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21 Mar 2005 : Column 627W—continued
Targets
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target of enhancing accountability to patients and the public. [219229]
Ms Rosie Winterton: A new set of arrangements have been put in place to enhance accountability to patients and the public. Patients' forums have been set up to monitor local health services and to feed back the views of local people to the trusts. Patient advice and liaison services provide information, advice and support to help patients, families and their carers. Independent complaints advocacy services offer support to patients and their carers wishing to pursue a complaint about their national health service treatment or care. Health overview and scrutiny committees in local authorities are scrutinising health services and a new duty has been placed on the NHS to involve and consult in service planning and operation, and in the development of proposals for changes. The advent of NHS foundation trusts has further led to greater accountability to patients and the public by enabling far greater local ownership and involvement of patients, the public and staff.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards achieving the public service agreement target of securing sustained national improvements in patient experience as measured by independently validated national surveys. [219230]
Ms Rosie Winterton: With reference to improving the patient experience, national patient survey results to date show that the vast majority of patients—across all surveys—are positive about the overall care that they receive and the national health service staff who provide that care. For example, they have confidence and trust in staff, feel involved in their treatment/care, feel that they are listened to, get answers to any questions they have in a way they can understand and are treated with respect and dignity.
All national patient survey results are posted on the website of the Healthcare Commission at www.healthcarecommission.org.uk.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the public service agreement target to improve the life outcomes of adults and children with mental health problems through year-on-year improvement in access to crisis and child and adolescent mental health services was met in 2004. [219236]
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Dr. Ladyman: The target date for access to crisis resolution services for all patients requiring emergency access is December 2005. Based on the rapid expansion in the availability of crisis services and an estimate that 70,000 people will access services in 2004–05, we expect to meet the target.
Information about improvement in access to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in 2004 is being collected through the annual CAMHS mapping exercise. The deadline for finalising data prior to their use by the Healthcare Commission was 28 February 2005. The data is due to be published on 1 June 2005. Data for 2003 and further information about the process for 2004 is available at www.camhsmapping.org.uk.
Wells Report
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1)what the cost of the Wells Report was; and for whatreason he does not currently intend to publish thereport; [219067]
(2) what the cost was to public funds of the Wells Report. [220094]
Miss Melanie Johnson: No specific budget was allocated to the Wells report work. Its compilation involved the input of many individuals in a number of different organisations. The cost to public funds of the report could therefore be estimated only at disproportionate cost. The report will not be published, as to do so would prejudice similar future examinations of the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which other public authorities discharge their functions.
West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest estimate for outturn against planned budget for West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust is for (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06 and (c) 2006–07. [222318]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department does not make any estimates of the outturn against planned budgets for national health service organisations. The audited information in respect to the 2004–05 financial position of the NHS trusts will be published in their individual annual accounts and will be available centrally in autumn 2005. The Department has no plans to publish un-audited information.
The Department does not have any information in respect of 2005–06 and 2006–07. The actual audited information will be available in the autumn following each of those years.