| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1575W—continued
NHS Finance
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the end-of-year financial position was of the NHS (a) in total and (b) broken down by (i) NHS trust, (ii)primary care organisation and (iii) other NHS organisation in each year since 1997–98. [27541]
Mr. Byrne: This information requested has been placed in the Library. In the year before this series (1996–97), 209 of the 529 national health service bodies were in deficit and the total deficit was £460 million.
NHS Logistics
Mr. Mike Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the £3.1 billion business for consumable goods not purchased from NHS Logistics in 2003 she expects the winning bidder for NHS Logistics business to provide direct to NHS trusts; and how the figure of £3.1 billion was calculated. [32882]
Jane Kennedy: The market testing of the proposed outsourcing of the national health service consumable supply chain and procurement services is ongoing and no decision has been made regarding outsourcing to an independent provider.
The figure of £3.1 billion was calculated using trust financial returns (TFR3) data of 2003.
NICE (Drug Approvals)
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancer drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use are awaiting approval by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. [19897]
Jane Kennedy: This is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Information about NICE'S current work programme is available on the its website at www.nice.org.uk.
Mr. Paterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average period of time taken was to assess a drug already approved by the EU's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use as suitable for
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1576W
human use following its referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the last period for which figures are available. [19903]
Jane Kennedy: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is not responsible for assessing the suitability of drugs for human use. Assessment of the safety, quality and efficacy of a medicinal product lies with the relevant medicines regulator, such as the Medical Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom. NICE provides advice to the national health service on the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs approved by the European Union's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use and other regulators.
Obesity
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2743W, on obesity, what indicators her Department has proposed for the new quality and outcomes framework; and whether they include obesity treatment. [32305]
Caroline Flint: NHS Employers, on behalf of United Kingdom Health Ministers, are currently discussing with the British Medical Association's general practitioners committee revisions on the existing general medical services contract. Once approved by the respective UK Health Ministers, an announcement on changes to the current contract will apply from April 2006.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will include points for treating obesity in the general practitioners contract; and if she will make a statement; [32750]
(2) what recent discussions her Department has with the British Medical Association about treating obesity; and if she will make a statement. [32751]
Caroline Flint: NHS Employers, on behalf of United Kingdom Health Ministers, is currently discussing with the British Medical Association's general practitioners committee revisions on the existing general medical services contract. An announcement on changes to the current contract that will apply form April 2006 will be made at the end of the negotiating process, and once approved by the respective UK Health Ministers, which is intended to be later in the year.
Premature Babies
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the financial impact of caring for a premature child who has contracted respiratory syncytial virus has been assessed; and if she will make a statement. [30157]
Caroline Flint:
Premature children, children with chronic lung disease, and those receiving oxygen therapy are particularly vulnerable to respiratory syncytial virus. The financial impact associated varies with the severity of the illness and is difficult to estimate. In addition to the cost to the national health service of hospital admissions, the associated longer term morbidity has a financial impact on families and on children's community health services.
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1577W
Primary Care Trusts (Oxfordshire)
Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what authority she has granted to the Thames Valley strategic health authority to consider letting the contract for the management of primary care trusts in Oxfordshire to the private sector. [20396]
Caroline Flint: No authority has been granted to the Thames Valley strategic health authority (SHA) to let the contract for the management of primary care trusts in Oxfordshire to the private sector.
SHAs have submitted their proposals for the reconfiguration of primary care trusts (PCTs), which set out how they intend to strengthen their commissioning function. These proposals have been assessed by an independent external panel drawn from and representing a wide range of stakeholder interests, to determine whether the SHA proposals meet the criteria stipulated in 'Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS' (July 2005). Where the criteria are judged to have been met, the proposals will go forward to a 14 week local consultation. No decisions on the reorganisation of PCTs will be taken until this process has been completed.
Private Patients
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many private patients were admitted to NHS hospitals in each of the last 10 years. [31346]
Mr. Byrne: The numbers of finished consultant episodes for private patients treated in national health service hospitals for each year from 1994–95 to 2003–04 are shown in the following table.
Notes:
1.Last 10 years for which data are currently available.
2.Figures do not accurately represent the number of patients treated as a patient may have more than one episode of care during the year.
3.Two different counting systems were used during this time series. From 2000–01 counts were based on administrative data category field 'admincat' but for earlier years the counts were based on a derived administrative category data field.
4.Figures are grossed for coverage, except for 2003–04 which is not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Public Interest Disclosure Act
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure that her Department meets the requirements of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998. [30390]
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1578W
Jane Kennedy: The Department has its own whistleblowing policy which was introduced in line with the best practice advised by the Public Interest Disclosure Act. It enables staff to raise concerns about any malpractice or illegal act.
Tuberculosis
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the costs of implementing the tuberculosis action plan, Stopping Tuberculosis in England. [31192]
Caroline Flint: The Chief Medical Officer's action plan Stopping Tuberculosis in England (October 2004) makes a number of recommendations on how tuberculosis (TB) services already funded within the national health service can make improvements to the overall delivery of services to tackle TB.
The costs of implementing the action plan are not quantifiable. Changes to NHS services to deliver these recommendations are the responsibility of NHS managers and depend on local service models for the provision of services. Costs will vary in different locations to meet local needs.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost was of treating multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (a) per case and (b) in total in the last year for which figures are available. [31006]
Caroline Flint: Data on the costs associated with treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, either by case or in total, are not routinely collected. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence has undertaken analysis of tuberculosis treatment costs as part of the development of forthcoming guidance Tuberculosis—National clinical guideline for diagnosis, management, prevention, and control. This data is due for publication in early 2006.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of (a) tuberculosis and (b) multi-drug resistant tuberculosis there were in each year since 1997–98. [31010]
Caroline Flint: The information in the following table shows the number of cases of tuberculosis and of multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis in England and Wales from 1999 to 2003.
| TB cases | MDR cases | |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 5,704 | 17 |
| 2000 | 6,271 | 27 |
| 2001 | 6,597 | 24 |
| 2002 | 6,794 | 31 |
| 2003 | 6,780 | 48 |
Note:
Data is provided from 1999, the first year from which matched data are available, to 2003 which is the most recent year that matched data is available.
Source:
Health Protection Agency CfI Enhanced Tuberculosis Surveillance, as at 23 November 2005
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the training requirements are for nurses to administer the Mantoux test for TB. [33296]
8 Dec 2005 : Column 1579W
Caroline Flint: Training requirements for nurses administering Mantoux tests are that they should be properly trained and competent in all aspects of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunisation policy and Mantoux testing procedure including:
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |