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National Radiotherapy Advisory Group
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group has met; when the next meeting will be; what the group’s terms of reference are; when the group will report; and if she will make a statement. [80062]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The national radiotherapy advisory group (NRAG) has met five times and will meet again in the autumn. We expect NRAG to report later this year.
The terms of reference is as follows:
to advise on the development and delivery of radiotherapy services, including relevant elements of the NHS Cancer Plan and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance
to advise on radiotherapy policy programmes including:
demand and capacity for radiotherapy;
streamlining service delivery;
future developments;
service quality;
equipment requirements; and
training and work force requirements.
NHS Connecting for Health Computer System
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will commission an independent review of technical and financial matters related to the NHS Connecting for Health computer system. [76529]
Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 24 May 2006, Official Report, column 1880W.
NHS Direct
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on (1) what basis redundancies and site closures relating to NHS Direct were made; and what effects on costs these had; [80552]
(2) how many (a) redundancies and (b) site closures have been made in relation to NHS Direct. [80553]
Ms Rosie Winterton: NHS Direct began a 12-week consultation period with staff and staff side representatives on 16 May 2006 on proposals to ensure that its organisational structure, estates and staffing are fit for purpose to meet future developments and demand. The consultation period is due to end on 16 August 2006. The outcomes of the consultation will be made public thereafter.
The NHS Direct consultation document proposes that 12 sites will close over the next 18 months. Implementation of the proposals will be dependent on a number of factors but the current estimate is that a maximum of 573 posts could be at risk of redundancy. However, these proposals are subject to the outcome of the consultation. A more precise estimate of the costs saved will be made on completion of the consultation.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls were made to NHS Direct in each year since it was launched; and how many calls NHS Direct is forecast to receive in each of the next two years. [80554]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones) on 22 May 2006, Official Report, column 1574W.
NHS Direct is a multi channel service which receives over 500,000 calls per month, as well as over 1,500,000 contacts per month through its web and digital television channels.
Information on calls forecast is not centrally held. The information may be available from the Chairman of NHS Direct special health authority.
Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many telephone advisers were employed by NHS Direct in each year since it was set up; and how many telephone advisers will be employed in each of the next two years. [80556]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information on this is not centrally held. The information may be available from the chairman of NHS Direct Special Health Authority.
NHS Information Technology
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her Answer of 16 May 2006, Official Report, column 944W, on the NHS IT programme, whether the estimate of the cost of the contract over 10 years remains £6.2 billion. [76391]
Caroline Flint: The value of contracts let for the original core components of the programme amounts to £6.2 billion over 10 years. This figure is not an estimate.
NHS IT Programme
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she was first informed that the central cost of the NHS IT programme was likely to be around £9 billion. [79676]
Caroline Flint: The National Audit Office have made clear in their report published on 16 June 2006 that the contracted costs of the national programme for information technology over 10 years is £6.2 billion, and that this cost has not increased since the contracts were let in 2003 and 2004. The report also refers to central expenditure of £1.9 billion over 10 years. That will not just be spent on running the national programme, but also covers the functions previously undertaken by the NHS Information Authority, which was closed in 2005, and, in its last year, cost £219 million. It is clear therefore that the £1.9 billion is not additional funding but is in fact a reduction on what the central management of national health service information technology services cost before the national programme.
NHS Prescriptions
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS prescriptions were issued in each year since 1997. [74067]
Andy Burnham: Figures are not available on the number of national health service prescriptions issued. Figures are, however, available on the number of prescriptions dispensed in the community in England, which is shown in the table.
| Prescriptions items | |
| Sources: For figures from 1997 to 2004, these are available in the Statistical Bulletin to be found at: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/prescriptionsdispensed05 For the 2005 figure, this can be found in the prescription cost analysis tables at: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/prescostanalysis2005 | |
NHS Service Contracts
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which US companies have been awarded contracts for the delivery of NHS services; and what the value was of such contracts. [57560]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department itself has awarded no contracts to United States’ companies for the delivery of national health states services and does not collect information about contracts which are agreed locally between primary care trusts and providers.
NHS Treatment (Funding)
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps an NHS clinician can take if funding for a treatment they deem to be most clinically appropriate is refused by their primary care trust; [78313]
(2) whether a primary care trust may refuse funding for a treatment that has been deemed most clinically appropriate by an NHS clinician. [78314]
Andy Burnham: The responsibility for local health services is for primary care trusts (PCTs) who are responsible for the planning and development of services to meet the needs of their local populations. Where no guidance or directions have been issued to PCTs, that are relevant to a treatment, PCTs should make their decision on funding based on their own assessment of the relevant factors and circumstances of the case. If a clinician is unhappy with the decision of a PCT they should request a full explanation of the rationale behind the decision in the first instance, and the PCT should seek to engage the clinician in dialogue with regard to treatment options.
Nuffield Speech and Language Unit
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will visit the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit. [65295]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Due to diary commitments and parliamentary business, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health is regrettably unable to visit the Nuffield speech and language unit in the foreseeable future.
Nurses
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of professional misconduct were (a) reported and (b) upheld against nursing staff trained and qualified outside the United Kingdom in each year since 1997. [79638]
Andy Burnham: Incidences of professional misconduct are reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the relevant statutory independent regulator who deals with them under its fitness to practise procedures. Queries regarding this should be made directly to the Chief Executive at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, 23 Portland Place, London, W1B 1PZ, telephone number: 0207 637 7181,
Older People's Care
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Government have made of the extent to which continuity of care for older people encompasses the choice to live (a) at home and (b) in a care home. [70124]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Government's policy is to support people to remain in their own homes, where it is safe to do so and when it accords with their wishes and assessed needs.
Most
people want to live in their own home for as long as possible. To
enable them to do so, the Government have made substantial investment
in care settings such as domiciliary care and extra care housing.
