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Transfats

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) her Department has and (b) its agencies have (i) assessed and (ii) plans to assess the effect that placing a legal maximum limit on the occurrence of transfats in food would have on the reduction of health inequalities. [62185]

Caroline Flint: Data from national diet and nutrition surveys show little evidence of socio-economic differences in fatty acid intakes, consequently no assessment has been made of the effect that placing a legal maximum on the occurrence of trans fatty acids (TFA) in foods would have on health inequalities, and there are currently no plans to make such assessments.

Average intakes of TFA by consumers were 1.1 per cent. of total energy in 2000–01, and well within the maximum level of 2.0 per cent. recommended by the committee on medical aspects of food policy (COMA) in 1994. COMA's recommendation was based on evidence on the adverse effects of TFA on coronary heart disease risk.

University Hospital of North Staffordshire

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at which board meeting of the University hospital of North Staffordshire the issuing of the Service and Financial Recovery Workforce Changes Consultation Document was (a) discussed and (b) approved. [62642]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in recruiting a new chairman for the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. [62643]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Responsibility for appointments to national health service boards has been delegated to the NHS Appointments Commission. The chairman of the NHS Appointments Commission, Sir William Wells, has been asked to respond directly to my hon. Friend.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role she expects the accountancy firm Deloittes to perform at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire during 2006. [62892]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The turnaround teams were announced by the Secretary of State for Health in a written ministerial statement on 1 December 2005, Official Report, column 35WS.
 
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Following the baseline assessment of University Hospital of North Staffordshire which was undertaken by KPMG before Christmas, the local national health service appointed Deloittes to give the trust tailored turnaround support to help them to achieve financial balance and provide services more efficiently. The detail of the support provided to the trust is specified by the trust and strategic health authority to suit local circumstances.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when she expects the University Hospital of North Staffordshire to conclude the service level agreements with local health commissioning bodies for the year ending 31 March 2007; [62893]

(2) when she expects the board of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire formally to agree a budget for the year ending 31 March 2007. [62901]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority reports that the annual financial plan and associated financial recovery plan are scheduled for the agenda of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire National Health Service Trust Board meeting on 24 April 2006.

The trust has agreed draft service level agreements with its main commissioners and intends to finalise these arrangements during April for final approval at the board meeting on 24 April.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the University Hospital of North Staffordshire will be required to include the cost of redundancies from its financial recovery plan in the savings it needs to make to restore its reserves into surplus; [62894]

(2) whether the redundancy costs attributable to the service and financial recovery workforce changes at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire will be met by (a) the Department, (b) the strategic health authority and (c) the hospital; [62895]

(3) what estimate has been made of the redundancy costs of the implementation of the service and financial recovery workforce changes at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. [62896]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The cost of any redundancies must be borne by the trust and is reflected in the recovery plan.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by (a) the Department, (b) the Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority and (c) the University of North Staffordshire Hospital of the proportion of the hospital's increase in staffing levels since 1999 which has been necessary to meet national performance targets. [62897]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally. The assessment of how many and what mix of staff are required to deliver national health service services is a matter for the local NHS community.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will publish the joint audit letter and commentary prepared by the Audit Commission and
 
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Bentley Jennison in 2005 on the financial situation and governance at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire; [62898]

(2) if she will publish the audit letter sent by the Audit Commission to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in respect of its review of the hospital's statutory financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2005; [62917]

(3) if she will publish (a) the written audit questions asked by the Audit Commission of the statutory financial statements prepared by the University Hospital of North Staffordshire for the year ended 31 March 2005 and (b) the replies given by the hospital; [62918]

(4) who carried out the external audit of the accounts of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire on behalf of the Audit Commission for the year ended 31 March 2005; [62919]

(5) if she will ask the Audit Commission to publish its review into the financial situation of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire as a public interest report when it is completed; [62922]

(6) when she expects the Audit Commission to complete its review of the financial situation at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. [62923]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The questions raised fall within the Audit Commission's responsibility. I have asked the Chief Executive of the Commission to respond to my hon. Friend directly.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role she expects the board of the Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority and its successor body to play in (a) approving the budget of and (b) monitoring the performance of the University hospital of North Staffordshire for the year ending 31 March 2007. [62900]

Ms Rosie Winterton: It is the duty of strategic health authorities (SHAs) to performance manage the organisations within their area, including delivering financial balance across the SHA. The SHA board is responsible for ensuring that the duties of the SHA are delivered. The board can decide how best to deliver these responsibilities, including agreeing the plans for individual organisations and monitoring the organisations' delivery of their plans.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the reasons are for the change in the estimated cost of the fit for the future project at the University hospital of North Staffordshire since November 2002; [62902]

(2) what assessment her Department has made of the full business case for fit for the future presented by the University hospital of North Staffordshire; [62903]

(3) what the total accumulated (a) revenue costs and (b) capitalised costs have been to (i) the University hospital of North Staffordshire and (ii)Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority of the fit for the future project under the private finance initiative. [62907]

 
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Ms Rosie Winterton: The scheme and the full business case are currently being re-appraised by the University hospital of North Staffordshire national health service trust, to ensure that all investments are affordable and sustainable in the long term. The full business case was drafted initially in the autumn but was not approved by either Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority (SHA) or the Department because of the trust's financial situation.

The team at the trust has been refining its plans for the scheme and will be working closely with officials in the coming weeks to develop a sustainable and affordable solution to meet the health needs of people in North Staffordshire.

