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18 July 2006 : Column 380W—continued
| Geriatric —occupancy rate (percentage) | Mental illness —available | Mental illness —occupancy rate (percentage) | Learning disability —available | Learning disability occupancy rate (percentage) | Maternity —available | Maternity —occupancy rate (percentage) | |
NHS Finance
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on how the market forces factor formula is used in determining payments to hospital trusts; what assessment she has made of its appropriateness; and whether she plans to review its operation. [82346]
Andy Burnham:
For activity within the scope of payment by results, national health service trusts are
paid by their commissioners according to the national tariff. These payments are adjusted by the relevant market forces factors (MFF). The MFF is intended to reflect unavoidable variations in costs directly related to location.
The MFF is kept under constant review, and its development has been overseen by the advisory committee on resource allocation (ACRA). As part of its work for the Department, ACRA will review the MFF and make recommendations to Ministers in 2007-08.
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which variables are included in the weighted capitation formula for primary care trust allocations; and from what data sources figures for each variable are determined. [84026]
Andy Burnham: “Resource Allocation: Weighted Capitation Formula (Fifth Edition)” lists the variables included in the weighted-capitation formula and their data sources. A copy of this document is available in the Library.
Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the latest forecast year-end gross NHS deficit is for 2006-07. [85856]
Ms Hewitt: The 2005-06 provisional outturn is the most recently published data on the national health service financial position. This data shows that provisionally the NHS reported a gross deficit of just under £1.3 billion, and a net deficit of £512 million. I intend to publish the first quarterly finance report for the NHS for 2006-07, on 11 August 2006.
NHS Performance
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures her Department plans to take in respect of those primary care trusts which (a) failed to achieve in 2005-06 and (b) fail to achieve in 2006-07 the proposed target of the purchase of 15 per cent. of the budget for all planned elective procedures from the private and independent sector. [81980]
Andy Burnham: The figure of 15 per cent. is not a target but a level of service that the independent sector might be providing by 2008. The number of procedures in any one year will vary depending on the actual case mix that is required by the local national health service. Contracts are designed to allow for this flexibility and therefore no action is required by the Department.
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her oral statement of 7 June 2006, Official Report, column 264, on NHS performance, what assessment she has made of the impact on primary care trusts (PCTs) of (a) social and economic deprivation, (b) the proportion of elderly people living in the community, (c) the demands of a rural economy and (d) the market forces factor where each factor has the greatest (i) positive and (ii) negative impact; and what assessment she has made of the average impact of each element on PCTs. [82500]
Andy Burnham: Our initial analysis on a range of factors relating to the 2005-06 financial positions of national health service organisations has shown that there is no strong relationship between NHS financial performance and any single factor.
Oakhill Secure Training Centre
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what access young offenders at Oakhill Secure Training Centre in Milton Keynes have to a clinical psychologist; and whether she expects this level of access to change when the full-time posts have been disestablished. [85597]
Mr. Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
Health care services at Oakhill are provided by Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust under contract to the centre’s operator, Group 4 Securicor. The primary care trust currently employs a clinical psychologist and an assistant at the centre. Psychology provision at the centre is currently being reviewed by the primary care trust and a 30-day consultation period with holders of the psychology posts at Oakhill is in progress. The consultation period ends on 27 July. The Youth Justice Board is monitoring developments closely. The level of service that the board requires at Oakhill has not changed and the board will monitor performance to ensure that that level of service continues to be delivered.
Obstetrics (Insurance Costs)
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department collects on the cost of insurance as a proportion of the tariff for (a) a normal birth, (b) a delivery with complications and (c) a caesarean section; what allowance is made for the cost of the insurance premium in allocating tariffs for obstetrics; and if she will make a statement. [81531]
Andy Burnham: The national tariffs for a normal birth, a delivery with complications and a caesarean section are calculated from data on the average costs of these services as reported by NHS trusts, foundation trusts and primary care trusts, which are used to inform the reference cost index. The reference costs collection is based on a full absorption costing methodology and therefore includes the cost of insurance. However, the cost of insurance is not separately identifiable within the tariff.
We do, however, recognise that insurance premiums are proportionately high for maternity services, which is why we have made it clear in our reference costs guidance ‘Reference costs 2006 collection: Costing and activity guidance and requirements’ that trusts should reflect this in the relevant cost pool(s) when determining the unit costs of all types of maternity activity. This guidance is available on the Department’s website at www.dh.gov.uk/PbR
Osteoporosis
Laura Moffatt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what submissions her Department received on the inclusion of osteoporosis indicators in the
quality and outcomes framework of the GP contract which came into effect in April 2006; [81596]
(2) why indicators for osteoporosis were not included in the quality and outcomes framework of the GP contract which came into effect in April 2006; and if she will make a statement. [81745]
Caroline Flint: As part of the negotiations for the new general medical services contract for April 2006 an expert panel was engaged by NHS Employers to receive and review submissions on clinical areas for possible inclusion in the quality and outcomes framework (QOF). The number of submissions to the panel for the inclusion of osteoporosis totalled seven out of 514. All submissions were considered and the expert panel produced reports which have been published on the University of Birmingham website.
During the negotiations many clinical conditions were considered. The key criteria for inclusion in QOF were:
an evidence base for the effectiveness of intervention in primary care;
the health benefits likely to result from improved primary care; and
Government health priorities for investment through the contractual arrangements with general practitioners.
Due to technical problems with the proposed indicators and the degree of priority attached to other changes to the QOF, the proposals for osteoporosis were not taken forward for the 2006 contract changes. As part of the continuing development of the framework, indicators will be reviewed in the light of emerging evidence and in terms of value for money.
Premature Babies
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans she has to review the policy of not centrally collating information on the movement between neonatal networks of premature babies; and if she will make a statement; [85686]
(2) what action she is taking to reduce the incidence of closure to admissions of level three intensive care units for neonatal care of premature babies; and if she will make a statement. [85730]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department has supported the development of 24 neonatal managed clinical networks to provide the safest and most effective service for mothers and babies. Since April 2003 over £70 million additional funding has been made available to support the development of networks. The closure to admissions of level three neonatal intensive care units is a matter for local networks. It is for networks to ensure there are appropriate levels of care available to meet prevalent local demand.
The Department has no plans to review the policy of not centrally collating information on the movement of babies between neonatal networks for the reasons outlined in my reply to the hon. Member on 2 June 2006, Official Report, column 22W.
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