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24 Feb 2003 : Column 29W—continued
Clinical Negligence White Paper
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the White Paper on Clinical Negligence Reform. [96062]
Mr. Lammy: The Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, is working up a comprehensive report for the Government outlining options for reforming the present system for handling clinical negligence claims, which aims to make the system fairer for all those who suffer injury through negligent National Health Service service. We hope to publish them shortly.
Clothing Provision (NHS Trusts)
Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how local NHS trusts assess the clothing needs of their long-term patients; and what procedures are in place to ensure these needs are met. [95301]
Mr. Lammy: Trusts have a duty to ensure patient privacy and dignity is upheld at all times. This includes having arrangements in place to meet the clothing needs of all patients.
Trusts are supported by the introduction of modern matrons—senior sisters and charge nurses who are easily identifiable to patients and who have the authority and support they need to make sure the fundamentals of care are right. Also, patient advice and liaison services are available in most trusts, to provide information and on the spot help for patients, their families and carers.
Commission for Patient and Public Involvement
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health to have its first meeting. [97306]
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Mr. Lammy [holding answer 13 February 2003]: It is for the chair of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health to convene the first meeting of the Commission and to set the day and place.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff formerly employed by community health councils will be employed within the new system of patient and public involvement. [97303]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 13 February 2003]: It is not possible to predict the number of community health council staff that will secure posts within the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, supporting patients' forums or providing independent complaints advocacy support. These posts will be advertised and recruitment to them will be subject to open and fair competition. It is for the Commission to decide its staffing requirements.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure there will be a smooth transition between the abolition of community health councils and their replacement. [97400]
Mr. Lammy: The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health has said that it will be working towards achieving full coverage of patients' forums by the end of the year. Arrangements will be in place to ensure there is continuous support for patients through the transition.
The new system for patient and public involvement goes beyond patients' forums.
For example, independent complaints advocacy support for patients wanting to complain against the national health service will be available, patient advice and liaison services in trusts and primary care trusts routinely feed up patients views to trust boards, overview and scrutiny committees (OSC) have to be consulted where substantial variation and developments are planned and individuals or patient groups can approach their OSC directly where they have concerns.
In addition, the Commission will set up a national telephone help-line, which will help people access local support arrangements.
Laptops
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many laptop computers were used by (a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in his Department in each year since 1995; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; what their cost was; and if he will make a statement. [97499]
Mr. Lammy: The Department does not retain detailed, historical records of laptop ownership and is therefore not able to provide the information requested. Information is only available for the current financial year, 2002–2003.
Ministers have one laptop each. Special advisers have one laptop each and there are approximately 2000 laptops in use by officials of the Department; a number of which are shared or 'pooled' laptops, used by a number of staff.
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The Department takes the protection of its assets very seriously and its security policy and procedures are under constant review to find ways to reduce losses.
Figures for the numbers and cost of laptop computers lost or stolen belonging to the Department or its Executive Agencies covering financial years' 1995—96 to 2002–2003 are shown in the table.
| Financial year | Lost/stolen | Cost (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 12 | 27,035,90 |
| 1996–97 | 18 | 29,277,45 |
| 1997–98 | 23 | 43,098,68 |
| 1998–99 | 19 | 40,068,70 |
| 1999–2000 | 18 | 36,260.35 |
| 2000–01 | 23 | 46,917.62 |
| 2001–02 | 35 | 62,275.69 |
| 2002 to date | 26 | 40,997.26 |
| Total | 174 | 325,931.65 |
Consultations
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list consultations his Department has conducted since 1997; and when each consultation (a) opened and (b) closed. [97426]
Mr. Lammy: The Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultations applies to all formal national public consultation documents issued by Departments from 1 January 2001. The information requested is not comprehensively available before July 2001. Information on formal written consultations undertaken by the Department since July 2001 has been placed in the Library.
Criminal Records Bureau
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the postponement of Criminal Record Bureau checks on domiciliary care staff and the implications it has for the Protection of Vulnerable Adults List; and what systems have been put in place to ensure vulnerable adults are protected from harm or abuse in their own home. [97208]
Jacqui Smith: From 1 April this year, for the first time we are introducing regulation to the domiciliary care sector that will bring into force new requirements for employers when checking the suitability of new employees. These new requirements will add significantly to the level of protection from abuse to vulnerable adults in their own homes.
