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7 Mar 2005 : Column 1555W—continued
Cleaning Costs
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the costs of cleaning the Department were in each year since 1997. [213783]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The cost of the Department's cleaning contract in each year from 1997 is shown in the table.
| Cost £ | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 941,243.60 |
| 1998–99 | 751,185.20 |
| 1999–2000 | 871,286.10 |
| 2000–01 | 924,290.60 |
| 2001–02 | 873,940.70 |
| 2002–03 | 923,718.00 |
| 2003–04 | 883,721.70 |
| 2004–05 | 734,586.10 |
Complementary and Alternative Health Care
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on general practitioners prescribing complementary and alternative medicine and treatments. [220268]
Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 4 March 2005]: National health service access to complementary and alternative medicine is a matter for local clinical judgement, based on the available evidence. It is, therefore, a matter for the general practitioner to decide if a specific treatment should be made available to a patient.
Dentistry
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pieces of guidance his Department has issued to primary care trusts (PCTs) in the last year regarding targets that need to be met for signing up dentists to the personal dental services contract; what action he will take against those PCTs who fail to meet the 25 per cent. target; and what discussions his Department has had with PCT chief executives about this target. [218297]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 25 February 2005]: By this April, we anticipate that, across England as a whole, 25 per cent. of dental practices will have moved to the personal dental service (PDS). We have not set any targets for primary care trusts, but have been very encouraged by the numbers of dentists who, at their own volition, have sought to move to the PDS scheme in order to gain advanced benefit of the new contractual arrangements which we are to introduce to national health service dentistry by April 2006.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has conducted into (a) the NHS-private mix and (b) the age of dentists moving over to the personal dental service contract. [218308]
Ms Rosie Winterton
[holding answer 25 February 2005]: Data are not collected on the split between national health service and private patients.
7 Mar 2005 : Column 1556W
The number and age ranges of dentists with open personal dental service (PDS) contracts as at 31 December 2004 is shown in the table.
| Age | Dentists |
|---|---|
| <25 | 53 |
| 25–29 | 537 |
| 30–34 | 566 |
| 35–39 | 560 |
| 40–44 | 570 |
| 45–49 | 523 |
| 50–54 | 388 |
| 55–59 | 212 |
| 60+ | 139 |
| All PDS dentists | 3,548 |
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices are accepting new (a) children, (b) pensioner and (c) adult NHS patients, broken down by primary care trust. [217164]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Summary figures for dental practice in England, which were extracted from the nhs.uk website on 10 February 2005, are shown in the table. Figures at primary care trust level have been placed in the Library. Information is not available for practices accepting pensioners, but most adults exempt from charges are exempt on the grounds of low income.
Some practices are registering more than one category of patient.
Departmental Policies
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Coventry, South constituency, the effects on the constituency of changes to his Department's policies since 1997. [219822]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Coventry, South constituency. For example:
At the end of December 2004, the number of people waiting more than nine months for inpatient treatment within the Coventry primary care trust (PCT) has fallen to 0, from 437 in June 2002.
At the end of December 2004, the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for outpatient treatment within Coventry PCT has fallen to 134, from 3,441 in June 2002.
7 Mar 2005 : Column 1557W
In June 2003, at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, 86.3 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in Accident and Emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge. Figures for September 2004 show an improvement to 97.4 per cent.
Between September 1997 and June 2004, the number of consultants at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust has increased from 126 to 228. Between September 1997 and September 2003 the number of nurses has increased from 1,538 to 2,087.
Between September 2001 and June 2004, the number of general medical practitioners within Coventry PCT has increased from 185 to 198.
Figures for December 2004 show that all patients within Coventry PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a general practitioner within two working days and a primary care professional within one working day.
Work has started on a £379 million private finance initiative scheme at Walsgrave Hospital. Some parts of the new hospital are open already. The scheme is due to be completed in 2006.
A £40 million Local Improvement Finance Trust project, including a number of primary care centres across Coventry, has been approved. There is also a new walk-in centre in Coventry.
Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the Croydon, Central constituency, the effects of changes to departmental policy since 1997 on the Croydon Central constituency. [219296]
Dr. Ladyman: The Government have put in place a programme for national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded benefits for the Croydon, Central constituency. For example:
At the end of December 2004, the number of people waiting more than nine months for In-patient treatment within Croydon Primary Care Trust (PCT) fell to one, from 733 in June 2002.
At the end of September 2004, the number of patients, waiting over 13 weeks for out-patient treatment within Croydon PCT has fallen to 566, from 1,420 in June 2002.
Figures for June 2002 show that 67.5 per cent. of patients within Croydon PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a primary care professional within two working days, in December 2004 the figure was 100 per cent.
In June 2003, at Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 82.8 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer, or discharge. Figures for September 2004 show an improvement to 94.7 per cent.
In the Croydon local authority area, death rates from cancer per 100,000 population have fallen to 164.6 in 2003, from 196.5 in 1997.
In the Croydon local authority area, death rates from coronary heart disease per 100,000 population have fallen to 104.5 in 2003, from 120.5 in 1997.
Between September 1997 and June 2004, the number of consultants at Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust has increased from 79 to 110.
In September 2001, figures show 180 general practitioners within Croydon PCT. Figures for June 2004 show an increase to 225.
In September 2002, figures show 153 dentists within Croydon PCT. Figures for September 2004 show an increase to 161.
For 2004–05, Croydon PCT received an allocation of £324 million an increase in cash terms of 9.8 per cent.
At Mayday Hospital the £22 million Jubilee Ward opened in December 2004. It houses 306 new beds and a day care facility with four full size operating theatres and 18 recovery beds.
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