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25 July 2006 : Column 1208W—continued
Anne Milton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has made an assessment of the likely demand for community
hospital beds in (a) Guildford and Waverley primary care trust area and (b) Surrey over the next (i) five and (ii) 10 years. [87915]
Andy Burnham: It is for local primary care trusts in conjunction with strategic health authorities to make assessments relating to local health service provision.
Mrs. Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her oral statement of 5 July 2006, Official Report, column 816-32, on community hospitals, whether the new community hospitals will have midwife-led maternity services. [85284]
Andy Burnham: As stated in the publication ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Community: investing in the future of community hospitals and services’ the clinical possibilities of community hospitals and their range of services are considerable. Annex A of that publication, outlines some of the possibilities, which include maternity services.
However, decision making on specific local healthcare provision, including midwife led maternity services, is a matter for primary care trusts and strategic health authorities in consultation with the local population.
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate her Department has made of the number of community hospital beds which will be needed in the next 10 years. [85494]
Andy Burnham: It is for local primary care trusts in conjunction with strategic health authorities to make assessments relating to local health service provision.
Contestability Process
Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which operational areas of her Department’s work are being reviewed under the contestability process. [62680]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department is not reviewing new areas for contesting departmental functions although some services continue to be contracted out such as information technology maintenance, catering, occupational health and photocopying.
Continuing Care
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 13 July 2006, Official Report, column 2042W, on continuing care, if she will make it her policy that no-one currently in receipt of continuing care will lose their entitlement to it with the introduction of the national framework for continuing care. [87693]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are consulting on a draft national framework until 22 September 2006, and it would be inappropriate to enter into specific commitments until all consultees have had an opportunity to comment and for those comments to be considered.
However, the national framework will not change the existing legal basis for the provision of NHS Continuing Healthcare, by which fully funded NHS Continuing Healthcare is provided for all those individuals whose
primary need is a health need. This is based on an assessment of need and if individuals’ needs have not changed there is no reason to expect them to lose their entitlement to NHS Continuing Healthcare. Equally, continuing entitlement to an individual whose needs change cannot be guaranteed.
Contract Notice 2006/05 114-121806
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which organisations her Department consulted on the contract notice 2006-05 114-121806; [86110]
(2) why the contract notice 2006-05 114-121806 published in the Official Journal of the European Union was withdrawn; and whether she intends to submit a revised contract notice. [86111]
Andy Burnham: The advertisement in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) was withdrawn and a revised advertisement submitted on 13 July to make it clear that clinical provision was explicitly excluded from the scope of the procurement. In other words, that we were advertising for a range of management functions to support primary care trusts (PCTs) commissioning role. We have used the opportunity of the reissue of the advertisement to emphasise that even if PCTs choose to use such services they remain accountable to the public for the resources spent on health care in their locality.
The procurement framework will allow successful companies to offer a range of commissioning skills and services to PCTs who can chose whether or not to use the services offered. This is part of a range of measures to support PCTs and practices in developing effective commissioning as described in “Health reform in England: update and commissioning framework”. PCTs are and will remain public, statutory bodies responsible for using their growing budgets to commission the best possible services for local people. They can never outsource this responsibility, or ask others to make these decisions for them.
We did not consult with external organisations prior to issuing the OJEU because one of the main purposes of such an advertisement is to elicit responses from interested organisations.
Counterfeit Medicines
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to control the sale of counterfeit medicines online. [79001]
Andy Burnham: Medicines law in the United Kingdom (UK) (Medicines Act 1968 and related regulations) imposes strict controls on the sale, supply and advertising of medicines and these controls apply without distinction to medicines offered for sale via the internet and by mail order. Internet pharmacies must be registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and any manufacturing or distribution activities are required to be licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Problems arise when online sites are based in another territory, outside of the UK’s legal jurisdiction. Regulatory requirements can vary from country to country, particularly
outside the European Community, where the products may be classified differently and the laws may be entirely different. In such cases, details of the websites are referred to counterparts in the host country with a request to take action as appropriate to prevent sale to UK citizens.
Dentistry
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which groups representing those working in dental laboratories she has met in the last 12 months. [86281]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I met with the Dental Laboratories Association (DLA) in December 2005. The DLA is represented on the implementation review group, which has been set up to review the impact of the national health service dentistry reforms and identify any issues that need to be addressed. I attended the first meeting of the review group in April.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research she has (a) initiated and (b) evaluated on the reasons for the change in the level of dentists providing NHS dental repairs since the implementation of the new dental contracts; and if she will make a statement. [86283]
Ms Rosie Winterton: It is for individual dentists working under general dental services contracts or personal dental services agreements to use their clinical judgment to examine a patient and determine what treatment including any dental repairs is necessary. The Department does not collect routine information on the quantity or type of dental repairs being carried out.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the unnumbered command papers produced by her Department in each Session since 1976; by what means (a) hon. Members and (b) members of the public can (i) inspect and (ii) obtain copies; and if she will make a statement. [81308]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Documents which are laid before Parliament as unnumbered command papers are generally restricted to explanatory notes to treaties, explanatory memorandum to statutory instruments and some Treasury minutes. All other documents are published in the numbered command papers series.
