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14 Jun 2004 : Column 680W—continued

Accident and Emergency

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage change in accident and emergency attendees was between 2001–02 and 2002–03. [173843]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The percentage change in the number of accident and emergency attendees between 2001–02 and 2002–03 was less than 0.01 per cent. Total attendances at accident and emergency departments in England in 2002–03 were 14,045,575. In 2001–02 the equivalent figure was 14,044,018.

Dentistry

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what method he proposes using to enable NHS dentists to know for which patients they have responsibility for NHS dental treatment; [177016]

(2) when he proposes publishing the new base contract for NHS dentists with his proposed contract values. [177019]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 7 June 2004]: Drawing on the learning from personal dental services pilots and the field site programme being managed by the Modernisation Agency, to ensure a smooth transition to local commissioning, we will be working closely with the British Dental Association and the national health service to develop a simple and robust base contract that all primary care trusts (PCTs) and practices will be able to put in place from 2005. Details of the base contract are still under discussion.

The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 puts a new duty on all PCTs to provide or commission primary dental services "to the extent it considers necessary to meet all reasonable requirements" in its area. This is the same general duty as for other NHS services.

Under transitional arrangements, the new base contract will be made available, but dentists and PCTs who wish to develop this further will be able to do so. The transitional arrangements will provide protection of dentists' gross earnings for three years to enable them to come off the treadmill of item of service, to see their patients at intervals appropriate to their oral health needs and to modernise and adjust their workload.

The current statement of dental remuneration describes the care available on the NHS. We expect a similar range of care to be provided under the new system. As now, the care dentists offer must be necessary to secure oral health and dentists will be expected to provide all proper and necessary treatment which a dentist usually undertakes and which the patient is willing to undergo.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for dentists to move onto the new NHS contract. [174454]

Mr. Hutton: We are implementing the biggest reform of national health service dentistry since 1948 and we have been consulting widely with the profession and others to get the detail right. We have just completed a consultation on our "Framework Proposals for Primary Care Dental Services in England". We are currently considering all the responses to the consultation, including whether any revision to the original timetable of April 2005 is necessary.

Endometriosis

Mr. Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much investment has been allocated to Reading Primary Care Trust for the care and management of endometriosis in each of the last five years. [177656]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Following the Department's 'Shifting the Balance of Power' initiative, funding is allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.
 
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Ethical Recruitment

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the Medway Care Agency was included on the Government's approved list of recruitment agencies who have signed up to the code of practice on ethical recruitment; [176293]

(2) when the approved list regarding those agencies who had signed up to the Government's code of practice on ethical recruitment was made available to the South Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust; and how they were made aware of its existence; [176294]

(3) whether Mr. Tawanda Machigura was recruited directly from Zimbabwe by the Medway Care Agency; between what dates he was on Medway Care Agency's lists; and what work he had undertaken prior to signing up with Medway Care Agency. [176394]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 27 May 2004]: The Medway Care Agency is not on the Government's approved list of agencies which adhere to the Code of Practice for International Recruitment. The Code was issued to all Trusts in October 2001. From inquiries made by the Department, it is understood that Mr. Tawanda Machigura was recruited by the Medway Care Agency in England, not from Zimbabwe. It is not known what work he had undertaken prior to signing up with the Medway Care Agency or between what dates he was on their lists.

Food Labelling

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will urge food manufacturers to label their foods more precisely in order to avoid serious allergic reactions with particular reference to anaphylactic shock. [176580]

Miss Melanie Johnson: New European Union rules on ingredients listing for pre-packed foods have been agreed recently (Directive 2003/89/EC); they will require declaration of all ingredients on the label, with only a small number of exemptions allowed. No exemptions are allowed for 12 specified food allergens and their allergenic derivatives: these include those allergens most often associated with anaphylactic shock. This will help those with food allergies identify products they may need to avoid. The new rules will come into effect in November 2005. In the meantime, the Food Standards Agency has issued advice encouraging voluntary declaration of specified allergens.

Glue Sniffing

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the prevalence of glue sniffing among teenagers in (a) England and (b) each region in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [164867]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Health Service (Stoke)

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public funding has been spent on health in Stoke-on-Trent, North in each of the last seven years. [177624]

 
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Dr. Ladyman: The information is not available in the format requested. Expenditure per weighted head of the population in the Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area, which includes the constituency of Stoke-on Trent North, has increased from £604.42 in 1997–98 to £910.52 in 2002–03, the latest year available. This does not represent the total expenditure per head, as an element of health expenditure cannot be identified by SHA area.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes there have been to NHS waiting list times in the last seven years for residents of Stoke-on-Trent, North. [177625]

Dr. Ladyman: The information is not available in the form requested. The tables show the number of patients waiting for in-patient treatment and outpatient appointments at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire National Health Service Trust (formerly North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust) in each year since 1997.

		Months waiting to be seen
As at March	Total number of patients	0–2	3–5	6–8	9–11	12–14	15–17
1997	6,988	3,697	1,858	958	382	93	0
1998	9,877	4,984	2,333	1450	718	376	16
1999	7,051	3,502	1,575	898	557	360	159
2000	7,134	3,421	1,623	882	647	450	111
2001	5,583	2,907	1,371	623	335	261	86
2002	7,365	3,806	1,996	1,067	496	0	0
2003	8,049	3,926	2,217	1,311	595	0	0
2004	6,237	4,065	1,615	557	0	0	0

Source:
Department of Health KH07.




Out-patient waiting lists by provider for the trust serving Stoke-on Trent, North—General practitioner referral to consultant waiting list in weeks

As at March	Not seen 13 to 25	Not seen 26 plus
1997	2,586	1,380
1998	3,369	2,845
1999	4,129	3,910
2000	4658	3537
2001	4,134	2,861
2002	3,197	0
2003	1,724	0
2004	540	0

Source:
Department of Health QM08.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many senior citizens in Stoke-on-Trent, North have access to free eye tests. [177626]

Dr. Ladyman: Data for the number of sight tests by constituency or by the number of senior citizens are not collected centrally.

The total population for those aged 60 and over in Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority (SHA) is about 320,450. All people aged 60 and over are eligible for national health service sight tests.
 
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The total number of NHS sight tests paid for by Shropshire and Staffordshire SHA in the year 2002–03 for the 'aged 60 and over' category was 138,040.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on funding allocated through the LIFT programme to improve primary care in Stoke-on-Trent, North. [177627]

Dr. Ladyman: Funding for premises development, whether through local investment finance trusts (LIFT) or other means, is not allocated directly to projects by the Department. It is allocated to groups of primary care trusts (PCTs), which must decide what their priorities are and how they intend to spend their allocation.

My hon. Friend's constituency is served by North Stoke PCT, which is one of four PCTs collaborating in the North Staffordshire LIFT project. North Stoke PCT will be able to provide new primary care centres in Bucknall, Cobridge and Packmoor. The North Staffordshire LIFT project has an estimated capital value of £20 million, of which some £5.8 million is accounted for by the North Stoke elements.

In addition, the Department has made available capital funding to help kick start LIFT projects. The North Staffordshire LIFT project has been allocated £5.4 million to date. North Stoke PCT is using its share of these funds to purchase sites for the health centres at Bucknall, Cobridge and Packmoor. It has also used them to purchase temporary premises to serve the people of Packmoor until the permanent health centre there is operational. These temporary premises opened in April 2003 and have already significantly improved access to health services for local people.

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