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5 July 2006 : Column 1234W—continued
Speech and Language Therapy
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many speech and language therapists were employed by each primary care trust in 2005-06; and what the ratio of speech and language therapists to the population was. [76672]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Data on the number of many speech and language therapists employed by each primary care trust PCT and the ratio of speech and language therapists to the population has been placed in the Library.
In some larger areas, which cover a number of PCTs, one PCT will take on the responsibility of providing speech and language therapists for the others. This normally happens where the local authority boundary is coterminous with the boundaries of the PCTs involved.
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to increase the number of speech and language therapists employed by the NHS. [76673]
Ms Rosie Winterton: It is for primary care trusts in partnership with strategic health authorities, local 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. This process provides the means for addressing needs within the local community including the provision of speech and language therapy.
The number of qualified speech and language therapists employed in the national health service has increased by 1,329 (24 per cent.) since 2000 to 6,759 in 2005. The number of speech and language therapy undergraduate commissions has increased by 149 (27 per cent.) since 2000 to 707 in 2005.
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used to decide on the proportion of funding for speech and language therapy coming from (a) central Government and (b) local government. [81437]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is for primary care trusts in partnership with strategic health authorities, local 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. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of speech and language therapy.
St. Ann's Hospital, Haringey
Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect of closing down the x-ray department at St. Ann's hospital in Haringey. [81577]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is for the local national health service to make assessments and decisions on how local services are delivered. However, I understand that North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust has held a consultation, on a proposal to transfer x-ray facilities from St. Anne's hospital to the North Middlesex University hospital site. The consultation ended on 13 June 2006 and proposals will be put before a meeting of the local overview and scrutiny committee, before any final decisions are taken.
Tourists (Health Care Funding)
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account her Department takes of increased summer populations in coastal areas and other holiday destinations when allocating funds to primary care trusts; and if she will make a statement. [80718]
Andy Burnham: Primary care trust (PCT) populations are defined for resource allocation as the patients registered with general practitioner (GP) practices forming the PCT and unregistered patients within their geographical boundaries.
The prescribing component of the weighted capitation formula includes a weighting for temporary residents on GP practice lists which advantages PCTs in coastal areas and other holiday destinations.
The advisory committee on resource allocation is reviewing the population base for the next round of allocations.
There are separate funding arrangements for patients who need emergency treatment away from home where the treating trust invoices the patient’s home PCT.
Treatment Abroad
Ms Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health following the ruling of the European Court of Justice of 16 May 2006 on the reimbursement by the NHS of a patient who receives treatment in another member state under the E112 scheme, whether patients seeking infertility treatment would be eligible for treatment under this scheme. [78585]
Ms Rosie Winterton: From 1992 to date, 11 applications have been approved for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment abroad under the E112 scheme.
The Court of Justice's judgment in the Watts case confirmed that it is justifiable for patients seeking hospital treatment abroad, at national health service expense, to be required to obtain prior authorisation from their healthcare commissioner before being treated. The judgment also confirmed that the conditions that apply to service availability within the United Kingdom can also apply to requests for treatment elsewhere in the European Union: primary care trusts will consider requests on a case by case basis.
General guidance on the implications of the Watts case will be issued to the NHS shortly.
Turnaround Teams
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts in turnaround have had their (a) management team, (b) budgetary controls and (c) reporting systems rated good or better by her Department and external auditors. [80717]
Andy Burnham: The turnaround teams were announced by the Secretary of State in a written ministerial statement on 1 December.
The first stage was a baseline assessment which aimed to ensure there is an agreed understanding of the local financial problem and that actions are in hand to address this. The contract for the baseline assessment was awarded to consultants KPMG. The results of the assessment were published in the report from Richard Douglas on 25 January 2006.
The assessment was not “good or better” but has four categories (1-4) which gives an overall assessment:
(1) Immediate priority. Need for urgent intervention to drive turnaround;
(2) Additional expertise/resource needed to support the turnaround;
(3) Drive/focus. Maintain high priority of actions; and
(4) Regular challenge of management. Encourage to share what works and deliver easy wins.
The numbers of PCTs in the turnaround cohort by overall category are listed in the following table.
| Number | |
KPMG also provided a management ranking (1-4) which represents an assessment of management's capacity to deliver the turnaround:
(1) Management are unlikely to have the capability to deliver the turnaround;
(2) The management team will likely require additional resource to deliver turnaround;
(3) The management team will require careful monitoring to ensure they are delivering the turnaround but do not require any intervention; and
(4) The management team have the capability to deliver the turnaround.
The numbers of PCTs in the turnaround cohort by management category are listed in the following table.
| Number | |
There was no quantifiable assessment of budgetary controls or reporting systems.
Waiting Lists
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2006, Official Report, column 1818W, on waiting times, in what detail data were collected in 1979; whether her Department has previously attempted to calculate the (a) mean and (b) median waiting time in 1979; and what the (i) mean and (ii) median waiting time was in each year for which figures are available since they were first collected. [80825]
Andy Burnham: The following information on waiting times was collected in 1979.
Total list size of patients waiting for ordinary admission.
No waiting time information collected.
Due to the lack of detailed data available, mean and median waits have not been calculated for 1979. The mean and median waiting times are available on a commissioner basis back to 1993-94 for in-patients, and 1997-98 for out-patients. However, figures are available on a provider basis back to 1987-88 for in-patients and 1993-94 for out-patients.
The figures are shown in the following tables.
| In-patient mean and medians in weeks from 1988 | ||||
| Median | Mean | |||
| Quarter ending | Provider | Commissioner | Provider | Commissioner |
| Note: Provider based data only available prior to 1994 Source: KH07/QF01 | ||||
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