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Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection will be able to levy a fee from (a) NHS hospital trusts, (b) NHS foundation trusts and (c) independent hospitals in relation to its reviews and investigations functions; and if he will make a statement. [106644]
Mr. Hutton: The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill allows for the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (CHAI) to levy fees from National Health Service hospital trusts and foundation trusts where it carries out a review or investigation.
Independent hospitals will continue to pay fees under the Care Standards Act, in respect of CHAI's regulatory activity.
Community Pharmacies
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community pharmacies in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) south Tyneside, (c) the north-east and (d) England were (i) closed and (ii) opened in each year since 1997. [108738]
Mr. Lammy: The tables give the available information on the number of pharmacies opening and closing for the six years to 31 March 2002. Such information for the constituency of Jarrow is not held centrally.
| Year ending 31 March | Number of NHS pharmacies opening | Number of NHS pharmacies closing |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 | 0 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 | 1 |
| Year ending 31 March | Number of NHS pharmacies opening | Number of NHS pharmacies closing |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 3 | 0 |
| 1998 | 2 | 2 |
| 1999 | 3 | 3 |
| 2000 | 2 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 3 |
| 2002 | 2 | 1 |
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| Year ending 31 March | Number of NHS pharmacies opening | Number of NHS pharmacies closing |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 63 | 49 |
| 1998 | 46 | 42 |
| 1999 | 46 | 51 |
| 2000 | 24 | 33 |
| 2001 | 36 | 37 |
| 2002 | 28 | 33 |
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community pharmacies have (a) opened and (b) closed in each of the past five years. [109285]
Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend, the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn) today.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community pharmacies in (a) the Hemsworth constituency and (b) England were (i) closed and (ii) opened in each year since 1997. [109869]
Mr. Lammy: The information requested for the constituency of Hemsworth is not held centrally. For information on England, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend, the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn) today.
Congestion Charge
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there has been a change to the rate of resignations among staff at hospitals and other NHS facilities within the London congestion charging area since its introduction. [109194]
Mr. Hutton: The Department does not collect this information.
Correspondence
Mr. Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter dated 28 October 2002 from the hon. Member for Blackpool, South on behalf of Mr. FW about planning issues (regulatory reform-care services), transferred to his Department by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on 11 November 2002, ref LR/031546/02. [104074]
Jacqui Smith: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 11 April.
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Witney on behalf of Alison Richards, a constituent, on 17 February. [109826]
Jacqui Smith: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 28 April.
Coughlan Judgment
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the findings and data he has received from strategic health authorities in respect of their audits of past and current compliance with the Coughlan judgment and departmental guidance. [110148]
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Jacqui Smith: Strategic health authorities have considered whether continuing care criteria in use in their area since 1996 were consistent with the Coughlan judgment. Some are taking further legal advice and will be reporting on this to the Department of Health by the end of May.
Dentists
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much dentists are paid for each type of procedure they carry out; what plans he has to change the level of charges; and which categories of people are exempt from NHS dentist charges. [109207]
Mr. Lammy: For dentists in the general dental service, the fees are set out in the Statement of Dental Remuneration (SDR). This is available in the Library and on the Department of Health'swebsite at www.doh.qov.uk/sdr/. The patient charges are also shown; for most treatments, the patient charge is 80 per cent, of the dentist fee, subject to a maximum charge. The maximum charge for dental treatment or appliance provided on or from 1 April 2003 is £372.
The fees contained in the Statement of Dental Remuneration are regularly updated, basedon the recommendations of the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body (DDRB). Final fees for2003–04 will be set when the DDRB has completed its current review and the Government has considered its recommendations. Patient charges based on the new fee rates will apply from the date of publication of the new SDR.
People in the following groups are exempt from dental charges:
- Aged under 18
Aged under 19 in full time education
Expectant mothers
Women who have had a baby in the last 12 months
- Those receiving income support, and their partners
Holders of an NHS low income scheme HC2 certificate
Holders of an NHS low income scheme HC3 certificate (partially remitted only)
Those receiving job seekers allowance, and their partners
Those receiving child tax credit, and their partners
Those receiving working tax credit, and their partners
Dual Diagnosis
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 8 April 2003, Official Report, column 236W, on dual diagnosis, what other categories of dual diagnosis have had detailed guidance for treatment published; what resources are allocated to these and the drug misuse proposed treatments; and if he will make a statement. [110223]
Jacqui Smith: The "Dual Diagnosis Good Practice Guide" (2002) provides guidance on services for people with a diagnosis of severe mental illness and substance misuse.
"Models of Care" (2002) sets out a national framework for the commissioning of an integrated drug treatment system for adult drug misusers in England. It
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includes detailed guidance on provision of services for psychiatric co-morbidity. It also describes the evidence to support appropriate approaches to assessment, risk assessment, treatment and care planning to inform commissioning of service provision for adults with concurrent substance misuse and severe as well as common mental health problems or personality disorders.
Funding for commissioning services for people with a dual diagnosis is provided from mainstream national health service budgets and from the pool treatment budget, a fund that is used specifically for commissioning drug services. In 2003–04, the money available is £236.1 million, which represents a 23 per cent. increase over the previous year.
The implementation of the dual diagnosis good practice guidance is being supported as part of a comprehensive programme of work in the National Institute for Mental Health in England with a budget of £400,000 for 2003–04.
In addition, policy and good practice guidance has been produced for the provision of services for people with learning disabilities, personality disorders and deaf people with mental health problems.
Employment Relations Act
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department have taken time off from work in order to attend to domestic incidents as provided for by the Employment Relations Act 1999. [108351]
Mr. Lammy: The information required is not held centrally. Responsibility for authorising and monitoring such leave is devolved to individual management units and is treated as a personal issue between line management and staff.
The right to time off is contained in section 57A of the Employment Rights Act 1996 as amended by the Employment Relations Act 1999. The section came into effect on 15 December 1999. The right to time off is available to all those who have a contract of employment with an employer, whether they work full or part time.
Special leave policy rests with individual departments and agencies, who are free to decide on the amounts of special leave and the circumstances for which it is granted, including whether such leave is paid or unpaid.
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