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13 Dec 2004 : Column 975W—continued
Mumps
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has issued about the efficacy of the MMR vaccination for preventing mumps after 10 years from the date of vaccination. [203210]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Advice is contained in the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) factsheet No. 1, originally issued in 1997 and stated the following:
"There is very little evidence that immunity to measles, mumps, or rubella vaccines wanes with time. It is known that children will remain immune for at least 27 years against measles, 18 years against rubella and 14 years against mumps—in other words for the amount of time that the vaccines have been available. Even if individuals are not fully protected, the immune system will have some memory and be able to respond more quickly in the immunised than in those who have not been immunised. Immunised children with low levels of antibodies are likely to have a modified, less serious, illness. Long-term studies on the duration of protection are continuing."
The text of the factsheet is available at www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk/resources/pdf/factsheets1–3.pdf.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have contracted mumps in each of the last five years; and how many were minors. [203211]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The information is in the public domain and available on the Health Protection Agency's website at www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/mumps/data_reg_age.htm.
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National Programme for IT
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the introduction of the National Programme for IT computer system into the NHS; [202951]
(2) what the estimated cost is of introducing the National Programme for IT into the NHS; and if he will make a statement; [202952]
(3) what choice users of the National Programme for IT in the NHS will have of software suppliers; and if he will make a statement; [202953]
(4) what use will be made of existing computer systems when the National Programme for IT system is introduced into the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [202954]
Mr. Hutton: The national programme for information technology (NPfIT) will over the next nine years, revolutionise the way health information is accessed and shared in the national health service. The NPfIT focuses on the developments that will make a significant difference to improving the patient experience and the delivery of treatment, care and services. It will connect more than 30,000 general practitioners and 270 acute, community and mental health NHS trusts in a single, secure national system, providing doctors and nurses with the right information in the right place at the right time, and allow patients much greater choice in how and where they receive their care. NPfTT is a key component of delivering the vision of a truly modern and patient-centred NHS.
NPfIT has four key deliverables: electronic appointment booking, an electronic care records service, electronic transfer of prescriptions and an underpinning IT infrastructure with sufficient connectivity and broadband capacity to support the critical national applications and local systems.
Under the NPfIT, an incremental approach is being adopted to building up any new applications or systems. This approach is intended to ensure that implementation is achievable and minimises disruption to the day-to-day business of the NHS. As a consequence the NPfTPs strategy underlines the importance of making best use of the existing asset base. NHS users, including general practitioners, will not be expected to change clinical systems while their current systems are compliant with the NHS care record service and continue to serve them well. We have repeatedly made it clear, in particular when speaking with general practitioners, and in written guidance, that practices may continue to use existing systems subject to their remaining compliant, and being able to deliver the required functionality, until the national programme's local service provider (LSP) is able to implement a viable alternative system. LSPs are required to provide a choice of GP system as part of their service offering.
The NPfIT was planned and is being delivered, within expenditure assumptions set in line with the recommendations of the 2002 Wanless Report 'Securing our Future Health'. Wanless anticipated an increase in the level of spending on NHS information and communications technology, rising to around 4 per cent. of the total NHS budget on NHS IT in general by
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2008. The Government is committed to seeing this target, which extends beyond just the NPfTT national clinical systems, achieved. The costs of the procurement contracts let for the programme's four core components amount to £6.2 billion over 10 years. This figure relate to contractual commitments and covers ongoing funding of core deliverables and the connection of existing systems to national applications from central budgets. It does not include costs of training NHS staff or local change management costs, which will be borne by individual NHS organisations. Future funding to the NHS, determined by the next and future expenditure settlements, is expected to support trusts in meeting and sustaining the 4 per cent. target.
NHS Cleaners
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cleaners, as distinct from other ancillary staff, are employed by (a) the NHS and (b) private contractors providing services to the NHS. [199948]
Mr. Hutton: The latest available figure for staff who undertake cleaning in the national health service is 55,000 for 2003–04. This figure represents the headcount of both directly employed and contracted out cleaning staff. It excludes managers, administrative and supervisory staff who do not physically carry out cleaning functions.
NHS Expenditure
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure is planned for the NHS in each financial year from 2005–06 to 2007–08. [202734]
Mr. Hutton: The following table shows planned total net national health service expenditure in England for the period 2005–06 to 2007–08.
| Planned total net NHS expenditure(34) | |
|---|---|
| 2005–06 | 76.4 |
| 2006–07 | 83.8 |
| 2007–08 | 92.1 |
(34) Figures for 2005–06 to 2007–08 are on a full resource budgeting basis.
NHS Staff
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS (a) doctors and (b) nurses there were in Bolton, North-East in each of the last seven years. [203371]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
Nursing Bursaries
Dr. Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will break down by age recipients of NHS bursaries for nurse training in each year since 2000. [202763]
Mr. Hutton:
The following table sets out a summary of the total number of nursing students, by age, who have received a national health service bursary from 1 September 2000.
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(35) Includes estimated figures
(36) Academic year to date
Patient Counselling/Education
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in using patients diagnosed with particular conditions as a bank of advice and counselling for those recently diagnosed with the same condition. [202775]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Approximately 17,000 people with long-term conditions have participated in 1,312 self management training courses delivered by 803 volunteer tutors with long term conditions who have been trained to deliver the Experts Patients Programme.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding the informed patient project will receive in each year until 2009–10; and if he will make a statement. [203624]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The informed patient project is a three-year initiative that is funded centrally and is in its second year. The budget allocation for 2004–05 was £2,127,000 and detailed allocation of future resources have still to be finalised. Informed patient project activities will form part of the forthcoming information for choice strategy, due for publication later this month, which is a three year programme of national and local actions to help people make more informed choices about their health and healthcare.
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