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NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new posts the purchasing hubs that are being set up by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency will create; whether the net result of these changes and the planned reduction in the complement of procured staff will represent a saving for the NHS in terms of (a) personnel costs and (b) administration; and if she will make a statement. [16582]

Jane Kennedy: The collaborative procurement hubs are owned and governed by the trusts they serve. Three pathfinder procurement hubs are now formed and each has demonstrated through a robust business case a positive return on investment. This will result in the hubs saving at least £270 million by 2007–08.

While there have been some new appointments to the hubs, wherever possible they have utilised the capabilities of existing resources from within the trusts.

The net result is a significant saving to the national health service, which can be directed towards patient care.

NHS Security Management Service

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the work of the NHS Security Management Service. [16526]

Jane Kennedy: In December 2003 a new strategy for the management of security in the national health service was published, entitled "A Professional Approach to Managing Security in the NHS". The introduction of local security management specialists provides NHS health bodies, for the first time ever, with professional skills and expertise to tackle security-related problems such as violence against NHS staff. This is reinforced by accredited training, advice and guidance from the NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS).
 
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The local security management specialists' work is underpinned by two national frameworks; the first deals with tackling violence against NHS staff, replacing the "Zero Tolerance" campaign, and the second deals with general security management measures. The first framework introduced a number of measures to proactively and reactively tackle the problem of violence against staff. As a result of this new framework, it is estimated that in 2004–05, 85,000 frontline NHS staff received training in how to prevent and manage violence and the number of criminal sanctions identified involving those who have assaulted NHS staff has risen fifteen-fold; from 51 in 2002–03 to 759 in 2004–05.

NHS Staff (Bullying)

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what facilities are in place within her Department to examine cases of bullying of NHS staff when a complainant is dissatisfied with the outcome of a trust's internal processes. [10288]

Mr. Byrne: The Department is not responsible for resolving individual disputes between a national health service trust and its employees. Guidance is provided by the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

Older People

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) health improvement plans and (b) service and financial frameworks include a programme to promote healthy ageing; and how many of these include complementary programmes to promote older people's mental health. [8018]

Mr. Byrne: The information requested is not collected by the Department. Health improvement plans, and service and financial frameworks were replaced by local delivery plans from 2003–04. Current planning requirements are set out in National Standards, Local Action, Health and Social Care Standards and Planning Framework 2005–06 to 2007–08.

Operational Responsibility

Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 10 October 2005, Official Report, to question 11537, who is responsible for ensuring the site at Consett is operational. [17477]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 13 October 2005]: Following the review of the options appraisal paper, the County Durham and North Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority (SHA) has identified a location on the North Durham Trust's North Durham site. The Department continues to work with the SHA, which has overall responsibility locally, to ascertain when services can commence.

Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 10 October 2005 to question 12199, who in the Department is responsible for ensuring that all radiologists are on the appropriate specialist register of the General Medical Council; and what sanctions the Department can impose on radiologists who are not registered. [17478]

 
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Mr. Byrne [holding answer 13 October 2005]: Alliance Medical Limited (AML) is responsible for ensuring that all radiologists employed under their contract are on the appropriate specialist register of the General Medical Council. Details of prospective employees are available to the clinical guardian of the contract and AML's head of clinical governance. Specific sanctions imposed for breach of contract are commercially confidential, but the provider could incur financial penalties.

Pay-per-view Television

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals operate pay-for-view television; and in how many subtitles are available. [16569]

Jane Kennedy: There are more than 155 national health service hospitals that provide an integrated pay-for-view television and telephone service to over 75,000 beds, as part of the patient power (bedside television and telephone) programme.

The majority of these televisions have the capability to provide subtitles.

Physiotherapy

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will place a copy of the Action Plan for physiotherapy graduates and the accompanying letter from Andrew Foster in the Library; [16641]

(2) whether the Action Plan for physiotherapy graduates is designed to address the difficulties faced by physiotherapy graduates seeking employment in the NHS in the (a) short-term and (b) long-term; [16642]

(3) to whom and when the Action Plan for physiotherapy graduates and the accompanying letter from Andrew Foster was distributed; [16643]

(4) what the status is of the Action Plan for physiotherapy graduates; [16644]

(5) pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2005, Official Report, columns 59–60W, to the hon. Member for North Cornwall (Mr. Rogerson) on physiotherapists, who was responsible for compiling the action plan for physiotherapy graduates. [16695]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 10 October 2005]: The physiotherapy workforce action plan was compiled by the national health service workforce review team, in partnership with the Department, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) and representatives from NHS organisations. It includes short, medium and longer-term strategies that local managers can use to help new graduates to secure posts.

The NHS workforce review team issued the action plan, with the accompanying letter from Andrew Foster, on 23 May 2005. It was sent to the attendees of a physiotherapy collaborative workshop held in March 2005, which included NHS service managers, representative from higher education providers of physiotherapy training and CSP representatives. They were asked to disseminate it within their organisations. It was also issued to workforce development directors in strategic health authorities.
 
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The Department continues to work closely with the CSP, the NHS workforce review team and NHS organisations to help junior physiotherapists to find first posts. The NHS workforce review team held a review meeting of the action plan, which had representatives from the Department, CSP and NHS commissioners on 25 July 2005. A further meeting is planned for October/November.

A copy of the action plan and letter from Andrew Foster has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what physiotherapy workforce planning has been undertaken to support the implementation of the national service framework for long-term health conditions. [14177]

Mr. Byrne [holding answer 10 October 2005]: The workforce review team issues annual guidance on workforce planning to strategic health authorities and through them to national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs). The guidance takes account of the implications of national service frameworks.

NHS trusts and PCTs are then responsible for their own workforce planning taking account of national guidance and local factors.

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