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HEALTH
Age Discrimination
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place copies of the strategic and operational plans that identify age discrimination as referred to on page 172 of the National Service Framework for Older People in the Library. [124584]
Dr. Ladyman: Copies of local plans are not held centrally. Information collated through strategic health authorities indicated that 91 per cent. of National Health Service organisations' strategic and operational plans include action to address identified age discrimination.
Ambulance Service
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the restructuring of ambulance services in Coventry; and what estimate he has made of the likely savings to be made from the restructuring. [124508]
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Dr. Ladyman: Coventry Primary Care Trust (PCT) is responsible for commissioning services for the local health community. I understand that West Midlands Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust currently provides emergency ambulance cover to Coventry and the surrounding area.
I understand that, from 1 April 2004, Coventry PCT will be commissioning emergency ambulance services for the local health community from Warwickshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust. This decision is supported by the local health community and is part of a long-term strategy to deliver an emergency care network across Coventry and Warwickshire, with one ambulance service provider.
I am advised that this decision is a strategic one and not about reducing costs. The investment in ambulance services by Coventry PCT will remain broadly the same.
Ashworth Special Hospital
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what his policy is on the re-engagement of retired employees at Ashworth Special Hospital to vacant posts at the establishment; [123555]
- (2) what his policy is on employees of Ashworth Special Hospital and the statutory retirement age; and if he will make a statement. [123556]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Members of staff who have retired from Ashworth Hospital are not re-employed into substantive positions.
In common with other National Health Service organisations, employees who have retired at Ashworth are not formally re-employed. However, there are occasions when retired staff can return to work at the hospital on a 'temporary basis'.
Audit Commission Acute Hospital Survey
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the cost is of the Acute Hospital Portfolio survey by the Audit Commission; and if he will make a statement; [125563]
- (2) if he will place a copy of the Compare CD rom by the Audit Commission, detailing performance of primary care trusts under the Acute Hospital Portfolio in the Library. [125564]
Mr. Hutton: The Audit Commission is an independent body and inquiries about its operations should be addressed to the Commission itself.
National Blood Service
Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what impact on the annual blood supply there will be from the introduction of short-term donation bans on donors who have visited areas where emerging pathogens and viruses are notified. [123389]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The National Blood Service (NBS) has recently introduced deferral bans for blood donors, which apply to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and West Nile Fever virus. The NBS expects that this will reduce donations by 15,000 units.
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Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will publish national guidelines on alternatives to blood transfusions; [123382]
- (2) when the National Network of Transfusion Committees will publish its guidance on better blood transfusion and alternatives. [123384]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The National Blood Service appropriate use of blood group is drawing up specific guidance on strategies for the appropriate use of blood and the use of alternatives to donor blood. Guidance is expected to be available for consideration by the Chief Medical Officers National Blood Transfusion Committee later this year, when a publication route and timetable will be discussed.
Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he intends to publish the results of the survey of hospital transfusion committees on Appropriate Use of Blood HSC 2002/009; [123386]
- (2) when he will publish the results of the National Transfusion Committee audit of blood transfusion initiatives. [123387]
Miss Melanie Johnson: An audit by the National Blood Service to review the implementation of Health Service Circular 2002/009, Better Blood Transfusion—Appropriate Use of Blood, issued in July 2002 is currently underway. The results will be submitted to the National Blood Transfusion Committee later this year when the publication route and timetable will be discussed.
In addition, the Royal College of Physicians and the National Blood Service National Comparative Audit Team are undertaking collaborative transfusion audits.
Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of red blood cells were commissioned for use in the NHS in each of the last five years. [123388]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Information on the number of red cell units issued by the National Blood Service to hospitals in England and North Wales for the last five years is shown in the table.
| Red cell units issued | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 2,213,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 2,243,000 |
| 2000–01 | 2,229,000 |
| 2001–02 | 2,206,000 |
| 2002–03 | 2,186,000 |
Notes:
1. This includes issues to private hospitals
2. The figures shown include paediatric red cells. As these smaller units are produced by dividing a donation of blood, the numbers of these units have been aggregated into full unit equivalents and added to the total.
Cancer Services
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by strategic health authority how much money has been allocated to cancer services (a) overall and (b) by specific area in each of the financial years from 2003 to 2006. [124347]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: Resources for funding cancer services have been included in general primary care trust (PCT) allocations for 2003–04. PCTs are receiving an additional £12.7 billion over the three years from 2003–04 to 2005–06. It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national priorities, including the targets set for cancer in "Improvement, Expansion and Reform: the next three years—Priorities and Planning Framework 2003 to 2006."
