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27 Feb 2003 : Column 691W—continued
Agency Nurses
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of agency and bank nurses in (a) York and (b) North Yorkshire; and what assessment he has made of the impact of these costs on the respective primary care trusts. [98052]
Jacqui Smith: Figures for the costs of agency and bank nurses are not available. The table sets out the costs of all agency staff and other staff not directly employed by individual health authorities, national health service trust and primary care trusts—including agency nurses. Figures for the cost of bank nurses are included in the cost NHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff.
| Organisation name | Expenditure on non-NHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff (£) |
|---|---|
| North Yorkshire Health Authority | 0 |
| Selby and York Primary Care Trust | 83,388 |
| Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust | 133,482 |
| York Health Services NHS Trust | 766,850 |
| Scarborough and North East Yorkshire NHS Trust | 201,422 |
| Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust | 500,903 |
| Tees East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Services NHS Trust | 0 |
Sources:
1. Annual financial returns of health authorities.
2. Annual financial returns of NHS trusts.
3. Annual financial returns of primary care trusts.
Source of information:
Department of Health
Cancer Treatment
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many teenage cancer patients since 1997 spent the majority of their cancer treatment in (a) adult and (b) children's wards in (i) England and (ii) the North East of England; and if he will make a statement. [98466]
Ms Blears: No statistics are available centrally which allow distinction between adult and children's wards.
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Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the locations of teenage-specific cancer wards (a) in 1995, (b) in 2003 and (c) that are planned to be completed by 2010; and if he will make a statement. [98471]
Ms Blears: We do not routinely hold details of all the teenage cancer wards provided in the National Health Service in 1995 nor those that are provided at the present time. However, we are aware of eight units currently dedicated to teenage cancer patients in the following NHS trusts:
- Middlesex Hospital, University College Hospitals NHS Trust, London;
- University College Hospital, University College Hospitals NHS Trust, London;
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust;
- Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester;
- Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust;
- St James's University Hospital, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust;
- Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust;
- Alder Hey Hospital, Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust
It is for primary care trusts to decide exactly which health services their local population need now and in the future. We have asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to develop guidance on children's and adolescent cancers. This will help primary care trusts in the planning and delivery of future teenage cancer services.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the effectiveness and provision of cancer wards for teenagers in England. [98511]
Ms Blears: The particular needs of adolescents in the health service are being considered as part of the national service framework for children, young people and maternity services. In addition, we have asked the National Institute of Clinical Excellence to develop guidance on children's and adolescent cancers. This guidance will take account of the national service framework and will help primary care trusts (who have responsibility for assessing the health service needs of the local population) determine the most effective way to deliver services that meet the particular needs of this group of cancer patients.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds have been available in specialist teenage cancer wards in England each year since 1997. [98513]
Ms Blears: Information on bed numbers is not collected centrally at the level of detail requested.
Care Commissioning
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations govern local authority care commissioning; and what measures are in place to ensure transparency. [98071]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 24 February 2003]: Councils should base their commissioning decisions on the principles of Best Value. They should focus on what
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will deliver the optimum outcome for service users. Whether councils' commissioning arrangements are fair and open is the subject of Best Value service reviews and reviews by the Audit Commission and the Social Services Inspectorate. These judgements are then published in reports.
We expect local social services and health authorities to adopt the Building Capacity and Partnership in Care Agreement. We published this in October 2001 with the endorsement of local health and social care commissioners and providers. This document provides clear guidance on how to bring about improvements in the planning and commissioning of services in ways that brings confidence and stability to the whole system.
Care Standards Act
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will make a statement on proposed changes to the Care Standards Act 2000 regulation following the consultation at the end of last year. [97883]
Jacqui Smith: The consultation document issued on 16 August 2002 set out proposals to change certain national minimum standards for care homes for older people and care homes for younger adults (18–65) which relate to the physical environment. The consultation did not propose making any changes to the Care Homes Regulations 2001 issued under the Care Standards Act.
The consultation exercise ended on 8 November 2002 and the revised national minimum standards were published on 18 February 2003.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to relax the regulations relating to communal space in care homes as a result of his consultation exercise on the Care Standards Act 2000. [97884]
Jacqui Smith: The consultation document issued on 16 August 2002 set out proposals to change certain national minimum standards for care homes for older people and care homes for younger adults (18–65) which relate to the physical environment. The consultation did not propose making any changes to the Care Homes Regulations 2001 issued under the Care Standards Act.
The consultation exercise ended on 8 November 2002. The revised standards, published on 18 February 2003, include the standards relating to communal space.
Child Protection
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what communications to GPs regarding procedures for dealing with children suspected of suffering harm at the hands of their carers have been issued by his Department since 25 February 2000. [96039]
Jacqui Smith: There were no communications directly to general practitioners regarding procedures for dealing with children suspected of suffering harm at the hands of their carers in this period.
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on Wednesday 12 February, Official Report, columns 810–11W.
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Clinical Consent
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy regarding consent for (a) clinical experimentation, (b) research and (c) trials on babies born in the NHS with life-threatening conditions. [98119]
Ms Blears [holding answer 24 February 2003]: The principles of consent remain broadly the same in all these settings. These are set out in the Department of Health's guidance published in March 2001 "A Reference Guide to Consent for Examination or Treatment" which explains the current English law on consent to treatment.
Correspondence
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter of 29th November from Mrs.A C Phillips of Benfleet, a constituent. [95213]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 3 February 2003]: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 25 February 2003.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will substantively reply to the letter of the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight dated 8 October 2002, ref. PO 1017307, concerning Mr.Wardrop. [98813]
Mr. Lammy: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 18 February 2003.
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