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24 Feb 2003 : Column 370W—continued
NHS Beds
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the baseline was for the target for extra beds by 2004 in general and acute wards announced in the NHS plan. [97813]
Mr. Hutton: The baseline for the NHS Plan target was the average daily number of available beds in general and acute wards open overnight in 1999–2000.
Nurses and Nursing Agencies
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 5 February, Official Report, column 225W, on international nurse recruitment, in what form each agency responded to the allegations; what methods were used to verify the information given by (a) the agency and (b) the overseas nurse who instigated the complaint; and what appeals procedures are in place if one party disagrees with the findings of the Department's ruling. [97285]
Mr. Hutton: In all cases the allegations have been received in writing and the agencies have responded in writing. After consideration of the allegation and the responses the Department has, again in all cases, decided no further action was necessary. No party has this far expressed any disagreement with the Department's decision. Should there be a disagreement, the Department would consider a higher level internal review.
Palliative Care
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many homeless people were not registered with a general practitioner in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) England in each year since 1997. [96871]
Mr. Hutton: The. Department does not hold information on the number of people, whatever their circumstances, not registered with a general practitioner.
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The data on registered patients do not allow homeless people who are registered with a GP or personal medical service pilot provider to be separately identified.
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much of the £50 million allocated for palliative care will be given to South Tyneside; [96875]
- (2) what the criteria are for hospices to qualify for funding allocated for palliative care under the cancer plan; [96876]
(3) what plans there are to speed up the allocation of the £50 million allocated for palliative care in the cancer plan. [96874]
Ms Blears: A central budget of £50 million per annum for the year 2003–04 to 2005–06 has been set up for specialist palliative care. This ensures that the pledge in the NHS Cancer Plan of an additional £50 million per annum by 2004 is met. South Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT) has provisionally been allocated £173,000.
Before any allocations can be made from the central budget, the agreed cancer network plans will need to be approved by the strategic health authority—which will oversee the process and retain its monitoring role—and then be submitted to and approved by the National Partnership Group.
The National Partnership Group is chaired by Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director. It includes representatives from all levels of the National Health Service and a wide range of voluntary organisations. Network plans must be submitted to the National Partnership Group by 31 March at the latest and the group will approve plans as soon as possible after that. Allocations will be made as soon as plans are approved. The £50 million is to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and to enable the NHS to make a realistic contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service. The money is for specialist palliative care services in their entirety and not for voluntary hospices alone although, as they play an essential role and provide two thirds of all specialist palliative care, it is reasonable to expect they will get a fair slice of this extra money. Information about this process, about the criteria and of the provisional allocation for each PCT has been placed in the Library and is available on the Department of Health's website at www.doh.qov.uk/cancer/palliative 03 06.htm.
Patient Records
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place for correcting false records relating to patients in the NHS. [98120]
Mr. Lammy: Patient records should reflect the observations, judgements and factual information collected by the contributing health professional. Incorrect factual information should be corrected by those responsible for maintaining the record and the Data Protection Act 1998 provides a legal basis for enforcing such corrections when appropriate. An opinion or judgement recorded by a health professional, whether accurate or not, should not be subsequently
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amended however as it is essential for understanding the clinical decisions that were made and to audit the quality of care.
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place for preventing a health trust (a) destroying records within its possession and (b) failing to disclose information. [98121]
Mr. Lammy: Each National Health Service trust and health authority is legally responsible for managing records and complying with legislation and guidance on disclosing information.
In the NHS, guidance and governance arrangements have been designed to assure compliance with law and good practice, while minimising the overheads of managing and auditing detailed procedures. Independent authorities, such as the Audit Commission, Health Service Commissioner and Information Commissioner, oversee the governance arrangements and may impose sanctions where there is a significant failure to comply.
Trusts keep records to support patient care and other legal requirements, but it is also necessary to destroy records when they are of no further value. Destruction should be controlled by formal retention and disposal arrangements based on the NHS Retention and Disposal Schedule issued by the Department of Health.
Trusts are legally obliged to give patients access to their own personal information, and are expected to be open about their organisation, policies and processes. But there are also circumstances when it is right to withhold information. Such circumstances are set out clearly in published guidance on data protection and openness.
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in whom rests final authority to (a) retain and (b) destroy patient records and associated documentation. [98122]
Mr. Lammy: Final authority for retention or destruction of National Health Service records rests with the individual NHS trust, primary care trust or heath authority concerned.
NHS patient and administrative records are public records. The Public Records Act 1958 requires everyone handling public records to manage them responsibly from the time they are created to their eventual destruction or selection for permanent preservation.
Destruction of records should only be carried out according to formal retention and disposal arrangements, based on the NHS Retention and Disposal Schedule issued by the Department of Health, but varied by agreement with senior clinical and administrative staff to suit local conditions.
The Department of Health last issued guidance on record keeping, with a revised NHS Retention and Disposal Schedule, in 1999. The guidance and disposal schedule are availableon the Department of Health web site at http://www.doh.gov.uk/nhsexec/manrec.htm
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is permissible for medical records to be released on an unsolicited basis by one health trust to another. [98128]
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Mr. Lammy: Health records are held in confidence, subject to common law obligations of confidence and the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998.
It would be permissible for a health trust to release medical records to another trust on an unsolicited basis where —
there is a legal requirement to do so;
there is a public interest in such a disclosure e.g. where child protection issues have arisen;
the patient has requested or otherwise consented to the release;
the record has been effectively anonymised.
Public Bodies
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those public bodies for which his Department is responsible where provision is made in the job description of the chairman that the policies of the body are compatible with those of the Secretary of State. [97243]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 12 February 2003]: The job descriptions for the chairs of the following bodies state they should ensure that their board observes the Secretary of State's policies and priorities.
National Health Service trusts
The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
The NHS Appointments Commission
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence
Respite Care (Disabled People)
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have for increasing (a) the numbers of carers and (b) the effective use of respite care for the disabled. [97984]
Jacqui Smith: The Department has committed funding of £1.5 million, to the national social care recruitment campaign, launched in October 2001. The campaign comprises national advertising, leaflets, posters, local and national public relations activity, a helpline, and a website. The materials produced are available to local employers to support their own recruitment and retention efforts to reduce vacancy rates in the social care workforce.
The effective use of respite care for the disabled is supported by the carers' grant, introduced in 1999 to support councils in providing short breaks for carers to enable them to continue to care whilst maintaining their own health and wellbeing.
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