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government plans to spend to modernise cancer equipment over the next three years; and which pieces of cancer equipment will be replaced with new equipment. [124393]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Over the next three years, £165 million will be invested by the Government to modernise equipment used for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanners installed in or before 1996, and linear accelerators installed in or before 1995 will be replaced through the central investment.
Children's Fund
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used to award grants from the Children's Fund; and if he will list the (a) recipients and (b) amounts received of awards from the Children's Fund since it was established. [122461]
Margaret Hodge: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.
Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the shadow commissioners who have been appointed to help establish the new Commission for Healthcare and Inspection which will be operational from April 2004; and for which companies they work. [124392]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The following have been appointed as shadow commissioners.
Khurshid Alam is a personnel manager with St. Mungo's Housing Association. Previously he was Chief Executive of the National Association of Race Equality Councils. He is Chair of Race Agenda and a lay member of the Employment Tribunal, a lay member for Mental Health Review Tribunal and member or chair of a number of community organisations.
Sarah Blackburn is chief executive of a consultancy specialising in the development of business risk management assurance and audit capabilities. She has been head of internal audit and risk management in Argos plc, Kingfisher plc, RAC plc and Exel plc. She is a member of the Audit Committee of the Open University and the Internal Auditing Committee of the Audit and Assurance Faculty of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. She chairs the Technical Development Committee of the Institute of Internal Auditors.
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Michael Hake is Corporate Director, Social Care and Performance at Solihull Metropolitan Council. He has been a board member of the National Care Standards Commission since its establishment in April 2001. He is also a member of the Patient Information Advisory Group (Advisory NDPB) and of the Health Records and Data Protection Review Group.
Bruce Keogh is a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust where he has been Associate Medical Director for Clinical Governance. He is a member of the NHS Standing Medical Advisory Committee, the National Taskforce for Coronary Heart Disease and a Commissioner of the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI). He chairs the joint CHI and Audit Commission National Service Frameworks Programme Board which reviews the implementation of the National Service Frameworks in England and Wales. He is active in the NHS Information Authority, Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, Royal College of Surgeons and internationally.
Melinda Letts is a self-employed health policy consultant and executive/life coach working with voluntary, public and private sector clients. She is also Chairwoman of the Long-term Medical Conditions Alliance, an alliance of 118 health charities working for people with long-term conditions, was chief executive of the National Asthma Campaign from 1992 to 1998 and is Deputy Chair of the General Practice Airways Group, an educational charity for health professionals in respiratory care. She has been a Commissioner with the Commission for Health Improvement since November 1999 and a member of the NHS Modernisation Board since September 2000.
Nicholas Partridge is Chief Executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, the leading HIV/AIDS charity in the UK. He is Chair of Consumers in NHS Research and Development, a Trustee of International Family Health and has been a Commissioner for the Commission for Health Improvement since November 1999.
Kamlesh Patel is Director of the Centre for Ethnicity and Health and current Chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission. He is also a non-executive board member and Chairman of the Audit Committee of The National Treatment Agency, a member of the Department of Health Mental Health Workforce Task Group and is non-executive board member, executive member and Trustee of a number of voluntary organisations including Lifeline UK, DrugScope UK, Men's Health Forum.
Shirley Pearce is Pro-Vice Chancellor and Professor of Health Psychology at the University of East Anglia. She is a clinical psychologist by profession and has been employed in both NHS and University settings. She led the development of health professional education and research programmes at the University of East Anglia which includes the University's successful bid for, and implementation of, a new medical school. She is currently the Director of the Centre for Inter-professional Practice at UEA and a non executive director of Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgeshire SHA.
John Scampion is the Commissioner for Immigration Services. For five years he was the Social Fund Commissioner for Great Britain. He is a member of the
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Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and a former non-executive director of South Warwickshire Combined Hospital NHS Trust. He was Town Clerk and Chief Executive of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull from 1977–1995.
Iqbal Singh is a Consultant Physician in Medicine for the Elderly and a Professor in Ethnicity and Health. He is also the Regional Sub-Dean for the Royal Society of Medicine and has played a significant role in providing leadership to various professional organisations including as Director of the Indian Medical Association, Divisional Chairman of BMA and ODA and Member of the BMA's National Committee on Community Care. His interests include professional development and training and diversity, social cohesion and delivery of health care to ethnic communities for which he had contributed nationally and internationally.
Paul Streets is the Chief Executive of Diabetes UK. He is a member of the NHS Modernisation Board and the only lay member of the Royal College of Physicians Council. In 2002 he chaired the Board advising on the transition to the new patient and public involvement structures within the NHS.
Stephen Thornton is Chief Executive of The PPP Foundation (shortly to become The Health Foundation), an independent foundation encouraging leadership and innovation in healthcare. He was previously Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation and a health authority Chief Executive. He is a member of the Governing Council of the Open University.
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