The SHA reports that almost all of the cost increase is construction cost inflation. Cost parameters have been kept to but the cost of the project rises with inflation. Construction inflation is rising considerably more than inflation in the general economy, which creates cost pressures on the project through higher unitary payments.

The total accumulated revenue costs are £10.4 million. £11.8 million capital funding has been issued, of which £8.9 million has been spent.

Revenue expenditure is entirely by the NHS trust. Capital expenditure is from the strategic capital allocation but incurred by the NHS trust.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial estimates have been made by (a) the Department, (b) the hospital, (c) Bentley Jennison, (d) Ernst and Young, (e) the financial turnaround team, (f) the Shropshire and Staffordshire health authority and (g) the Audit Commission of the inefficiencies attributable to split site working between the City General and Royal Infirmary sites at the University hospital of North Staffordshire. [62904]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Neither the Department nor the turnaround team working with the University hospital of North Staffordshire national health service trust has made any estimate of the inefficiencies of split site working between the City General hospital and the Royal Infirmary sites.

Information on whether the trust, Bentley Jennison, Ernst and Young, Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority, or the Audit Commission have done so is not held centrally.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much is accounted for by each element which makes up the total planned savings at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire over the next two years; [62905]

(2) how much is accounted for by each element making up the estimated loss of service level agreement income to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire for the year ending 31 March; [62913]

(3) how much is accounted for by each element which makes up the estimated gap between income and expenditure at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire for the year ending 31 March 2007. [62906]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.
 
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Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will ensure that future funding for the University hospital of North Staffordshire covers in full the financial effects of (a) the new consultants' contract, (b) the implementation of the working time directive for junior doctors, (c) agenda for change and (d) the clinical negligence scheme premium; [62908]

(2) what her estimate is of the difference between the costs to the University hospital of North Staffordshire of and the funding made available by the Department for (a) the new consultants' contract, (b) the implementation of the working time directive for junior doctors, (c) agenda for change and (d) the clinical negligence scheme premium; [62909]

(3) why the Department has not funded in full the financial effects at the University hospital of North Staffordshire of (a) the new consultants' contract, (b) the implementation of the working time directive for junior doctors, (c) agenda for change and (d) the clinical negligence scheme premium in the 2005–06 financial year. [62921]

Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department does not allocate funding to national health service trusts. NHS trusts, as providers of services, receive the bulk of their revenue funding from commissioning by primary care trusts (PCTs). They also receive revenue funding from the Department for medical staff education services and for research and development. In addition trusts can charge staff, visitors or patients for services provided, such as catering or provision of private patient facilities.

Funding is allocated to PCTs on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. North Stoke PCT will receive an increase of £31 million over the current two allocation years (18.7 per cent.) and South Stoke PCT will receive an increase of £32 million over the current two allocation years (19.5 per cent.), taking its total allocation to £196 million.

It is for PCTs in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the estimated deficits incurred by the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in the year ending 31 March 2006 attributable to the introduction of the Payment by Results policy. [62910]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Payment by results requires commissioners to pay for activity at a fair price which is based on the same national tariff for all providers. Providers were given advance notice of the implementation of the national tariff and supported it with a transition process. It is the responsibility of providers to ensure they are sufficiently efficient that their costs are no higher than their income from the national tariff. Payment by results does not take money out of the system and has a neutral impact on the overall national health service balance sheet.
 
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Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the loss of income by the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in the year ending 31 March 2006 attributable to the RSA Cardiac contract loss. [62911]

Ms Rosie Winterton: This is a matter for the local health community.

Strategic health authorities are responsible for ensuring that their primary care trusts adopt effective collaborative arrangements for commissioning specialised services.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated actual income is of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire for the years ending 31 March (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007, (d) 2008 and (e) 2009. [62914]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Actual income in 2004–05 for University Hospital of North Staffordshire National Health Service Trust was £295,327,000. Details of the trust's income for 2005–06 will be available later in the year. Estimated income for future years is not held centrally.

Income includes income from activities and other operating income from the audited summarisation schedules for the trust.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who at the Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority (a) had prior sight of and (b) approved the issue of the Service and Financial Recovery Workforce Changes Consultation Document issued by the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. [62915]

Ms Rosie Winterton: This is a matter for Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Service and Financial Recovery Plan for the University Hospital of North Staffordshire was (a) considered and (b) approved by the Board of the Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority. [62916]

Ms Rosie Winterton: This is a matter for Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority.

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected deficit at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire for the year ending 31 March 2006 was in (a) its monthly financial monitoring returns to her Department and (b) financial returns made to her Department by the Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority in each month since April 2005. [62920]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are responsible for monitoring the financial position of their national health service organisations. SHAs submit the financial position of their NHS organisations to the Department on a monthly basis.

The 2005–06 month six forecast outturn position for individual NHS organisations (SHAs, primary care trusts and NHS) is available in the Library and is also
 
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available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the date of appointment was of each executive and non-executive director of the University hospital of North Staffordshire. [63050]

Ms Rosie Winterton: Executive appointments are a matter for the specific national health service trust concerned.

Since 1 April 2001, the Secretary of State has delegated appointments functions relating to the appointment of chairs and non-executive members of NHS trusts, health authorities and primary care trusts to the NHS Appointments Commission. All non-executive appointments to the boards of these bodies are now made by the commission rather than by the Secretary of State.

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