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13 May 2003 : Column 231W—continued

Mental Health

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sick days were lost over the last year by his Department through staff mental health problems. [111998]

Mr. Lammy: Information on the number of days lost through mental health problems is not held centrally.

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of the development of mental health services for young people. [112166]

Jacqui Smith: The Government's strategy for the development of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), initiated in 1999–2000, is making progress with the aim of improving the overall quality and accessibility of local services for children and young people with mental health problems. In the four years ending 31 March 2003, we invested £105 million in CAMHS developments across the National Health Service and local authorities, which resulted in significant increases in staffing, new or expanded services and better joint working between the main providing agencies.

Our objectives for the further development of CAMHS, set out in the Department's Priorities and Planning Framework 2003–2006 "Improvement, Expansion and Reform", include year-on-year increases of at least ten per cent across the service according to agreed local priorities leading to a comprehensive service in all areas by 2006. These developments will be underpinned by additional central investment of some £250 million over the three years and by guidance contained in the new children's national service framework (NSF). The recently published emerging

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findings from the NSF include a chapter on the mental health and psychological well-being of children and the content of a comprehensive CAMHS.

NHS Modernisation Agency

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the chief executive officer of the NHS Modernisation Agency is. [112704]

Mr. Hutton: The National Health Service Modernisation Agency is a Directorate of the Department of Health and as such does not have a Chief Executive Officer. The Director of the NHS Modernisation Agency is David Fillingham.

NHS Professionals

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 8 April, column 239W, on NHS Professionals, which NHS trusts are using NHS Professionals; and which NHS trusts have used NHS Professionals in the past and have since ceased to use its services. [110890]

Mr. Hutton: The National Health Service trusts using NHS Professionals are shown in the table. No NHS trusts have ceased to use the services of NHS Professionals.

NHS trusts using NHS Professionals


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School Nurses

Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of school nurses; and if he will make a statement. [110003]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 28 April 2003]: This information is not collected centrally.

Strategic Health Authorities/Primary Care Trusts

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the total cost of establishing (a) strategic health authorities and (b) primary care trusts. [110815]

Mr. Hutton: The costs of establishing strategic health authorities and primary care trusts were met from within the financial allocations to the health authorities and are therefore not identifiable. Approximately £63.1 million of central funding was made available between 1999–2000 to 2001–02 to support the establishment of primary care trusts.

Target Funding Allocations

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) the distance from target funding allocations and (b) estimated time to target for (i) each strategic health authority and (ii) each primary care trust. [110823]

Mr. Hutton: Strategic health authorities do not have distances from targets. Information on primary care trust (PCT) distances from targets as determined by the weighted capitation formula for 2003–04, has been placed in the Library.

For the 2003–04 to 2005–06 allocations round PCTs have received average cash increases of 9.24 per cent., 9.55 per cent. and 9.3 per cent., or 30.83 per cent. over

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the three years. This represents average real terms increases of 6.84 per cent., 6.88 per cent. and 6.65 per cent., or 21.79 per cent. over the three years.

As a result of the 2003–04 to 2005–06 allocations round all PCTs will make progress towards their target shares of resources as determined by the new formula.

The allocations to all PCTs for 2003–04 to 2005–06 include resources to finance the cost of pay reform, new drugs and treatments and additional capacity. It includes the commitments we set out in the NHS Plan. We have also given extra resources to under target PCTs.

Waiting Times

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge in (a) England, (b) Royal Shrewsbury Hospital Shropshire, (c) Princess Royal Hospital Telford and (d) Wrexham Maelor District General Hospital on the last date for which figures are available. [111690]

Mr. Lammy: Information on average waiting times in accident and emergency (A&E) departments in England is not collected. Information is available on the proportion of patients who spend less than four hours in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge for each acute NHS trust in England. The available information is shown in the table.

Total time spent in major A&E departments, NHS trusts in England, October to December 2003

NamePercentage of patients who spent less than 4 hrs in A&E
England78
Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust88
Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust87

Source:

Department of Health form QMAE

Questions relating to hospitals in Wales are now matters for the devolved Administrations.

Whistleblowers

Mr. Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 6 May, ref 106425, on Mr. Mark Heyes, what steps he has taken in response to the Prime Minister's letter of October 2002 concerning Mr. Heyes; and if he will make a statement on the application of the Department of Health's whistle-blowing policy to Mr. Heyes. [112487]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 May 2003]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 6 May 2003, Official Report, column 661W. If Mr. Mark Heyes could send me a copy of correspondence dated 23 October, I will ensure that he receives a reply.

The Department is satisfied that its policy on whistle-blowing in the national health service has been applied appropriately by the Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals NHS Trust.

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