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14 Dec 2005 : Column 2161W—continued
NHS Professionals
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when she expects NHS Professionals to become completely self-funding; [30956]
(2) what the average time taken was between an invoice being received and payment being made by users of services of NHS Professionals in the last year for which figures are available; [31068]
(3) how many statutory demands for payment NHS Professionals has received in each year since its creation; [31074]
(4) how much NHS Professionals has spent on external consultants in each year since its creation; [31077]
(5) what percentage of suppliers of services to NHS Professionals are waiting for payment of services rendered (a) three months to six months ago, (b) six months to 12 months ago and (c) 12 months ago or longer; [31078]
(6) what the total amount of payment made to suppliers of services to NHS Professionals has been to compensate for late payment and other associated legal costs since it became operational; and if she will make a statement. [31079]
Mr. Byrne: NHS Professionals is currently working with officials in the Department to develop a three year corporate strategy underpinned by annual business plans so that it can become self-financing and prepare to take on independent status from 2007–08 as proposed in the review of Departmental arm's length bodies in 2004.
NHS Professionals meets the Best Payment Practice in the NHS, which requires at least 95 per cent. of suppliers to be paid within 30 days. During the financial year 2004–05 it received two statutory demands for
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payment, paid a total of £2,000 to compensate for late payment and other associated legal costs and spent a total of £2.5 million on external consultants. The external consultant costs included the provision of internal audit facilities, support for the relocation of the main offices in the south to a new contact centre and the development of a new booking system. Information relating to the percentage of suppliers of services to NHS Professionals waiting for payment of services rendered is not held centrally.
NHS Reforms
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with (a) NHS staff and (b) trade unions about the implications for staff of the reforms proposed in Commissioning a Patient-led NHS. [19647]
Mr. Byrne: The Department has had several discussions with stakeholders. In our proposals sent out on 28 July, we indicated that we were minded to require primary care trusts (PCTs) to reduce their service-provision functions by the end of 2008. Since that document, we have listened to stakeholders. The policy moving forward, in relation to service-provision, is that this will be a matter for PCTs to determine locally. So any move away from direct provision of services will be a decision for the local NHS within the framework set out in the forthcoming White Paper and after local consultation, including professions allied to medicine.
We will support PCTs who want to do that, but we will not instruct PCTs to do it, nor will we impose any timetable. What matters is getting the best services for each community—and that is what the White Paper will focus on.
Nurses
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the nurses who qualified in (a) 2002, (b) 2003 and (c) 2004 found nursing employment in the NHS. [32066]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses have been employed by Lancashire NHS Teaching Trust in each year since 1997. [33519]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
(58)The Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was formed in 2002 following a merger of the Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust with the Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
Source:
Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census.
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Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school nurses are practising in Ribble Valley constituency. [33520]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information relating to the number of qualified nurses, national health service hospital and community health services, employed by the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley primary care trust (PCT) in the school nursing area of work as at 30 September 2004 is shown in the table.
| Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT | |
|---|---|
| All qualified school nurses13 | |
| Qualified school nurses(59) | 3 |
| School nursing nurses(60) | 10 |
(59)Only registered nurses with a specific school nursing qualification are defined as qualified school nurses.
(60)Other qualified nurses who work in the school nursing area of work but who do not hold a specific school nursing qualification.
Source:
Health and Social Care Information Non-Medical Workforce Census 2004
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Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses have been employed by Sandwell and City Hospital Trust in each year since 1997. [33285]
Ms Rosie Winterton: In 2002 Sandwell Healthcare National Health Service Trust and the City Hospital NHS Trust merged to form Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust. Responsibility for community nursing services transferred to Oldbury and Smethwick Primary Care Trust.
The information in the table shows the number (headcount) of nurses at each organisation.
Source:
Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census.
Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent NHS nurses have been employed by the NHS in each year since 1997. [33353]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
(61)UPEs includes GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs
(62)Data as at 1 October 1997 to 1999 and 30 September 2000 to 2004
Notes:
1.Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.
2.Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.
3.Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
4.Figures exclude learners and agency staff.
Source:
Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census
Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
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