| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
19 May 2003 : Column 616W—continued
SHAs
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place for hon. Members to contribute to reviews of the performance of a chair of a strategic health authority. [112304]
Mr. Hutton: Appraisal of the performance of a chair of a strategic health authority is a matter for the National Health Service Appointments Commission. Hon. Members can raise any matters they wish with the Commission. However, they have no formal part in the appraisal process.
Smoking Areas
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals have smoking areas or rooms set aside for (a) staff, (b) patients and (c) visitors. [113266]
Mr. Hutton: This information is not collected centrally.
Specialist Stroke Services
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the required standard for specialist stroke services, set out in the national service framework for older people, will be in place by April 2004. [110327]
19 May 2003 : Column 617W
Jacqui Smith: Our document, "Improvement, Expansion and Reform", which sets for the national health service a priorities and planning framework for 2003–06, makes clear that implementation of the older people's national service framework is a top priority, and that the 2004 milestone around specialist stroke services is a key target.
There have been significant increases in the number of stroke physicians, the proportion of patients being treated in specialist stroke units and the number of patients returning home following hospital treatment. There have been important improvements in care. For example, 83 per cent. of patients are receiving brain scans to improve diagnosis, which is more than ever before, and over the last four years, the proportion of hospitals with specialist stroke units has gone up from 45 per cent. to 73 per cent. We also know that 83 per cent. of the hospitals already now have plans to have a specialist stroke service in place by April 2004.
Sponsorship
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of his Department's projects have received sponsorship in the last financial year; who the sponsor was in each case; what the nature of each project was; what time period was covered by each project; what the total cost of each project was; how much money was involved in each sponsorship deal; and if he will make a statement. [112404]
Mr. Hutton: In line with the Government's commitment in its response to the Sixth Report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life, details of individual amounts of sponsorship valued at more than £5,000 will be disclosed in departmental annual reports.
Telemedicine
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research the Government have done into the risks associated with telemedicine. [111021]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has an extensive programme of research into all aspects of health care, including telecare and telehealthcare. Specific major projects on telecare and telehealthcare include an economic evaluation carried out by the Health Economic Research Group in the area of paediatrics, and a 'virtual outreach' study by the Health Technology Assessment Programme.
Clinical effectiveness and patient safety are, of course, paramount concerns, and before any new medical technology is used, it must, as a minimum, comply with UK and European regulations for medical devices, and with clinical protocols agreed with the relevant professional bodies.
Details of Department of Health research programmes are published online at: http://www. disco.port.ac.uk/ictri/ The Department also supports the Telemedicine Information Service (www.tis.bl.uk), which covers telemedicine and telecare research and development projects.
19 May 2003 : Column 618W
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent assessment he has made of the use of telehealthcare devices in the monitoring and treatment of chronic diseases; and if he will make a statement; [111178]
- (2) what recent assessment he has made of the financial and care benefits of the use of telecare and telehealthcare; [111179]
(3) if he will estimate the potential savings to his Department of the use of telecare and telehealthcare devices; [111181]
(4) what guidance he will issue to local authorities and primary care trusts in the use of telehealthcare and telecare units which monitor patients health care and the environment in which they live; [111176]
(5) what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) other Departments of State and (b) the commissioners and providers of community based health and social care about the use of telecare devices; [111177]
(6) what recent assessment he has made of the use of telecare devices to promote early discharges and independent community based living. [111174]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has an extensive programme of research into all aspects of health care, including telecare and telehealthcare. Specific major projects on telecare and telehealthcare include an economic evaluation carried out by the Health Economic Research Group in the area of paediatrics, and a 'virtual outreach' study by the Health Technology Assessment Programme. The Department also has on-going discussions with the Department of Trade and Industry on the deployment and use of telemedicine and telecare.
Details of Department of Health research programmes are published online at: http://www. disco.port.ac.uk/ictri/ The Department also supports the Telemedicine Information Service (www.tis.bl.uk), which covers telemedicine and telecare research and development projects.
