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12 Sept 2005 : Column 2751W—continued
NHS Consultants
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department gives to NHS trusts on the use of locum staff to fill temporarily vacant consultant posts; and what limits there are on the duration of such arrangements. [12947]
Mr. Byrne: The Good Practice Guidance on the NHS (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations" includes reference to locum appointments, emphasising the existing limits on the employment of locum consultants and affirming the role of the Royal Colleges in advising extensions of employment. The initial appointment should be for a period not exceeding six months and any extension for a maximum of six months subject to a satisfactory review by the trust and to consultation with the relevant college.
NHS Counselling Services
Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has spent on counselling services in each year since 1975. [13415]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally by the Department.
NHS Deficit
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department forecast year-end deficit for the NHS as a whole for the financial year 2004–05 is, as described on page 41 of the National Audit Office report Financial Management in the NHS. [12607]
Mr. Byrne: In the last four years, up to and including 2003–04, the national health service has achieved overall financial balance. We are currently anticipating a deficit of around £140 million in 2004–05, across around 600 NHS organisations. This represents only around 0.2 per cent, of available resources.
The anticipated financial position is based upon provisional figures. Audited information in respect of the 2004–05 financial position of all strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts will be published in their individual annual accounts and will be available centrally in autumn 2005.
NHS Direct
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation her Department has undertaken of NHS Direct. [6291]
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Mr. Byrne: Two evaluations have been made regarding NHS Direct. They are available at www.shef.ac.uk/scharr/mcru/reports.htm and www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/Homepage/fs/en.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she expects the call capacity of NHS Direct to reach 16 million calls per year by 2006, as set out in the Department's strategy document Developing NHS Direct, published in April 2003. [7479]
Mr. Byrne: The strategy document, Developing NHS Direct", predicted that NHS Direct could be in the position to handle 16 million calls by December 2006. This was based on the assumption that NHS Direct might handle 100 per cent. of general practitioner out-of-hours calls by that stage. Primary care trusts now have the choice as to whether they commission NHS Direct to handle GP out-of-hours services or use local providers. On this basis, it is currently forecast that NHS Direct will be handling fewer calls in 2006.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been employed in NHS Direct in each year since 1997–98, broken down by type of occupation. [7503]
Mr. Byrne: Prior to April 2004, NHS Direct services were provided by 22 local national health service trusts. Total figures on the overall number of staff employed were not collected centrally.
The overall number of staff has been collected by the NHS Direct special health authority since April 2004. This shows that the latest establishment for NHS Direct in 2005–06 is 2,961 FTE, which equates to a total headcount of 4,052. The breakdown of these staff, based on the total headcount is shown in the table.
| Type of staff | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse advisors | 1,199 | 40.5 |
| Call handlers | 799 | 27.0 |
| Health information advisors | 175 | 5.9 |
| Administrative and clerical | 788 | 26.6 |
NHS Logistics
Jonathan Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NHS Logistics has been invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market; and whether NHS Logistics submitted such a bid. [9672]
Jane Kennedy: NHS Logistics was not invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market.
However, it should be noted that no organisation was invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market.
Interested bidders had to respond to the advertisement that was placed in the Official Journal of the European Union in August 2004.
No such bid has been received from NHS Logisitcs.
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Mr. Mike Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) NHS trusts and (b) primary care trusts were consulted about the market testing of NHS Logistics; and if she will publish the responses. [11170]
Jane Kennedy: The Department recognises how important it is to consult with the people who use the national health service supply chain; the trusts. They have been and continue to be consulted about the market testing.
Two different consultation groups have been established, membership of which is drawn from the acute trusts as it is they who primarily use the services provided by NHS Logistics.
A customer reference group was set up in November 2004. This group consisted of procurement leads from the trusts listed in the response.
The customer reference group allows the commercial directorate to give updates on the process, and allows procurement leads to ask questions. The nature of the debate is by necessity very general. However, members were solicited for their views on the current service and these findings have helped to inform the market testing process.
It was decided that a smaller group had to be established which could be party to more commercially sensitive information. This group, the supply chain and procurement panel (SCPP), first met in April 2005. Membership was drawn from major supply confederations and the new collaborative procurement hubs. All of these organisations are also part of the customer reference group.
Both groups continue to meet, but the level of engagement is much deeper with the SCPP.
Consultation with the SCPP is commercial in confidence. As such, feedback cannot be published. However, we are able to publish any minutes from consultation meetings with the customer reference group. This includes a summary of views expressed during the one-on-one interviews about the current supply chain services.
Please note that primary care trusts (PCTs) are represented through the collaborative procurement hubs to which they belong and who also take part in the consultation process.
A list of the trusts involved in the consultation is shown as follows.
Greater Manchester Collaborative Procurement Hub member trusts
Shropshire and Staffordshire Collaborative Procurement Hub member trusts
Healthcare Purchasing Consortium Collaborative Procurement Hub member trusts
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she had with the management of NHS Logistics on the market-testing of the NHS Logistics Authority; whether the management of NHS Logistics would be able to bid for the contract; and if she will make a statement. [13590]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 19 July 2005]: The management of NHS Logistics has been closely involved throughout the market testing of the potential outsourcing of the national health service consumables supply chain, currently managed by NHS Logistics and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.
NHS Logistics was not invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market.
However, it should be noted that no organisation—or group of individuals—was invited to submit a bid to continue to supply consumables to the NHS and to expand the market.
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Interested parties had the opportunity to respond to the advertisement that was placed in the Official Journal of the European Union in August 2004.
Any individual or group of individuals from the organisation could have done so.
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