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14 Jul 2005 : Column 1185W—continued
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed by the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority; and in what roles. [11026]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The number of people employed by the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority (SHA) and their roles is shown in the table.
Source:
Health and Social Care Information Centre non-medical workforce census 2004.
Birth Centres
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether she has developed booking criteria for admission to birth centres; [11433]
(2) if she will commission research into the effectiveness of birth centres. [11435]
Mr. Byrne: The Department has not developed any booking criteria for admission to birth centres.
The Department generally funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service. Through its service delivery and organisation research and development programme, the Department is in the process of commissioning a three-year study about the effectiveness, acceptability and efficiency of birth centres. It is anticipated that the tender for this research will be advertised in September 2005.
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Care Homes
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inspections of care homes have been carried out in London in each year since 1997; how many were announced; how many were unannounced; and how many led to the deregistration of care homes. [8311]
Mr. Byrne: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) is responsible for inspecting all care homes in England in accordance with statutory regulations and national minimum standards.
I understand from the Chair of CSCI that in 2003–04, there were 5,083 inspections completed in London. 2,559 (50.3 per cent.) were announced, 2,524 (49.7 per cent.) were un-announced.
In 2004–05, there were 5,173 inspections completed in London 2,815 (54.4 per cent.) were announced, 2,378 (45.6 per cent.) were un-announced.
Information prior to 2003–04 is not available because different regulatory arrangements applied.
Dentistry
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many registered dentists were practising in the (a) County of Bedfordshire and (b) constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire in each year since 1997; [11019]
(2) how many full-time dentists there have been in the (a) county of Bedfordshire and (b) constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire in each year since 1997. [11020
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information relating to numbers of full-time dentists is not held centrally, as dentists can vary the amount of hours they work as well as their national health service commitment. The numbers of dentists in the county of Bedfordshire and the constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire, as at 31 March each year since 1997, are shown in the table.
Notes:
1. The figures are based on the numbers of dentists with open GDS or PDS contracts.
2. The dentists include principals, assistants and trainees.
3. Prison contracts have been excluded.
4. The areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the specified area.
5. The figures provide a snapshot of the number of individual dentists with an open contract at 31 March.
6. A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the primary care trust (PCT). The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists.
7. The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists.
8. The figures take into account any notifications received up to 5 July 2005.
9. Areas have been defined using the Office of National Statistics All Fields Postcode Directory—November 2004"
10. Figures have been provided by the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre. The data source is the Dental Practice Board and the figures are based on the numbers of individual dentists with open GDS or PDS contracts as at 31 March 2005.
11. The postcode of the dental practice was used to allocate dentists to specific geographic areas. Specific geographic areas have been defined using the Office of National Statistics All Fields Postcode Directory—November 2004".
Source:
Dental Practice Board
14 Jul 2005 : Column 1187W
Mr. Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the adequacy of provision of NHS dentists in Bournemouth East. [4826]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Over the years, 2003–04 and 2004–05, the Department allocated £1.6 million to the Dorset and Somerset strategic health authority (SHA) to improve access, choice and quality in national health service dentistry. In 2004–05, Bournemouth primary care trust (PCT), which serves the Bournemouth East area, received from this sum £108,000 for capital grants and £46,000 revenue for access.
The SHA advises that this money has been used to improve access and increase capacity, including the recruitment of additional 1.5 NHS dentists. This secured 3,000 additional NHS patient registrations between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2005.
Two new dentists have also been secured through international recruitment, and a new practice with four dentists will start to treat patients from September 2005.
The PCT has plans to improve access further. Two Polish dentists recently started work at a Bournemouth dental practice in Southbourne. Both dentists were recruited through the Department's overseas recruitment programme and were placed with an existing local dental practice that was able to develop additional dental surgeries with partial grant aid from the FCT. These dentists are registering new patients now and will each accept 2,000 new NHS patients under the personal dental service (PDS) contract agreed with the owner of the dental practice.
The PCT has also been working to establish a new four surgery dental practice in Tuckton. Planning permission has been obtained and building work at the practice is at an advanced stage. The practice will treat patients from early September 2005 but will be able to book advanced appointments from early August 2005. The PDS contract agreed with the practice and approved by the Department will provide for 8,000 patients to register with an NHS dentist.
The PCT has a further plan, at advanced stage of development, to establish a new four chair dental practice in Boscombe. This should enable a further 8,000 patients to register with an NHS dentist.
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are being put in place to increase the provision of NHS dentistry in Peterborough constituency. [10715]
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The Peterborough constituency has been provided with £209,000 in access money. This will deliver an increase of 17,500 patient registrations. In addition, eight out of 26 dental practices have converted to the personal dental service.
There is a dental access centre based at 5 Midgate, Peterborough. Both the North Peterborough and Peterborough South primary care trusts are participating in the Department's international recruitment campaign. This has resulted in the recruitment of four Polish dentists, who are already working in the Peterborough constituency, with a further three Polish recruits due to start later this year.
Drug Rehabilitation (Bedfordshire)
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug rehabilitation places are available for residents within the county of Bedfordshire. [11006]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The number of drug rehabilitation places for residents in the county of Bedfordshire is not held centrally. However, the number of people in contact with structured drug treatment services in Bedfordshire for the year 2003–04 is 903.
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