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19 Jan 2004 : Column 1061W—continued

Departmental Staff Absence

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many days have been lost to sickness absence, expressed as days per year per full-time employee, in the Department of Health in each of the last three years. [147031]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is shown in the table.

1 January to 31 DecemberTotal number of days lostto sickness absence
20007,041
20016,939
20027,856

Source:

Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service (Year 2000 chart 4.1, Year 2001, chart 9 and Year 2002, chart 9).


Domiciliary Care

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) people and (b) households received domiciliary care in each year since 1997; [147309]

Dr. Ladyman: Information on the number and percentage of households in England receiving home help or home care from 1993 to 2002 is shown in the table.

Number and percentage of households receiving home help or home care from 1993–2002

England Survey weekin SeptemberRounded numbers andpercentages
65 and over(33)Total all ages
Including double counting(34)Including double counting(34)Excluding double counting(34)
Number of households
1993463,200514,600(32)
1994453.100538,900(32)
1995451,300513,600(32)
1996427,000491,100(32)
1997410,400479,100(32)
1998368,500447,200(32)
1999(32)421,000(32)
2000(32)415,800398,100
2001(32)399,900381,700
2002(32)384,000366,800
Percentage(35) of households (percentage)
19939.12.7(32)
19948.92.9(32)
19958.92.7(32)
19968.42.6(32)
19978.12.6(32)
19987.22.4(32)
1999(32)2.2(32)
2000(32)2.22.1
2001(32)2.01.9
2002(32)1.91.8

(32)Data not available

(33)Based on the age of the oldest client in the household.

(34)Double counting occurs when a household receives home care directly from the council and through an independent provider.

(35)For 1993 to 2000, the total number of households is based on the 1991 census; the 2001 census is the basis for 2001 and 2002.

Source:

HH1, Census 1991–2001


19 Jan 2004 : Column 1062W

The number of contact hours has grown 67 per cent. between 1993 and 2002 at the same time as the number of households receiving home help or home care has fallen. This reflects a trend towards greater intensity and specialist skills in the services provided by home care. At the same time, broader community based services, which help older people and other adults to live independently in their own homes were provided for 1.4 million people in 2002–03; compared with 1.33 million people in 2000–01. Community based services include day care, meals, respite care, direct payments, professional support, transport and equipment, as well as home care.

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications made by domiciliary care providers for registration with the National Care Standards Commission have been (a) rejected and (b) provided with action plans. [147311]

Dr. Ladyman: As at the end of November 2003, the latest date for which information is available, no applications made by domiciliary care providers had been rejected and two applications had been registered with conditions.

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many domiciliary care providers applied for registration with the National Care Standards Commission in each month since March 2003, broken down by region. [147312]

Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is shown in the table.

RegionMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberTotal
East Midlands61981584361623234
Eastern1249913541010910284
London17620628262116140924516
North east1152713888755196
North west1232633829467121316547
South east2371342112472310610500
South west104213131013817710395
West Midlands13419817121223893416
Yorkshire and Humberside130641112812986260
Total1,2041,30216912216311089821073,348


19 Jan 2004 : Column 1063W

Environmental Radiation Report

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment; and if he will make a statement. [148576]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) is currently preparing several reports on different topics. COMARE has already published seven reports. Its eighth report is expected to be published in early March of this year.

Gatwick Airport

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many asylum seekers have arrived at Gatwick airport in each of the last three years claiming to be minors and without identity documents. [144998]

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.

Data on the number of asylum seekers without documentation claiming to be minors that arrive at specific ports of entry are not recorded and collated centrally. This information could therefore be obtained only from individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Information on asylum statistics is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

GP Referrals

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of cases seen in NHS walk-in centres resulted in referral to the general practitioner with whom the patient is registered in the last year for which figures are available. [147512]

Mr. Hutton: These data are not routinely collected or held centrally. The evaluation of national health service walk-in centres published by the University of Bristol in July 2002, and available at www.epi.bris.ac.uk/wic, suggested that some 13 per cent., of consultations resulted in a referral to a general practitioner. In part to address this, a growing number of NHS walk-in centres now offer access to a general practitioner, as well as the established service offered by nurses.

Infectious Diseases

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) consultants and (b) trainees in infectious diseases there were in the NHS in England in each year since 1990. [147498]

Mr. Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table.

19 Jan 2004 : Column 1064W

Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Consultants and doctors in training with a specialty in infectious diseases; September 1990-June 2003
England(36)   Number (headcount)

ConsultantRegistrar GroupSenior House OfficerHouse Officer
2003 (June)107(37)(37)(37)
200295425821
20018858616
20008853448
19996945436
19987335419
19977337618
199665324010
19956935386
19945531317
19934829363
19923921402
19913128352
19903820281

(36) All data as at 30 September except for 2003, where data as at 30 June.

(37) Data not available.

Note:

Trainees are referred to as doctors in training.

Source:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census


Consultant numbers have increased by 182 per cent. between September 1990 and June 2003.


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