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Care Qualifications
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have qualified with NVQ level 2 in care in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [175920]
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Mr. Hutton: The following table shows the number of people in England who have achieved their national vocational qualification (NVQ) level 2 in care from April 2000 to December 2003. These people can be working in either social care or health care settings, as the statistics do not state what job the candidate has and the care NVQ level 2 is undertaken by both social care workers and health care workers.
Prior to April 2000, this data on NVQs was only collected on a United Kingdom basis and it was not possible to determine how many of the candidates worked in England.
Period | Number of care NVQ level 2 certificates issued |
|---|---|
| January-December 2000 | 8,451 |
| January-December 2001 | 12,637 |
| January-December 2002 | 17,932 |
| January-December 2003 | 25,025 |
| Total | 64,045 |
Carers
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on supporting carers in Warrington North in each year since 1997. [176411]
Dr. Ladyman: The carers grant was introduced in 1999 to support councils in providing short breaks for carers to enable them to continue in their caring role. The table shows carers grant allocations for Warrington.
| Allocations | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 64,664 |
| 2000–01 | 156,906 |
| 2001–02 | 217,673 |
| 2002–03 | 264,498 |
| 2003–04 | 334,900 |
| 2004–05 | 417,725 |
Details of any additional funds used to support carers are not held centrally.
Charges to Overseas Visitors
Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many charities working in international development were contacted in the consultation exercise on proposed changes to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989; what representations they made; and if he will make a statement; [175867]
(2) what the cost was of the consultation exercise in relation to the proposed changes to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989; [175868]
(3) how many copies of the consultation document on proposed changes to the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 were printed; and how many responses were received. [175869]
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Mr. Hutton: Copies of the consultation document were sent to a wide range of organisations with an interest in these matters, including several charities working with asylum seekers and other overseas visitors. A copy of the summary of outcomes document, which lists all those who responded to the consultation, is available in the Library, together with copies of 122 of the 124 responses received. The remaining two respondees exercised their right to have their responses remain confidential.
1,000 copies of the consultation document were printed. The print and estimated mailing costs for the consultation exercise were just under £3,000.
Immigration
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a chest x-ray is mandatory at a port of entry for immigration in the United Kingdom where it is clinically indicated. [174002]
Miss Melanie Johnson: It is a matter for the clinical judgment of the medical inspector at a port of entry whether to refer a person seeking entry to the United Kingdom for an x-ray or other diagnostic examination. Medical inspectors are also able to pass entrants' details to the national health service at their destination address, so that any further can be offered locally.
Chronic Disease Management
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what opportunities patients' groups will have for input into plans for chronic disease management clinics. [173920]
Mr. Hutton: The involvement of patients and patient groups is a crucial part of the strategy that the Department and the national health service are developing to deliver better services to people with chronic conditions. To that end we shall be encouraging primary care trusts to engage fully with patient groups in developing their plans.
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if his Department will publish exemplars for chronic disease management clinics; [173921]
(2) what criteria he is using to select exemplars for chronic disease management clinics. [173922]
Mr. Hutton: The Department is currently working with the national health service to develop a strategy to offer better services to people with chronic conditions. The role of exemplars has not yet been decided.
Mr. Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when his Department will publish details of his proposals on chronic disease management clinics; [174015]
(2) what funding the Government will make available for chronic disease management clinics. [174017]
Mr. Hutton:
The Department is working with the national health service to develop a strategy on chronic disease, the aim of which is to help keep people with such conditions healthy. This strategy is focusing initially on providing case management, for people with complex needs, and on developing self care support to help
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people take control of their own conditions. It will be a decision for primary care trusts as to whether clinics are a part of their approach to delivering better care to people with chronic conditions, and, if so, what timescales and resources are attached to their development.
Mr. Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to set up chronic disease management clinics for inflammatory skin disease. [174016]
Mr. Hutton: The Department is working with the national health service to develop a strategy on chronic disease whose aim is to help keep people with such conditions healthy. This strategy is focusing initially on providing case management, for people with complex needs, and on developing self care support to help people take control of their own conditions. However, it is for primary care trusts to determine the best way to deliver services to people with skin conditions, whether through clinics or other delivery means.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action his Department is taking to develop chronic disease management clinics; [174023]
(2) what timescale has been set for the establishment of chronic disease management clinics; [174025]
(3) what disease areas are being considered for chronic disease management clinics; and what plans he has to include dermatology as one of those disease areas. [174024]
Mr. Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockton, North (Mr. Cook) today.
Clinical Advisers (IT Forum)
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions the NHS IT forum of clinical advisers has met; and when it last met. [173091]
Mr. Hutton: Previous meetings of the National Clinical Advisory Board were held on:
2 October 2003
27 November 2003
15 January 2004
16 March 2004
13 May 2004.
The Department issued a press notice on 30 April 2004 to outline the plans to continue and improve engagement with patient and national health service stakeholders in order to support the implementation of the national programme for information technology (NPfIT). This follows on from the appointment of Aidan Halligan, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, as joint senior responsible owner and director general for NPfIT, who now has responsibility for leading on the preparations and planning for implementation across the NHS.
The first step has been to set up a new frontline support academy for clinicians. The formal arrangements for engaging with key groups is also being reviewed and an announcement will be made later in the summer.
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