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NHS Funding

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was allocated to (a) mental health services and (b) the NHS as a whole in England in each of the last 10 years. [181990R]

Ms Rosie Winterton: It is not possible to estimate the level of funding for mental health services as part of the total national health service expenditure.

The NHS Plan announced extra annual investment of over £300 million by 2003–04 to fast-forward the national service framework for mental health.

Information about the total NHS expenditure since 1995–96 is shown in the table.

For the latest round of allocations for 2003–04 to 2005–06, none of the growth money has been identified for specific purposes as under "Shifting the Balance of Power".

It is for primary care trusts, 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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NHS total expenditure, England, 1995–96 to 2004–05

		Net NHS expenditure (£ billion)
Cash(42)
1995–96	Outturn	32.0
1996–97	Outturn	33.0
1997–98	Outturn	34.7
1998–99	Outturn	36.6
1999–2000	Outturn	39.9
RB Stage 1 2
1999–2000	Outturn	40.2
2000–01	Outturn	43.9
2001–02	Outturn	49.0
2002–03	Outturn	54.0
RB Stage 2 3
2002–03	Outturn	55.7
2003–04	Estimated outturn	63.7
2004–05	Plan	69.2

⁽⁴²⁾ Expenditure pre 1999–2000 is on a cash basis.
⁽⁴³⁾ Expenditure figures from 1999–2000 to 2002–03 are on a Stage 1 resource budgeting basis.
⁽⁴⁴⁾ Planned expenditure figures from 2002–03 to 2004–05 are on a Stage 2 resource budgeting basis.
Note:
Figures are not directly comparable across the whole period.

Overseas Dentists

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much spending has been allocated to the recruitment of overseas dentists for (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06; and if he will make a statement on discussions between his Department and the Treasury regarding this spending. [178411]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton: Resources agreed within the overall SR2002 settlement have been allocated to the recruitment of overseas dentists in 2004–05 and 2005–06 to improve access to national health service dentistry.

Worcestershire NHS Acute Trust

Miss Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancelled operations there were in each of the last seven years in the Worcestershire NHS Acute Trust area; how many times the day unit has been closed in each of the last seven years; and how many (a) doctors, (b) nurses, (c) managers, (d) administrators and (e) midwives were employed by the trust in each of the last seven years. [181433]

Dr. Ladyman: Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust was formed in April 2000 by the merging of Kidderminster Healthcare NHS Trust, Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust and Alexandra Healthcare NHS Trust.

Collection of cancelled operations data at individual NHS trust level began in 2001–02 in preparation for the
 
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implementation of the NHS Plan cancelled operations guarantee. Data for the years prior to 2001–02 are not available at NHS trust level.

Table 1 shows the number of operations cancelled by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, for non-clinical reasons for the past three years.
Table 1

	2001–02	2002–03	2003–04 1
Last minute cancellations	459	856	781
On the day of surgery cancellations	70	497	360

⁽⁴⁵⁾ The full year's data for 2003–04 are not available yet. The figures given are the totals up to the end of quarter 3.

West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority reports that Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has never closed the day case units at either Worcestershire Royal Hospital or the Alexandra Hospital.

Table 2 shows the total numbers of doctors, nurses, midwives, senior managers, managers, and clerical and administrative staff at the trust and its predecessor organisations.
Table 2

	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
Total doctors(46):	385	391	376	365	379	401	417
Kidderminster Healthcare NHS Trust	105	106	99	—	—	—	—
Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	167	171	165	—	—	—	—
Alexandra Healthcare NHS Trust	113	114	112	—	—	—	—
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	—	—	—	365	379	401	417
Total qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff:	1,736	1,698	1,755	1,458	1,662	2,532	2,812
Kidderminster Healthcare NHS Trust	583	564	588	—	—	—	—
Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	739	693	704	—	—	—	—
Alexandra Healthcare NHS Trust	414	441	463	—	—	—	—
Worcestershire Acute hospitals NHS Trust	—	—	—	1,458	1,560	1,699	1,875
Of which:
Registered midwives:	260	288	287	257	260	246	270
Kidderminster Healthcare NHS Trust	32	31	29	—	—	—	—
Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	140	172	156	—	—	—	—
Alexandra Healthcare NHS Trust	88	85	102	—	—	—	—
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	—	—	—	257	260	246	270
Total senior managers:	23	24	24	16	19	20	48
Kidderminster Healthcare NHS Trust	7	7	8	—	—	—	—
Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	11	13	13	—	—	—	—
Alexandra Healthcare NHS Trust	5	4	3	—	—	—	—
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	—	—	—	16	19	9	33
Total managers:	46	48	43	40	39	72	81
Kidderminster Healthcare NHS Trust	15	16	19	—	—	—	—
Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	14	14	11	—	—	—	—
Alexandra Healthcare NHS Trust	17	18	13	—	—	—	—
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	—	—	—	40	37	46	46
Total clerical and administrative:	842	866	841	749	887	1,202	1,182
Kidderminster Healthcare NHS Trust	279	285	254	—	—	—	—
Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust	335	347	350	—	—	—	—
Alexandra Healthcare NHS Trust	228	234	237	—	—	—	—
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	—	—	—	749	880	869	823

⁽⁴⁶⁾ Excludes hospital medical hospital practitioners and hospital medical clinical assistants, most of whom are general practitioners working part time in hospitals.
Note:
Figures are headcount at 30 September each year.
Source:
Department of Health non-medical workforce census.





 
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Visas

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average response time is for cases left by hon. Members and their staff with the visa correspondence section of UK Visas. [180569]

Mr. Mullin: Under Government Service Delivery targets, UKvisas aims to reply to letters from hon. Members within 15 working days. For the calendar year of 2003 the average response time was 14.84 working days. So far in 2004 (week ending 25 June) the average response time was 16.42 working days (not including those that have yet to be sent a reply). These figures take into account the letters drafted for Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers.

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