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3 Nov 2003 : Column 515W—continued
Dental Access Centres
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each dental access centre (a) the average charge for a missed appointment and (b) the proportion of patients charged for missed appointments. [132297]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on missed appointments at dental access centres is not collected centrally, and we have no information to indicate that any dental access centres seek to levy charges for missed appointments.
Diagnostic and Treatment Centres
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used in selecting the bidders for the first wave of the diagnostic and treatment centres scheme. [133934]
Mr. Hutton: The selection of the preferred bidders followed detailed evaluation of the submitted tenders. The evaluation criteria included clinical quality, building proposals, human resources, speed of mobilisation and delivery, affordability, value for money, bidders' corporate structure and price. There was a structured scoring mechanism against each of these criteria and total scores assessed between bidders. All preferred bidders are subject to final contract negotiation and agreement and schemes will proceed only if they provide the required level of value for money for national health service commissioners.
Digital Hearing Aids
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what qualifications are required to fit digital hearing aids; and how many people qualified to fit digital hearing aids are employed by (a) the NHS and (b) the contractors (i) Ultravox and (ii) Ormerod. [133594]
Dr. Ladyman: Although there are significant differences between the way digital and analogue hearing aids are fitted, there is no specific additional qualification to fit digital hearing aids. The Institute of Hearing Research estimates that 659 national health service employees have so far been trained as part of the modernising hearing aid services project to fit digital hearing aids. This includes people whose training has so far been cascaded from those trained directly. The
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Department does not collect information about how many private sector contractors can fit digital hearing aids.
Doctor Numbers
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have been classified as being in under-doctored areas on the basis of the number of general practitioner principals, or equivalents, per weighted head of the population; what funding is being targeted at these primary care trusts in order to aid general practitioner recruitment; and if he will make a statement. [128903]
Mr. Hutton: The Department of Health definition of an under-doctored primary care trust (PCT) is that its number of whole time equivalent (wte) NHS Plan general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 weighted population is less than the national average. As at the March 2003 workforce census the national average was 55.55 wte NHS Plan GPs per 100,000 weighted population.
The PCTs, which were identified as being under-doctored as at 31 March 2003 are listed as follows.
PCTs have been given an average cash increase exceeding 30 per cent. over the three years 2003–06. PCTs will be able to use these extra resources to deliver on both national and local priorities including recruiting additional staff in primary care. Guidance issued to PCTs entitled "Shifting the Balance of Power: New arrangements For Managing General Medical Practitioner Appointments" encouraged all PCTs to increase GP numbers, particularly in under-doctored areas. PCTs are also able to recruit additional GPs supported by general medical services non cash limited funds.
In addition to this increase in resources the following initiatives are also designed to increase GP numbers in under-doctored areas:
The GP Golden Hello scheme has been implemented nationally. This pays up to £5,000 to new or returning GPs, and £12,000 if they go to work in an under-doctored area.
Under-doctored areas have also been prioritised in the distribution of the planned increase of 550 GP registrar training posts up to 2004. Furthermore £45 million has been allocated over three years to improve GP training premises and increase capacity in under-doctored areas.
Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) aims to deliver modern patient centres premises that will help attract and retain GPs in these under-doctored areas. The Department has earmarked £195 million to support the development of NHS LIFT.
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Drug Costs
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the percentage change in the average cost of drugs purchased by the NHS in each year since 1997. [134396]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The average annual percentage increase in the average net ingredient cost per prescription item for drugs was 4.9 per cent. from 1997 to 1998, 9.0 per cent. from 1998 to 1999, 1.3 per cent. from 1999 to 2000, 3.0 per cent. from 2000 to 2001 and 6.5 per cent. from 2001 to 2002. The average annual increase between 1997 and 2002 was 4.9 per cent. (2.5 per cent. at 1997 prices). Data relate to prescription items dispensed in the community in England.
Edgware Hospital
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on Edgware Hospital development with particular reference to (a) what diagnostic services and equipment are to be provided, (b) how the hospital will fit into the primary care trust's intermediate care strategy and (c) what plans there are to improve cross health service border usage by residents in Brent and Harrow. [132578]
Mr. Hutton: The new Edgware Community Hospital is under construction and is due for completion in the summer of 2004. The capital cost of the project is £35.7 million. The new community hospital will have a range of services, including: out-patients for children and adults, including a range of therapy services, day
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surgery, x-ray, urgent treatment centre with walk-in centre, birth centre, intermediate care services and services for older people with mental health problems.
Barnet Primary Care Trust continues to develop intermediate care service, which provide support for people in their own home and also in patient and day hospital facilities. Edgware Community Hospital is integral to this strategy.
Emergency Services
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals provide (a) acute services and (b) 24 hour accident and emergency services in England. [133726]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In the year 2001–02, there were 187 acute trusts in England, each of which may include more than one hospital that provides acute services.
In the first quarter of 2003–04, there were 210 major accident and emergency departments in England offering 24-hour services. In addition, there were over 50 single-specialty departments and over 240 minor injury units/national health service walk-in centres.
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