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19 May 2003 : Column 609W—continued
National Institute for Clinical Excellence
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average amount of time has been to implement NICE guidance on the use of drugs; and if he will make a statement on the delays in implementing the NICE recommendation for the use of modern antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia. [113796]
Jacqui Smith: National Institute for Clinical Excellence appraisals must be funded by National Health Service trusts within the three months of the
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guidance being released as per the direction, unless it is specifically stated otherwise. The necessary funding has been made available to the NHS to allow this to happen.
Clinicians will still have to make a judgement on the appropriateness of the guidance for each individual case they deal with, on the basis of clinical evidence.
No research on the precise time taken for each piece of appraisal guidance to be implemented has been conducted by the Department of Health at this time.
The share of atypical antipsychotics within the total number of prescription items for all antipsychotic drugs thai: are dispensed in the community has risen from 44 per cent. in the period October to December 2001 to 53 per cent. in the same period in 2002.
New Deal
Mr. Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on his Department's policy regarding NHS trusts' participation in the New Deal; [112193]
- (2) if he will make a statement on his Department's policy with regard to NHS trusts using the services of Job Centre Plus. [112192]
Mr. Hutton: The Department of Health and the Department of Work and Pensions are working closely together to develop links between national health service employers and Jobcentre Plus, to promote the use of Jobcentre Plus and its policies to assist with NHS recruitment activities.
The Department of Health encourages NHS trusts to use Jobcentre Plus programmes, such as New Deal to ensure the local NHS workforce grows and reflects the local community. As part of national NHS recruitment campaigns, joint letters are sent from the Department of Health and the Department of Work and Pensions to all human resources directors in NHS trusts, encouraging trusts to register their vacancies with their local Jobcentres and Jobcentre Plus offices. Corresponding letters are sent to all Jobcentre Plus managers in England, with a selection of NHS careers posters and booklets to advertise careers in the NHS.
NHS Capital Investment (Hemsworth)
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much capital investment there has been in the NHS in the Hemsworth constituency since 1997. [109872]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 28 April 2003]: The information requested is shown in the following table.
| NHS Body | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield HA | 0 | 53 | 5 | 61 | 0 |
| Wakefield and Pontefract Comm NHS Trust | 2,355 | 2,723 | 13,500 | 1,731 | 1,447 |
| Pinderfields and Pontefract NHS Trust | 1,332 | 1,569 | 4,125 | 3,916 | 10,997 |
| Eastern Wakefield PCT | - | - | - | - | - |
| Wakefield West PCT | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 3,687 | 4,345 | 17,630 | 5,708 | 12,444 |
Sources:
1997–98 to 2001–02—NHS audited summarisation schedules
1997–98 to 1998–99—Health Authority audited annual accounts
1999–2000 to 2000–02—Health Authority audited summarisation forms
2001–02—Primary Care Trust audited summarisation schedules
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There have been no major (greater than £20 million) or medium sized (greater than £10 million) private finance initiative (PFI) schemes which have either been signed or completed in the Hemsworth constituency since 1997. However, a £200 million PFI scheme has started on the procurement route when it despatched a contract for publication in the "Official Journal of the European Communities" in November 2002. Part of this development at the Pontefract General Infirmary will involve a purpose-designed ambulatory care and diagnostic centre, together with an accident and emergency unit, specialist rehabilitation facilities, and a midwife-led maternity unit.
NHS Dentistry
Mrs. Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS dental treatment places available for people in East Staffordshire in each of the past 10 years. [113150]
Mr. Lammy: The number of patients registered with a general dental service (GDS) dentist at 28 February 2003 in East Staffordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) was 58,000.
The number of patients registered in the health authorities covering the East Staffordshire area for 30 September in the years 1993 to 2001 and for 31 August 2003 is shown in the table.
GDS dentists are obliged to provide dental treatment to patients that are registered with them.
National health service dental treatment is also provided by the personal, community and hospital dental services in East Staffordshire as well as the salaried service of the GDS. These services do not require the patient to be registered before treatment and so are not included in this table.
| As at 30 September | Staffordshire FHSA | South Staffordshire HA |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 598 | n/a |
| 1994 | 578 | n/a |
| 1995 | 557 | n/a |
| 1996 | n/a | 319 |
| 1997 | n/a | 317 |
| 1998(30) | n/a | 282 |
| 1999(30) | n/a | 279 |
| 2000(30) | n/a | 275 |
| 2001(30) | n/a | 269 |
| 2002(30),(31) | n/a | 265 |
n/a = Not available
(30) Affected by the change in the registration period to 15 months in September 1996
(31) At 31 August 2002
NHS Finance
Mr. Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the national health service revenue budget is allocated directly to primary care trusts; and what plans he has to increase this percentage. [113929]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 16 May 2003]: The 2003–04 allocations to primary care trusts announced in December 2002 represented 77 per cent. of the national
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health service revenue budget. In addition to these main allocations, a number of revenue budgets initially held centrally, for example, funding for nursing care, are issued to PCTs during the course of the year.
NHS Funding
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total (a) revenue and (b) capital funding to NHS institutions (i) in each region of England and (ii) in total in (A) 2001–02, (B) 2002–03 and (C) 2003–04 (estimated). [113212]
Mr. Hutton: The Department made revenue allocations to health authorities in 2001–02 and 2002–03, and to primary care trusts in 2003–04.
Information on revenue allocations to health authorities for 2001–02 and 2002–03 aggregated to regional offices, and revenue allocations to primary care trusts for 2003–04 aggregated to strategic health authorities, has been placed in the Library.
Strategic health authorities were established on 1 October 2002. The Department does not make revenue allocations directly to strategic health authorities. The national health service regional offices determined the distribution of NHS capital in 2001–02 and 2002–03, details of funding has been placed in the Library.
In 2003–04, the distribution of strategic capital and the Access Fund is determined by strategic health authorities, whilst operational capital is allocated direct to NHS trusts and primary care trusts. Information on the total capital in 2003–04 shown aggregated by strategic health authority has been placed in the Library.
NHS Pilots
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the outcome of the NHS Digital TV pilots. [111023]
Mr. Lammy: Following the completion of a successful series of pilot projects exploring possible health applications of digital television, the Department of Health is beginning a programme of work to develop a version of NHS Direct for digital television, and to make it available nationwide.
Working with commercial partners from the media and broadcasting industries, the Department and the National Health Service will develop a service which will enable people to have easy and fast access at home to trusted information and advice on health, healthcare and the NHS. Such a service will complement the already very successful NHS Direct telephone help-line and the NHS Direct online website.
The independent evaluation report on the pilot projects can be found on the web at: http://www. soi.city.ac.uk/organisation/is.research.dhrq/reports/ditv-final-full.pdf
Information on the procurement process currently under way to select a commercial partner to develop and run the digital television information service,
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including the tender notice information pack for potential suppliers, is on the Department's website at: www.doh.gov.uk/purchasing/digitaltv.htm
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