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17 Jul 2003 : Column 645W—continued
Hospitals (Portsmouth)
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to assess the (a) capital and (b) revenue requirements of hospitals within Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement; [125975]
(2) what decisions have been taken within the last 12 months to make extra (a) capital and (b) revenue money available to hospitals within Portsmouth; if he will list the (i) projects and (ii) sums of money involved and (iii) start dates; and if he will make a statement. [125976]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The main capital allocations to the national health service were announced on 8 January 2003. Since that date, an additional £240,000 has been allocated to Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust to fund reductions in waiting times for traditionally long-wait specialities. Information on the project timeline is not collected centrally.
We allocate revenue funding to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to
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determine each primary care trust's target share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.
It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their revenue funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to help ensure that Queen Alexandra hospital, Portsmouth, is able to achieve the status of three-star foundation level within the next four years; and if he will make a statement. [125977]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The National Health Service Performance Ratings announced on 16 July 2003 reflect a significant improvement in performance made by Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, of which Queen Alexandra hospital is a part. The trust has improved from a zero-star rating to two-stars.
We are committed to raising performance right across the NHS, bringing all NHS trusts up to the standard of the best, and have therefore put in place an NHS Hospital Improvement Programme to ensure that every NHS hospital improves its performance and is able to become a NHS foundation trust. For 2003–04, the Government have made £1 billion of discretionary funding available to strategic health authorities to support performance improvement.
IT Contracts
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many outsourced IT contracts have been signed by his Department in each year since 1997; how much each of these contracts is worth; with whom they are signed; how many have been renegotiated; how many are still in place; and if he will make a statement. [126193]
Mr. Hutton: All contracts are signed on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health. Contracts signed since 1997 mainly for use within the Department of Health are:
The Infrastructure Management Services contract (IMS2) covers support of the Department of Health's information technology infrastructure, desktop computers, telecommunications and video conferencing facilities and procurement of IT hardware and software. The contract is with the Computer Sciences Corporation. The contract was signed in June 2002 for a period of seven years, and is worth £70 million over the life of the contract.
The Hospital Episode Statistics contract (HES) covers data input, data management, tabulation and extract functions for the hospital episode data collection system. The contract is with Hays Redfern, and was signed in December 2001 for a period of five years. The contract is worth £7 million over the life of the contract.
No renegotiations have taken place, as both contracts have been in existence for less than two years.
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Measles and Mumps Vaccines
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the quantity of single (a) measles and (b) mumps vaccines imported by GPs and private healthcare providers in the last year. [120237]
Miss Melanie Johnson: During the year ending March 2003, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) received notifications to import an average of approximately 10,000 doses of measles vaccine per month and approximately 8,000 doses of mumps vaccine per month. Each notification is an intention to import only and does not necessarily reflect the number of doses actually imported. A survey by the MHRA has indicated that only 34 per cent., and 21 per cent. (for measles vaccine and mumps vaccine respectively) of the doses notified were followed through to importation. It is not known how many of these doses were actually given.
The figures are provided following further examination of the MHRA database of import notifications. This has revealed a serious inaccuracy in the reply provided to the hon. Member on 4 December 2002, Official Report, columns 903–04W.
The answer stated that the average number of notifications per month received by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) to import all brands of single mumps vaccine during 2002 was 3,014 doses. The answer at that time should have stated that the average number of doses notified per month to the MCA to import all brands of single mumps vaccine was 8,141 doses (for the 10 months ending October 2002).
This discrepancy stems from the method of estimating the number of doses from the number of notifications of intentions to import unlicensed vaccines. Differences between the pack sizes of products, which had previously been assumed to have been the same as the number of doses, were the cause of these discrepancies. After extensive manual examination of records, these figures have now been corrected and systems have been put in place to prevent their recurrence. I apologise to the hon. Member for this inadvertent error.
Medical Assessment Units
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about (a) overcrowding, (b) inadequate facilities and (c) mixed sex accommodation and toilet facilities in medical assessment units; and if he will make a statement. [126188]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I have received no representations on any of these matters relating to medical assessment units.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average length of stay in medical assessment units in the NHS in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each strategic health authority has been in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [126157]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
Information on length of stay in medical assessment units (MAUs) is not collected centrally.
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MAUs have a variety of models of care and therefore it is not appropriate to specify a length of stay. Those which have the role of only initial investigation may have lengths of stay of a few hours. Others may aim to keep patients for up to 48 hours, with the aim of discharging as many patients as possible, up to 40 per cent. in some units, directly to home from the MAU.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is available to the NHS on the provision of senior staff to supervise medical assessment units; what monitoring is undertaken by his Department to ensure that this guidance is adhered to; and if he will make a statement. [126190]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Guidance on the staffing and running of emergency assessment units has recently been issued to the national health service by the Department. The Society of Acute Medicine was consulted, along with other professional bodies, in formulating this guidance. A copy of this can be found on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/emergencycare/emergencyassmentchecklist
The new system of devolved responsibility in the NHS means that strategic health authorities are now responsible for monitoring the performance of the NHS trusts that it manages. This includes ensuring that department issued guidance, such as that for emergency assessment units is adhered to.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the (a) average and (b) maximum waiting times for admission to medical assessment units in (i) England and (ii) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [126189]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.
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