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8 Mar 2006 : Column 1631W—continued
Patient Records
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances patient records held by general practitioner surgeries can be released to pharmaceutical companies, their agents and staff. [50816]
Mr. Byrne: Everyone working for or on behalf of the national health service, including general practitioners and their staff, works within a confidentiality code of practice which governs the use of patient information, and also has a legal duty to keep patient care records and patient-identifiable information secure. Under the code, patient care records may only be disclosed with the explicit consent of the patient, or where the record has been effectively anonymised. This obligation is reinforced in the NHS Care Record Guarantee, published in May 2005, which sets out the rules that will govern information held in the NHS Care Records Service. A copy of the guarantee is available in the Library.
Physiotherapists
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many physiotherapists have been matched on each of the available pay grades under the Agenda for Change pay system. [51937]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table. The table shows the number of outcomes on the Computer Aided Job Evaluation (CAJE) database distributed by band.
| Band | Number of matches on CAJE |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 585 |
| 3 | 1,015 |
| 4 | 196 |
| 5 | 703 |
| 6 | 2,324 |
| 7 | 2,655 |
| 8a | 604 |
| 8b | 216 |
| 8c | 51 |
| 8d | 8 |
| 9 | 1 |
| Total | 8,361 |
| Unbanded(49) | 322 |
(49) Includes failed matches and unfinished matches and evaluations.
Note:
Each matching outcome can relate to a number of posts.
Source:
Computer Aided Job Evaluation Database at 15 February 2006
Primary Care Trusts
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average expenditure by NHS primary care trusts per head of population on learning disability services was in each year since 1997. [51363]
Mr. Byrne:
The information available is shown in the table.
8 Mar 2006 : Column 1632W
Figures relate to expenditure on the commissioning of learning disability services by primary care trusts (PCTs) and health authorities in England.
Expenditure figures for 1997–98 to 2001–02 contain an element of double counting where one organisation would commission healthcare through another. This cannot be eliminated and may be responsible for the apparent fall in expenditure in 2002–03. All figures from 2002–03 exclude the double counting and are therefore more reliable.
This expenditure is for the purchase of secondary healthcare only; the Department has no information for primary care expenditure in this area.
Mr. Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of (a) the appropriateness of the system of weighting of the primary care trust recurrent allocation per head of population and (b) the difference between the highest and lowest weighted allocations per head of population; and if she will make a statement. [52683]
Mr. Byrne: A weighted-capitation formula is used to inform revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs). The aim of the formula is to ensure there is sufficient funding to provide equal access for equal need in all parts of the country, and to reduce health inequalities. The weighting applied to populations reflects differences in the level of need.
The development of the weighted-capitation formula is kept under constant review by the advisory committee on resource allocation (ACRA). ACRA's objective is to ensure equity in resource allocation. ACRA is an independent body comprising national health service management, general practitioners and academic members. Prior to each allocations round ACRA makes recommendations to Ministers on potential changes to the formula. Any recommendations that ACRA make in relation to proposed changes to the formula, are based on the best evidence and research available.
The most recent round of revenue allocations covers the period 2006–07 and 2007–08. The highest allocation per weighted head in 2007–08 will be £1,597 and the lowest allocation will be £1,336.
Private Finance Initiative
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on private finance initiative projects in the last three years; and what the estimated levels are over the next three years. [52543]
8 Mar 2006 : Column 1633W
Jane Kennedy: Over the last three years the following private finance initiative (PFI) projects over £10 million have reached financial close.
49 PFI schemes are currently being taken forward; their capital value is estimated to be between £7–9 billion. Of these schemes the following are expected to reach financial close within the next three years (the remaining 13 are expected to do so after that period):
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