| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
9 Nov 2004 : Column 649W—continued
NHS Logistics Authority
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed by the NHS Logistics Authority in (a) the Hemsworth constituency, (b) the Yorkshire and Humber region and (c) England. [195024]
Mr. Hutton: No persons are employed in the Hemsworth constituency. We believe that the NHS Logistics Authority Normanton distribution centre is entirely within the Pontefract and Castleford constituency. There are 283 people employed at the Normanton distribution centre which is the number employed in the Yorkshire and Humber region. The NHS Logistics Authority employs 1483 people in England.
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total budget of the NHS Logistics Authority was in each of the last five years. [195026]
Mr. Hutton: The total budget for the NHS Logistics Authority for the last five years is shown in the table.
| Operating costs (£ million) | |
|---|---|
| 2000–01 | 58.2 |
| 2001–02 | 63.4 |
| 2002–03 | 64.3 |
| 2003–04 | 68.3 |
| 2004–05 | 70.7 |
NHS Treatment Abroad
Tom Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people living in the Greater London area
9 Nov 2004 : Column 650W
have been treated under the NHS in European hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [195369]
Mr. Hutton: The Government are committed to expanding the national health service more than ever before to reduce waiting times and to give patients greater choice. This includes making use of the spare capacity in overseas health systems. Since January 2002, we have been sending patients to Europe for simple elective surgery procedures such as knee and hip replacements, hernia and cataract procedures. From January 2002 to May 2004, 872 patients were treated in hospitals in France and Belgium.
Since October 2002, the London patient choice project has been offering choice of hospital at six months for patients across 32 primary care trusts in London. It has been offering patients who would otherwise wait more than six months for elective care the choice of an alternative provider for faster treatment. These providers include hospitals in Belgium. By the end of September 2004, 436 patients from the Greater London area have chosen to receive their hospital treatment in Europe.
Prescription Charges
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the total cost of administering (a) the system for collecting prescription charges and (b) prescription charge exemptions in the last year for which figures are available. [192902]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In 2003–04, the cost in England of administering the sale of prescription pre-payment certificates was around £1.5 million. Other costs, including those for charge collecting activities by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors, or those for investigating potential fraud, are not separately identifiable.
In 2003–04, the cost in England of administering maternity and medical exemptions from prescription charges was around £1.3 million.
In 2003–04, the cost in England of administering arrangements for certificates on the grounds of low income was around £3.92 million. However, this covers exemption from a range of other health costs and includes the costs of applications from people who are exempt from prescription charges on grounds such as age but are seeking help with other costs.
In 2003–04, the cost in England of administering the prescription charge refund scheme, for those who are exempt but initially pay the charge, amounted to £70,000.
Radiation Exposure (Eastern Europe)
Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to take up recommendation nine from chapter four of the final report of the Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters concerning the availability of data sets from Russia, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine on worker exposure to radiation. [195392]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The Department is considering all of the recommendations in both the report of the Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal
9 Nov 2004 : Column 651W
Emitters (CERRIE) and the advice to Government contained in the 9th report of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) and will respond in due course.
Radiographers/Radiologists
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of (a) radiographers and (b) radiologists in the NHS. [195988]
Mr. Hutton: Since September 1997, numbers of consultants in clinical radiology have increased by 417 or 29 per cent. Consultant numbers are expected to increase further as a result of the significant investment in training capacity in this speciality.
Between 2002–03 and 2004–05, 166 additional centrally funded specialist registrar posts have been allocated to clinical radiology. In 2005–06, there are plans in place to create up to 60 further posts for the new clinical radiology academies.
Between September 1997 and 2003, the number of radiographers employed in the national health service has increased by 1,573 or 13 per cent. Since 1996–97, the number of students entering training to become a radiographer has more than doubled.
Residential Care (Greater London)
Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are living in long-term residential care within the Greater London area. [194628]
Dr. Ladyman: Information about the number of places in residential care is collected, but information about the number of people in those places is not centrally available.
In March 2001 there were 47,400 care home places in London for adults aged 18 and over. This includes 29,300 places in residential care homes and 18,100 places in general and mental nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics.
I understand from the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that figures for later years were collected by the National Care Standards Commission, and now CSCI, but comparable details are not available.
Skipton Fund
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many recipients of the Skipton Fund have previously been beneficiaries of the Macmillan Fund; and if he will make a statement; [193658]
(2) how many of those who have received financial compensation from the Skipton Fund, were Scottish residents; and if he will make a statement. [193659]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
Information on the number of stage one applications that have been paid by the Skipton Fund is shown in the table.
9 Nov 2004 : Column 652W
| Paid stage one applicants | |
|---|---|
| England | 1,508 |
| Wales | 119 |
| Scotland | 270 |
| Northern Ireland | 63 |
| Total | (29)1,960 |
(29) Figures as at 22 October 2004.
The Skipton Fund has indicated that 329 ex-gratia payments were paid to registrants of the Macfarlane Trust.
Smoking
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how many people who died in the UK in each of the last three years smoking cigarettes was identified as a primary cause. [196006]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Information is not available in the form requested. The Health Education Authority 1998 report: "The UK Smoking Epidemic: Deaths in 1995" estimated that in the UK in 1995, smoking caused more than 120,000 deaths of people aged 35 years or more. A copy of this report is available in the Library.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the findings of the Health Development Agency's study into the number of smoking-attributable deaths in the UK each year will be published. [195059]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Health Development Agency's study into the number of smoking-attributable deaths in the United Kingdom each year will be published shortly.
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what provision his Department has made to provide help to those who want to quit smoking to access services where they work, where this is different from where they are registered as a health patient; and if he will make a statement; [195731]
(2) what representations he has received regarding barriers to accessing smoking cessation clinics; and if he will make a statement; [195733]
(3) what representations he has received regarding difficulties in accessing smoking cessation clinics for those who travel to work or work irregular hours; what proposals he has to enable more people to access one-to-one or group support who wish to stop smoking; and if he will make a statement. [195734]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government have not received specific representations regarding difficulties in accessing national health service stop smoking services. NHS stop smoking services are available free across England and are accessible to all smokers who want to stop.
Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for providing services for people in the workplace. We have issued advice to the NHS covering the circumstances where a stop smoking service might be provided for commuters at their workplace—"Department of Health Stop Smoking Services Quarterly Monitoring Return 2004–05". Copies have been placed in the Library.
9 Nov 2004 : Column 653W
PCTs have developed local strategies to reach smokers in their locality and, where appropriate, have made links with community groups to provide services. PCTs are encouraged to offer services that are accessible and flexible and meet the needs of the smoker. The Government will continue to seek ways to enhance and improve NHS stop smoking services.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |