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Paddington Health Campus
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health from what percentage of Harefield Hospital's catchment area for cardiothoracic NHS inpatients, in-patients will be drawn for the new hospital on the Paddington Basin Health Campus; and when its facilities will be available for them. [221681]
Mr. Hutton: The number of in-patient episodes currently undertaken at Harefield Hospital is projected to grow from 5,500 in 2003–04 to 6,000 by the time the Paddington Health Campus (PHC) opens. Of these patients, it is expected that 73 per cent. will use the PHC and the remaining 27 per cent., predominantly secondary cardiology patients, will use appropriately equipped local hospitals, possibly with cardiac departments operated as satellite Royal Brompton and Harefield services.
The outline business case for the PHC estimates that the new facilities will be fully operational from June 2013.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has consulted HM Treasury on the increase in land acquisition costs over those published in the public consultation document on the Paddington Basin Health Campus project and for which budget provision had been made. [221682]
Mr. Hutton: Her Majesty's Treasury has not yet been formally consulted. However, as recommended by the independent review team, it was represented on the steering group which oversaw the review. Once the Department has approved the outline business case (OBC), my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary of the Treasury will receive the OBC for consideration and approval.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the outcome has been of negotiations between Pearcroft Ltd. and his Department on the Paddington Basin Health Campus. [221683]
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Mr. Hutton: The Department has not been in negotiations with Pearcroft Ltd. in relation to the proposed Paddington Health Campus (PHC) and has no plans to do so.
Pearcroft has a shareholding in Paddington Development Corporate Ltd., (PDCL), a privately owned consortium, which, amongst other things, owns land in Paddington. PDCL is currently negotiating with Westminster city council and the Paddington Health Campus team for land required for the proposed PHC. Westminster city council has agreed to broker the land deal.
Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the cost to his Department of providing housing for relatives of patients receiving hospital treatment on the Paddington Basin Health Campus. [222006]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 15 March 2005]: The outline business case for the Paddington Health Campus submitted in December 2004 estimated the capital cost of accommodation for relatives of children and adults undergoing complex treatment as £11 million.
Patient Fitness Programmes
Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation his Department carries out of the efficacy of fitness programmes for patients referred at primary care level by the NHS. [221645]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Fitness programmes for patients referred at primary care level by the national health service are subject to local evaluation. The Healthcare Commission assesses the performance of primary care trusts in the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
The Department periodically commissions reviews of best practice in the promotion of physical activity, including review-level research into the effectiveness of exercise referral schemes. The Health Development Agency has recently produced an updated evidence briefing on the effectiveness of public health interventions for increasing physical activity among adults and is preparing a briefing on the promotion of physical activity aimed at professionals in the statutory, voluntary and private sectors.
"Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan", includes a commitment for production of specific guidelines for children's exercise referral.
Pregnancy Advisory Service
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2004, Official Report, column 978W, to the hon. Member for Totnes (Mr. Steen), on the Pregnancy Advisory Service, whether funding has been allocated by the Government to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service since 1997. [221725]
Miss Melanie Johnson
[holding answer 16 March 2005]: The Department has not directly funded the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) in any year since 1997. We do not collect data on the funding BPAS receives through its contracts with primary care trusts.
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Primary Care Trusts
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirements there are for primary care trust funding panels to consult patients before reaching a decision on whether to fund treatments and drugs. [213588]
Mr. Hutton: There is no formal requirement for primary care trust (PCT) funding panels to consult patients before reaching a decision on whether to fund treatment and drugs. However, in cases where there is no guidance from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and a local decision needs to be taken, such consultation would be considered good practice.
Where the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has recommended a treatment in a technology appraisal, PCTs normally have to make funding available for this treatment within three months of the appraisal's publication. NICE consults widely with a range of stakeholders, including patients and patients' organisations, before making a technology appraisal decision.
In addition, all PCTs have patient and public involvement forums, which exist to monitor and review the services arranged and/or provided by the trust from the perspective of the patient. This includes both the range and operation of services.
Scans (Private Sector)
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the decision was taken to site the Alliance Medicals mobile scanner at James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough rather than at University Hospital, North Durham; and who took the decision. [220843]
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Mr. Hutton: The James Cook Hospital was the closest available site which had immediate access to a power and water supply in the grounds of the hospital where mobile scanner units are normally sited. The decision to site the scanner at James Cook Hospital was taken by the local radiology manager, in conjunction with Alliance Medical.
Alliance Medical is investigating the possibility of locating a mobile scanner unit in the North Durham area, ideally on a primary care site which has a suitable power and water supply available in the grounds of the site.
Specialised Health Services
Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to strengthen processes for (a) planning, (b) decision making and (c) performance management in the commissioning of specialised health services. [220248]
Mr. Hutton: Primary care trusts are expected to commission specialised services collaboratively through their membership of the eight specialised commissioning groups and 26 local specialised commissioning groups covering England. Strategic health authorities actively support, monitor and performance manage the commissioning arrangements for specialised services in their areas.
Targets
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Public Service Agreement target to increase the participation of problem drug users in drug treatment programmes by 55 per cent. by 2004 was met. [219239]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Figures published by the National Treatment Agency on 30 September 2004 show that 54 per cent. more drug misusers were in contact with drug treatment services in 2003–04 in comparison to the 1998–99 baseline.