.
92.4 per cent. of patients with suspected urological cancers (including prostate) were seen for their first outpatient appointment within two weeks of their general practitioner deciding they should be urgently referred, and the hospital receiving the referral within 24 hours, in April to June 2002.
The cancer services collaborative is modernising cancer care, including prostate cancer, by reducing unnecessary delays in the system for patients throughout the cancer journey.
The number of consultant urologists grew from 382 in 2000 to 427 in 2001, and is set to grow to 504 in 2005. There may be around an additional 100 trained specialists available to take up consultant posts in urology.
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence's guidance on urological cancers, including prostate cancer, entitled 'Improving Outcomes in Urological Cancers: The Manual', was published in September 2002.
Psychotherapy (Doctors in Training)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons are for the change in the number of hospital doctors in training for psychotherapy since 1997. [90045]
Mr. Hutton: The Royal College of Psychiatrists changed training arrangements after the introduction of the specialist registrar grade so that trainees spend more time at senior house officer (SHO) level, and less time as specialist registrars. Changes of this type take time to filter through. There has been an increase in SHO numbers but not at a sufficient rate to compensate for more experienced specialist registrars moving on to become consultants.
20 Jan 2003 : Column 143W
The table shows the number of doctors in training within the specialty of psychotherapy since 1997.
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doctors in training | 50 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| of which | |||||
| Registrar Group | 40 | 40 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Senior House Officers | (19)— | 10 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
| House Officers | (19)— | (19)— | (19)— | (19)— | (19)— |
(19) Denotes five or less than five
Notes:
Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
Source:
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |