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10 Feb 2004 : Column 1409W—continued
Eczema (Children)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of children who suffered from asthma also suffered from eczema in 2003. [152559]
Dr. Ladyman: Using latest data available (1996) the percentage of children who have suffered from asthma was 19 per cent., and those who have suffered from eczema was 23 per cent. The percentage of children who have suffered from both asthma and eczema was seven per cent.. This means that 37 per cent., of those with asthma have also suffered from eczema.
Ethical Recruitment
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the recruitment agencies used by the NHS have not signed up to the code of practice on ethical recruitment. [150658]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 26 January 2004]: The Department does not hold a list of agencies used by the national health service when recruiting overseas. NHS trusts should use only those commercial agencies which comply with the code of practice and which are listed on the Department's website.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) steps his Department is taking and (b) guarantees his Department seeks to ensure that the NHS does not employ recruitment agencies that have not signed up to its code of practice on ethical recruitment. [150659]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 26 January 2004]: National health service trusts should use only those commercial agencies which comply with the code of practice and which are listed on the Department's website.
Strategic health authorities are working with trusts to ensure they comply with the code of practice and only work with agencies which are compliant.
European Health Insurance Card
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made concerning the European Health Insurance Card; when he expects to issue such cards to UK citizens; and whether there will be a charge. [151491]
Mr. Hutton: Ministers are currently considering the options available for implementing the European Health Insurance Card in the United Kingdom. Member states, like the UK, which do not currently have a card-issuing infrastructure, have until 31 December 2005 to begin issuing cards to their residents. No decisions have yet been taken on the precise timetable for issue to UK residents. The card will be issued free of charge to the holder.
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Foundation Hospitals
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 12 January 2004, Official Report, columns 602–03W, on foundation hospitals, whether the Department will set minimum standards on (a) ethical and (b) environmental investments. [149506]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are no current plans to publish minimum standards on ethical and environmental investments.
Free Personal Care
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his estimates of the cost of implementing the Royal Commission recommendation of free personal care took into account the (a) decision of the Health Service Ombudsman in the case of Mr. Malcolm Pointon and (b) subsequent review by strategic health authorities of continuing care decisions and policies following the decision by the Health Service Ombudsman. [152913]
Dr. Ladyman: The decision by the Health Service Ombudsman in the case of Malcolm Pointon is a decision on an individual case, and as such has no bearing on the estimates of the cost of free personal care at a national level.
The review by strategic health authorities (SHAs) of past decisions on national health service-funded continuing care is retrospective. Payments will be made to individuals where incorrect decisions about NHS funding were made in the past, but these have no bearing on the future cost of free personal care at a national level. Any change made by SHAs to eligibility criteria for fully funded NHS continuing care, following review, is covered in the range of estimates given for the cost of free personal care.
GP Premises
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from general practitioners and their representatives on difficulties in purchasing appropriate premises because of (a) house prices and (b) negative equity; and if he will make a statement. [152128]
Mr. Hutton: I am not aware of any general concerns being raised by general practitioners or their representatives on difficulties in purchasing appropriate premises. The arrangements in place to reimburse GP premises costs take account of differing local property prices. Additionally, a flexibility was introduced in September 2003 to enable primary care trusts to provide a grant towards mortgage deficit and/or redemption costs to enable a move to new premises or to modernise existing premises to improve service delivery.
Head Injuries (Children)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children suffered from severe head injuries in each year since 2000. [152561]
Dr. Ladyman: The data available are shown in the table.
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| Admission Episodes | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 40,408 |
| 2001–02 | 39,693 |
| 2002–03 | 38,170 |
Notes:
1. A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
2. The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (7 prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital.Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
3. Figures for 2000–01 are grossed for both coverage and missing/invalid clinical data. For 2001–02 and 2002–03, figures are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.
Health Authorities
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the trust temporary borrowing limits for each strategic health authority are for 2003–04; [152472]
- (2) what financial information requests are made by his Department of (a) strategic health trusts, (b) NHS trusts and (c) primary care trusts. [152720]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Health Care Assistants
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department will publish proposals on the regulation of health care assistants. [152828]
Mr. Hutton: The Government are committed to consult on proposals to regulate health care support staff, which will include health care assistants, and this consultation will be taking place in the near future. The consultation will identify those categories of staff whose clinical practice needs to be of a high standard in order to ensure patient safety. The proposals include a range of options including full statutory regulation for these staff and the Government will decide on the way forward in light of the responses to the consultation.
Independent Treatment Centres
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures the Government have in place to ensure that independent treatment centres run by NTC do not recruit from the NHS. [152927]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 5 February 2004]: New treatment centres run by the independent sector will be precluded as part of the contracts they sign from poaching national health service staff. Providers are required to demonstrate to sponsors that their workforce strategy is compliant with the contract.
Mental Health
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many secure beds are available in each mental health trust; [152918]
10 Feb 2004 : Column 1412W
- (2) what the occupancy rates of beds in secure mental health institutions were in each mental health trust area in England in each of the last three years. [152942]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the form requested.
Information on numbers and occupancy rates of national health service beds, including those for people with mental health problems categorised by ward classification, is available from the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/.
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he (a) has made and (b) will undertake of the support needs of families of sufferers of mental ill health. [152919]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The national service framework (NSF) for mental health provides rationale and evidence base for a national standard for mental health services relating to carers of people with mental health problems.
This NSF standard stipulates that all individuals who provide regular and substantial care for a person on the care programme approach should have an assessment of their caring, physical and mental health needs repeated on at least an annual basis. People who provide regular and substantial care for a person on the care programme approach are also entitled to have their own written care plan which is given to them and implemented in discussion with them.
In view of the vital role carers play in looking after the users of mental health services, the NHS Plan set a target for services to recruit 700 carer support workers by the end of the year to increase the breaks available for carers, and to strengthen carer support networks.
In addition, the Department published "Developing services for carers and families of people with mental illness" in November 2002. Its recommendations are being taken forward by the National Institute for Mental Health in England.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adolescent mental health specialists there are in England. [152718]
Mr. Hutton: As at 30 June 2003, there were 500 consultants in the specialty of child and adolescent psychiatry working in the National Health Service in England.
Consultant numbers in the specialty have increased by 12 per cent., 55 since September 1997.
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