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17 Jul 2003 : Column 651W—continued
Overseas Medical Treatment
Mr. Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the standard waiting period is before being able to use NHS funds to seek medical treatment abroad. [123603]
Mr. Hutton:
The time a patient waits for treatment under the national health service, whether provided at home or abroad, depends on number of factors including their clinical need and local circumstances. Policy on waiting times in England is set out in the NHS Plan.
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Overseas Patients
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what income the NHS has received from payments from overseas patients that are not eligible for free treatment for each of the years since 1997. [126012]
Mr. Hutton: National health service trust accounts do not identify separately income generated from treatment of chargeable overseas visitors.
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of overseas patients who have received free medical treatment for which they have not been eligible in each of the last five years. [126015]
Mr. Hutton: The national health service is first and foremost for the benefit of people who live in the United Kingdom.
A person who is not ordinarily resident in the UK, but who requires NHS hospital treatment, is subject to the provisions of the provisions of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended.
NHS trusts will take all reasonable measures to recover charges made to overseas visitors. Overseas visitors debt that is unrecoverable is written off and recorded in trust annual accounts. The overseas visitors bad debt written off for the last five years is shown in the table.
| Amount written off (£) | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 1.1 million |
| 1998–99 | 854,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 1.2 million |
| 2000–01 | 1.8 million |
| 2001–02 | 1.3 million |
Pain Relief
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) whole time equivalent posts and (b) vacancies for (i) consultants, (ii) specialist registrars, (iii) senior house officers, (iv) nurses and (v) professions allied to medicines, specialising in pain relief there were in each year since 1997. [126349]
Mr. Hutton:
Information is not available on the number of posts or vacancies for staff specialising in pain relief. Pain relief is a sub-specialty of anaesthetics. Information on whole-time equivalent staff in post for consultants, registrars and senior house officers in
17 Jul 2003 : Column 653W
anaesthetics is shown in the table. Information on the number of whole-time equivalent posts in national health service trusts is not collected centrally.
Information on vacancies lasting three months or more is collected in the NHS vacancy survey which has been collected in March each year since 1999. Information specifically for the anaesthetics (inc. intensive care) specialty has only been collected since 2000. There is no comparable information on nurses or allied health professionals.
Between 1997 and 2002, the number of whole-time equivalent consultants working in anaesthetics (inc. intensive care) have increased by 40 per cent., registrars by 10 per cent., and senior house officers by 14 per cent.
Source:
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census
(20) Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March each year which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).
(21) Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the medical and dental workforce census (whole time equivalent).
(22) Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.
Notes:
1. Percentages rounded to one decimal place.
2. England totals include staff from Special Health Authorities.
Source:
Department of Health Vacancies Survey 2001.
Papilloma Virus
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the results of the three human papilloma virus implementation pilots now being undertaken; and what progress is being made in the HPV primary screening trial being undertaken in Manchester. [123247]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The pilot of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing for women with mild or borderline cervical screening test results, along with liquid based cytology, began in April 2001 at three sites: Bristol, Newcastle, and Norfolk and Norwich. The independent evaluation report of the HPV arm of the pilot is due to be sent to the Department of Health at the end of September 2003, and will then undergo a peer review process. Implications of the report for the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme will be discussed by the United Kingdom National Screening Committee, who originally commissioned the pilot. Publication is expected in early 2004.
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The ARTISTIC trial (A randomised trial of human papilloma virus testing in primary cervical screening), which is led by Professor Henry Kitchener at Manchester University, is broadly on target to complete patient recruitment by the end of 2003. The main results will not be known until 2007–08, as it will take two years to reach the necessary number of patients and each patient then needs to be followed up for three years in order to evaluate the sensitivity and accuracy of the test.
Pathology Laboratories
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his plans are for the future inspection of pathology laboratories. [123753]
Mr. Hutton: Currently, registration for accreditation of pathology laboratories in the United Kingdom is voluntary, except for cervical cytology laboratories. To improve clinical governance, raise quality standards and improve openness and transparency for patients, we believe that the current voluntary system for laboratory accreditation is no longer acceptable. We have, therefore, decided that all National Health Service pathology laboratories in England should enrol with an appropriate accreditation scheme. Further information will be contained in theDepartment of Health document on modernising pathology services, which will be published shortly.
Patient Advice and Liaison Service
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 10 July 2003, Official Report, columns 1041–12W, on the Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service, what the methodology was for the recent mapping exercise. [126342]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department of Health undertook a survey of all national health service trusts and primary care trusts to ascertain the provision of patient advice and liaison services (PALS) in England. The survey included a question on whether each NHS trust had a PALS. The survey was carried out through the strategic health authorities and a listing of the trusts reporting that they have an active PALS can be found on the Department's website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/patientadviceandliaisonservices/.
Plastic Surgery
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the records which he holds of the number of plastic surgery procedures broken down by category carried out in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement. [125738]
Mr. Hutton: The Department is committed to improving patient access to plastic surgery, and the quality of care they receive. For these reasons the Modernisation Agency has established the 'Action on Plastic Surgery' programme. This will develop good practice and spread it throughout the national health service.
We have also increased the number of consultant plastic surgeons. At September 2002, there were 203 plastic surgeons, which is an increase of 31 per cent. since 1997. The Department is also supporting further expansion by increasing training places.
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Figures for Finished Consultant Episodes broken down by a number of plastic surgical procedures carried out in the NHS for years 1992–93 to 2000–01, have been placed in the Library. Figures have been adjusted for coverage and missing/invalid clinical data. Comparable data prior to 1992–93 are not available, and data for 2001–02 are not yet available.
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