The protection of vulnerable adults (PoVA) list will be implemented when we are confident that the CRB are able to cope with the demand. When PoVA checks are introduced they will further enhance the level of protection offered to the recipients of domiciliary care services.
Dentistry
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether current dental qualifications from (a) South Africa, (b) Australia and (c) New Zealand are recognised for registration as a UK dental surgeon. [96790]
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Mr. Lammy: Dentists who qualified in these countries have to sit the General Dental Council's International Qualifying Examination, which was introduced in 2001, to be eligible for registration in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether dental qualifications achieved up to 1984 are recognised for registration as a UK dental surgeon; and if he will make a statement. [96791]
Mr. Lammy: Yes, provided the qualifications are included in section 15 of the Dentists Act 1984.
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies for dental surgeons are estimated to exist. [96793]
Mr. Lammy : I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister of State (Mr. Hutton) gave him on 8 January 2003, Official Report, column 276W.
In addition to this, there may also vacancies for dentists in dental practices providing general dental services. However, these are independently owned practices and we do not have numbers of such vacancies.
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to improve the system of temporary registration as a dental surgeon; and if he will make a statement; [96794]
- (2) how many opportunities for paid employment as a dental surgeon with temporary registration there are in (a) the UK and (b) London; and if he will make a statement. [96795]
Mr. Lammy: This information is not held centrally. The General Dental Council (GDC) approves temporary registrations when a dentist from overseas finds a post where there is appropriate supervision of his or her training and developmental needs. Currently such posts are only found in dental hospitals but the Department is exploring with the GDC and dental professional bodies whether temporary registrations could be approved for dentists wishing to train in the community dental services and in primary dental care practices.
Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2002, Official Report, column 1046W, what form the consultation exercise will take; if he will list consultees; when he expects the consultation to end; when in 2003 he expects to publish his draft legislation; and if he will make a statement. [96961]
Mr. Lammy: The form of consultation is laid down in paragraph 9 of schedule 3 to the Health Act, 1999 (c.8) and involves publishing a draft of the Order amending the Dentists Act, 1984. This paragraph also lays down who must be consulted. We aim to publish the consultation document in the summer, with a closing date three months later.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average ratio of NHS dentists to patients was in (a) 1997 and (b) 2000; and what the average is now in (i) England and (ii) North Yorkshire. [98051]
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Mr. Lammy: The number of general dental service (GDS) patients registered per GDS dentist in England and North Yorkshire Health Authority at 30 September 1997, 2000 and 2002 is shown in the table.
| At 30 September | England | North Yorkshire |
|---|---|---|
| 1997(6) | 1,599 | 1,608 |
| 2000 | 1,311 | 1,366 |
| 2002 | 1,276 | 1,263 |
Note:
1. Dentists counted more than one Health Authority have been counted only once, in the Health Authority where they carry out the majority of their treatment.
2. Registration data for this year is not comparable with later years due to the change in the registration period.
The number of patients that a GDS dentist sees is dependent on several factors including their amount of commitment to the GDS and the amount of treatment that their patients require.
A patient becomes registered with a GDS dentist when that dentist accepts the patient for treatment. Registrations lapse if patients do not return to their dentists within 15 months of their last visit. The number of patients registered per dentist will exclude patients who have not been to their GDS dentist within the past 15 months.
GDS dentists are required to provide a full range of National Health Service treatment to maintain the oral health of the patients that are registered with them for capitation (Children) or continuing care (adults).
The 1997 registration numbers are not comparable to those for 2000 and 2002 because of the reduction in the registration period to 15 months. Previously the period for adult registrations was 24 months and children's registrations lasted until the end of the next calendar year.
Registrations are included in the area of the dentist. The registration rates for some areas may be affected by some patients receiving their dental treatment in a different area from the one in which they live.
Patients wishing to register with a GDS dentist for tratment can obtain details of dentists accepting new patients in their area by contacting NHS Direct.
Patients do not need to be registered with a GDS dentist to get NHS dental treatment. The personal dental services and community dental services provide NHS dental treatment and some patients receive GDS dental treatment on an occasional basis.
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