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19 Jan 2004 : Column 1064W—continued

Information Campaigns and Advertising

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total expenditure on information campaigns and advertising was for his Department in each year since 1997. [145371]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The table shows the expenditure on major information campaigns and advertising commissioned by the Department's communications directorate for the financial years 1996–97 to 2002–03. The figures include the costs of publishing, television, radio, poster, newspaper and magazine advertising, and campaigns on subjects such as sexual health, immunisation, staff recruitment, TB awareness, mental health and blood donation.

£ million

Financial yearTotal campaign expenditure Advertising expenditure
1996–9715.132.50
1997–986.632.04
1998–9922.968.53
1999–200035.9715.17
2000–0125.3220.80
2001–02(38)37.2320.41
2002–03(38)34.8523.13

(38) These figures include Health Promotion England publicity and advertising when it became part of the Department.


Key Worker Housing

Ms Oona King: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Deputy Prime Minister on key worker housing and the land required to provide health services for key workers. [146413]

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Mr. Hutton: Discussions are currently taking place with officials from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the requirements of the national health service in respect of affordable housing and the NHS contribution to the provision of key worker accommodation. The Department of Health and NHS Estates have a major programme in place to support key workers. The NHS Plan target of 2,000 extra rental units has been exceeded. By March 2004, around 5,000 NHS staff will have had the opportunity to gain a foothold on the property ladder by way of assistance under the Government's Starter Home Initiative Scheme.

Long-term Care

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has reviewed his policy in the light of the Health Service Ombudsman's report on long-term care. [147962]

Dr. Ladyman: The Department is satisfied with the existing policy on national health service fully funded continuing care, but wants to ensure that policy is correctly implemented. As a result, all strategic health authorities (SHAs) have reviewed their eligibility criteria and an independent survey has been commissioned to examine SHAs' progress on all aspects of continuing care provision. Forthcoming Directions will introduce a legal framework for assessment for NHS fully funded continuing care.

Management Consultants

Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to his Department of using management consultants has been in each of the last five years. [148020]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The cost to the Department of using management consultants in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:

Cost (£ million)
1998–997.3
1990–20008.1
2000–016.5
2001–026.8
2002–037.2

Maternity Services

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of mothers have access to a midwifery-led maternity unit. [148933]

Dr. Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.

Memory Clinics

Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for a first appointment at a memory clinic from the time of recommendation by a consultant was in (a) England and (b) Dorset in each of the last two years for which figures are available. [148461]

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Dr. Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.

Mental Incapacity Bill

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a patient's wishes in the form of an advance directive will be included on the health space of an electronic patient record following legislation in the Mental Incapacity Bill. [144594]

Mr. Hutton: The national health service care records service (CRS) includes functionality for recording patient preferences, such as advanced directives. The specification included the requirement to ensure that the existence of patient preferences (including advance directives, for example, a "living will" or a religious requirement that blood transfusions are not to be given) shall be recorded and displayed, and the contractor shall ensure that clinicians are:


Patient preferences can therefore be captured at the point of care on the relevant system. The patient will be prompted at the point of care to confirm that the advanced directive is still to be enforced—this is to avoid an out-dated statement of patient preferences being enforced (for example, if a patient changes his or her mind).

The existence of the NHS CRS in no way prejudices a patient's rights under existing or proposed legislation.

Microbiology

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many consultant microbiologist vacancies there were in the NHS in England on the last date for which figures are available, broken down by region; [147495]

Mr. Hutton: Vacancy data is collected by the Department of Health as three-month vacancies as at 31 March each year. These are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which have lasted for three months or more.

Information showing the number of three-month microbiology and virology consultant vacancies as at 31 March 2003 in England, by strategic health authority has been placed in the Library.

The Department does not collect data on the number of new posts in microbiology and virology. Workforce data are collected through the annual Department of Health medical workforce census. The census is a snapshot of data as at 30 September in the appropriate year. The information in the table shows the net increase in the number of staff in microbiology and virology since 1992.

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Due to the variation in regional boundaries over the stated time period, between 1992 and 1997, a breakdown by national health service regional office has also been placed in the Library. Between 1998 and 2002, data is shown by government office regions.

Between 1997 and 2002, staff increased by 22 per cent.

The table shows the number of medical microbiology and virology training posts in England since 1990.

Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): Doctors in training with a specialty in medical microbiology and virology; 1990–2002—England, as at 30 September
Number (headcount)

All training grades of which:Registrar Senior House OfficerHouse Officer
200217916217
200115614313
200014112120
199914213111
199813612511
199713912514
199613412410
199515914514
199418917613
1993182163181
199217315914
199119117516
199016314617

Source:

Department of Health medical and dental workforce census


NHS Estates

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what revaluations of the sites involved in the NHS Estates surplus property disposals have been carried out in the last six months; and when. [147754]

Mr. Hutton: A due diligence exercise, using its own independent valuers, has been undertaken by the preferred partner.

NHS Trusts (Mergers)

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS (a) hospital trusts, (b) primary care trusts, (c) mental health trusts and (d) ambulance trusts have merged in each of the last six years. [145355]

Mr. Hutton: The number of trusts involved in mergers with similar trusts to form the same type of trust is shown in the table. The distinction between 'hospital trusts' and 'mental health trusts' is not straightforward owing to a number of trusts providing a range of services.

Ambulance NHS trustsOther NHS trustsPrimary care trusts
1997–9808n/a
1998–99039n/a
1999–2000840n/a
2000–01022n/a
2001–020400
2002–030362

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