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18 Dec 2003 : Column 1127W—continued

Midwives

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many midwives (a) left and (b) entered the profession in each of the last six years in (a) London and (b) each region; what the turnover rate was in each case; and what the average age of a practising midwife was in each case; [144202]

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Mr. Hutton [holding answer 15 December 2003]: Information on the number of midwives leaving and entering the profession, the average period that a midwife has worked in the profession before leaving, and the average overtime worked by a midwife is not collected centrally.

Information on the average age of a practising midwife in London and each region and the number and percentage of midwives working in the National Health Service who were full-time and part-time in each of the last six years has been placed in the Library.

Information on the rate of vacancies for midwives lasting three months or more since 1999 by Government Office for the Region, and since 2002, the first year the data was collected by strategic health authority, and a breakdown of staff in post in each case, broken down by whole-time equivalent and headcount has also been placed in the Library.

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether student midwives will continue to have their liability for tuition fees met on their behalf by the NHS, without means testing, regardless of any increase in the level of fee. [144127]

Mr. Hutton: Existing contracts for midwifery training between strategic health authorities and higher education institutions cover the full cost of training, including the personal tuition fee. The consultation document, "Funding Learning and Development for the Healthcare Workforce", sets out our proposal for a national model contract. It is intended that this contract for national health service-funded pre-registration courses, to be introduced from 1 April 2004, will specifically prohibit the charging of top-up fees to students. If, under the proposed top-up fee arrangements, the existing tuition fee continues to be levied on students, then it will continue to be met by the NHS without means testing.

National Health Statistics

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list all the National Health statistics which the Government has decided no longer to (a) collect and (b) publish during the last three years; [143795]

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Mr. Hutton [holding answer 15 December 2003]: The Department is committed to minimising the burden on national health service and social care staff of collecting information while ensuring that information required to monitor performance and measure activity within health and social care system is available. As priorities change, statistical collections are reviewed and may

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be dropped or revised, or new collections may be implemented.

The Department is currently undertaking a thorough review of NHS statistical collections to reduce the burden that the centre places on the NHS. Details of the Department's current NHS statistical collections are available on the Department's website at www. doh.gov.uk/stats/rocr. Details of NHS collections discontinued between 1997 and 2003 are shown in table 1; information on other returns and publications discontinued in the last three years are shown in tables 2 and 3.

Table 1—NHS collections discontinued between 1997 and 2003

Return descriptionReferenceYear lastcollectedWork area
GP Fundholders and Health Authority commissioning activity and continuing care returnsCIC, QMX, OT1997Hospital and Community Activity
Wheelchairs and Artificial LimbsK0731997Hospital and Community Activity
Purchasing Intentions of NHS TrustsP1(1), P1(2)1997Hospital and Community Activity
NHS Performance Tables-Unit Details and data collectionPT1&PT21997Hospital and Community Activity
Summary of NHS Trust ActivityQMX51997Hospital and Community Activity
Additional data items to be collected on waiting time returns1997Hospital and Community Activity
Clinical Effectiveness MonitoringCLINMON1997Hospital and Community Activity
Contract Cost AnalysisMCP7001997Estates
Maternity Medical Services Provided by GMPsSBE5041997Primary care
Contraceptives Services Provided by GMPsDI241997Primary care
Primary Care Act Pilots (PCAPS)1997Primary care
ECR—ECR TariffsECR-ECR1997Finance
Market Testing: Annual Returns & Result CardsEL(96)841997Finance
GP Fundholder Expenditure from Savings During year and Savings Available to SpendPC1–05, PC1–061997Finance
Plan Memorandum InformationT8P1997Finance
Trust Funds returnsTAC101–1091997Finance
Monitoring Local PayLPNMIa1997Workforce
Public Sector Payment Policy Performance(T)(6)1998Finance
Cash Flow ForecastT7P1998Finance
Abolition of HFR20 -Payments made from the joint finance allocation1999Finance
Professional Advice and Support Programmes: Maternity Services (KC54)KC542000Hospital and Community Activity
HFR Summary Return of Patient ActivityKP702000Hospital and Community Activity
General Ophthalmic Services (GOS) losses and Recoveries2000Primary care
GP Fundholding Budget and ExpenditurePC1–01 to 042000Finance
Monitoring of Delayed DischargesCCMON2000Miscellaneous
Availability of Dentistry: Quarterly monitoring reportA62001Primary care
Clinical Psychology ServicesKT242003Hospital and Community Activity

Table 2—Other statistical collections discontinued

Last collected
RH(N) Nursing care homes31 March 2001
RA Residential homes31 March 2001
Registration and inspection survey (number of home closures, etc.)2000–01
Mid year data for seven Social Services Performance Framework (PAF) indicators2002–03

Table 3—Statistical publications discontinued in the last three years

Last published
Activity, workload and resources of local authorities, health authorities and joint inspection clients; summary results of a survey in England1999–2000
Community maternity services (KC54)1999–2000
Residential Personal Social Services for adults (part now published as supported residents)2000–01
Private Nursing Homes, Hospitals and Clinics2000–01
Clinical psychology services (KT24)2002–03

Patient Deterioration

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned on the extent to which patients suffer deterioration in their disease prior to having an operation in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Europe and (c) the United States. [143438]

Mr. Hutton: The Department has not directly commissioned such research, however, it has helped to initiate and is an active participant in a two year international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development project on waiting times for elective surgery.

Nurses

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average number of nurses per 100 beds was in (a) England and (b) the West Suffolk NHS Trust in each year since 1997. [143532]

Mr. Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table. Since 1997, the average number of nurses to every 100 beds in England has increased from 151 to 189 in 2002. In West Suffolk Hospitals National Health Service Trust, the number has increased from 100 to 127 in the same period.

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NHS hospital and community health services: All qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff per one hundred 'total available beds' in England and the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust as at 30 September each specified year

EnglandWest Suffolk HospitalsNHS Trust
HeadcountWhole-time equivalentHeadcountWhole-time equivalent
1996–9715112410072
1997–981571288664
1998–9916313210779
1999–200017013811081
2000–0117814312193
2001–0218915212797

Notes:

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole-number

The 'total available beds' figure is the daily number of open and staffed beds on wards open overnight in NHS hospitals in England.

Source:

Department of Health Non-medical Workforce Census. 'Total available beds' figures are submitted annually on form KH03 by each NHS Trust



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