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16 Feb 2006 : Column 2315W—continued
Ministerial Visit
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to visit Hemel Hempstead constituency in this Session of Parliament. [26251]
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Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 8 November 2005]: The Secretary of State for Health has no current plans to visit Hemel Hempstead in this Session of Parliament.
NHS Finance
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2006, Official Report, column 732W, on NHS Finance, whether the NHS staff with a track record of helping challenged NHS trusts included in the turnaround teams will be remunerated by the organisation which has been awarded the contract to operate turnaround teams; whether she intends to award further contracts to turnaround teams in addition to the contract for the initial assessment referred to in her previous answer; and what total budget she has set aside for all such contracts is in (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07. [46563]
Jane Kennedy: The turnaround teams were announced by the Secretary of State in a ministerial statement on 1 December 2005, Official Report, column 37WS. The teams will comprise of experts with a mix of commercial and national health service turnaround skills.
If NHS staff are used to help turnaround, arrangements will be made with the NHS staff's employer.
A contract for a national programme office to co-ordinate and manage the turnaround teams has been awarded to consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Turnaround financial support for the transition leaders across the country will be contracted through the Department.
The value of all these contracts are to be treated as commercial in confidence.
NHS Medicines (Fraud)
Sir John Butterfill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether companies are being fraudulently set up to supply fake medicines under licence to the NHS; what steps she is taking to prevent this; and if she will make a statement. [48547]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 14 February 2006]: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as the Government body responsible for the safety and licensing of medicines in the United Kingdom, is undertaking retrospective checks on companies that have submitted wholesale dealer's licence applications and has conducted a review of processes for checking the bona fides of applicants for wholesale dealer's licences. New arrangements for checking information provided in such applications are being established. These will include more detailed checks on companies and individuals, as well as on the experience, qualifications and personal credentials of those named on a licence.
NHS Trusts (Chartered Accountants)
Mrs. Lait:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2006, Official
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Report, column 470W, on NHS trusts (chartered accountants), whether (a) employment history and (b) professional qualifications are included in the information presented to Ministers when they appoint non-executive directors of health trusts; and whether Ministers have an input into the appointment of executive directors. [50860]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State has delegated responsibility for the appointments of non-executive chairs and members to national health service boards to the NHS Appointments Commission. The Appointments Commission ask candidates to provide details including career history and qualifications that are pertinent to the role they have applied for.
The Secretary of State has no role in the recruitment of executive directors as these appointments are for individual NHS trusts to undertake.
NICE Guidance
Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how stakeholders may submit new evidence of relevance to a published clinical guideline to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; [50522]
(2) what steps she takes to ensure that National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines are as up-to-date as possible. [50523]
Jane Kennedy: Stakeholders may write, at any time, to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to draw NICE'S attention to new evidence of relevance to a published clinical guideline.
The updating of NICE'S clinical guidelines is a matter for NICE. NICE follows an established process for ensuring that its guidelines are updated. The process that NICE follows can be found in the guides, 'The Guideline Development Process—An Overview for Stakeholders, the Public and the NHS', and technical manual, 'Guideline Development Methods—Information for National Collaborating Centres and Guideline Developers'. These guides are available on NICE'S website at www.nice.org.uk
Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether one section of a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline may be reviewed after two years without reviewing the whole guideline; [50524]
(2) what evidence is considered when deciding whether to review a National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline two years after publication. [50525]
Jane Kennedy:
The process of reviewing the evidence underpinning a clinical guideline is expected to begin four years after the date of issue of this guideline. Reviewing may begin earlier than four years if significant evidence that affects the guideline recommendations is identified sooner. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) considers whether new evidence is significant evidence that may affect the guideline recommendations.
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NICE is currently consulting from 25 November 2005 until 17 February 2006 on its process for reviewing clinical guidelines and the consultation document, 'Proposals for making the guideline development process more efficient'. Further information on this consultation can be found on NICE'S website at:
Non-geographic Telephone Lines
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps she is taking to ensure that users of the NHS are informed of changes by NHS service providers to non-geographic telephone lines; [45757]
(2) how revenue from calls to NHS service providers using non-geographic telephone lines is used; [45758]
(3) how many NHS service providers in England use non-geographic telephone lines; and if she will make a statement. [45759]
Jane Kennedy: It is the responsibility of local management to ensure users of the national health service are informed of changes by NHS service providers to non-geographical telephone lines.
Information on how revenue sharing from calls to NHS service providers using non-geographical telephone lines is used is not collected centrally.
Information on the number of NHS service providers in England and Wales using non-geographical telephone numbers is not collected centrally.
Optometrists
Mr. Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy for NHS patients to have the right to see the optometrist of their choice under the NHS. [48691]
Ms Rosie Winterton: It is already the case that eligible patients may apply to any contractor on a primary care trust ophthalmic list to have a national health service funded sight test.
Orthodontic Practices
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1)what agreement was reached on 13 January with the British Orthodontic Society regarding the contractual arrangements for new practices; [49846]
(2) if she will make a statement on the dental contract arrangements for new orthodontic practices. [49848]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department will shortly be issuing further guidance on the new arrangements for orthodontic care and treatment, which will take into account discussions with the British Orthodontic Society.
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of new orthodontic practices established in (a) 2004 and (b) 2005; and what steps she is taking to ensure that their contracts are based on current activity levels. [49849]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
The information requested is not available.
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Following discussions with the British Orthodontic Society, the Department will shortly be issuing further guidance to primary care trusts on agreeing appropriate contracts for orthodontists whose current levels of activity are above the levels reflected in the reference period.
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