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6 Oct 2003 : Column 1266W—continued
Breast Cancer
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 1 September 2003, Official Report, column 926W, on breast cancer, how many patients aged 85 years and over underwent surgery in (a) 2000 and (b) 2002. [129715]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) for breast cancer surgery for patients aged 85 and over in national health service hospitals in England is shown in the table.
| Number of finished consultant episodes | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 895 |
| 2000–01 | 1,045 |
| 2001–02 | 1,012 |
Source:
Hospitals Episode Statistics Department of Health
Bureaucracy
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many clinically-trained (a) nurses and (b) midwives are working in an administrative position within the NHS. [129595]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Cancelled Operations
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many operations were cancelled at Willesden Community Hospital, London, in the last
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quarter for which figures are available; what percentage of the cancelled operations were consequently carried out within four weeks; and if he will make a statement; [128761]
- (2) how many operations were cancelled at (a) Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and (b) West Middlesex Hospital, London in the last quarter for which figures are available; what percentage of the cancelled operations were subsequently carried out within four weeks; and if he will make a statement. [128775]
Mr. Hutton: The Department collects quarterly data on 'last minute' cancelled operations for non-clinical reasons at Trust level (i.e. patients cancelled on the day of admission, after admission, or on the day of surgery). Figures for the first quarter of 2003–04 were published on 11 September 2003. Data by individual hospital sites are not collected.
The percentage of cancelled operations that were consequently carried out within four weeks cannot be calculated from the data available. However, data are available for the number of patients who were not treated within four weeks of a last minute cancellation as part of the central data collection arrangements for the NHS Plan cancelled operations guarantee. These data are shown in the table for the respective NHS Trusts for Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford; West Middlesex Hospital, London; and Willesden Community Hospital, London.
| Quarter 1, 2003–04 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Number of last minute cancellations for non-acute clinical reasons | Number of patients not admitted within 28 days of a last minute cancellation | |
| Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust | 37 | 0 |
| West Middlesex University NHS Trust | 20 | 1 |
| North West London Hospitals NHS Trust | 178 | 0 |
Note:
The NHS Plan stated that "From 2002, when a patient's operation is cancelled by the hospital on the day of surgery for non clinical reasons, the hospital will have to offer another binding date within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund the patient's treatment at the time and hospital of the patient's choice." From April 2003, the cancelled operations guarantee was extended to apply to cancellations that occur on or after the day of admission.
Cancer Care
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets have been set for patients with cancer having pre-planned and pre-booked care; what the baseline is for the target; in which document the target was published; and what progress has been made towards the target. [128911]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The NHS Cancer Plan, published in September 2000, said that the cancer services collaborative would make booking of cancer services a priority, so that by 2004 every patient diagnosed with cancer will benefit from pre-planned and pre-booked care. The NHS Modernisation Agency's cancer services collaborative and the national booked admissions programme are working with national health service trusts to establish booking systems across
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the NHS by 2005 and to develop systems for monitoring the booking of cancer patients by 2004 within this wider target.
Care Homes
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care home beds were available in (a) the public sector and (b) the independent sector in each year since 1997. [130209]
Dr. Ladyman: The latest information available on the number of care home places available in the public sector and the independent sector is shown in the table for 1997 to 2001. Figures for later years have been collected by the National Care Standards Commission; it plans to publish them this autumn.
| As at 31 March | Total all homes(70) | Local authority staffed | Independent(70),(71) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 534,410 | 65,820 | 468,590 |
| 1998 | 553,490 | 63,980 | 489,510 |
| 1999 | 546,190 | 59,030 | 487,160 |
| 2000 | 539,240 | 55,460 | 483,780 |
| 2001 | 528,000 | 50,860 | 477,150 |
(70) Includes dual registered homes.
(71) Includes voluntary, private and small residential homes, all nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics.
Source:
RA form A and RH(N) 1998–2001 (KO36 1997).
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) domiciliary care agency employees, (b) nursing agency employees and (c) care home owners and managers have been convicted of an offence against an elderly resident in a care home in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [130660]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 17 September 2003]: The Department does not hold information on the number of domiciliary care agency employees, nursing agency employees and care home owners or managers who have been convicted of an offence against older residents in care homes.
Under the Care Standards Act 2000, rigorous checks are required on providers, managers and staff of care establishments and agencies, to ensure their suitability to work with vulnerable people and protect these people from neglect or abuse. Regulations made under the Act included requirements for staff to undergo criminal record checks through the Criminal Records Bureau.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Department has for further regulation of the long-term care sector. [130841]
Dr. Ladyman: We announced on 9 September that certain regulations would be amended from 1 October 2003, requiring Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks for new domiciliary care staff or nurses agency staff.