Domiciliary
care services can help people to remain in control
of their own lives. They need to be delivered in ways that reflect
individual needs and wishes and with respect for individuals, their
homes and preferred
lifestyles.
The Government believe that care homes are one of a range of options that should be available for supporting people with long-term care needs. We recognise that there will always be people who need or want the type of care that only care homes can provide. For them, care in a care home will be best suited to their needs and wishes and care homes offer them a positive choice. However, we believe that no one should be admitted into a care home until all other options have been explored and discussed with the service user, their carers and relatives.
Operations (Private Sector)
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of the Department’s budget has been allocated to the private sector for the performance of routine operations for NHS patients in each year since 1997; [61719]
(2) what proportion of the Department’s total budget has been (a) spent on private sector contracts in each year since 1997 and (b) allocated to private sector contracts in 2006-07. [61720]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department’s expenditure on centrally procured independent sector treatment centre providers, the General Supplementary Contract and the national contract for magnetic resonance imaging scans is shown in the table. Locally procured expenditure is not available.
| Centrally procured independent sector (£ million) | Proportion as a percentage of total net NHS expenditure | |
| (1)
Estimated Source: Department of
Health | ||
Osteoporosis
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Department’s strategy is for encouraging general practitioners to look for early diagnosis of osteoporosis. [77809]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The prevention, treatment, care and support of those at risk of osteoporosis are important components in the delivery of the falls standard of the national service framework (NSF) for older people. The standard requires local health services to establish appropriate interventions and advice to prevent osteoporotic fractures.
The Department has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to develop clinical guidelines and undertake technology appraisals of new treatments to build on and improve the framework of services set out in the NSF.
Picture Archiving and Communications System
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many images have been stored on the National Programme for Information Technology's Picture Archiving and Communications System. [75436]
Caroline Flint: At the beginning of June 2006, over 35 million images had been stored using picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) delivered through the national programme for information technology. 32 PACS systems are now live, with around six new systems being deployed each month. Before advent of the national programme, this figure was around only five each year. The bulk of PACS deployments will be complete by March 2007, in line with the plan to have finished deployment throughout the national health service in England by the end of 2007.
Practice-based Commissioning
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS services will not be contained within the commissioning scope of practice-based commissioning. [79038]
Andy Burnham: The services specifically excluded from the commissioning scope of practice based commissioning are:
core general medical services and personal medical services; and
specialised services, services commissioned regionally and nationally and national screening programmes.
These services are excluded from the scope of a practice’s indicative budget as outlined in “Practice based commissioning: achieving universal coverage” (January 2006) which is available on the Department’s website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/74/25/04127425.pdf
A copy has been placed in the Library.
Private Care (NHS Facilities)
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she is making in estimating the costs of provision by NHS facilities of private care; and what assessment she has made of whether the NHS makes a surplus from such provision. [79263]
Andy Burnham: The information is not held centrally.
Private Prescribing
Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the guidance issued by her Department’s Medicines, Pharmacy and Industry Group on procedures for the private prescribing of schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs, in what areas of the country general practitioners will be permitted to use the new FP10PCD prescription forms once registered with their local primary care trust. [80012]
Andy Burnham: FP10PCD prescription forms are for use by all prescribes, including general practitioners issuing private prescriptions (non-national health service activity) for schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs, where these drugs are to be dispensed by a community pharmacist. From 7 July 2006, their use will become a statutory requirement.
Prostate Cancer
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the pilot prostate cancer awareness campaign; and when the campaign will be rolled-out nationally. [80394]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Raising the public awareness of prostate cancer is one of the key challenges for the future. We want men to know what their prostate is, what it does, and what can go wrong with it. However, we have to raise awareness in a responsible way so as not to cause undue anxiety and worry, and also not to overwhelm national health service services when there is no clear clinical benefit.
Through the work of the prostate cancer advisory group, chaired by the National Cancer Director Professor Mike Richards, a pilot public awareness programme on the prostate has been developed. The pilot is jointly funded by the Department and signatories to the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action. The Department is providing £100,000 for the pilot.
ContinYOU, a community learning charity based in Coventry, were successful in being appointed to run the pilot following a formal tendering exercise. ContinYOU are currently holding focus groups with different groups of men to assist in designing the programme, which is due to run in September 2006 in Coventry.
A formal evaluation of the pilot will be undertaken, assessing the effectiveness of the intervention tools used in raising awareness of the prostate and the impact of the pilot on NHS services.
If the evaluation proves that the pilot is successful, consideration will be given on how best to roll the pilot out across the NHS.
Mr. Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress her Department is making towards finding a diagnostic test for prostate cancer which would be suitable for use in a national screening programme. [80396]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to introducing a national population screening programme for prostate cancer if and when screening and treatment techniques are sufficiently well developed for such a programme to be introduced.
The Department is supporting the development of screening technology for prostate cancer by having a comprehensive research strategy into all aspects of prostate cancer. We are jointly with other National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) members funding two NCRI prostate cancer research collaborates, and the Department is funding half of the total £7.4 million cost.
The research
undertaken by the collaboratives covers all aspects of prostate cancer
and has already generated the groundbreaking discovery of the
overactive E2F3 gene in prostate cancer tumours. This discovery
provides the potential not only to identify those at risk
of developing the disease, but for the first time
allows the prediction of how aggressive the cancer will be. Research is
under way to turn this into a diagnostic test so that we can identify
those patients whose prostate cancers are aggressive and urgently need
treatment.
It is important to note that in order for a screening technology to contribute to saving lives it is essential for there to be effective treatments for the disease detected. That is why the Department is funding a £20 million trial of treatments for prostate specific antigen (PSA) screen-detected early prostate cancer (the ProtecT trial).
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