The Department also has on-going discussions with local authorities and primary care trusts on the implementation of integrated care records services, including where relevant and appropriate, the deployment of telemedicine and telecare. The potential of telecare devices in the monitoring and treatment of chronic diseases, and to support early discharge and independent community living is well understood. The use of telehealthcare and telecare units is being taken forward by a number of local health communities where they are most appropriate to local needs and local working practices, and can deliver real benefits to patient care. The Department of Health's Modernisation Agency is in place to support new practices and innovative approaches, and will help to make a significant contribution in this area.
Clinical effectiveness and patient safety are, of course, paramount concerns, and before any new medical technology is used, it must, as a minimum, comply with UK and European regulations for medical devices, and with clinical protocols agreed with the relevant professional bodies.
19 May 2003 : Column 619W
Trust Finances
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) PCTs, (b) hospital trusts and (c) other trusts ended the year 2002–03 in debt. [112470]
Mr. Hutton: The audited information in respect of the 2002–03 financial position of all national health service trusts will be published in their individual annual accounts and will be available centrally in autumn 2003. We have no plans to publish un-audited information. These figures are considered to be exempt under Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice his Department has given hospital and health trusts, who ended either or both of the last two financial years in debt, on the relative importance of (a) clearing their debts and (b) meeting government performance targets; [112472]
- (2) what guidance has been offered to those hospital and health trusts which have (a) ended the year in debt and (b) ended at least the last two years in debt; [112471]
(3) what targets his Department has set (a) primary care, (b) health and (c) hospital trusts for (i) debt recovery and (ii) end of year debt avoidance. [112476]
Mr. Hutton: All national health service organisations have been asked to plan for and achieve financial balance.
Where this is not achieved, in line with the Government's policy of the shifting the balance of power, discussions are undertaken locally with relevant commissioners and if required the relevant strategic health authority. These discussions should result in the joint development and agreement of a robust and realistic plan for financial recovery together with achievement of non-financial targets.
In 2002–03, the shadow NHS Bank has made available a total of £100 million to three strategic health authority areas; Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire (£45 million), Surrey and Sussex (£30 million) and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire (£25 million) to assist with managing financial difficulties within these health economies.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which and how many (a) PCTs, (b) hospital trusts and (c) other health trusts have been permitted by his Department or the strategic health authority to carry forward accumulated debt; and in which cases and for what period of financial years they have been permitted to carry the debt forward; [112473]
- (2) what advice his Department has offered to each of the PCTs, hospital and health trusts which have requested authority to carry forward end of year debt (a) for one year, (b) for two years and (c) for three or more years. [112475]
Mr. Hutton: In line with the Government's policy of shifting the balance of power, discussions about such issues are undertaken locally with relevant commissioners and if required the relevant strategic health authority. The audited information in respect of the 2002–03 financial performance of all primary care
19 May 2003 : Column 620W
trusts and national health service trusts will be published in their individual annual accounts and will be available centrally in autumn 2003.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance is available from (a) his Department and (b) a strategic health authority to PCTs and hospital or health trusts which experience (i) avoidable and (ii) unavoidable end of year debt. [112474]
Mr. Hutton: The Department and the national health service have to live within the overall spending limits agreed by Parliament. In doing so no distinction is made between 'avoidable' or 'unavoidable' end of year debt positions when managing this overall position.
In 2002–03, the shadow NHS bank has made available a total of £100 million to three strategic health authority areas; Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire (£45 million), Surrey and Sussex (£30 million) and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire (£25 million) to assist with managing financial difficulties within these health economies.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which PCTs inherited a debt legacy from their predecessor organisations or authority; and of these how many and which PCTs ended their (a) first and (b) second financial years in debt. [112477]
Mr. Hutton: Information on primary care trusts inherited debt legacy is not collected centrally.
The audited annual accounts for 2000–01 and 2001–02 show no primary care trust reported an overspend against their revenue resource limit. The audited information in respect of the 2002–03 financial performance of all primary care trusts will be published in their individual annual accounts and will be available centrally in autumn 2003.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |