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24 Feb 2003 : Column 44W—continued
Private Patient Debt
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total debt of private patients to NHS hospitals was in 2001–02 in (a) London and (b) England. [97259]
Mr. Lammy [holding answer 12 February 2003]: National health service hospitals are encouraged to obtain deposits from private patients to lessen the risk that charges for treatment cannot be fully recovered.
The Department does not hold information centrally about the debt of private patients to NHS hospitals.
Procure 21
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to bring Procure 21 into operation across the country; and if he will make a statement. [97597]
Mr. Lammy: Following interest from national health service trusts across the country, a selection process is underway to establish frameworks that will be available for all NHS organisations from summer 2003.
Public Appointments
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the application pack for candidates for the post of Chair of the Commission for Public and Patient Involvement. [97244]
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Mr. Lammy [holding answer 12 February 2003]: Copies of the application pack for candidates for the post of Chair of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health will be placed in the Library by Friday 14 February 2003.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where and when the Central Office for Research Ethics Committees advertised the posts of making public appointments when appointing (a) an adviser on training research ethics committees and (b) an adviser on accreditation of research ethics committees. [96549]
Mr. Lammy: All established, permanent positions at the Central Office for Research Ethics Committees (COREC) are filled following open advertisement and a rigorous selection process involving independent selectors. Additionally, fixed term contracts and secondments are used to involve individuals with particular expertise in specific time-limited projects.
The two positions are in the latter category, and are not public appointments. The recruitment of the particular individuals took into account their knowledge, experience, general personal abilities and standing in the field of research ethics committees, and took place with the knowledge of the Department.
Social Workers
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cases of compensation have been awarded to former social workers in each of the last five years in the social services departments in (a) Haringey, (b) Ealing, (c) Brent and (d) Enfield; and for what amounts; [96105]
- (2) how many social workers working with vulnerable children have been subject to disciplinary measures in each of the last five years in (a) Haringey Social Services, (b) Ealing Social Services, (c) Brent Social Services and (d) Enfield Social Services. [96041]
Jacqui Smith: It is the responsibility of the individual local authority, as the employer, to maintain records relating to their employment policies, procedures and actions in relation to disciplinary matters. The Department does not collect this data centrally.
Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies he estimates there are for social workers in (a) London, broken down by borough and (b) the UK; and if he will make a statement. [97586]
Jacqui Smith: We do not hold central information on vacancies in each local authority social services department in England for social workers.
A survey undertaken by the Employers Organisation found that, across all local authority social services departments in England as at 30 September 2001, around 10 per cent. of all field social worker posts were vacant.
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Speech and Language Therapy
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of shortages of speech therapists in Essex; and if he will make a statement. [97181]
Mr. Lammy: Speech and language therapists have been recognised at a national level as a key work force priority for work force planning and development. Speech therapists have been targeted, along with other allied health professionals, for recruitment and retention. Work force development confederations have been made aware of the need to commission additional training places for this target group.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to (a) train and (b) recruit more speech therapists. [97183]
Mr. Lammy: We are committed to increasing the numbers of speech and language therapists employed in the national health service. Between September 1997 and 2001, the number of speech and language therapists employed in the NHS has increased by over 800, or 17 per cent.
"Delivering the NHS Plan", published in April 2002, includes the latest forecasts for growth in the NHS Workforce. By 2008, we expect the NHS to have a net increase over the September 2001 staff census of at least 30,000 therapists and scientists, including speech therapists.
The "NHS Plan" stated that by 2004, there would be an extra 4,450 therapists, including speech therapists and other key health professionals being trained each year over 1999 levels. By 2001–02 the number of students entering training each year to become a speech therapist had increased by 96, or 21 per cent., from 457 to 553. Latest figures suggest a further increase, to 601, in the current financial year.
A range of recruitment, retention and returner initiatives are in place to facilitate the NHS meeting the challenging targets set out in the "NHS Plan" and "Delivering the NHS Plan". The Department is working very closely with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy and has set up a working group to draw up a recruitment and retention strategy.
Mid Essex Hospital Trust (Staff Vacancies)
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurse and (b) consultant vacancies there are at Broomfield hospital, Essex at the latest available date. [97825]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested is shown in the table. Vacancy information is not collected for specific hospitals; therefore, vacancy information is shown for Mid Essex Hospital Trust.
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| Three month vacancy rate (Percentage) | Three month vacancy number | Staff in post (wte) | Staff in post Head count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All consultants (excluding HA staff) | ||||
| March 2002 | ||||
| England (excludes HA staff) | 3.8 | 946 | 23,708 | 25,816 |
| Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust | 3.4 | 3 | 86 | 98 |
| All qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff (excluding HA staff) | ||||
| March 2002 | ||||
| England (excludes HA staff) | 3.1 | 8,394 | — | — |
| Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust | 2.2 | 19 | — | — |
| September 2001 | ||||
| England (excludes HA staff) | — | — | 265,717 | 329,981 |
| Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust | — | — | 881 | 1,171 |
Notes:
Three month vacancy:
1. Three month vacancy Information is as at 31 March 2002.
2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which Trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents).
3. Three month Vacancy Rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.
4. Three month Vacancy Rates for non-medical staff are calculated using staff in post from the Vacancy Survey, March 2002.
5. Three month Vacancy Rates for medical and dental staff are calculated using staff in post from the Consultant Census, March 2002.
6. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
Staff in post:
1. Staff in post data is from the Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2001 and the Mini Consultant Census, March 2002
2. Staff in post data excludes staff employed by Health Authorities, as vacancy information was only collected from Trusts, PCTs and Special Health Authorities
General:
1. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number
2. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates
3. Broomfield hospital is part of Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust
Sources:
1. Department of Health Vacancies Survey March 2002
2. Department of Health Consultant Census March 2002
3. Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census September 2001
Surgeons
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many surgeons have (a) left and (b) started working in the NHS in each of the last five years. [96114]
Mr. Lammy: Workforce data is collected through the annual Department of Health medical workforce census. The census is a snapshot of data as of 30 September in the appropriate year.
The information shown in the table shows the net increases in the number of consultants in the surgery group in each of the last five years. We do not collect data on the number of leavers and joiners in the National Health Service.
At March 2002 there were 4,969 consultants in surgery, an increase of 875 or 21.4 per cent., over 1997.
Note:
(10) Data as at 30 September 1997 to 2001 and 31 March 2002Source: Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.
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Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) vacancy rates are and (b) rates 12 months ago were for surgeon positions in each hospital trust in England. [96115]
Mr. Lammy: Vacancy rates for 2001 and 2002 for the surgical specialties in each hospital trust in England have been placed in the Library.
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