House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 8 May 2003 (pt 24)

8 May 2003 : Column 862W—continued

Care Homes (North-West)

Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available in (a) St. Helens, (b) Merseyside, (c) Wigan and (d) Warrington in the care home sector in each of the past five years. [110007]

Jacqui Smith: The latest available information on the number of residential and nursing care home places in St. Helens, Merseyside, Wirral and Warrington is shown in the table.

8 May 2003 : Column 863W

Residential and Nursing home places in St. Helens, Merseyside, Wigan and Warrington 1997–2001

Total number of care home places⁽¹⁸⁾

As at 31 March 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

St. Helens and Knowsley area⁽¹⁹⁾ 2,860 2,960 2,750 2,890 2,760

Merseyside area⁽²⁰⁾ 18,910 20,060 19,260 18,900 18,490

Wigan and Bolton area⁽²¹⁾ 4,250 4,920 5,070 5,060 4,680

North Cheshire area⁽²²⁾^,⁽²³⁾ n/a n/a 3,060 3,170 3,170

	Total number of care home places⁽¹⁸⁾
As at 31 March	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001
St. Helens and Knowsley area⁽¹⁹⁾	2,860	2,960	2,750	2,890	2,760
Merseyside area⁽²⁰⁾	18,910	20,060	19,260	18,900	18,490
Wigan and Bolton area⁽²¹⁾	4,250	4,920	5,070	5,060	4,680
North Cheshire area⁽²²⁾^,⁽²³⁾	n/a	n/a	3,060	3,170	3,170

⁽¹⁸⁾ Total includes places in residential LA staffed, independent and dual registered homes, and beds in general and mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics.

⁽¹⁹⁾ Nursing data refers to St. Helens and Knowsley health authority. Residential data refers to Knowsley and St. Helens metropolitan districts.

⁽²⁰⁾ Residential data for Merseyside refers to Knowsley, St. Helens, Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral metropolitan districts. Nursing data refers to St. Helens and Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral health authorities.

⁽²¹⁾ Nursing data refers to Wigan and Bolton health authority. Residential data refers to Bolton and Wigan metropolitan district.

⁽²²⁾ Nursing data refers to North Cheshire health authority. Residential refers to Halton and Warrington Unitary Authorities.

⁽²³⁾ Halton and Warrington Unitary Authorities did not exist prior to 1999, therefore data for 1997 and 1998 is not available.Source:RA Form A and RH(N) forms, Department of Healthn/a—not available

Continuing Care

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the results were of the exercise his Department commissioned from Strategic Health Authorities to assess the numbers of people who have been incorrectly denied continuing care funding; what actions he is taking in the light of the results; what guidance he gave to ensure consistency of approach by strategic health authorities; which strategic health authorities (a) replied by the deadline, (b) have yet to reply and (c) have replied but about which the Department has queries; and if he will publish the submissions sent to the Department by each strategic health authority. [112113]

Jacqui Smith: As a result of the assessments carried out by Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs), the Department, working closely with SHAs, has agreed a procedure for estimating the numbers of people who may have been wrongly denied continuing care.

All SHAs replied by the deadline and based on the information received, further clarification of this information has been requested from SHAs.

8 May 2003 : Column 864W

There is no intention at this time to publish the information received from SHAs.

Correspondence

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acknowledgement letters and cards were dispatched by his Department in each year since 1997, for which figures are available; and what the estimated average cost was per letter and card. [111868]

Mr. Lammy: Figures for 1997 are not available.

Between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 2002, 84,715 acknowledgements were sent.

Costs were minimal, with replies generated electronically and most sent to hon. Members by internal courier.

Doctors

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors there are per head of population in (a) Lancashire and (b) the North West of England. [111154]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.

All GP Practitioners⁽²⁴⁾ and HCHS Medical & Dental staff⁽²⁵⁾ per head of population in North West region, as at 30 September 2001Number (headcount)

All GP practitioners⁽²⁴⁾ All medial and dental staff⁽²⁵⁾ Population All GP practitioners per head of population All GP practitioners per 100,000 population All medial and dental staff per head of population All medical and dental staff per 100,000 population

North West Region 4,052 9,571 6,450,535 0.0006 62.8 0.0015 148.4

Of which:

East Lancashire HA 302 527 517,563 0.0006 58.4 0.0010 101.8

North West Lancashire HA 268 776 451,001 0.0006 59.4 0.0017 172.1

South Lancashire HA 180 180 312,982 0.0006 57.5 0.0006 57.5

	All GP practitioners⁽²⁴⁾	All medial and dental staff⁽²⁵⁾	Population	All GP practitioners per head of population	All GP practitioners per 100,000 population	All medial and dental staff per head of population	All medical and dental staff per 100,000 population
North West Region	4,052	9,571	6,450,535	0.0006	62.8	0.0015	148.4
Of which:
East Lancashire HA	302	527	517,563	0.0006	58.4	0.0010	101.8
North West Lancashire HA	268	776	451,001	0.0006	59.4	0.0017	172.1
South Lancashire HA	180	180	312,982	0.0006	57.5	0.0006	57.5

