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16 Jun 2006 : Column 1562W—continued
Category 4: Encourage to share what works and deliver easy wins.
Category 1 and 2 organisations were expected to secure additional turnaround support in order to assist them in the development of robust credible turnaround plans. Strategic health authorities (SHAs) and chief executives of organisations retain the responsibility for financial recovery. Over and above the central expectation for additional turnaround support for categories 1 and 2, triggers to fund external turnaround support are determined locally.
All national health service trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) are required to submit financial forecasts to the Department on a monthly basis. SHAs may have additional reporting requirements.
(1) Monthly balance of income and expenditure (run rate balance).
(2) There are 102 (48 trusts and 54 PCTs) statutory organisations within the turnaround cohort but Ipswich PCT and Suffolk Coastal are under joint management and are treated as one organisation, as are Fareham and Gosport PCT and East Hampshire PCT, and three Cumbrian PCTs.
NHS IT Programme
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what penalty charges have been levied on suppliers to the NHS IT programme, broken down by (a) company and (b) the part of the programme. [75031]
Caroline Flint:
Under the terms of the contracts let by NHS Connecting for Health, the agency which is delivering the national health service national programme for information technology, a significant
proportion of the completion risks have been transferred to the supplier. Payment to the supplier depends on system deployment, which incentivises deployment. NHS Connecting for Health has retained extensive rights under its contracts to defer payments, receive compensation for missed milestones and, if necessary, to terminate contracts, for failure to achieve the required performance levels.
In the early days of the new national network (N3) contract some early milestones were missed and clawback of £4.5 million was agreed with BT. N3 performance has since recovered and is now ahead of schedule.
Relevant contractual levers have also been applied on a number of other occasions where local service providers have failed to meet specified performance or deployment activity.
While not classed as penalty charges, these sanctions have been in the form of the withholding of payments.
NHS Performance
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her oral statement of 7 June 2006, Official Report, column 253, on NHS performance, in which areas of NHS activity the £765 million surplus that has reduced the gross NHS deficit from £1.27 billion to £512 million arose; and if she will make a statement. [77065]
Andy Burnham: The national health service is not only delivering more and improved health services, but also a much better quality of care for patients. Some NHS organisations were able to deliver these improvements and deliver a surplus for 2005-06. There are a wide range of service improvements that trusts made irrespective of whether they were in surplus.
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her oral statement of 7 June 2006, Official Report, column 253, on NHS performance, on what basis the gross deficit of £1.27 billion for the NHS financial year 2005-06 was calculated. [77066]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 13 June 2006]: The gross surplus is the aggregate of surpluses reported in the provisional unaudited outturn figures for 2005-06 by all national health service trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.
NHS Projects
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NHS health (a) promotion and (b) prevention projects planned for the 2005-06 financial year have been (i) withdrawn, (ii) cut and (iii) postponed until the 2006-07 financial year. [51938]
Caroline Flint: The “Choosing Health” White Paper, published in 2004, sets out the Government's key programme of measures to promote health and prevent disease by supporting the public to make healthier and informed choices.
A delivery plan was published in 2005 following publication of the “Choosing Health” White Paper. This sets down plans for delivery against all “Choosing Health” commitments. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Obesity
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) Education and Skills about reducing obesity in (i) schools and (ii) young people; and if she will make a statement. [68842]
Caroline Flint: The childhood obesity public service agreement (PSA) “to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity in 2 to 10 year olds by 2010” is jointly held by the Department, Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Mechanisms are in place to ensure that contributions from relevant government departments are properly co-ordinated and discussed at official and ministerial level. These include the Obesity Programme Board, which meets quarterly and includes senior departmental officials from Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Treasury, DfES, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Food Standards Agency, and DCMS. The cross-Government Ministerial Committee on Domestic Affairs sub-Committee on Public Health has the obesity PSA as a standing agenda item at each of its regular meeting.
I also refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 18 May 2006, Official Report, column 1204W.
Occupational Therapy
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the current (a) average and (b) longest waiting time for assessment for occupational therapy over the last three years; [77288]
(2) how many patients are currently awaiting assessment for occupational therapy. [77289]
Andy Burnham: The information requested is not available centrally.
The major employers of occupational therapists are the national health service and local authorities (LAs). In the NHS it is for primary care trusts, in partnership with strategic health authorities, LAs and other stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services. LAs directly employ occupational therapists and the delivery of the service will be determined by the employing authority. A number of LAs are in discussion with their NHS partners regarding the integration of occupational therapy services, however this information is not available centrally.
Osteopathy
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the basis is for the proposed changes to the regulation of osteopaths; and if she will make a statement. [76209]
Andy Burnham: The Government have made no proposals at this point for changes to the regulation of osteopaths. The recent review of non-medical professional regulation, which has reported to Ministers, looked at the need for change in the regulation of all non-medical professions. A statement will be made in due course when we reach our decisions on this review.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the budget for the General Osteopathic Council is publicly funded. [76170]
Andy Burnham: The General Osteopathic Council is self-funded through registrants' fees. No proportion of the budget is publicly funded.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what weight the Foster Review has given to the Government’s principles of better regulation in considering the future regulation of osteopaths. [76171]
Andy Burnham:
The Government’s five better regulation principles require regulation to be
proportionate, accountable, consistent, transparent and targeted. These principles underlie the review of non-medical professional regulation, which includes the regulation of osteopaths.
Parliamentary Questions
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will answer question numbers (a) 57781 and (b) 57782 tabled on 7 March and question numbers (c) 58559 and (d) 58560 tabled on 9 March. [73585]
Caroline Flint: Answers were given on 7 June.
PFI Projects
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the remaining stages are of each private finance initiative hospital project yet to reach final close; and whether additional stages are required to complete these projects which were not required for projects already completed. [70161]
Andy Burnham: The remaining stages of each private finance initiative (PFI) hospital project yet to reach financial close are shown in the table.
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