---

11 Jan 2006 : Column 733W—continued

NHS Management

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) chief executives, (b) finance directors and (c) other board members have left the boards of(i)strategic health authorities, (ii) NHS trusts and(iii) primary care trusts in each financial year since 1997. [36433]

Mr. Byrne: Information about how many chief executives, and finance directors have left the boards of national health service bodies is not available centrally. The NHS Appointments Commission has informed about the appointment of non-executive board members since 2001, when it was established. I have asked the NHS Appointments Commission to write to you directly regarding your inquiry.

NHS Reconfiguration

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action a primary care trust (PCT) can take if its strategic health authority presents an NHS consultation document on PCT reconfiguration which it considers to be biased; [36448]

(2) what role (a) she and (b) her Department's independent external panel has in ensuring that (i) strategic health authorities (SHAs) present options for primary care trust (PCT) reconfiguration fairly in their formal NHS consultation document and (ii) SHAs effectively engage the relevant PCT in preparing their formal NHS consultation document on PCT reconfiguration where there are sharply differing views on particular options; [36449]

(3) what steps she is taking to ensure that the advice given in John Bacon's letter dated 30 November on strategic health authorities engaging primary care trusts in preparing their formal NHS consultation document is followed; [36450]

(4) what steps she is taking to ensure that the advice given in John Bacon's letter dated 30 November to strategic health authorities (SHAs) regarding SHA and primary care trust reconfiguration is being followed. [36451]

Mr. Byrne: Guidance issued from the Department to strategic health authorities (SHAs) on the forthcoming consultations clearly states that;

All options must be presented fairly and given equal weight in your documentation. Appropriate primary care trusts (PCTs) should be involved in drafting sections where an option is not the preferred option of the SHA".

A further communication was sent on 8 December to all SHA chief executives, which stated

Responsibility for approving PCT consultations, ensuring they reflect the conditionality set out in my 30 November letter and that equal weight is given to all options, rests with the SHA".

The letter went on to stress how important it is that particular attention is paid to this, and asked SHA chief executives to personally oversee this.
 
11 Jan 2006 : Column 734W
 

We have written to SHAs in a further communication that when preparing a report on the results of the consultation, all views generated as a result of the consultation must be taken into account.

Consultees can express their views throughout the consultation, and the Secretary of State will take into consideration any objections raised when deciding whether to make the reconfiguration order or not.

NHS Targets

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the targets her Department has set which apply to the NHS; and when these targets are expected to be met in each case. [36430]

Jane Kennedy: Details of the national targets for the national health service and social services are set out in National Standards, Local Action", which is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/08/60/58/04086058.pdf

NICE

Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cancer drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use are being assessed by the Department prior to referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; [19894]

(2) how many drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use were not approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in each of the last five years; [19899]

(3) how many drugs approved by the EU Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use are awaiting approval from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. [19900]

Jane Kennedy: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) does not approve drugs for use; it provides advice to the national health service on the clinical and cost effectiveness of medical treatments. There are no cancer drugs approved for use by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use currently awaiting referral to NICE by the Department.

We are aware of 23 drugs currently undergoing appraisal by NICE that have been approved by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence plans to update the technical guidance on atypical anti-psychotic drugs through a general review of its clinical guidelines on the management of schizophrenia. [40233]

Jane Kennedy: I understand that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) plans to review its guidance on atypical anti-psychotics drugs as part of the review of its clinical guideline on the management of schizophrenia. NICE plans to start its work in mid 2006. Further information can be found on NICE's website at www.nice.org.uk.
 
11 Jan 2006 : Column 735W
 

Palliative/Neurological Services

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance has been issued to local commissioners on the requirement to implement full cost recovery for (a) palliative and (b) neurological care services; [36172]

(2) what progress has been made towards meeting the commitment in the Treasury's report, The Role of the Voluntary Sector in Service Delivery, in relation to full cost recovery for voluntary providers of palliative care services by 2006; and if she will make a statement. [36173]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Her Majesty's Treasury's cross cutting review recommended that funders should recognise that it is legitimate for voluntary and community sector providers to include the relevant element of overheads in their cost estimates for providing a given service under a contract or service agreement. This recommendation was drawn to the attention of primary care trust commissioners through the Chief Executive Bulletin published on 14 April 2005 (Issue 264, 8–14 April 2005).

Patient Costs

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the cost per patient treated at (a) foundation hospitals and (b) non-foundation hospitals in the last year for which figures are available. [32124]

Mr. Byrne: There is no data collected centrally at individual patient level. However, data is collected on a finished consultant (FCE) basis. An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. The latest cost data available is 2003–04 when the average cost per FCE for all national health service trusts was £1,206.

It is not possible to assess the average cost per FCE for existing foundation trusts, as they did not become operational until 2004–05 and cost data for that year is not yet available.

Prescriptions (Pre-payment Certificates)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 2 December 2005,
 
11 Jan 2006 : Column 736W
 
Official Report, column 855W, on prescriptions (pre-payment certificates), how many pre-payment certificates were issued in each (a) London borough, (b) primary care trust and (c) strategic health authority in each month. [40345]

Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of pre-payment certificates (PPCs) issued for London by borough, primary care trust or strategic health authority, is not separately identifiable.

The number of PPCs issued for the whole of England, by month, for each of the last 12 months, was provided in the reply I gave the hon. Member on 2 December 2005, Official Report, column 855W.

Primary Care Trusts

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2005, Official Report, column 1178W, on primary care trusts, for what reasons her Department had not collected this information by 24 October as requested in the letter by her Department's director of access dated 13 October. [31892]

Mr. Byrne: Each of the 303 primary care trusts (PCTs) has provided the Department with data on the providers and services that they have commissioned under the requirement to be offering a choice of at least four secondary care providers to patients from 1 January 2006.

In conjunction with each PCT, the Department is producing locally-tailored information booklets to support choice of at least four, based on the responses to the letter of 13 October. Each booklet will list the locally-commissioned services for the top 15 specialties. The booklets will be published in due course as part of the roll out of choice of at least four from 1 January 2006.

---