⁽²⁴⁾ All GP Practitioners includes: GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, GP Retainers, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA) and PMS others

⁽²⁵⁾ Includes Hospital Medical Hospital Practitioners and excludes Hospital Practitioners and Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals

Sources:

1. Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

2. Department of Health Medical & Dental workforce census

3. ONS 2001 resident based population estimates

8 May 2003 : Column 865W

Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recourse a general practitioner has who wishes to complain about unacceptable behaviour of (a) a patient and (b) an associate acting on the patient's behalf. [109995]

Mr. Hutton : Patients have a duty to use the health service responsibly. General practitioners (GPs) should have a local policy in place to ensure that the unacceptable behaviour of patients, or their associates, is tackled. These policies may form part of a wider primary care trust strategy for dealing with violent and abusive patients. As a final recourse a GP is free to remove any patient from their list.

Fire Incidents

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) fires and (b) false fire alarms there were in the NHS in each year since 1997. [110820]

Mr. Hutton: Reporting of fire incidents and false alarms by national health service trusts became mandatory in 1998. The information requested is shown in the table.

Fire incidents False alarms

2001–02 6,271 25,137

2000–01 5,730 25,317

1999–2000 5,625 23,777

1998–99 6,229 20,747

	Fire incidents	False alarms
2001–02	6,271	25,137
2000–01	5,730	25,317
1999–2000	5,625	23,777
1998–99	6,229	20,747

Note:

Figures for 2002–03 are not yet available.

8 May 2003 : Column 866W

The incidents identified in the above table represent the number of occasions when fire services attended NHS sites. As such, it includes incidents of varying degrees of severity, with the vast majority resulting from circumstances such as burnt toast, smoke or steam from cooking and contractor activity.

Health Professionals

Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital-based doctors and consultants have left NHS hospitals in Sunderland in the last three years. [111199]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally. The number of consultants employed by national health service trusts in Sunderland is shown in the table.

Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS)—Medical and dental staff by employing organisationNumber (headcount)

HHS medical and dental Hospital medical and dental

As at September each year All staff Consultants All staff Consultants

1999

Sunderland area 396 143 381 143

Sunderland City Hospitals NHS Trust RLN 353 125 338 125

Wearside Priority Health Care NHS Trust RLH 43 18 43 18

2000

Sunderland area 403 144 390 144

Sunderland City Hospitals NHS Trust RLN 361 126 348 126

Wearside Priority Health Care NHS Trust RLH 42 18 42 18

2001

Sunderland area 409 160 400 160

Sunderland City Hospitals NHS Trust RLN 366 139 357 139

Wearside Priority Health Care NHS Trust RLH 43 21 43 21

		HHS medical and dental	Hospital medical and dental
As at September each year		All staff	Consultants	All staff	Consultants
1999
Sunderland area		396	143	381	143
Sunderland City Hospitals NHS Trust	RLN	353	125	338	125
Wearside Priority Health Care NHS Trust	RLH	43	18	43	18

2000
Sunderland area		403	144	390	144
Sunderland City Hospitals NHS Trust	RLN	361	126	348	126
Wearside Priority Health Care NHS Trust	RLH	42	18	42	18

2001
Sunderland area		409	160	400	160
Sunderland City Hospitals NHS Trust	RLN	366	139	357	139
Wearside Priority Health Care NHS Trust	RLH	43	21	43	21

Source:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses in (a) Sunderland Royal Hospital, (b) Hartlepool General Hospital, (c) North Tees Hospital and (d) University Hospital Durham are training to become nurse practitioners. [111200]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested on nurses training to become nurse practitioners is shown in the table.

Trust Nurse practitioners in training

City Hospitals Sunderland National Health Service Trust(Sunderland Royal Hospital) 8

County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NationalHealth Service Trust (University Hospital of Durham) 2

North Tees and Hartlepool National Health Service Trust(University Hospital of Hartlepool and University Hospitalof North Tees) 6

Trust	Nurse practitioners in training
City Hospitals Sunderland National Health Service Trust(Sunderland Royal Hospital)	8
County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NationalHealth Service Trust (University Hospital of Durham)	2
North Tees and Hartlepool National Health Service Trust(University Hospital of Hartlepool and University Hospitalof North Tees)	6

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