House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Jun 2003 (pt 24)

19 Jun 2003 : Column 422W—continued

Supported Living Schemes

Mr. David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the eligibility criteria are for supported living schemes; and if he will make a statement. [119242]

Keith Hill: The Supporting People programme provides support for people to live independently in the community, or to sustain their capacity to do so, through packages of support agreed between the client and support provider. There is a wide range of types of support (sheltered housing, for homeless people, for people with learning difficulties, and others) some of which have formal eligibility criteria, and others of which have looser assessment and application procedures. The Supporting People programme does not provide grants to registered care establishments (unless such funding was being provided under previous arrangements, where it is transitionally permitted to be paid).

Accident and Emergency Patients

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of A and E patients were admitted, transferred or discharged in less than four hours in (a) England, (b) Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby and (c) Scunthorpe District General Hospital in the last year for which figures are available. [116152]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is not available on an individual hospital site basis. In the third quarter of 2002–03, 78 per cent. of accident and emergency patients in England were admitted, transferred or discharged in less than four hours. In the same period, 88 per cent. of A and E patients at the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals National Health Service Trust were admitted, transferred or discharged in less than four hours.

Advocacy Groups

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and (b) representatives of the lottery funding bodies about securing funding for advocacy groups. [119248]

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Dr. Ladyman: No discussions have taken place with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. It is for voluntary organisations to seek funding from other sources and other Government Departments, such as the community fund.

The advocacy funding programme announced in Valuing People includes money to support development workers who work with existing advocacy groups to help them strengthen their services and also encourage the setting up of new ones. This could include giving advice on identifying possible funding sources.

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Department has to fund citizens' advocacy groups, other than through the British Institute of Learning Disability; and if he will make a statement. [119249]

Dr. Ladyman: We announced in our report on learning disability, "Making Change Happen" (HC514-II), published in April 2003, that the implementation support fund would continue until March 2006. The fund will support the same areas of work as at present. The learning disability task force, which has members drawn from both the self and citizen advocacy movements, will be involved in discussions about the detailed use of the support fund.

Mental health policies also focus on the use of advocacy. The draft Mental Health Bill, published on 25 June 2002, provides for the first time that specialist mental health advocacy must be available for all patients being treated under compulsory powers and their nominated persons. This new duty ensures that patients can have the help of specialist advocacy when it is most needed. There are also proposals in the draft Bill for safeguards, including access to advocacy, for some adult patients who have a long-term incapacity to consent and who are in a hospital or nursing home receiving treatment for a serious mental disorder.

The Department is funding, to the value of £90,000 over three years, United Kingdom Advocacy Network (UKAN) to promote free and independent advocacy for every mental health service user; to keep user groups and advocacy projects in touch with each other; to promote the involvement of users in planning and running mental health services; and to develop standards in independent advocacy whereby they are establishing programmes of regional training courses for advocates. UKAN also employs a worker to work specifically on advocacy issues affecting black and minority ethnic groups.

Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to give adults with communications difficulties the right to representation by (a) a citizen's advocate and (b) another responsible individual; and if he will make a statement. [119252]

Dr. Ladyman: We consider it important that efforts are made by health and social care bodies to ensure that people with communications difficulties can make themselves understood and can understand what is being said to them. There are a number of ways of achieving this, including citizen advocacy, but we have no plans for imposing a particular pattern of service provision in this area.

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As part of the implementation of the "Valuing People" White Paper, we announced the creation of two new funds, the Implementation Support Fund and the Learning Disability Development Fund, to provide central support for key aspects of the strategy. Money from the Implementation Support Fund is being used to support and develop self and citizen advocacy projects across the country. Two voluntary organisations, the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) and Values Into Action (VIA) are running separate schemes to develop and fund citizen advocacy and self advocacy respectively on the Department's behalf. Both organisations have steering groups to oversee the projects and to ensure fairness in the way the funds are allocated.

The draft Mental Health Bill, published on 25 June 2002, provides for the first time that specialist mental health advocacy must be available for all patients being treated under compulsory powers and their nominated persons. This new duty ensures that patients can have the help of specialist advocacy when it is most needed. There are also proposals in the draft Bill for safeguards, including access to advocacy, for some adult patients who have a long-term incapacity to consent and who are in a hospital or nursing home receiving treatment for a serious mental disorder.

Those subject to compulsory powers under mental health legislation have need of effective advocacy services. Some may temporarily lose the freedom to make the choices they might otherwise make. Others, because of long-term mental incapacity, may not be able to make informed choices about their care and treatment.

Agency Staff

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each NHS trust spent on agency (a) doctors and (b) nurses in each of the past five years. [116890]

Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) on 5 June 2003, Official Report, column 570W.

Cleft Lip and Palate Services

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of specialist services for cleft lip and palate at Alderhey Hospital, Liverpool; [115918]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answers 4 June 2003]: The formal consultation on cleft lip and palate services in the North West is expected to commence in late June/beginning of July 2003.

The three strategic health authorities in the North West; Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside and Cumbria and Lancashire, will be the formal consulting bodies. It is proposed that one consultation document will be published and circulated to a wide range of organisations, in accordance with the new arrangements for patient and public involvement.

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The assessment of cleft lip and palate services at the Alderhey Hospital, Liverpool will be encompassed in the formal consultation of the future of cleft lip and palate services in the North West.

Alzheimer's

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England suffer from Alzheimer's disease. [118922]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department does not routinely collect such information. There are a number of different estimates available. The research quoted by the older people's national service framework in 2001 estimated that approximately 600,000 people in the United Kingdom have dementia. It is estimated that about 5 per cent. of people over 65 have dementia and that Alzheimer's disease causes up to 60 per cent. of cases of dementia.

Antipsychotic Drugs

Dr. Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has commissioned a study of the long-term financial costs of (a) implements and (b) not implements the NICE recommendations in Technology Appraisal No. 43 for the use of modern antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia. [119207]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department has no plans to commission a study on the cost implications of the implementation of the schizophrenia guidance. The National Health Service has been provided with sufficient funds to implement all National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal guidance as it is expected that the following of the best clinical practices, suggested by NICE, may result in an increase in cost.

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