House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 6 Oct 2003 (pt 90)

6 Oct 2003 : Column 1343W—continued

Prostate Cancer

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what efforts are being made to monitor the satisfaction of prostate cancer patients with their NHS treatment; and what the findings are. [130039]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 16 September 2003]: A national cancer patient survey took place in 2001. Over 65,000 cancer patients discharged between July 1999 and June 2000 responded, including almost 11,000 men with prostate cancer. The outcome of the survey was published in July 2002 and it is available at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/nhspatients/cancersurvey. It provides a baseline measurement of cancer patients' experience of care in the national health service against which improvements can be monitored.

Overall the survey showed patients reporting:

confidence in the doctors responsible for their care;

being treated with dignity and respect;

understanding the explanation of their diagnosis; and

being involved in decision making as much as they wanted.

6 Oct 2003 : Column 1344W

However it also pointed to areas where improvements needed to be made, for example:

the provision of written information;

being informed about support/self help groups.

The results of the survey were shared with, among others, cancer networks and NHS Trusts who should have studied their local results and taken action to respond to them.

Responsibility for the national survey programme has now moved to the Commission for Health Improvement.

In September 2002, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) published improving outcomes guidance for urological cancers, including prostate cancer. This guidance included the need for providers to carry out surveys of patients experience to assess the adequacy of each component of patient-centred care. This guidance is informing the development of urological cancer standards for inclusion in the Manual of Cancer Services Standards against which cancer networks will be peer reviewed.

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) urologists, (b) pathologists, (c) radiologists and (d) prostate cancer nurses have been working in the NHS on prostate cancer cases in each of the last five years. [130040]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 16 September 2003]: The total number of urologists, pathologists and radiologists working in the National Health Service in each of the last five years is shown in the table. The data collected by the Department does not specify in which area of care these staff are employed. The Department does not collect the number of prostate nurses working in the NHS.

Doctors in selected specialties, England, by yearAs at 30 September each year⁽¹¹¹⁾ Numbers (headcount)

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 March 2003

All staff consultantof which All staff consultantof which All staff consultantof which All staff consultantof which All staff consultantof which Consultant

Histopathology⁽¹¹²⁾ 1,100 828 1,129 836 1,199 865 1,291 915 1,374 968 994

Clinical radiology 2,075 1,481 2,164 1,507 2,303 1,585 2,454 1,645 2,538 1,702 1,781

Urology 961 358 1,024 388 1,052 382 1,115 427 1,164 448 466

	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	March 2003
	All staff consultantof which	All staff consultantof which	All staff consultantof which	All staff consultantof which	All staff consultantof which	Consultant
Histopathology⁽¹¹²⁾	1,100	828	1,129	836	1,199	865	1,291	915	1,374	968	994
Clinical radiology	2,075	1,481	2,164	1,507	2,303	1,585	2,454	1,645	2,538	1,702	1,781
Urology	961	358	1,024	388	1,052	382	1,115	427	1,164	448	466

⁽¹¹¹⁾ Except 2003 where data is as at 31 March

⁽¹¹²⁾ Histopathology includes general pathology and neuropathologySource:Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

Public Analysts Laboratories

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many public analysts' laboratories there were in England and Wales checking foodstuffs in 1996; and how many there are in 2003. [130961]

Miss Melanie Johnson: There were 26 public analysts' laboratories in England and Wales checking foodstuffs in 1996 and there are currently 23 public analysts' laboratories doing such work.

Public Appointments

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS Trust, Health Authority and Primary Care Trust board members were (a) women, (b) ethnic minorities and (c) disabled in each year since 1997. [128909]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information available for the percentages of appointments to national health service boards in each category is as follows:

Percentage

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Women 39 ⁽¹¹³⁾42.3 47.5 48.7 48.5 47.8 47.4

Black and Ethnic Minority 5 ⁽¹¹³⁾7.5 10.6 12.3 12.9 11.5 10.5

Disabled n/a n/a n/a n/a 3.2 3.1 4.3

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Women	39	⁽¹¹³⁾42.3	47.5	48.7	48.5	47.8	47.4
Black and Ethnic Minority	5	⁽¹¹³⁾7.5	10.6	12.3	12.9	11.5	10.5
Disabled	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	3.2	3.1	4.3

⁽¹¹³⁾ Includes figures for non-departmental public bodies.

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Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) chairmen, (b) chief executives and (c) other board members have resigned from, or not sought re-appointment to, an NHS Trust Board in each of the last six years. [129013]

Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected, either by the National Health Service Appointments Commission or by the Department.

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women have been appointed by the NHS Appointments Commission to the position of (a) NHS Trust Chair and (b) NHS Trust board member. [129014]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Of those board members appointed by the National Health Service Appointments Commission who are still in post, 84 chairs are women (43.8 per cent.) and 402 non-executives are women (47.2 per cent.).

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been appointed by the NHS Appointments Commission to the position of (a) NHS Trust Chief Executive and (b) NHS Trust board member, broken down by a declared background in (i) medicine, (ii) nursing and (iii) other professions allied to medicine. [129015]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Chief executives are appointed by the chair and non-executives of National Health Service boards, not by the NHS Appointments Commission. The information requested on the backgrounds of chairs and non-executive directors could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) executive and (b) non-executive NHS Trust directors have gone on to become (i) Chairmen and (ii) Chief Executives of an NHS Trust. [129016]

Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected either by the National Health Service Appointments Commission or the Department.

Radiology

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets have been set for the electronic transfer of radiology reports; what the baseline is for the target; in which document the target was published; and what progress has been made towards the target. [128913]

Mr. Hutton: The Government's strategy document, "Building the Information Core—Implementing the NHS Plan" published in 2000 set the target of March 2003 for all radiology reports between hospital and general practitioners to be sent electronically. This target was based on the use of messaging technology. Work in this area has been superseded by the national programme for information technology in the national health service and the development of the integrated care records service (ICRS). Electronic transfer of radiology reports forms one element of phase 1 that will be implemented by December 2004.

It was decided to suspend roll out of the message based technology for radiology reports as a more modern, reliable and cost effective set of technology options are available within the development of the online database

6 Oct 2003 : Column 1346W

system, for the ICRS. This will provide a more reliable arrangement with lower unit costs and increased flexibility for clinicians.

Recruitment

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are for the NHS to advertise for (a) consultants, (b) general practitioners, (c) nursing and midwifery staff and (d) professions allied to medicine in the foreign media; if he will list such campaigns since 1 May 1997; and what the (i) cost of each advertisement and (ii) the total cost was. [128919]

Mr. Hutton: National health service trusts are responsible for their own recruitment and no data on the number and costs of their advertisements in the foreign media are held centrally.

Since 1 May 1997 the following annual costs for advertising in foreign media have been incurred by the Department to recruit healthcare professionals for the NHS.

£

Year Consultants and GPs NHS International Fellowships Nurses Allied Health Professionals Total

2001–02 61,874 12,403 — — 74,277

2002–03 194,888 188,455 — — 383,343

2003–04 501.63 36,922.53 12,967.28 7,972.98 58,364

Total 515,984

Year	Consultants and GPs	NHS International Fellowships	Nurses	Allied Health Professionals	Total
2001–02	61,874	12,403	—	—	74,277
2002–03	194,888	188,455	—	—	383,343
2003–04	501.63	36,922.53	12,967.28	7,972.98	58,364
Total					515,984

Further advertising is planned to support the Department-led international recruitment campaigns for consultants, general practitioners, nurses and allied health professionals.

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