The regulations will require existing domiciliary care staff to complete their enhanced CRB checks by 31 October 2004.
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Regulations to require checks for existing nursing staff will be introduced once the CRB has made good progress with completing the checks on existing domiciliary and existing care home staff.
We are proposing to regulate adult placement schemes rather than adult placement carers. We will be consulting later this year on our proposals.
This Government has made it clear in the past that the care homes regulations would be continuously monitored and it has always been our intention that these regulations would be reviewed by April 2005.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps his Department is taking in conjunction with the Department for Work and Pensions to reduce the number of job vacancies within the care home sector; [130842]
- (2) what plans the Department has to assist care homes in (a) maintaining staffing levels and (b) undertaking Criminal Records Bureau checks prior to employment. [130843]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department is aiming to reduce vacancy rates and encourage new entrants into the workforce through a national social care recruitment campaign. The campaign is raising awareness of the social care work force and there will be further media and television advertising in January 2004.
The Department is working closely with Job Centre Plus to raise awareness of the diversity of roles within social care and the training available. Job Centre Plus is represented on the Department's stakeholder group, which has responsibility for the recruitment campaign and wider social care workforce issues.
To meet the regulatory requirements on appropriate staffing levels and skill mix in care homes, providers must take into account the assessed needs of their residents. They must also ensure that staff are of integrity and good character by carrying out a number of rigorous pre-employment checks including a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check.
The National Care Standards Commission, as the independent regulator has stated clearly that it will continue to exercise its powers wisely and where CRB clearances are not in place will continue to apply its discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case-by-case basis.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into (a) the cost of temporary agency nurses and care assistants for the care home sector in comparison with the cost of direct employment and (b) the consequences for the care homes sector of any difference in cost. [130844]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department has not commissioned research into the costs of temporary agency nurses and care assistants for the care home sector.
Staffing levels are a matter for care home providers. To meet the regulatory requirements on staffing levels and skill mix in care homes, providers take into account the assessed needs of their residents and recruit accordingly. Providers are required to ensure that all their staff are of integrity and good character by
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carrying out a number of rigorous pre-employment checks including a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check.
The National Care Standards Commission as the independent regulator has the responsibility to ensure care homes meet all their statutory requirements. They have stated clearly that they will continue to exercise their powers wisely and where CRB clearances are not in place will apply their discretion on the use of their enforcement powers on a case by case basis.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received from care home owners concerning the impact of the reintroduction of the requirement for new staff to have a Criminal Records Bureau check; and what response he has made. [130924]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 18 September 2003]: The Department has received 40 letters from right hon. and hon. Members and three letters from care homes' umbrella organisations about the withdrawal of the National Care Standards Commission's (NCSC) interim guidance. Officials have discussed the issue with
organisations representing care homes. Since 1 April 2002, all new staff in care homes have been required to obtain a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check as part of their pre-employment checks. However, initial difficulties experienced by the CRB in dealing with the level of demand for checks led to delays. In response to this, in June 2003, the NCSC issued interim guidance on how to deal with recruitment of care home staff while steps were taken to improve the CRB's performance.
Following significant improvements made at the CRB the NCSC rightly decided to look again at its guidance. However, I should emphasise that the NCSC has stated that it will continue to exercise its powers wisely and, where CRB clearances are not in place, will continue to apply its discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case by case basis.
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reasons why the National Care Standards Commission has decided to enforce the regulations empowering Criminal Records Bureau checks on new staff working in the long term care sector as from 1 October 2003; on what basis the period of time given to phase in this change was selected; and what assessment he has made of the impact the introduction of checks will have on care homes. [129841]
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what study his Department has conducted concerning the practical implications for the private care homes sector of the planned enforcement from 1 October 2003 of regulations requiring staff working in care homes to have a Criminal Records Bureau check completed before starting work; and if he will make a statement. [129513]
Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 15 September 2003]: From 1 April 2002, when the Care Homes Regulations came into force, care home providers have been required to undertake a number of pre-employment checks, including a Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), before new staff can take up their position.
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Following significant improvements made at the CRB since last summer, the CRB is now processing 90 per cent. of applications within four weeks. The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) rightly decided to look again at its guidance because there will now be fewer circumstances in which it will need to make allowance for delayed checks.
As the independent regulator, the NCSC has the responsibility to ensure care homes meet all their statutory requirements. It has stated clearly that it will continue to exercise its powers wisely and where CRB clearances are not in place, it will apply their discretion on the use of its enforcement powers on a case-by-case basis.
The NCSC issued a press release on 22 September 2003 setting out its approach to CRB checks for care home staff. A copy is available on the NCSC's website at: www.carestandards.org.uk
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