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8 Sept 2003 : Column 179W—continued
Departmental Press Office
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost was of running the Department's press office in the latest year for which figures are available. [127473]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The total costs for the Department's press office for 2002–03 are likely to be £1,154,000, including all staff and non-staff related administration costs.
This figure may still be subject to change, as the accounts are not yet closed for that period.
Departmental Priorities
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's priorities; and how many there are. [127459]
Mr. Hutton: The national priorities for the National Health Service are set out in "Improvement, Expansion and Reform: The next three years: Priorities and planning Framework" (PPF) 2003–06, a copy of which is available in the Library.
Diagnostic and Treatment Centres
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors will be needed to staff the new diagnostic and treatment centres. [127328]
Mr. Hutton: The number of doctors needed to staff National Health Service-run diagnosis and treatment centres (DTCs) is a matter for the NHS trust managing the unit, working with their local workforce development confederations to ensure the best use of staff in the local health economy.
The number of doctors working in new independent sector run DTCs will be determined during the contract agreement process with preferred bidders. The
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procurement documentation sent to short-listed bidders asked them demonstrate that their workforce strategy would not be disruptive to the local health economy, and to indicate the numbers of additional clinical staff and NHS staff, working in an agreed and structured way, that will work in these new units.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which procedures are expected to be carried out in diagnostic and treatment centres. [127329]
Mr. Hutton: Diagnosis and treatment centres are expected to provide booked diagnosis and treatment, on a day case or short inpatient stay basis, in high volume "routine" specialities such as orthopaedics, ophthalmology and general surgery.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government will use a standard tariff for treatments carried out at diagnostic and treatment centres. [127365]
Mr. Hutton: From this year, the Government has introduced a new financial system to provide a transparent, rules-based system for paying providers of services to National Health Service patients. Primary care trusts will commission the volume of activity required to deliver service priorities, adjusted for case-mix, from a plurality of providers on the basis of a standard national price tariff. These arrangements apply equally to NHS trusts and NHS—diagnosis and treatment centres.
Diet
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he will measure the success of the Five-A-Day scheme. [127373]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Consumption of fruit and vegetables is monitored in national surveys, including the annual Health Survey for England, the annual Expenditure on Food Survey, and the periodic National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
The New Opportunities Fund has commissioned evaluations of the two elements of the Five-a-Day programme that it is funding at present—the 66 primary care trust-based community initiatives and the regional scaling up of the National School Fruit Scheme. Each evaluation will use a dedicated dietary assessment tool, the development of which was commissioned by the Department of Health at the time of its original pilots.
Awareness and usage of the Five-d-Day logo launched in March will also be monitored nationally.
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government plans to increase the funding for Five-a-Day Local Community Initiatives available through the National Lottery New Opportunities Fund; and if he will make a statement. [128231]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The lottery-funded New Opportunities Fund is providing £10 million over two years to 2005 to support Five-a-Day community initiatives based in 66 primary care trusts (PCTs). These PCTs, like all PCTs in England, have a duty to improve the health of their communities which requires them to lead on public health issues such as healthy eating. By 2004 PCTs will be managing up to 75 per cent. of the total national health service budget for England to
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commission services to meet the needs of their population, which may include Five-a-Day projects to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. The Department of Health continues to fund the production of Five-a-Day resources which are available, free, to all PCTs but it does not ring fence funds for Five-a-Day within PCTs' allocations.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is taking to improve people's diets, with special reference to people living in socially deprived areas. [127453]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department of Health, working with the Food Standards Agency and other partners, is taking a range of measures to improve people's diets. The following measures specifically relate to deprivation.
The lottery-funded New Opportunities Fund is providing £10 million over two years to support "Five-a Day" community initiatives led in 66 of the most deprived primary care trusts. These aim to increase access to fruit and vegetables and awareness of the health benefits of eating at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables each day.
The "NHS Priorities and Planning Framework 2003–06" sets a target to increase breastfeeding initiation rates by two percentage points a year, focussing especially on women from disadvantaged groups.
The Welfare Food Scheme provides free milk and vitamins to over 700,000 pregnant women, mothers and young children. It is primarily targeted at low income families. The Department plans to reform the scheme by 2004 by broadening its nutritional basis, strengthening links with the national health service and providing increased support for breastfeeding mothers.
District Nurses
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the role of district nurses in the NHS; and what plans he has to increase their role. [127283]
Mr. Hutton: District nurses have an important contribution to make in improving health and health care. The implementation of policies to improve access, promote earlier discharge from hospital and the national service framework for older people require district nurses and others to develop their roles. To support their development I launched a strategy for nursing in primary care, in November 2002. 'Liberating the Talents: helping nurses and PCTs deliver the NHS plan' provides a framework for district nurses and other primary care nurses, for developing their roles based on the needs of patients. Workshops on implementing 'Liberating the Talents' have been held for all primary care trusts in England. It is for PCTs to determine locally how to maximise the role of nurses in delivering Government priorities.
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Doctor-Nurse Ratios
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of (a) doctors and (b) nurses to people is in England. [127524]
Mr. Hutton: The table shows the ratio of hospital, public health medicine and community health services staff, general practitioners and nurses to the population in England.
| England, as at 30 September 2002 | England total |
|---|---|
| Population | 49,342,229 |
| Doctors(43) | 104,460 |
| Population per Doctor | 472 |
| of which: | |
| HCHS staff(43) | 72,168 |
| Population per Doctor | 684 |
| General Medical Practitioners(44) | 32,292 |
| Population per Doctor | 1,528 |
| All Qualified Nursing Staff | 367,520 |
| Population per Nurse | 134 |
(43) HCHS stands for Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services.
(44) Excludes Hospital Medical Hospital Practitioners and Hospital Medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals.
Notes:
1. All Practitioners include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (para. 52 SFA), PMS Other and GP Retainers.
2. Practice Nurses employed by Unrestricted Principals and Equivalents (UPEs).
3. 2001 based resident population projections for England for mid year 2002.
Sources:
Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.
Government Actuary's Department (GAD).
Doctors
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of hours worked per week by doctors in training were in England in the last year for which figures are available. [127375]
Mr. Hutton: The actual hours worked by junior doctors are not monitored centrally. We do however measure average maximum hours in order to assess compliance with the New Deal. The last occasion these figures were collated was in March 2003. This data revealed that out of nearly 32,000 junior doctors, about 90 per cent. were working less than 56 hours a week.
Peter Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors were employed (a) at the Princess Royal Hospital and (b) in general practice in the Wrekin in each year since 1997. [127590]
Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is shown in the table.
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| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | March 2002 | 2002 | March 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust | ||||||||
| HCHS doctors(45) | 98 | 100 | 103 | 107 | 122 | — | 122 | — |
| of which: | ||||||||
| Consultants | 34 | 32 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 44 |
| Telford and Wrekin PCT | ||||||||
| General Medical Practitioners(46) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 88 | 86 | 85 | 89 | 90 |
| of which: | ||||||||
| Unrestricted Principals and Equivalents (UPEs)(47) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 82 | 81 | 80 | 82 | 82 |
n/a = Not available
(45) Excludes Hospital Medical Hospital Practitioners and Hospital Medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals.
(46) All Practitioners include UPEs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (Para. 52 SFA), PMS Other and GP Retainers.
(47) UPEs include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs.
Note:
Data for 1997–99 as at 1 October, 2000–02 as at 30 September, March 2002 and March 2003 as at 31 March.
Sources:
Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census.
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