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18 Nov 2003 : Column 847W—continued
Community Health Councils
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to extend the life of community health councils in advance of the transition to the new structure. [135634]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Community health councils (CHCs) will be abolished on 1 December. We do not support any further delay in the abolition. We believe such a move would place remaining staff under great strain, give rise to widespread logistical problems and cause confusion among patients and the public.
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Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures he has put in place (a) for the employment of community health council officers and staff in the new complaint and consultation structure and (b) to ensure that community health council (i) records, (ii) skills and (iii) experience are not lost to their local communities. [135635]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A human resources framework for community health council (CHC) staff, agreed with the relevant trades unions, was issued in June 2003. The framework included arrangements for those CHC staff who wished to leave early to take up posts in organisations providing independent complaints advocacy services, local network providers to patients' forums, overview and scrutiny committees (OSCs) and other posts in the national health service dedicated to patient and public involvement. The framework also made provision for clearing houses, training opportunities and helplines to assist CHC staff find alternative employment in the NHS. Guidance on the retention and disposal arrangements for CHC records was also issued in June 2003. The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health continues to work with CHCs to consider the best ways to transfer valuable local knowledge to patients' forums to help them build local capacity. CHCs have for some time been working with patient advice and liaison services and OSCs, including sharing experiences and local knowledge, so that those organisations are able to carry out their new responsibilities as effectively as possible.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that new organisations handling complaints and patient issues in place of community health councils should establish (a) local offices and (b) drop-in advice services. [135636]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The independent complaints advocacy service, that supports people if they want to make a complaint against the national health service, provides a service across the whole of England from a mixture of regional and local offices. It is not a general drop-in advice service.
Patient advice and liaison services, providing on-the-spot help and advice to patients, their families and carers, exist in almost all NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) and do provide a drop-in advice service.
Patients' forums, providing new opportunities to get involved in health services, are being set up for every NHS trust and PCT and will operate locally. Providing a drop-in advice service is a function of PCT patients' forums.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are in place to ensure that patients' interests are safeguarded during the period leading up to the abolition of community health councils. [136461]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The majority of community health councils (CHCs) will continue to operate to ensure that patients' interests are safeguarded up to the abolition date. Each CHC has an exit strategy based on national and local guidelines. The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health continues to work with CHCs to consider the best ways to transfer valuable local knowledge to patients' forums to help
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them build local capacity. CHCs have also been liaising with organisations providing independent complaints advocacy services and have for some time been working with patient advice and liaison services and overview and scrutiny committees, sharing experiences and local knowledge to enable those organisations to pick up their new powers and responsibilities.
Dementia
Mr. Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people in care homes have a form of dementia; what proportion of care homes are registered as being able to accept people with Alzheimer's disease; and what plans he has to ensure that care home staff receive dementia care training. [138926]
Dr. Ladyman: Data are not collected on the number of people with dementia, in the population generally or in care homes in particular. Research evidence shows that about five per cent, of the population over 65 has dementia. This represents about 600,000 people in the United Kingdom. Alzheimer's disease causes up to 60 per cent. of cases of dementia.
All care homes which have the client group/service user category of DE (dementia under 65 years) or DE(E) (dementia over 65 years) are able to accept client/service users with Alzheimer's disease.
Regulation 18 of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 requires care home providers to ensure that at all times there are suitably qualified, competent and experienced staff working in care homes in such numbers as are appropriate for the health and welfare of the residents. It also requires providers to ensure the staff they employ receive training appropriate to the work they are to perform. The National Care Standards Commission is responsible for ensuring care homes conform to the regulations and meet the assessed needs of residents.
Dentistry
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact which moving responsibilities for dentistry from health authorities to primary care trusts has had on registration numbers. [135281]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) took over the responsibility for the administration of the general dental services (GDS) arrangements from 1 October 2002. National arrangements for determining remuneration of dentists working in the GDS were not affected by these changes. The level of patient registrations in the GDS has remained broadly stable since October 2002. Patients do not need registration in order to access national health service dentistry through the community or personal dental services. Arrangements are also in place for patients to access NHS dentistry on an occasional basis in the GDS.
Subject to Parliament, the Health & Social Care (Community Health & Standards) Bill will give new duties to PCTs from April 2005 to secure dental services and will enable them to provide assistance and support to dental practices with which they contract. From the same date, the £1.2 billion held centrally for dentistry will be devolved to PCTs to support them in delivering their new duties on dentistry.
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Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists offered NHS treatment in (a) Taunton and (b) Somerset in each year since 1997. [136899]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information is available for the Somerset Health Authority area for the years 1997 to 2001 and is shown in the following table. For the years 2002 and 2003, information is given in the table for Taunton Dean Primary Care Trust (PCT) area and for four Somerset PCTs.
| Primary Care Trust/Health Authority | Date | Number of dentists |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset PCTs(40) | 30 June 2003 | 233 |
| Somerset PCTs(40) | 30 September 2002 | 227 |
| Somerset HA | 30 September each year | |
| 2001 | 176 | |
| 2000 | 181 | |
| 1999 | 165 | |
| 1998 | 163 | |
| 1997 | 163 |
(40) Taunton Deane PCT, Somerset Coast PCT, South Somerset PCT and Mendip PCT
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the safety of (a) mercury and (b) silver fillings in dentistry; [138971]
- (2) what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) received on risks associated with using (i) mercury and (ii) silver in tooth fillings; and if he will make a statement. [138985]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Dental amalgam is a combination of alloy particles, mainly silver, and mercury. Dental amalgam is the most frequently used material for restoring decayed teeth. Its main advantages include wide indications for use, ease of handling and excellent physical properties. It has been used in dentistry with good results for more than a century.
The 1998 European Union expert report concluded that currently available data indicate that mercury from dental amalgam restorations will not cause an unacceptable health risk to the general population. There is little evidence that an unacceptable health risk is associated with occupational exposure of dental personnel providing due care is used in the preparation and handling of dental amalgam. The same report also concluded that there is no scientific evidence that the use of dental amalgam is related to adverse effects on pre-and post-natal health or fertility. There are therefore no plans to commission further research into amalgam safety. However, it remains the Department's advice that dentists should continue to avoid or delay any dental intervention or medication during pregnancy.
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