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HEALTH
Agency Staff
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost to the NHS of timesheet fraud by agency staff was in each of the last six years. [147258]
Mr. Hutton: Estimated figures of timesheet fraud by agency staff across the whole national health service are not available. The Counter Fraud and Security Management Service has, however, investigated cases of timesheet fraud committed by both bank and agency staff that have resulted in 33 criminal prosecutions. Information will be sent to the NHS in England and Wales on how to improve systems and stop the fraudulent practices.
Animal Insulin
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the continuing availability of animal insulin; [147016]
- (2) what assessment he has made of the difference in cost to the NHS of prescriptions of animal insulin as compared to GM insulin per 1,000 prescriptions; [147017]
(3) what assessment he has made of the benefits of GM insulin as against animal insulin. [147019]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are two companies supplying animal insulin in the United Kingdom. The Department is in regular contact with these companies and both have confirmed that they will continue to supply animal insulin for the foreseeable future.
There has been no assessment or forecast made of the difference in cost of prescriptions of animal and genetically modified insulin per 1,000 prescriptions. However, the table shows the number of prescription items that were dispensed in the community in England, and their cost, in the 12 months ended June 2003 and the average net ingredient cost per item.
| Number of prescription items (£000) | Net ingredient cost (£000) | Average net ingredient cost per item (£) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highly purified animal | 128.1 | 4,217.2 | 32.92 |
| Human sequence (GM insulin) | 3,522.0 | 150,528.8 | 42.74 |
| All insulins | 3,650.0 | 154,746.0 | 42.40 |
Notes:
1. The data are from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system which covers all prescription items that are dispensed in the community in England. This does not include drugs dispensed in hospitals or private prescriptions.
2. Insulins are those defined in the British National Formulary (BNF) paragraph 6.1.1, "Insulins". Insulin drugs have been grouped into highly purified animal and human sequence (GM) insulin in line with the British National Formulary (BNF)
3. Doctors write prescriptions on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item. The net ingredient cost refers to the cost (which the dispenser is reimbursed) of the drug before discounts and does not include drugs dispensed in hospitals or private prescriptions.
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Choice and Plurality Policies
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of patients on waiting lists who will accept the offer of an alternative provider under the Choice and Plurality policies; and what assessment he has made of the capacity available to meet the demand. [140620]
Mr. Hutton: All strategic health authorities have completed robust plans for the implementation of choice for patients waiting six months for elective surgery during April 2004 to December 2005. The plans anticipate that some 85,000 patients who have waited over six months will accept the choice of moving to another hospital for further treatment. From December 2005, choice will be offered at general practitioner referral, benefiting 10 million patients each year.
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether alternative medicine will be available to patients within the NHS under the Choice and Plurality policies. [140622]
Mr. Hutton: The need to develop a framework for access to complementary medicines was raised by the task groups in the National Consultation on Choice, Equity and Responsiveness. This suggestion will need further exploration and development and the Department will bring forward proposals for action in 2004.
Civil Servants (Disabilities)
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in meeting targets for the proportion of people with disabilities in senior posts in his Department. [146004]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The latest staffing data, as at 1 April 2003, shows that in the Department and its agencies there are nine senior civil servants who have declared that they have a disability. This represents 2.4 per cent. of the total number of senior civil servants in the Department on that date.
Statistical information about senior civil servants with disabilities is available on the Civil Service Statistics website at www.civil-service.gov.uk/statistics/documents/pdf/disability-oct03.pdf.
This information is also available in the Library.
Paediatric Continence
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research has been conducted on links between bowel and bladder problems in children and child abuse; [146723]
- (2) how many parents have been (a) accused of and (b) admitted to abuse of their child as a result of nocturnal enuresis or daytime wetting; [146724]
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(3) what research the Department has conducted into the prevalence of continence conditions in (a) children of offenders, (b) children in care, (c) children of asylum seekers and (d) children in lower socio-economic groups; [146725]
(4) which primary care trusts have dedicated paediatric continence services. [146726]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department of Health has not commissioned any recent research on links between bowel and bladder problems in children and child abuse.
Data on the number of parents accused, and admitting to abuse of their children as result of enuresis are not collected centrally.
A study published in 1997, based on data from the national study of health and growth, found that a father's social class was associated with enuresis only in girls, with a higher prevalence in those whose fathers were manual workers.
"Good practice in continence services", issued by the Department in April 2000, provides guidance to primary care trusts (PCTs) on continence services. This includes that PCTs should have specialist continence services in place, which provide patients with an individual assessment of their needs. Provision of these services in England is a matter for PCTs, which are responsible for determining the level of services required to meet the needs of their local populations. The Department does not monitor provision in this level of detail.
Toilet training for children is considered in the Department of Health guide, "Birth to Five", available free to first time mothers and at www.doh.gov.uk/birthtofive/. The Department has not commissioned any recent research on toilet training for children.
Continuing Care
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons are for the delay in publishing the Continuing Care (National Health Service Responsibilities) Directions 2003. [147036]
Dr. Ladyman: As a result of amendments made to the Delayed Discharges (Continuing Care) Directions in response to external consultation with key stakeholders, the Continuing Care (National Health Service Responsibilities) Directions required consequential amendments, and further consultation. This has delayed the expected date of publication.
Dementia
Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people with dementia live in residential care (a) in Cambridgeshire and (b) in England; and how many people with dementia in residential care are funded by the NHS. [146439]
Dr. Ladyman: There were 160 adults aged 18 and over with dementia receiving residential care in Cambridgeshire and an estimated 16,000 in England in 2001–02.
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Information on the number of people with dementia in residential care funded by the national health service is not available.
Departmental Job Losses
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the results of the Executive Agency review into job losses in his Department will be published. [143055]
Mr. Hutton: The Department's review of its arm's length bodies will take place in the first half of 2004 and will cover executive non-departmental public bodies and special health authorities as well as executive agencies. No decision has yet been taken on publication of the results of the review.
Departmental Staff
Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of staff employed within his Department are over 55 years of age; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of staff recruited over the last 12 months are over 55 years of age. [145931]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is as follows:
- Percentage of staff over 55 years of age: 7.26
Number of staff over 55 years of age: 378
Percentage of staff over 55 years of age recruited over the past 12 months: 3.52
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