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8 Jun 2006 : Column 842W—continued
Total consultations: 44
Number of consultations 12 weeks or over: 36
Percentage of consultations 12 weeks or over: 82
Note:
The information for Cm 6814, “The Department of Health Annual Report and Accounts 2006”, was prepared before the end of March 2006. Consequently, information on two consultations listed above was not available.
Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) why her Department has ended its contract for the Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin; [75796]
(2) what research was undertaken in advance of the cancellation of the distribution of the Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin to NHS doctors. [76395]
Andy Burnham: The decision not to renew the Department’s national contract for distribution of the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin was informed by our policy to devolve as much responsibility as possible to the national health service and to look very critically at central spending. It is our policy that central spending should be kept to an absolute minimum in order to maximise the resources available for the NHS to manage at local level. The decision also took account of the availability of other sources of medicines information.
E-coli 0157
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the location and suspected causes of reported outbreaks of E-coli 0157 in the UK over the last 12 months. [73760]
Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
| Escherichia coli 0157 reported outbreaks—England and Wales 2005( 1) | ||
| Health protection unit | Foodborne outbreaks | Non-foodborne outbreaks |
| (1) Provisional data. Source: Health Protection Agency | ||
| Escherichia coli 0157 reported outbreaks—Scotland 2005( 1) | |||
| NHS board | Foodborne outbreaks | Non-foodborne outbreaks | Unknown( 2) |
| (1) Provisional data. (2) No summary report forms completed locally and returned to Health Protection Scotland. Source: Health Protection Scotland | |||
| Escherichia coli 0157 reported outbreaks—Northern Ireland 2005( 1) | |||
| Location | Foodborne outbreaks | Non-foodborne outbreaks | Unknown |
| (1) Provisional data. Source: Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre Northern Ireland | |||
Fairford Hospital
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to reply to Gloucestershire county council regarding the referral of Fairford Hospital in March. [75662]
Caroline Flint:
The referral from Gloucestershire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Cotswold
and Vale Primary Care Trust’s decision to close inpatient facilities at Tetbury and Fairford community hospitals is currently under consideration, and a decision will be made once the information has been considered.
General Practitioners
Mr. Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs there were per head of population in the Carlisle primary care trust area in each year since 1996. [67328]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested. However, data for the Carlisle primary care trust (PCT) dating back to 2001 is shown in the following table.
| General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)( 1) per 100,000 head of population, for Carlisle and district PCT, 2001-05 | ||
| All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)( 1) | All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)( 1) per 100,000 head of population | |
| “..” denotes data not applicable. (1) General medical practitioners, excluding retainers and registrars, includes contracted general practitioners (GPs), general medical service (GMS) others and personal medical service (PMS) others. Prior to September 2004, this group included GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners. Notes: 1. 2004 population figures from the 2001 Office for National Statistics (ONS) resident estimates have been used for 2005 calculations, as population figures for 2005 at organisation level are not yet available, this figure is therefore subject to change. 2. GP figures given for September 2005, but as yet ONS have not published an up to date 2005 population figure by organisation. Therefore, the calculation for 2005 is based on the 2004 population figures and is therefore subject to change. 3. Data as at 1 October 1996 to 1999 and 30 September 2000 to 2005. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care, general and personal medical services statistics 2001 ONS Population Census | ||
Head Injuries
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she has taken to ensure that progress is made against the quality requirements of the National Service Framework for Long-Term Neurological Conditions published in March 2005; and what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) local authorities and (b) NHS Trusts are implementing the national service framework. [76152]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Since publication of the national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions, the Department has co-ordinated a range of activity to help local authority social care organisations and national health service bodies take forward implementation of the NSF. This includes:
working with key NHS, social care, voluntary and independent sector stakeholders, as well as service users and carers, to identify and address key issues in neurological services and the stakeholders’ role in implementation;
ensuring that other key delivery programmes, most especially the White Paper “Our Health, Our Care, Our Say” and the long-term conditions strategy help deliver key NSF objectives; and
work with the Care Services Improvement Partnership to promote implementation of the NSF through a co-ordinated work programme, including regional workshops, a web-based getting started pack and self-assessment tool for services.
Progress on implementation will be measured in a number of ways, including:
research studies commissioned as part of a national research initiative to underpin implementation of the NSF, to provide baseline data needed to measure the subsequent impact of the NSF;
work to develop a national minimum dataset for long-term neurological conditions; and
implementation of clinical indicators developed as part of the Better Metrics programme.
Health Funding (Gloucestershire)
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to reduce the gap in health funding between Gloucestershire and the national average; and if she will make a statement. [74271]
Caroline Flint: The aim of the weighted-capitation formula, which informs revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs), is to provide equal access for equal need in all parts of the country, and to reduce health inequalities.
The components of the formula weight each PCT’s crude population, according to their relative need (age, and additional need) for healthcare and the unavoidable geographical differences in the cost of providing healthcare (the market forces factor).
The weighted-capitation formula is used to set targets, it does not determine allocations. Actual
allocations reflect decisions on the speed at which PCTs are brought nearer to target through the distribution of extra funds (pace of change policy).
To ensure equity in funding, the pace of change policy for the 2006-08 revenue allocations has moved more quickly towards their fair share of funds. In 2003-04, the most under-target PCT was 22 per cent. under target. By 2007-08, no PCT will be more than .5 per cent. below its fair share.
The following table shows the 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations made to PCTs in Gloucestershire.
| 2006-07 allocation | 2007-08 allocation | Two year increase | 2007-08 closing DFT | ||
| PCT | £000 | £000 | £000 | Percentage | Percentage |
Health Service Budgets
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) primary care trusts and (b) hospital trusts showed financial deficits in 2005-06; how much those deficits were; and if she will make a statement. [74264]
Andy Burnham: The 2004-05 audited financial position and the 2005-06 unaudited position, as submitted to the Department by national health service organisations (strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts) is available on the Department website, and can be accessed at:
www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Freedom Oflnformation/ClassesOflnformation/fs/en
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