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6 Dec 2004 : Column 356W—continued
Mental Health
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many young people are waiting to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, broken down by region; what the average waiting time to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services is; and if he will make a statement. [199745]
Dr. Ladyman: The information requested is shown in the table. This information is taken from the Department's 2003 child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) mapping exercise.
Information on average waiting times for patients to see CAMHS staff is not collected centrally.
The Government are committed to improve access to CAMHS and to reduce waiting times. The Department is investing an additional £300 million into CAMHS during the period from 2003–04 to 2005–06. The recently published children's national service framework sets out the standard for CAMH services.
Notes:
1. CAMHS are defined for the purposes of this table, means specialist CAMHS or, as often referred to, Tiers 2 to 4 CAMHS. The numbers include referrals from all sources, including general practitioners, social services and education.
2. Length of wait is the period from the date that the patient is referred to CAMHS to the date that the patient is first seen by CAMHS for an initial assessment.
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Mental Health Services (Buckinghamshire)
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Wycombe Primary Care Trust has recently withdrawn funding from Wycombe Mind. [201866]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In accordance with our policy of "Shifting the balance of Power", primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning care to get the best services for local people, subject to the highest clinical standards and best value for money. It is for each PCT to decide what money it allocates to each particular strand of their local health service according to its assessment of local need.
I therefore suggest that the hon. Member liaises directly with his local PCT on this matter.
Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust and Wycombe Primary Care Trust has recorded changes made to the provision of services by charities and voluntary groups to people with mental health problems in south Buckinghamshire; [201867]
(2) what representation Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust and Wycombe Primary Care Trust has received about the recent closure of the Fixiquip programme. [201868]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In line with our policy of "Shifting the Balance of Power", it is now for primary care trusts (PCTs), in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to plan, develop and improve services for local people. We recognise that health services are better when management is devolved to the frontline. Within the framework set out in the "NHS Plan" and other policy documents, PCTs, with their specialised knowledge of the local community are effectively able to manage and improve local services.
I therefore suggest that the hon. Member liaises directly with the local national health service on this matter.
NHS Cleaners
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cleaners, as distinct from other ancillary staff, were employed by the NHS immediately prior to the introduction of market testing for these services in 1983. [199949]
Mr. Hutton: Data on the number of cleaners employed by the national health service in 1983 is not held centrally.
Ozone
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evidence he has gathered to support a connection between levels of ozone in the atmosphere and premature deaths; and if he will make a statement. [200689]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: The Department's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) 1 summarised the evidence on the connection between levels of ozone in the atmosphere and premature deaths in 1998. It was concluded that an association existed and was reasonably consistent across Europe and the United States. Further research has been published since that time, including, very recently, two large studies combining results from groups of European cities and groups of US cities. An updated review of the health effects of ozone, under preparation by COMEAP, will address this new evidence and will be published next year.
1 Department of Health Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants Quantification of the Effects of Air Pollutants in the United Kingdom—The Stationery Office London 1998.
The Department has also commissioned research in the United Kingdom on this issue. Details are included in the list of Department's funded air pollution research projects at the website address given below and a copy has been placed in the Library 2 .
2 www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/AirPollution/fs/en.
Peninsula Medical School
Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding has been made available to establish the Peninsula Medical School. [199865]
Mr. Hutton: The Department's funding for medical schools takes the form of the Service Increment for Teaching (SIFT). This reimburses national health service organisations for the extra costs they incur by providing clinical placements for medical and dental undergraduates. SIFT funding for the Peninsula Medical School is shown in the table. Investment by the Higher Education Funding Council for England is a matter for my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Department for Education and Skills.
| SIFT (£000) | |
|---|---|
| Capital | |
| 2000–01 | 483 |
| 2001–02 | 2,046 |
| 2002–03 | 4,994 |
| 2003–04 | 12,286 |
| 2004–05 | 742 |
| Revenue | |
| 2000–01 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 325 |
| 2002–03 | 2,963 |
| 2003–04 | 6,518 |
| 2004–05 | 11,830 |
Between 2001 and 2003, £2 million was allocated non-recurrently from the NHS research and development budget to the local NHS partners of the Peninsula Medical School to invest in facilities for research associated with the school, and in 2002–03 £146,250 was allocated recurrently to mobilise and support research in the school.
6 Dec 2004 : Column 359W
Primary Care Trusts
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list primary care trusts which have taken over management of local social services. [201992]
Dr. Ladyman: Care trusts are established on a voluntary basis where there is a joint agreement at a local level that this model will offer the best way to deliver better health and social care services. Partner organisations then delegate agreed functions to the care trust, but can withdraw if they so choose.
To date, eight such partnerships have been forged, leading to the establishment of care trusts in Sandwell; Sheffield, Bexley, Bradford, Camden and Islington; Manchester, Northumberland; and in Witham, Braintree and Halstead. The local primary care trusts are partners in two of these agreements: in Bexley, and in Witham, Braintree and Halstead.
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budgets for this financial year are for the five primary care trusts in Suffolk; and what budget has been set for managerial and administrative costs of each. [201325]
Dr. Ladyman: The allocations for the five primary care trusts (PCTs) in Suffolk are shown in the table.
| PCT | Amount (£ million) |
|---|---|
| Ipswich | 137.5 |
| Waveney | 123.6 |
| Suffolk Coastal | 88.0 |
| Suffolk West | 195.0 |
| Central Suffolk | 80.2 |
As PCTs now have responsibility for planning the provision for health care services locally, they also have responsibility for deciding what part of their budgets are allocated to management and administrative costs.
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