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20 Dec 2005 : Column 2704W—continued
Healthcare Commission
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which subjects the Healthcare Commission has commissioned clinical audits; and when she expects each audit will be published. [35369]
Jane Kennedy: The Healthcare Commission's latest programme of clinical audits, is shown in the following table. Some of the Healthcare Commission's latest programmes have yet to start. For current clinical audits information is provided on the latest, and where appropriate, next expected publication.
(6)Scoping reports set out the improvements in patient care that a full audit could achieve, and the scale and likely costs were a full audit to be commissioned.
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Herceptin
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will meet the North Stoke Primary Care Trust to discuss extra funding for the NHS prescription of Herceptin in this financial year. [20754]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The national health service is already benefiting from the increased investment in the NHS which between 2003 and 2008 will increase on average by 7.5 per cent. each year. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to decide on how best to use these resources based on the needs of their local populations. Therefore it would not be appropriate for the Secretary of State or a member of the ministerial team to meet this particular PCT.
We have taken steps to ensure that breast cancer patients who could benefit from Herceptin can be identified and treated. On 5 October we announced that all breast cancer patients would be tested for suitability for treatment with Herceptin. The national cancer director is working with cancer networks to ensure that testing arrangements are in place so that once Herceptin is licensed for early breast cancer those patients who would benefit are quickly identified.
On 3 November, we launched a new rapid process for assessing drugs and other treatments to sit alongside the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) global standard process. This new single technology appraisal (STA) will be used to produce faster guidance on life-saving drugs which have been licensed.
Roche, the manufacturer of Herceptin, has announced that its application for a licence will be made to the European medicines agency for the evaluation of medical products in February 2006, with a decision anticipated by July 2006 at the earliest. The new STA will allow NICE to react as soon as possible after the drug is licensed.
These steps mean that any breast cancer patient who might benefit from Herceptin should get the drug by next summer, after they have received their other treatments.
Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to make extra resources available for primary care trusts to fund the provision of Herceptin for women with early stage breast cancer. [34569]
Jane Kennedy: The cost of Herceptin will need to be met from the existing settlement agreed for the national health service.
We understand that some trusts are already under financial pressures and may have to make difficult decisions in achieving this. However, we have greatly increased the amount of money going into the NHS and those trusts with deficits have financial recovery plans in place.
Funding of the NHS has increased from £34.7 billion in 1997–98 to £69.7 billion in 2004–05. By 2007–08 spending on the NHS will have increased to £92 billion.
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Home Deaths
Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to primary care services in respect of people who die at home. [37972]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 15 December 2005]: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance on supportive and palliative care, published in 2004, gives recommendations to improve the care provided to people with cancer, including responding to patients' wishes about where they are cared for, and die. The guidance endorses three tools: the gold standards framework, the Liverpool care pathway, and the preferred place of care, which are being rolled out nationally through the end of life care programme and are applicable to the care of people at the end of life, regardless of their condition.
The end of life care programme has been given funding of £12 million over three years (2004–07), and provides training for staff in acute, community and care home settings so that all patients near the end of life have access to high quality palliative care and are able to choose where they receive care.
Hospital Discharge (Terminally Ill Patients)
Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given to primary care trusts on the discharge from hospital of people who are terminally ill. [37970]
Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 15 December 2005]: The discharge of terminally ill patients from hospital is based on the clinical decision of the health service staff responsible for that patient's care. Decisions on discharge are informed by the recommendations in the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance on supportive and palliative care, published in 2004. The guidance endorses the use of three key tools: the gold standard framework, the Liverpool care pathway and the preferred place of care, which support clinicians and patients to plan how and where services are provided that best meet the wishes of the patient. The national roll-out of these tools is a key part of the end of life care programme, which is a three-year Government programme to provide patients with the choice to die at home.
Incentive Packages
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value is of (a) pay supplements, (b) bonuses and (c) other incentive packages that are payable in her Department on the basis of geographic location; how many people are in receipt of each payment; and what the total cost to her Department of each payment was in 2004–05. [35904]
Jane Kennedy: The Department does not pay any supplements, bonuses, or incentive packages on the basis of geographic location, as part of its existing reward strategy.
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