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4 Apr 2005 : Column 1250W—continued

Organ Donation

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his Department's policy that relatives of a deceased person on the organ donor register may refuse permission for the deceased's organs to be donated; and if he will make a statement. [222813]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Human Tissue Act 2004 makes clear that where an adult has, while alive and competent, given consent for one or more of the scheduled purposes to take place following their death, then that consent is sufficient for the activity to be lawful. In these circumstances, therefore, a relative of the deceased person may not refuse permission for the deceased's organs to be donated, but there may be cases in which donation may not be practicable. The Human Tissue Authority will be responsible for preparing codes of practice that set out what is lawful and the procedures to be followed to implement the Act. These codes of practice will be subject to consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.

Orthopaedic Joint Replacements (Sefton)

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect that
 
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contracts with Interhealth Care Services for treatment centres will have on waiting lists for orthopaedic joint replacements in Sefton. [223754]

Mr. Hutton: Interhealth Care Services will carry out over 900 orthopaedic procedures in the Sefton area, starting from June 2006. Interim service with Nuffield hospitals and Capio Healthcare began in October 2004 and will provide South Sefton Primary Care Trust with an additional 269 procedures for their patients in that year.

These arrangements will help to speed up operations that patients might otherwise have had to wait longer for.

Paediatric Continence Services

Mr. Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what structures are in place to measure the availability of integrated paediatric continence services in every community; [223846]

(2) how he expects that the children's national service framework will promote the provision of integrated paediatric continence services in every community. [223847]

Dr. Ladyman: The standard for an integrated, community-based paediatric continence service is defined in the children's national service framework (NSF). National health service primary care trusts (PCTs) are expected to ensure that accessible, high quality continence assessment and treatment is provided. This process will be informed by Good Practice in Paediatric Continence Service-Benchmarking in Action 2003". The Department has also set out principles for needs-based local target setting for health and social care as part of its three-year planning guidance, National Standards, Local Action". PCTs must agree appropriate local targets with their strategic health authority, whose responsibility it is to ensure that local health services are of a high quality and are performing well. The guidance states that organisations will need to be guided by the NSFs, the standards of which will be inspected and reviewed by the Healthcare Commission over a 10-year implementation period, for the children's NSF.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health(1) what advice has been given to strategic healthauthorities on supporting the development of integrated paediatric continence services by primary care trusts; [224189]

(2) what guidance is available to primary care trusts to support the development of integrated paediatric continence services; and whether guidance has been distributed at the local level; [224190]

(3) what action he will take to promote the provision of integrated paediatric continence services. [224191]

Dr. Ladyman: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) and primary care trusts (PCTs) have all received the national service framework for children, young people and maternity services (children's NSF). This promotes the development of integrated, community-based paediatric continence services. It states that service provision should be informed by the NHS Modernisation Agency's 2003 publication Good Practice in Paediatric Continence Services—Benchmarking in Action", which
 
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is available on the clinical governance support group's website at www.cgsupport.nhs.uk/PDFs/articles/Mod_Agency_Good_Practice.pdf.

The Department has also set out principles for local target setting for the national health service and social care as part of its planning guidance, National Standards, Local Action". This requires PCTs to agree appropriate local targets with their SHA, which has a responsibility to offer support throughout the planning process. National Standards, Local Action" states that organisations will need to be guided by the evidence set out in the national service frameworks. In the case of the children's NSF, the Healthcare Commission will inspect and review progress towards achieving the standards over a 10-year implementation period.

Residential Care Costs

Mr. Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average level of personal care costs in residential homes in England was in the last year for which figures are available. [223775]

Dr. Ladyman [holding answer 24 March 2005]: Separate figures on the average level of personal care costs in residential homes in England are not available. The average gross weekly expenditure by local authorities, on residential care, including board and lodging payments, personal care, management and support costs, in 2003–04 is shown in the table.
Weekly expenditure on residential care 2003–04

Supported residents	Amount (£)
Older people	376
Adults aged 18–64 with:
Learning disabilities	745
Mentally health needs	450
Physical disabilities	601

Saneline

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how Saneline can benefit from the mental health helplines investment framework. [222662]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The chair of the mental health helplines partnership (MHHP), of which SANE was until recently a member has written to SANE offering MHHP's support. The Department has indicated to the chair of the MHHP that it would offer advice and support to MHHP in this matter.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet representatives of SANE to discuss future funding of Saneline. [222665]

Ms Rosie Winterton: SANE and the Department have met on a number of occasions to discuss the issue of funding for Saneline.

The Department's contract with SANE in respect of Saneline comes to an end on 31 March 2005. In terms of the future funding of the Saneline service, SANE is eligible to apply for government funding streams aimed at the voluntary and community sector.
 
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Unified Health and Social Care Assessments

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what performance criteria are applicable to the (a) number and (b) type of assessments to be undertaken in the Unified Health and Social Care Assessment Process; [223961]

(2) how (a) nutrition and (b) malnutrition are included in the assessment domains of the Unified Health and Social Care Assessment Process; [223962]

(3) what data relating to (a) nutrition and (b) malnutrition his Department will collect within the assessment domains in the Unified Health and Social Care Assessment Process. [223964]

Mr. Hutton: The independent Healthcare Commission is responsible for developing the indicators for use in the national health service performance ratings. Details can be found on its website at: www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/indicators_2005/.

The Commission has recently completed an extensive public consultation on a new system for assessing and performance rating NHS trusts in 2005–06 and will be making an announcement in due course.

The independent Commission for Social Care Inspection is responsible for developing the indicators for use in social care assessment. Details can be found on its website at: www.csci.org.uk/council_performance/paf/performance_indicators.htm.

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