House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 May 2003 (pt 26)

19 May 2003 : Column 601W—continued

Biopsies

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the scanned image of biopsies is in use. [111025]

Mr. Hutton: The Department of Health does not collect this information centrally. As part of its Pathology Modernisation Programme, the Department is funding a pilot project, based at Leeds Teaching

19 May 2003 : Column 602W

Hospitals National Health Service Trust, to evaluate the use of digital scanning technology in histopathology. The project will run from 2003–04 to 2005–06.

Care Homes

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in residential care homes in England and Wales require 24 hour health care; and how many of these pay for their care costs. [113778]

Jacqui Smith: The Department does not collect this information on the basis of location. It would be most unusual for an individual in a care home not providing nursing care to require 24-hour health care. Six out of 10 care home residents receive some or all of their care costs from public funding.

Child Welfare

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the (a) report by the Social Exclusion Unit into the education of looked after children, (b) response to the Laming Inquiry and (c) Green Paper on children at risk will be published; and what the reasons are for delays in publication. [113239]

Mr. Boateng: I have been asked to reply.

The Children's Green Paper, the Government's response to Lord Laming's report into the death of Victoria Climbié and the Social Exclusion's report into the education of children in care will all be published shortly.

Choice of Doctor

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reasons the Southend on Sea Primary Care Trust has given for not offering a choice of doctor to patients transferred following the closure of the Walker Drive GPs practice. [113127]

Mr. Lammy [holding answer 13 May 2003]: The primary care trust has written to affected patients proposing transfer to a practice close to where they live and offering support if they wish to exercise a different choice.

Departmental Report

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the publication of the 2001 departmental report. [112817]

Mr. Lammy: The cost to the Department of publishing its 2000–01 departmental report was £37,865. This included costs for design, typesetting and artwork. The report is produced by staff as part of their regular duties. All remaining costs for printing and publication were met centrally by The Stationery Office.

Doctors

Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors there are per head of population in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England. [113152]

Mr. Hutton: The number of doctors per head of population in Staffordshire and England is shown in table 1.

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Table 1: All GP Practitioners⁽²⁶⁾ and HCHS Medical and Dental staff⁽²⁷⁾, per head of population in England, North Staffordshire HA and South Staffordshire HA, as at 30 September 2001Numbers (headcount)

All GP practitioners⁽²⁶⁾ All medical and dental staff⁽²⁷⁾ Population All GP practitioners per head of population All medical and dental staff per head of population

England 31,835 68,484 49,181,339 0.001 0.001

Of which:

North Staffordshire HA 256 570 457,013 0.001 0.001

South Staffordshire HA 323 448 590,562 0.001 0.001

	All GP practitioners⁽²⁶⁾	All medical and dental staff⁽²⁷⁾	Population	All GP practitioners per head of population	All medical and dental staff per head of population
England	31,835	68,484	49,181,339	0.001	0.001

Of which:
North Staffordshire HA	256	570	457,013	0.001	0.001
South Staffordshire HA	323	448	590,562	0.001	0.001

⁽²⁶⁾ 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.

⁽²⁷⁾ All medical and dental staff includes Hospital Medical Hospital Practitioners and excludes Hospital Practitioners and Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals.

Note:

Ratio data rounded to three decimal places.

Source:

Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics, Department of Health Medical & Dental workforce census and ONS 2001 resident based population estimates.

The standard ratio used in the Department is per 100,000 of the population. This data is shown in table 2.

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Table 2: All GP practitioners⁽²⁸⁾ and HCHS medical and dental staff⁽²⁹⁾, per 100,000 of population in England, North Staffordshire HA and South Staffordshire HA, as at 30 September 2001Numbers (headcount)

All GP practitioners⁽²⁸⁾ All medical and dental staff⁽²⁹⁾ Population All GP practitioners per 100,000 of population All medical and dental staff per 100,000 of population

England 31,835 68,484 49,181,339 64.7 139.2

Of which:

North Staffordshire HA 256 570 457,013 56.0 124.7

South Staffordshire HA 323 448 590,562 54.7 75.9

	All GP practitioners⁽²⁸⁾	All medical and dental staff⁽²⁹⁾	Population	All GP practitioners per 100,000 of population	All medical and dental staff per 100,000 of population
England	31,835	68,484	49,181,339	64.7	139.2

Of which:
North Staffordshire HA	256	570	457,013	56.0	124.7
South Staffordshire HA	323	448	590,562	54.7	75.9

⁽²⁸⁾ All GP Practitioners includes: CMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, GP Retainers, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA) and PMS others.

⁽²⁹⁾ All medical and dental staff includes Hospital Medical Hospital Practitioners and excludes Hospital Practitioners and Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals.

Source:

Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics, Department of Health Medical & Dental workforce census and ONS 2001 resident based population estimates.

E-government Projects

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by project, the consultancies his Department and its non-departmental public bodies have used on e-Government projects since 1 January 2001. [112835]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 12 May 2003]: A list of consultants used to support work on e-Government initiatives within the Department of Health and its Agencies has been placed in the Library.

Eye Tests

Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to ensure that diabetes patients have access to effective eye treatment to detect early signs of deterioration in sight. [113723]

Mr. Lammy: A systematic screening programme for the signs of diabetic eye disease (diabetic retinopathy) was one of two specific national targets published as part of the diabetes national service framework delivery strategy on 9 January 2003. It states that, by 2006, a minimum of 80 per cent. of people with diabetes are to be offered screening for the early detection and treatment, if needed, of diabetic retinopathy as part of a systematic programme that meets national standards, rising to 100 per cent. coverage of those at risk of retinopathy by end 2007.

Funding totalling £27 million for the national health service to purchase state-of-the-art digital cameras and related equipment for screening people with diabetes for the signs of diabetic retinopathy was announced on 22 April.

A copy of the "Diabetes National Service Framework Delivery Strategy" is available in the Library.

Foundation Hospitals

Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on his proposals for foundation hospitals, with particular reference to (a) staff recruitment, (b) pay levels and (c) other cross-border issues. [113190]

Mr. Hutton: As is normal Government practice, the devolved Administrations are consulted in the development of policy and the introduction of legislation.

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Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated patient electorates are of each of the hospital trusts he has authorised to proceed with application for foundation status. [114517]

Mr. Hutton : Subject to legislation, an application will not be able to go forward without the approval of the Secretary of State. As part of the second stage of the application process, applicants for national health service foundation trust status will set out proposals for the size and composition of their membership community. Applicants will need to show how they will ensure that the full range of stakeholders' interests are represented, with a proper balance between different interest groups within the membership.

General Practitioners

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of GPs in Essex over the next two years; and if he will make a statement. [113103]

Mr. Lammy: The Department of Health makes no estimates of the number of general practitioners below national level. However, the NHS Plan aims to deliver an additional 2,000 general practitioners by 2004, based on the 1999 baseline figure.

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