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8 Apr 2003 : Column 236W—continued
Foster Care
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 12 March 2003, Official Report, column 340W, on foster care, if he will make a statement on his Department's involvement in the Choice Protects Review of local authority fostering allowances. [106550]
Jacqui Smith: I announced the Choice Protects Review in March 2002 because of my concerns about placement services for looked after children. The Choice Protects Review is looking at all aspects of the fostering service, specifically focusing on support for foster carers.
Foundation Trusts
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to appoint the Independent Regulator of NHS foundation trusts. [106638]
Mr. Hutton: Subject to parliamentary approval, the Independent Regulator will be appointed when the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill is enacted.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether an hon. Member is eligible to apply for the position of Independent Regulator of NHS foundation trusts; and if he will make a statement. [106639]
Mr. Hutton: Subject to parliamentary approval, the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill will disqualify Members of the House of Commons from eligibility to apply for the position of Independent Regulator.
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GP Practices
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner doctors' practices there were in 1995; and how many there are now. [107228]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested for England and for Wales is shown in the table.
| 1995 | 2001 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPEs | Partnerships | UPEs | Partnerships | |
| England total | 26,702 | 9,062 | 27,843 | 8,817 |
| Wales total | 1,719 | 534 | 1,785 | 517 |
(30) UPEs include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs.
Sources:
Department of Health General Medical Services Statistics England and Wales as at 1 October 1995
Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics England and Wales as at 30 September 2001
Department of Health Statistics for General Medical Practitioners in England: 1991–2001
The 1995 data for England and for Wales, and the 2001 data for England is available from: www.doh.gov.uk/public/NHSWorkforce.htm
The National Assembly for Wales published the data for 2001 at: www.wales.gov.uk/keypubstatisticsforwalesheadline/content/health
Information relating Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the devolved Administrations. While the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved responsibility rest with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.
Health Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the local authorities that (a) had and (b) did not have health overview and scrutiny committees working by 1 April. [108011]
Mr. Lammy: This information is not available. The Department will be monitoring the implementation of the powers to scrutinise health services as it rolls out across England.
Health Trusts (Taunton)
Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many voluntary organisations made expressions of interest to the Commission for Patient Public Involvement by the deadline of 26 March to initiate, develop and manage patient and public involvement forums for (a) Taunton Dean Primary Care Trust and (b) Taunton and Somerset NHS Hospital Trust. [108033]
Mr. Lammy: Information relating to the expressions of interest to provide support to patient and public involvement forums is a matter for the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health. The Commission can be contacted at
- 9th Floor Ladywood House
8 Apr 2003 : Column 238W
Independent Regulator
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedure is in place for (a) an NHS hospital trust and (b) an independent hospital to give notice to the Independent Regulator of its intention to become an NHS foundation trust. [106640]
Mr. Hutton: Subject to parliamentary approval, provisions in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill will allow for an application to be made to the regulator by persons (other than a national health service trust) to be incorporated as a public benefit corporation and authorised to become an NHS foundation trust, if the application is supported by the Secretary of State.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Independent Regulator, before making its prudential borrowing code, will be required to consult any independent organisation that intends to make an application to become an NHS foundation trust. [106641]
Mr. Hutton: Subject to parliamentary approval, the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill will make provision for the Regulator to consult such persons as he considers appropriate and this may include independent organisations that intend to make an application to become a national health service foundation trust.
Iraq
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether each strategic health authority has a programme in place to accommodate the mental health needs of returning servicemen and women; and if he will make a statement; [107167]
- (2) what preparations have been made by the NHS for on-going mental health and counselling services for returning servicemen and women. [107168]
Jacqui Smith: Most returning armed forces personnel requiring mental health care will be treated by the Defence medical services, which have experience in dealing with mental illnesses resulting from conflict. National health service mental health care will be available to any Service personnel who need it.
The capacity and flexibility of mental health services provided by the NHS mean that no specific programmes or preparations need to be made for treating returning Service personnel. If they require NHS mental health care they will be able to access it through appropriate referral routes.
NHS Professionals
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many NHS acute trusts have signed up to use NHS Professionals; and what proportion of acute trusts this represents; [104080]
- (2) what national deadlines were set for the expansion of NHS Professionals between November 2000 and January 2003; [104649]
(3) what representations he has received on the adequacy of the (a) facilities and (b) IT systems to support NHS Professionals; and if he will make a statement; [104651]
8 Apr 2003 : Column 239W
(4) pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2002, Official Report, column 1054W, on NHS Professionals, what the terms of reference of the assessment are; [104081]
(5) what representations he has received on the (a) training and (b) criminal records checks undergone by nurses used by NHS Professionals; and if he will make a statement; [104648]
(6) what representations he has received on the funding of NHS Professionals; and if he will make a statement; [104650]
(7) if he will make a statement on his Department's role in supporting the West Yorkshire Ambulance Service over the introduction of NHS Professionals. [104869]
Mr. Hutton: To date, 42 national health service acute trusts are making use of NHS Professionals, which represents 17 per cent. of all NHS acute trusts. In addition 13 other NHS trusts are making use of NHS Professionals. The Government's aim is that by April 2005 all NHS trusts should be using the NHS Professionals service exclusively to source temporary nursing staff.
The assessment of NHS Professionals was established to take stock of progress on its implementation, review the different approaches in the provision of temporary staffing and recommend the most viable options for continuing this service in-house.
Currently, each provider of NHS Professionals has sourced their own facilities and information technology (IT) solutions. The new special health authority for NHS Professionals will be responsible for the future long-term strategy for the core business processes of the NHS Professionals service, including call centre management, employment services, payroll, payments to agencies, invoicing trusts, management reporting and IT. National targets for the expansion of NHS Professionals were set out in Health Service Circular (HSC) 002/2001 published 16 February 2001.
The new special health authority for NHS Professionals will be responsible for the future long-term strategy for training. Criminal records checks will be carried out on NHS Professionals nurses as laid down in Departmental Guidelines. In common with checks for other staff groups, theses are subject to some delay at the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) but the position is improving. Such checks are not mandatory except in the case of appointments to posts caring for children within the terms of the Protection of Children Act 1999, which require a check to be made against the Protection of Children Act List. In these cases, a fast-track facility for checks is available at the CRB.
NHS Professionals was allocated £7 million to support the start up of pilot sites. A further £29 million has been invested this year. We will continue to invest in the implementation and development of NHS Professionals through the new special health authority for NHS Professionals.
The Department of Health has worked closely with West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (WYMAS) NHS Trust on the development of NHS Professionals and has provided funding to take account of extra costs incurred on implementation and will continue to work with WYMAS through the next stage
8 Apr 2003 : Column 240W
of development to move their NHS Professionals operations to a new special health authority for NHS Professionals.
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