Previous Section Index Home Page

9 Jan 2006 : Column 326W—continued

GP Funding

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding has been allocated over the next three years to (a) develop general practitioners with specialist interests and (b) provide for the accreditation of such doctors. [38609]

Mr. Woodward: No formal extra central funding has been allocated over the next three years to develop general practitioners with specialist interests but Health and Social Services Boards do fund a small number of general practitioners for providing certain specialised services although the overall amount is not readily available. Accreditation of GPs carrying out this specialist work would be the responsibility of the individual Board.

Health Services

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients within each health trust area in the Province have (a) received, (b) accepted and (c) declined second offers for treatment. [38610]

Mr. Woodward: In July I announced a major programme of reform to address Northern Ireland's unacceptable waiting times. By March 2006, I would expect no-one to be waiting more than 12 months for in-patient or day case treatment with shorter waiting times for cardiac surgery (six months), cataracts (six months), and major joint replacement (nine months). An alternative offer scheme has been set up to guarantee patients an offer of treatment within these time scales and I have established the Northern Ireland Patient Offer Centre to facilitate this scheme.

The number of patients who have been offered transfers under the auspices of the Northern Ireland Patient Offer Centre are set out in the following table.
TrustOffers receivedOffers acceptedOffers declined
Altnagelvin Group HSS Trust24231
Green Park Healthcare HSS Trust433013
Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust322111
Total997425




Source:
Northern Ireland Patient Offer Centre





 
9 Jan 2006 : Column 327W
 

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many trolley waits were recorded at Altnagelvin hospital in each week in each of the last three years. [38611]

Mr. Woodward: Over the period for which information was requested, the number of hospital trolley waits was reported to the Department by Trusts on a quarterly basis.
Hospital trolley waits recorded in each quarter at Altnagelvin group HSS trust during the last three years

QuarterTotal number of trolley waits
30 June 20021,375
30 September 20021,450
31 December 20021,509
31 March 20031,575
Year 2002–035,909
30 June 20031,652
30 September 20031,759'
31 December 20031,996
31 March 20042,106
Year 2003–047,513
30 June 20041,941
30 September 20042,008
31 December 20041,993
31 March 20052,230
Year 2004–058,172




Source:
Departmental Information Return CH10.




Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which female gonadotropin products are used by the Regional Fertility Clinic in Belfast; how much they cost; and by what process the decision is taken to use them. [38612]

Mr. Woodward: The Regional Fertility Centre has advised that they currently use several gonadotropin products. These include Puregon, Gonal F and Menogon injections. Puregon is prescribed as the product of choice for Assisted Conception but is also used for other procedures. Gonal F and Menogon are prescribed for procedures such as ovulation induction.

These drugs are prescribed for patients where clinical decision dictates this choice.

The total cost for these drugs during the period April to September 2005 was approximately £233,000.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many trolley waits were recorded at Craigavon Area in each week of the last three years. [38621]

Mr. Woodward: Over the period for which information was requested, the number of hospital trolley waits was reported to the Department by Trusts on a quarterly basis.
Hospital trolley waits recorded in each quarter at Craigavon area hospitals group HSS trust during the last three years

QuarterTotal number of trolley waits
30 June 20023,152
30 September 20023,360
31 December 20024,009
31 March 20034,240
Year 2002–0314,761
30 June 20034,419
30 September 20034,277
31 December 20034,639
31 March 20044,421
Year 2003–0417,756
30 June 20044,356
30 September 20044,240
31 December 20044,201
31 March 20054,434
Year 2004–0517,231




Source:
Departmental Information Return CH10.





 
9 Jan 2006 : Column 328W
 

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to provide (a) investment and (b) infrastructure aimed at sustaining key services at the Tyrone County and Erne Hospitals since 30th June 2004. [38623]

Mr. Woodward: Substantial investment has been made in maintaining services at Tyrone County and the Erne hospitals. The Department has provided Sperrin Lakeland Trust with additional capital funding of £1.9 million in 2004–05 and approximately £3.5 million in 2005–06, specifically targeted on sustaining key services in the Erne and Tyrone County hospitals. This additional funding has supported, among other things, the provision of a CT scanner and ultrasound and mammography accommodation at TCH and the refurbishment of A&E and paediatric facilities at the Erne.

In addition, the Trust has advised that they have recruited a total of 15 doctors as staff grade anaesthetists, staff grade surgeons, radiologists and A&E doctors, and that of the 51 nurses recruited over the past two years from outside the UK, 32 remain in post.

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time was at Accident and Emergency in the Causeway hospital during (a) November 2004 and (b) November 2005. [38749]

Mr. Woodward: (a) The Clinical Information System which records waiting times at the Accident and Emergency Department in Causeway hospital did not 'go live' until mid November 2004. Therefore information on average waiting times during November 2004 is not available.

(b) For November 2005, the average waiting time from patient arrival in the Accident and Emergency department in Causeway hospital to be being seen by a Clinician was 1 hour 1 minute.

HMP Magilligan

Mr. Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are employed at HMP Magilligan on a (a) full and (b) part-time basis; and how much was earned in total by these personnel in the 2004–05 financial year. [37803]

Mr. Woodward: There were 438 full-time staff employed at Magilligan and 1 part-time member of staff as at 30 November 2005. Payments for basic salary, overtime and allowances for these staff in 2004–05 amounted to £13.3 million.
 
9 Jan 2006 : Column 329W
 

Inward Investment

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2005, Official Report, column 632W, on inward investment, what assessment he has made of what steps should be taken to increase the level of foreign direct investment into Northern Ireland. [39645]

Angela E. Smith: Invest NI constantly assesses what steps should be taken to increase the level of foreign direct investment into Northern Ireland. In doing so Invest NI continually evaluates the sectoral focus of its marketing activities and location of overseas offices.

One example of this is the development of a Northern Ireland proposition offering a business solution for companies in the financial services sector. This led to the establishment of a Citigroup project in Northern Ireland and Invest NI's decision to open an office in New York in June 2005.

In period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2005 Invest NI secured a total of 106 projects with investment in excess of £525 million, and these projects promoted 6,653 new jobs.


Next Section Index Home Page