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20 Mar 2006 : Column 148W—continued
Departmental Vehicles
Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cars are (a) owned and (b) leased by her Department; what models the cars are; what type of petrol each model requires; and what the fuel efficiency is of each model. [41359]
Mr. Byrne: The Department currently owns three vehicles, and leases two vehicles which is shown in the table.
Data on fuel efficiency is provided by the Vehicle Certification Agency and is published on their website at www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk
Diabetes
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with diabetes in each constituency in Lancashire in each of the last five years. [57636]
Mr. Byrne [holding answer 10 March 2006.]: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows all diagnoses count of patients for diabetes from 2001–01 to 2004–05.
Notes:
Patient counts:
Patient counts are based on the unique patient identifier Hospital Episode Statistics identification (HESID). This identifier is derived based on patient's date of birth, postcode, sex, local patient identifier and NHS number, using an agreed algorithm. Where data are incomplete, HESID might erroneously link episodes or fail to recognise episodes for the same patient. Care is therefore needed, especially where duplicate records persist in the data. The patient count cannot be summed across a table where patients may have episodes in more than one cell.
All diagnoses count of patients:
These figures represent a count of all patients where the diagnosis was mentioned in any of the 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in a Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) record.
Diagnosis (primary diagnosis):
The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002–03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.
Secondary diagnoses:
As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (six prior to 2002–03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.
Primary care trust (PCI) and strategic health authority (SHA) data quality PCT and SHA data was added to historic data-years in the HES database using 2002–03 boundaries, as a one- off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on PCT of treatment and SHA of treatment is poor in 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99, with over a third of all finished episodes having missing values in these years. Data quality of PCT of general practitioner (GP) practice and SHA of GP practice in 1997–98 and 1998–99 is also poor, with a high proportion missing values where practices changed or ceased to exist. There is less change in completeness of the residence-based fields over time, where the majority of unknown values are due to missing postcodes on birth episodes. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data.
Ungrossed data:
Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics, NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre
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Domiciliary Oxygen
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual cost was of providing a domiciliary oxygen service through the community pharmacy network in each of the past four years. [51681]
Jane Kennedy: Figures for 2005–06 are not yet available. For the previous three years, the total annual costs reimbursed to pharmacy contractors and some dispensing doctors for the domiciliary cylinder oxygen service were:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 2002–03 | 28,300,590 |
| 2003–04 | 31,081,087 |
| 2004–05 | 32,809,514 |
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of requests for home oxygen supplies were emergency requests in (a) England and (b) the North West in the last period for which figures are available. [57520]
Jane Kennedy: Before 1 February 2006, there was no requirement to supply oxygen on an emergency basis. This is a specific requirement in the new service contract introduced on that date. Information on the number of such requests is not held centrally. It is included in data provided to primary care trusts as part of financial and performance management of the contract.
Hospital Transport
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth what provision is made for transport from home to hospital of (a) severely disabled people and (b) severely disabled people where the carer is unable to drive. [57521]
Mr. Byrne:
The publication Ambulance and other patient transport services: Operation, use and performance standards" provides guidance on the
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eligibility criteria for patient transport services (PTS) and is available in the Library. This document states that medical need for non-emergency patient transport must be determined by a doctor, dentist or midwife and will depend upon the medical condition of the individual patient, the availability of private or public transport and distance to be travelled. The principle which should apply is that each patient should be able to reach hospital in a reasonable time and in reasonable comfort, without detriment to their medical condition.
Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for ensuring that there is provision of ambulance services (which could include patient transport services) to such extent as they consider necessary to meet all reasonable requirements. Therefore, it is for the local national health service to decide who provides patient transport services for eligible patients in their area. PCTs should apply the principles outlined in the aforementioned publication to consider each case on its merits or to develop local criteria for patient transport services use. The White Paper Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services" signals our intent to broaden eligibility to patients referred for treatment in out of hospital settings, and during 2006–07 we will update guidance on eligibility for PTS to reflect the changes outlined in the White Paper.
Patients that do not have a medical need for ambulance transport and who are on low incomes, or in receipt of benefits or tax credits, may be eligible for reimbursement of their travel expenses under the hospital travel costs scheme.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial penalties can be applied to home oxygen providers who do not meet the terms of their contracts. [57527]
Jane Kennedy:
The Department can terminate the contract of any supplier who breaches material terms of their contract, and require the outgoing supplier to meet the costs incurred where another supplier is brought in
20 Mar 2006 : Column 151W
to provide the service. Where the service delivery fails to meet the standards set out in the contract, the supplier may be required to re-perform those services.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the regional suppliers for the home oxygen service. [57572]
Jane Kennedy: Linde Gas UK is the supplier for the North East oxygen service region. Air Products is the supplier for the North West, Yorkshire and Humberside, East Midlands, West Midlands, North London and South West oxygen service regions. Allied Respiratory is the supplier for regions covering South London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. BOC Medical is the supplier in the Eastern service region. This information is published in part X of the drug tariff, which is also available on the prescription pricing authority's website (www.ppa.org.uk) and the home oxygen section of the national health service primary care contracting website (www.primarycarecontracting.nhs.uk).
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the new arrangements for the domiciliary supply of oxygen products to patients. [58088]
Jane Kennedy: There has been disruption to the planned six-month programme, which began on 1 February 2006, to support the transfer of patients receiving home oxygen supplies to new suppliers. We have already taken action to get that planned programme back on track and we are continuing to work with the national health service and suppliers to monitor progress. When fully introduced, the new arrangements will provide a modern service to patients with improved access to a wider range of oxygen equipment that can do much to improve their quality of life.
Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from the medical profession since the introduction of new arrangements for the domiciliary supply of oxygen products to patients. [58089]
Jane Kennedy: Representatives of the medical profession were included in consultation on the development of the new service. Since introduction of the new arrangements on 1 February 2006, we have continued discussions with them on plans to transfer patients to the new suppliers by August 2006.
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