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2 Nov 2005 : Column 1144W—continued
Information Standards Board (Data)
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her Answer of 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2757W, on data, when the first data collection will commence for each of the datasets approved by the Information Standards Board to date. [20654]
Mr. Byrne: Data collection has already commenced for elements of all datasets that have been approved by the NHS Information Standards Board.
Lichfield Hospital
Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) medical departments and services and (b) number of in-patient beds will be provided at the new hospital under construction in Lichfield; [20882]
(2) what plans there are for the provision of a minor injuries unit at the new hospital under construction in Lichfield; and if she will make a statement; [20893]
(3) if she will list (a) the medical services and in-patient beds provided by the Lichfield Victoria and Lichfield St Michael's and Hammerwich hospitals and (b) medical services and in-patient beds which will be provided by the new hospital under construction in Lichfield. [20895]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
The services currently available at the Hammerwich, Victoria and St Michael's hospitals will be reprovided at the new hospital which is currently
2 Nov 2005 : Column 1145W
under construction. This development will have 52 beds as well as a minor injuries unit and a renal dialysis unit. The capital cost for this project is £17 million and is being provided centrally. It is expected to be completed by late 2006 and to start receiving patients from early 2007.
Lung Cancer
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding she has made available for research into lung cancer in each year since 1997; and what percentage of the overall cancer research budget this represented in each case. [18338]
Jane Kennedy: The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology.
MRC spend figures for research on lung cancer are shown in the table.
| Amount (£ million) | |
|---|---|
| 1997–98 | 0.093 |
| 1998–99 | 0.268 |
| 1999–2000 | 0.184 |
| 2000–01 | 0.581 |
| 2001–02 | 1.6 |
| 2002–03 | 1.8 |
| 2003–04 | 2.1 |
Note:
Scientific definitions have evolved over time and the MRC has improved methods of capturing data and identifying spend. For these reasons spend figures from one year to the next are not always comparable, for example, spend on fellowships was not included before 2000–01.
It is often the case that research classified as being undertaken in one cancer site will have implications in another. In addition, the MRC funds a considerable amount of basic underpinning research that is excluded from site-specific figures.
The main part of the Department's expenditure on health research is allocated to and managed by national health service organisations. These organisations account for their use of the allocations they receive from the Department in an annual research and development report. The reports identify total, aggregated expenditure on national priority areas, including cancer. Details of individual projects supported in the NHS, including those concerned with site-specific cancers, can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research.
Lymphoedema
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with lymphoedema in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England in each year since 1997. [21052]
Mr. Byrne:
Data on the incidence of lymphoedema are not available.
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Mental Health Services
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialists in cognitive behavioural therapy are employed for the treatment of mental illness in the NHS expressed as (a) headcount and (b) whole-time equivalents. [19014]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Myasthenia Gravis
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding her Department has allocated to the research of myasthenia gravis. [20060]
Jane Kennedy: The main agency through which the Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology.
The MRC is currently funding a five-year senior non-clinical fellowship at a total cost of £913,000 specifically to research disease mechanisms and ribonucleic acid-based therapies for pathogenic mutations at the neuromuscular synapse. This basic study aims to understand the underlying mechanisms behind myasthenia gravis and other similar conditions.
The MRC has also recently awarded a £205,000 research grant to support a study that aims to investigate a novel therapeutic approach for the silencing of genes causing neuromuscular disease. It is hoped that this research will have widespread application where nucleic acids are contemplated as potential therapeutic agents for muscle or neuromuscular junction disease.
Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by NHS organisations. Details of individual projects, including some concerned with myasthenia gravis, can be found on the national research register on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/research.
Neurologists
Mr. Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many neurologists were practising in the NHS in each of the last four years. [19560]
Mr. Byrne: Information on the number of neurologists practising in the national health service in the United Kingdom is not collected centrally.
However information on the number of medical staff within the neurology specialty practising in the NHS in England is shown in the table.
| All staff | Of which: consultants | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 751 | 359 |
| 2002 | 770 | 366 |
| 2003 | 841 | 410 |
| 2004 | 902 | 449 |
2 Nov 2005 : Column 1147W
NHS Productivity
Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures her Department uses to measure productivity in the NHS. [19847]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 20 October 2005]: The Department is currently working with the University of York and the National Institute for Economic and Social Research to develop an improved quality adjusted measure of national health service productivity. Until this work is complete, we are measuring NHS value for money using our interim cost efficiency which compares changes in output with changes in input adjusted for quality expenditure. In 2003–04, this measure suggested that value for money improved by 2.1 per cent.
NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding possible anti-competitive practices by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency; from whom she has received such representations; and what assessment she has made of NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency compliance with European Union public procurement directives, with particular reference to its National Framework Agreement for the supply of medical locums. [19203]
Jane Kennedy: I am aware that the Recruitment and Employment Confederation expressed concerns last year regarding the use of national framework agreements and its possible impact on small and medium enterprises. There has been regular communication between the confederation and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) to alleviate these concerns.
In relation to the medical locum framework tendered this year, I understand that there has only been one company who has specifically accused NHS PASA of anti-competitive practices and that this case is still being investigated as part of the internal complaints procedure.
NHS PASA's role is to provide a centre of excellence of purchasing and supply within the NHS. It fully recognises the pre-eminence of the European Union procurement directives and staff operate in accordance with the agencies operational purchasing procedures which are in line with the directives.
As part of the NHS PASA's governance arrangements there is an internal audit service provided by Bentley Jennison operating in accordance with Government internal Audit Standards, these audits cover the NHS PASA's adherence to European Union public procurement practices. This program of audits is agreed with the advice of the agency's audit committee who will consider the results of these audits and provide any advice to the chief executive that is felt to be appropriate.
2 Nov 2005 : Column 1148W
NHS PASA is also externally audited by BSI Management Systems in order to ensure they are meeting the procurement practices.
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