Details of those published since 1976 can be produced only at disproportionate cost. Copies of all unnumbered command papers are made available to hon. Members via the Vote Office. Members of the public who wish to see an unnumbered command paper may write to the Department.
Departmental Travel
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many free air miles have been earned by senior civil servants in her Department in each of the last three years; and how they were used. [72861]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department has no record of any free air miles having been earned by its senior civil servants.
Diabetes
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diabetics in (a) England and (b) Shropshire use (i) insulin inhalers and (ii) insulin pumps. [86127]
Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients with diabetes use insulin pumps; and what savings have been identified from their use. [86360]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.
Diagnostic Phase Management
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost has been of the diagnostic phase management consultants employed by trusts applying for foundation status. [88276]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The diagnostic programme to prepare national health service trusts for NHS foundation trust status has been delivered through a central support contract for consultancy support. The contract was let following a competitive tendering process, the value for which is commercially confidential. The Department does not hold information on the average cost of consultancy support for trusts although we are aware that consultants have added value to the programme by providing external rigour and challenge as well as business expertise.
Doctor Registration
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors in London were struck off the medical register in each year since 1997. [87664]
Andy Burnham: This information is not collected centrally.
Doddington Hospital
Mr. Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) letters and (b) other representations her Department received on Doddington Community Hospital near March in Cambridgeshire. [85979]
Andy Burnham: There have been no representations made on the subject of Doddington Community Hospital, and due to the way data is collected, the Department is unable to provide the number of letters received in relation to Doddington Community Hospital.
Dr. Foster Intelligence Data Information Service
Mike Wood:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been budgeted by her Department for the Dr. Foster intelligence data information service; what range of data will be collected by Dr. Foster; who will own the data that are collected; and whether
Dr. Foster will be entitled to make financial gain from use of the information collected beyond the profit gained from the stated aim of helping to give people more choice. [85956]
Caroline Flint: The information centre for health and social care is a 50 per cent. shareholder in Dr. Foster Intelligence and is working in partnership with the company to transform data into products and services which are relevant, accessible and usable to deliver better care.
The information centre for health and social care does not procure data information services from Dr. Foster Intelligence and has no current budget to do so.
Dr. Foster Intelligence has competed to be part of several of the Department’s framework agreements, making it eligible to compete for work alongside other preferred suppliers. However, the nature and value of the work is dependent upon the originating specification and terms on which any subsequent contract is let. Any profits made by Dr. Foster Intelligence are shared with the Department.
Drug Rehabilitation
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by the health service on the treatment of persons addicted to illegal drugs in each of the last three years. [87682]
Caroline Flint: The amount of funding spent on drug treatment for each of the last three years is shown in the table.
| £ million | |||
| Pooled treatment budget | Mainstream funding | Total | |
| Note: Estimated local funding increases based on 2 per cent. inflation | |||
Sir Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug addicts received treatment from GPs in (a) Eastern Leicester Primary Care Trust, (b) Leicester City West Primary Care Trust and (c) England in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [86368]
Caroline Flint: The Department does not collect information on how many drugs addicts receive treatment from general practitioners (GPs). However, treatment data from the national drug treatment monitoring system (NDTMS) are shown in the table for clients receiving GP prescribing for the treatment of drug addiction in Leicester (city) and the whole of England for 2004-05 and 2005-06. Data are not available at primary care trust level.
| Leicester | England | |
| (1) Provisional data based on 30 April 2006 dataset | ||
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average expenditure per patient was for drug rehabilitation in (a) Bexley borough and (b) Greater London in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [83482]
Caroline Flint: This information is not held centrally.
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) residential and (b) inpatient specialist drug treatment rehabilitation places are available in (i) Ruislip-Northwood constituency, (ii) each London borough and (iii) England. [86476]
Caroline Flint: It is important to note that residential and inpatient drug rehabilitation services are often provided outside of the individual's drug action team (DAT) of residence. Therefore, individuals as well as having access to these services in their area of residence are, with the agreement of their DAT, able to access similar services elsewhere in the country.
There are no residential rehabilitation services in the Ruislip-Northwood constituency (London borough of Hillingdon).
There is one service providing inpatient drug treatment. We do not have any information about the number of beds or client places for drug treatment in the service.
There are 19 residential rehabilitation services in London. Where a London borough is not shown, this means there are no services based within that borough. The breakdown is shown in Table 1.
| Table 1 | ||
| Borough | Number of units | Number of beds |
| (1) This figure is high because it includes one of the large priory hospitals (private sector). | ||
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