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16 Jun 2004 : Column 997W—continued
Breastmilk Substitutes
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the health effects of feeding babies breastmilk substitutes; and if he will make a statement. [176766]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 7 June 2004]: The Department has not made any assessment of the health effects of feeding babies breastmilk substitutes.
The Department recommends breastfeeding as the best form of nutrition for infants as it provides all the nutrients a baby needs for the first six months of life and has positive health benefits for both mother and baby in the short and longer term. Breastfed infants are five times less likely to be admitted to hospital with infections such as gastro-enteritis in the first year of life and may be less likely to become obese in later childhood. Breastfeeding is also advantageous for maternal health. Longer-term breastfeeding helps mothers to return to their pre-pregnancy weight and there is a reduced incidence of pre-menopausal breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers.
Cannabis
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what campaigns have been launched by his Department and what funding has been granted to warn teenagers about links between cannabis use and mental illness. [178346]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The FRANK campaign is a £3 million a year three-year joint initiative from the Department of Health and the Home Office and is supported by the Department for Education and Skills. Launched in May 2003, FRANK aims to inform young people and their parents, carers and families about the effects and risks of taking illicit drugs. In addition, FRANK gives people advice, support and provides details of drug services. The campaign's primary focus is on Class A drugs, in line with the Government's updated drugs strategy. The risks associated with cannabis use, including possible mental health illness, are also documented.
A Home Office-led £1 million information campaign started in January 2004 to inform the public about the changes to the law on cannabis. This included radio and newspaper adverts, leaflets, posters, postcards and education packs for schools.
Although no specific funding has been granted to warn teenagers about possible links between cannabis use and mental illness, the Department has funded a new leaflet on the adverse health effects of cannabis, and includes a section on mental health. This leaflet is currently being printed.
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Correspondence
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the letter of 27 May 2004 from the Minister of State to the hon. Member for Wycombe, if he will ensure that the chair of the Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority writes to the hon. Member for Wycombe with the information requested by 18 June. [178096]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 10 June 2004]: The Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority has advised that the chair of the strategic health authority will provide information to the hon. Member by 18 June.
Delayed Discharge Fines
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which wards in hospitals in West Sussex are not liable for delayed discharge fines. [178307]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Patients for whom delayed discharge charges are currently payable under the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act are those receiving acute care. The definition of acute care is based upon the patient, not the hospital bed. Therefore, there are no wards which are liable for delayed discharge fines.
Dentistry
Mrs. Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when primary care trusts will take control of the dental services budget to enable them to carry out their duty of care to deliver primary dental services under the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003. [176705]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The £1.3 billion financial resources (2003–04) currently held centrally will be transferred to primary care trusts to coincide with the implementation of the new contractual framework for national health service dentistry. Following a consultation with representative bodies of the dental profession on our "Framework Proposals for Primary Care Dental Services in England", we are currently considering whether any revision to the original timetable of April 2005 is necessary.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been provided to NHS dentists in the Adur, Arun and Worthing primary care trust area in each of the last three years. [178304]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The gross and net fees paid to dentists for the provision of general dental services (GDS) for 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 is shown in the table.
Before October 2002, Adur, Arun and Worthing was part of the West Sussex health authority area. These figures exclude some payments to dentists such as commitment payments, maternity and seniority payments as well as superannuation payments made on their behalf.
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Year | Health authority (HA)/ primary care trust (PCT) | Gross fees | Net fees(18) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 to first half of 2002–03 | |||
| Year ending March 2002 | West Sussex HA | 31.6 | 23.4 |
| April 2002 to September 2002 | West Sussex HA | 16.0 | 11.9 |
| 2002–03—second half to 2003–04 | |||
| October 2002 to March 2003 | Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT | 3.3 | 2.2 |
| Year ending March 2004 | Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT | 7.0 | 4.5 |
(18) Excludes patient charge.
Note:
Community, personal and hospital dental services have not been included in this table as these are not funded separately from other services.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have access to NHS dentists in the Adur, Arun and Worthing primary care trust area; and what percentage of the potential target group this figure represents. [178305]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are 99,000 patients registered with the general dental service (GDS) dentists in the Adur, Arun and Worthing Primary Care Trust area at 31 March 2004.
