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9 Mar 2005 : Column 1896W—continued
Counter Fraud and Security Management Service
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training the staff of the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service who are directly involved in investigation receive; and what plans he has to change their training. [216138]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The national health service counter fraud and security management service (CFSMS) provides training for all staff who counter fraud and corruption within the NHS.
It is mandatory for all NHS counter fraud specialists to complete successfully a counter fraud foundation level course. This high quality professional training has been accredited by the universities of Portsmouth, East London and Wolverhampton and is worth 40 higher education credits.
Successful completion of the foundation level leads to the nationally recognised professional qualification of accredited counter fraud specialist (ACFS). The NHS is one of a number of organisations where staff are trained to this standard. At the end of 2004, there were 8,274 qualified ACFSs from hundreds of organisations in both the public and private sectors including six Government Departments, such as the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Government agencies such as the Audit Commission, several police forces, banks, investment companies and over 300 local authorities.
Further training includes an intermediate level course, which focuses on prevention and deterrence of fraud. Additionally, the CFSMS provides refresher training on issues such as interviewing skills and regularly updates training where there are changes in law or procedures that have an impact on work to counter fraud.
Throughout the year, the CFSMS ensures ongoing support and training for staff through quarterly forums and an annual conference. There is also assistance through a training centre helpline and a regional network.
Because the training attracts higher education credits, it can lead on to further academic study and the CFSMS supports staff who want to continue to develop and work towards a BSc. (Hons) in counter fraud and criminal justice studies.
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At present there are no plans to change the training. It is regularly reviewed to ensure that it is relevant and meets the requirements of staff.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many investigations by the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service are ongoing with respect to (a) GPs, (b) nurses, (c) hospital doctors and consultants, (d) pharmacists, (e) dentists, (f) external contractors and (g) others. [216139]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are currently 462 investigations being undertaken by the national health service counter fraud and security management service. A breakdown of staff groups involved is shown in the following table.
| Category | Number under investigation |
|---|---|
| General practitioners | 60 |
| Hospital doctors and consultants | 23 |
| Nurses | 35 |
| Pharmacists | 68 |
| Dentists | 86 |
| External contractors | 28 |
| Others | 191 |
The breakdown shows a greater number than the total of 462 as there can be more than one person involved in any particular investigation 77 patients are also being investigated.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial benefit has been to the NHS of the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service and its predecessor the NHS Counter Fraud Service in each year since September 1998; and if he will list successful recoveries of assets worth over £500,000 in each year since September 1998. [216141]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The national health service counter fraud and security management service has published its performance statistics annually since 1999–2000.
The financial benefit to the NHS per year is shown in the following table.
| Amount (£) | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 52,477,000 |
| 2000–01 | 71,993,000 |
| 2001–02 | 84,716,000 |
| 2002–03 | 135,269,000 |
| 2003–04 | 134,017,000 |
Single recoveries of over £500,000 in each year are shown in the following table.
| Recoveries | ||
|---|---|---|
| £ | ||
| 2000–01 | 1x | 1,337,610 |
| 1x | 650,000 | |
| 2001–02 | 1x | 799,087 |
| 2002–03 | 1x | 1,750,000 |
| 2003–04 | 1x | 1,400,000 |
| 2004–05 | 1x | 1,128,000 |
| 1x | 799,087 | |
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Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget of the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service and its predecessor the NHS Counter Fraud Service has been in each year since September 1998. [216142]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The budgetary allocation for national health service counter fraud service is shown in the following table.
| Budgetary allocation resource from the Department(33) | |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | 4.15 |
| 2000–01 | 4.25 |
| 2001–02 | 5.44 |
| 2002–03 | 6.10 |
(33) This was increased in 2003–04 to £14.71 million when responsibility was assumed for the security management service.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the proposals to strengthen the powers of the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service announced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 21 October 2004 will require primary legislation; and when he expects to publish the outcome of the consultation process on the proposals; [216183]
(2) what powers the Counter Fraud and Security Management Service has to access personal information; and what powers he expects the service will have following the proposed changes announced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 21 October 2004. [216184]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Responses to the consultation document Access to Relevant Documents, Records and Data to Counter Fraud are currently being analysed. In accordance with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultations a summary of responses will be published within three months of the consultation closing date of 21 January 2005. At this stage, it is too early to say what shape any future measures may take but they will be informed by the outcome of the consultation exercise.
The NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) do not currently have any specific powers to require access to personal information. Under the National Health Service Act 1977 the Secretary of State for Health has directed national health service bodies to co-operate with the CFSMS to enable it to efficiently and effectively carry out its counter fraud functions. This includes the supply of information to the CFSMS unless the supply of such information is prohibited by law.
Dentistry
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Polish dentists (a) have registered and (b) are waiting to register with the General Dental Council to practise consequent on his Department's contract with Methods Consulting; and how many have commenced practising in England; and what support his Department is providing to these dentists. [218300]
Ms Rosie Winterton
[holding answer 25 February 2005]: As a result of the Department's recruitment activity in Poland, 69 dentists have registered with the General Dental Council and no dentists are currently waiting to register with the General Dental Council. 28
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dentists have started in practice and a further 41 will begin practice in England during March and early April. Pastoral support and induction are provided by local primary care trusts and the Post Graduate Dental Deanery.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms are in place to co-ordinate the different government groups working on the Personal Dental Service (PDS) contract; what the running costs of (a) the Modernisation Agency and (b) Options for Change field sites to administer the PDS conversion process were in the latest year for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to reduce administration costs in the PDS conversion process. [218598]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 28 February 2005]: The NHS Modernisation Agency set up the Modernising Dentistry Programme in 2002 following the publication of Options for Change report to look at new ways of working in dentistry. The total budget for the programme, which includes field sites, was £1 million in 2004–05. The 48 field sites involve around 250 dental practices, which are widely distributed across England. They range from practices looking at remuneration and commissioning, electronic booking, the patient experience, clinical governance and customer care, through to primary care trust wide and strategic health authority wide remuneration sites. Field sites have been supported to develop, and monitor their Option for Change projects, some of which have required conversion to personal dental service (PDS) schemes. Building upon these foundations, PDS is now providing dentists with the opportunity to take advanced benefit of the new contractual arrangements, which we are to introduce by April 2006. We now have some 4,400 dentists in over 1,500 dental practices working under PDS arrangements and, by April 2005, we expect 25 per cent. of all dental practices to have moved to PDS.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which primary care trusts have not applied to the £59 million fund to help with access to dentistry in 2004–05; [218599]
(2) how many applications made by primary care trusts to the £59 million fund to help with access to dentistry in 2004–05 have been (a) granted and (b) rejected; and in how many cases decisions are pending. [218600]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 28 February 2005]: Of these funds, £50 million have been delegated for strategic health authorities to manage. The remaining £9 million is being used by the national health service dentistry support team, to work with the primary care trusts (PCTs), shown in the table. The team selected the PCTs on the basis of demonstrable, severe access problems rather than by application.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage Personal Dental Service conversion rates are in each (a) primary care trust and (b) strategic health authority. [219073]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 1 March 2005]: Information on the number of personal dental service (PDS) surgery addresses at 31 January 2005 as a percentage of the total general and personal dental surgery addresses for each primary care trust and strategic health authority has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have been recruited overseas to work in NHS dentistry in England since 1 January 2004. [216507]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department is gathering information on recruitment activity since April 2004. This will include local national health service international recruitment activity and departmental central recruitment initiatives. The latter will include 28 Polish dentists who began work in England in January and the further 41 starting work between mid March and mid April.
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