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7 Jul 2003 : Column 662W—continued
Primary Care Trusts
Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health following the introduction of the weighted capitation formula from 1 April, how many primary care trusts in England and Wales are receiving funding of (a) more and (b) less than 100 per cent.;and what action he is taking to ensure that those receiving less than 100 per cent. will receive their full funding allocation in future years. [123905]
Mr. Hutton: As a result of the 2003–06 allocations, all primary care trusts (PCTs) in England will make progress towards their target shares of resources, as determined by the new formula.
Information on distances from target for PCTs in England for 2003–04 is available in the Library.
Funding for health bodies in Wales is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
Prisoners (Dental Health)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in improving dental health for prisoners. [123304]
Dr. Ladyman: A "Strategy for Modernising Dental Services for Prisons in England" has been developed and was published at the end of April as a Prison Service Instruction.
The strategy will support prison health care managers in developing their dental services based on clear recommendations and in line with modernisation within the national health service. It also contains practical advice on service specification, outlines effective ways of commissioning dentists and explains how all developments need to be built on robust clinical governance arrangements. There is a three-year investment plan, to support the implementation of the strategy.
Private Finance Initiative
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total pre-build public subsidy was in all the private finance initiative hospitals that are open. [122182]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 30 June 2003]: There are no pre-build public subsidies involved in private finance initiative schemes.
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Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total amount was of money gained from land sales by NHS Trust Private Finance Initiative Consortia. [122183]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 30 June 2003]: Assets which prove to be surplus to requirements of hospitals are disposed of to realise additional resources for the national health service under both the private finance initiative (PFI) and the public capital funding route. Surplus land may be sold to the PFI partner as part of the PFI scheme in return for a reduction in the unitary charge payable over the project life. Any such disposals must be for at least open market value based on independent valuation from the district valuer.
Information on the value of land involved in major PFI schemes which have become operational is collected annually for the Health Select Committee's public expenditure inquiry. Last year figures were presented for the 12 major schemes which had opened; these are shown in the table. To update this information outside of the annual health service circular data collection exercise would involve disproportionate cost.
| Trust | Value of land involved in PFI contract |
|---|---|
| Dartford and Gravesham | 22 |
| Carlisle | No land involved |
| South Buckinghamshire | 4 |
| Norfolk and Norwich | No land involved |
| North Durham | 3 |
| Greenwich | 13 |
| Calderdale | No land involved |
| South Manchester | No land involved |
| Barnet and Chase Farm (Wellhouse) | 8 |
| Worcester Royal | 4 |
| Hereford Hospitals | No land involved |
| South Durham (Bishop Auckland) | 0.3 |
Private Healthcare
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the terms of the offer to tender for diagnostic treatment centres to private health companies will differ from those being offered to health care trusts for similar services; and what rate of return he expects to include in such contracts. [121458]
Mr. Hutton: Independent sector diagnosis and treatment centre (DTC) contracts will be service-based contracts and not subject to rate of return regulation: bids have been invited for given volumes of clinical activity, particularly activity needed by national health service commissioners to meet 2005 waiting times targets. In the medium-term, as set out in Delivering the NHS Plan, the intention is that independent sector DTCs will operate under a single system of regulation, inspection and healthcare resource group tariffs, across public and private sectors.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information must be made available to patients about (a) the expertise and training of staff in independent clinics or hospitals and (b) the level of available emergency care in that facility. [123037]
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Dr. Ladyman: Regulation 6 of the Private and Voluntary Health Care Regulations made under the Care Standards Act 2000 requires the registered person of each independent health care establishment or agency to compile a written statement of purpose, to be available for inspection by every patient and person acting on behalf of a patient. Schedule 1 to the Regulations lists the information that must be contained in the statement of purpose, which includes:
- the number, relevant qualifications and experience of the registered provider, manager and staff (including medical practitioners) working there; and the kinds of treatment and services provided, the needs they are intended to meet, and the facilities available for patients.
- a summary of the statement of purpose;
either a copy of the most recent National Care Standards Commission's inspection report on the organisation, or information on how to obtain it; and
the terms, conditions, and details of charges payable for all aspects of the treatment and services described in the statement of purpose.
The Private and Voluntary Health Care Regulations and National Minimum Standards are published as a priced document in one volume, Independent Health Care, National Minimum Standards, Regulations by The Stationery Office. Copies have been placed in the Library.
Public Benefit Corporations
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what considerations led him to stipulate £1 as being the appropriate fee to register as a member of a public benefit corporation. [123577]
Mr. Hutton: The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill requires that a person may not be a member of a public benefit corporation unless he has agreed to pay a sum not exceeding £1. The requirement to agree to make a nominal payment to become a member of a public benefit corporation is not a membership fee but represents a commitment to the national health service foundation trust.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expected cost is of maintaining a register of members of public benefit corporations. [123578]
Mr. Hutton: The costs of maintaining a register of members will vary depending upon the size of the membership of a public benefit corporation. The new arrangements build on existing arrangements for patient and public involvement—much of the activity is not entirely new and will not therefore generate new costs.
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Private Finance Initiative
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the public-private initiative in the NHS; what targets have been set; and what performance has been measured. [120908]
Mr. Hutton: The NHS Plan committed us to opening over 100 new hospital schemes in total between 2000 and 2010. Currently, there are 114 hospital schemes counting towards the 100 target, of which 104 will be built under the Private Finance Initiative. Of the 104, 31 are now operational and a further 17 are under construction.
Radiology
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has for IT development to enable radiology consultants in the NHS to access images from their homes when on duty; [123161]
- (2) if he will list the hospital trusts who have invested in ISDN lines for computers, to enable consultant radiologists to access images from their homes when on duty. [123162]
Mr. Hutton: Information about local investment in ISDN lines by trusts is not held centrally.
Access to radiology images online is part of the integrated care records service (ICRS), which is core to the National Programme for Information Technology. This supports the implementation of the national strategic programme, "Delivering 21st Century IT- Support for the NHS" which was announced by my noble Friend, the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, following the publication of "Delivering the NHS Plan" 11 June 2002.
Phase 1 of ICRS to December 2004 will provide clinicians with the capability to email, browse internet/intranet sites and view basic clinical information relating to their patients (demographics, limited clinical correspondence and laboratory and radiology results), whether they were in primary, community or secondary care settings.
It is a matter for local trusts to determine whether and how to provide access to patient records, including radiology images, in the light of local working practices and national security and confidentiality guidance.
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