This represents 46 per cent., of the population of Adur, Arun and Worthing.
Registration numbers cover patients who have registered with a GDS dentist and attended the dentist within the past 15 months. They do not include some patients who choose to attend less often.
National health service dental services are also provided by the community dental service, personal dental service, salaried service of the GDS and the hospital dental service. These services do not require the patient to be registered with a dentist.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to (a) support and (b) promote NHS dentistry in Crosby. [177857]
Mr. Hutton: The proposals in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003 in relation to primary dental services represent the most radical reform of national health service dentistry since 1948. They will give a better deal for patients, for dentists and for the NHS. Under these proposals, primary care trusts (PCTs) have a duty to secure the provision of primary dental services.
Nationally, we have provided new investment totalling £90 million over the last year. £59 million will support access, and strategic health authorities (SHAs) have been advised of their shares and are working with their primary care trusts to address access issues. £30 million is to support information technology and the balance of £1 million will support organisational development locally.
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The PCTs across Merseyside are working closely with the Cheshire and Merseyside SHA supported by the shadow Special Health Authority (dentistry) to improve local dental access using their share of the access funds: some £2.64 million in 2004–05.
NHS Direct receives about 19,000 calls per month related to dentistry (at March 2004). Reports from the NHS suggest that about 91 per cent, of callers to NHS Direct are being advised of available sources of NHS dentistry within locally agreed standards.
The number of dentists working in the General Dental Services (GDS) is increasing. On 30 March 2004, there were 19,313 dentists in England, up from 16,728 in 1997. Activity in the GDS has been stable. Around 60 per cent., of all general practice dentists offer 90 per cent., or more NHS care. Some 25 per cent., of all general practice dentists offer NHS care exclusively.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average distance for people to access NHS dentists is in (a) Merseyside and (b) Crosby. [177859]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The average distance to a General Dental Service surgery is 0.54 miles for people living in Merseyside and 0.34 miles for people living in Crosby.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when discussions with the Governments of (a) Poland, (b) Germany, (c) Denmark and (d) Spain on the recruitment of dentists from their countries began; [178270]
(2) if he will list the recruitment agencies used to recruit dentists from (a) Poland, (b) Germany, (c) Denmark and (d) Spain; and what the cost of using them has been to date; [178272]
(3) if he will list the countries with which his Department is in discussion regarding the recruitment of overseas dentists to work in the UK; and how far advanced these discussions are in each case; [178274]
(4) pursuant to the Oral statement by the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Doncaster, Central of 11 May 2004, Official Report, column 22WH, on dentists, how many dentists he expects to recruit from (a) Poland, (b) Germany, (c) Denmark and (d) Spain this year. [178278]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A Government to Government agreement exists to recruit healthcare professionals from Spain. On this basis, plans are currently being developed to recruit dentists but no assessment of numbers has been made.
The Department has signed an agreement to recruit at least 110 dentists from Poland and other parts of Europe via methods consulting. My right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Health (Mr. Hutton) met with Polish Ministers in March to discuss matters of mutual interest. Discussions on the recruitment of dentists have since been followed up at official level.
Earlier this month, the Department, at the request of the Danish employment service, provided information to Danish dentists wishing to work in England.
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Departmental officials met with their Indian counterparts in April and discussed how to improve the registration process for dentists who wish to practice in the United Kingdom.
The number of dentists to be recruited from Poland, Denmark and Spain is not yet known.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what complaints he has received from (a) EU countries and (b) non-EU countries about the active recruitment of overseas dentists; and if he will make a statement. [178409]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is not aware of any complaints about the recruitment of overseas dentists.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton), of 11 May, Official Report, column 22WH, how many overseas dentists he expects to start working in (a) the community dental service, (b) the general dental service and (c) hospital dental services; and if he will make a statement. [178566]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department's international recruitment campaign will focus on filling vacant posts within primary care dentistry. It is too soon to predict which parts of the national health service recruits will work in.
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