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4 Jun 2003 : Column 492W—continued
Emergency Contraception
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is available in this financial year to develop further pharmacy schemes for the supply of emergency contraception; how the programme will be taken forward; and if he will make a statement. [116746]
Ms Blears: The Department is currently gathering reports from the 15 areas that received one-off funding in 2001–02 to establish pharmacy schemes. Once these reports have been considered the Department plans to disseminate the main findings to the field. We are also planning to develop best practice guidance on training pharmacists in the supply of emergency contraception under a patient group direction.
Funding for pharmacy schemes is a matter for primary care trusts. Central funding to support the implementation of local teenage pregnancy strategies has increased by 50 per cent. this year, 2003–04, to £24 million. If a local need to improve early access to emergency contraception is indicated, some areas may choose to use some of this funding to develop pharmacy schemes. In addition the document Effective Commissioning of Sexual Health and HIV Services
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advises that open access to emergency contraception for women of all ages should be maintained over weekends and public holidays.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets his Department has for improving energy efficiency; and how he intends to achieve these targets. [116651]
Ms Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mrs. Calton) on 29 May 2003.
Euro
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he received the Treasury documents relating to the five economic tests and the 18 background studies; what discussions he has held with ministerial colleagues on the tests since receipt of the documents; when he expects to complete his analysis of the documents; and what representations (a) he and (b) departmental officials will make to other Departments before a decision is reached on the economic tests. [115388]
Mr. Hutton: Her Majesty's Treasury's 18 supporting studies on European Monetary Union were sent to Cabinet Ministers on 16 May 2003. My right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, are holding meetings with Cabinet Members. There was an initial discussion at Cabinet on 22 May 2003. This will be followed by a special Cabinet meeting on 5 June 2003. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will make a statement to the House on 9 June 2003.
Foundation Hospitals
Mr. Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the underlying deficit is of each of the hospital trusts which he has authorised to proceed with application for foundation status. [114387]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 19 May 2003]:The information requested is shown in the table.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust, was created on 1 April 2003 and therefore is not in the table
Source:
NHS Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules 2001–2002
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Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the hospitals which have been given leave to apply for foundation status, and the constituencies within which each is situated. [115177]
Mr. Hutton: Information listing the National Health Service trusts, the hospitals which from each trust and the constituencies they are situated in, which have been give leave to apply for foundation trust status, has been placed in the Library.
Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce random selection as a method of choosing people to sit on the boards of foundation hospitals. [115681]
Mr. Hutton: Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill will provide for applicants for National Health Service foundation trust status to determine the detail of their constitutional arrangements including arrangements for election to the board of governors.
General Practitioners
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the average change in income arising from the proposed GP contract for GP practices which do not qualify for the proposed minimum practice income guarantee; and if he will make a statement. [115232]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 22 May 2003]: The new contract for general medical services negotiated between the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association and the NHS Confederation provides for an unprecedented level of additional investment in primary care services. If the contract is accepted, overall investment in England would rise by 33 per cent, over the next three years.
The minimum practice income guarantee is designed to ensure that no practice loses out from the new allocation formula, providing they achieve a minimum level of quality. Practices that gain from the allocation formula will not receive a minimum practice income guarantee and will have their global sum allocation determined by the formula. Most practices will see a substantial rise in gross income. The average increase will depend on what services general practitioner practices provide and the level of quality they achieve.
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Mr Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs are training in Somerset in 2002–03. [115416]
Ms Blears: The September 2002 national health service work force censuses will be published shortly. The table shows the number of GP Registrars nationally and in Somerset health authority in September 2001 and March 2002.
| 2001(33) | 2002(34) | |
|---|---|---|
| England | 1,883 | 1,908 |
| of which: | ||
| Somerset health authority (QD5) | 28 | 25 |
(33) Data as at 30 September 2001.
(34) Data as at 31 March 2002.
Source:
Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he issues to General Practitioners on the (a) diagnosis of medical conditions and (b) issuing of prescriptions by telephone, and if he will make a statement. [115471]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has not issued any advice on the diagnosis of medical conditions or the issue of prescriptions by telephone to general practitioners.
Hospices
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the contribution of hospices to the work of the NHS. [116070]
Ms Blears: We greatly appreciate the excellent work done by all hospices in supporting people who are suffering from terminal or life threatening illnesses. Indeed, the voluntary hospice movement in the United Kingdom is considered a world leader in palliative care.
In the NHS Cancer Plan published in September 2000, we pledged that the National Health Service contribution to the costs of specialist palliative care, including hospices, would increase by £50 million by 2004 to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and to enable the NHS to make a realistic contribution to the costs hospices incur in providing agreed levels of services.
We have set up a central budget of £50 million per annum for specialist palliative care for three years from 2003–04. This represents an increase of nearly 40 per cent. in NHS funding for specialist palliative care services over 2000 levels.
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on funding given to hospices through the NHS; how much funding from the NHS will be given to children's hospices in 2003–04; and how much funding from the NHS will be given to (a) Derian House and (b) Catherine's Hospice in 2003–04. [116397]
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Ms Blears: Primary care trusts have a pivotal role in assessing the extent of health care needs within their catchment area and funding service provision, including adult hospice and children's hospice services. The level of funding agreed is a matter for local discussion.
A central budget of an additional £50 million per annum for specialist palliative care, including hospices, has been set up for the three years beginning 2003–04. This funding is specifically to meet the commitments and aims set out in the NHS Cancer Plan. The extra £50 million represents an increase of about 38 per cent. in the amount of National Health Service funding being put into adult specialist palliative care over 2000 levels and means that the pledge in the NHS Cancer Plan will be more than met. Allocation from this £50 million to local cancer networks will be made once network investment plans have been approved by the joint NHS/voluntary sector group—National Partnership Group.
During 2002–03 Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust provided £472,000 to St. Catherine's Hospice and £11,000 to Derian House. These amounts will be uplifted to reflect inflation during 2003–04 prior to any further allocation which may be made from the £50 million.
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