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Medical Technologies
Dr. Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures have been put in place to monitor the extent of the adoption of medical technologies in the NHS; [87029]
(2) what steps her Department is taking to ensure that budgetary pressures do not affect the use of the most effective medical technologies in the NHS. [87031]
Andy Burnham: There are no national measures in place specifically to monitor the adoption of non-drug medical technologies.
Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is an important tool in ensuring that national health service organisations prioritise clinically and cost effective interventions.
Medical Transcription Services
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS organisations have outsourced medical transcription services to (a) UK and (b) overseas organisations; what estimate she has made of the reduction in the number of medical secretary posts as a result of outsourcing; and what arrangements are in place for the evaluation of the impact of outsourcing these services in terms of (i) value for money and (ii) impact on patient care. [86148]
Ms Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.
Any decision to outsource medical transcription services and evaluate the impact of outsourcing these services is made by each national health service organisation in line with their business needs.
Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency requirement of notification of shortages of medicine applies to parallel import licence holders in the same way as it is applied to the original manufacturer. [88879]
Andy Burnham: Articles 23a and 81 of Directive 2001/83/EC (as amended) relate directly to the supply of medicines, and require holders of marketing authorisations—within the limits of their responsibilities—to maintain appropriate and continued supplies of their products, and to notify the competent authority if a product is not going to be available either temporarily or permanently. The legislation requires two months notice in all but exceptional circumstances. Information supplied to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is shared with medicines pharmacy and industry group in the Department.
Parallel import traders, for the purpose of the directive, are not holders of marketing authorisations and are not required to notify the MHRA. However, contractual terms and conditions with national health service trusts are applied to all suppliers equitably, whether manufacturers, traders or parallel importers.
Mental Health
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the demand for expansion of the capacity of secure mental health units. [85419]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The requirement for secure mental health services is kept under regular review in order to inform the planning of the future development of psychiatric services at all levels of security.
A review of the forensic mental health system is being planned and scoping meetings have already taken place. This is underpinned by clear capacity planning for high and medium secure services that has already taken place and regional forensic commissioners in the national health service are validating the projections against their own regional strategies. New service models are emerging and regional commissioners have established a work programme that takes these models and the implications of the capacity requirements forward in a structured way.
Progress is being monitored through the high security psychiatric services national oversight group.
Mr. Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) average cost of a bed in a secure mental health ward and (b) total cost of secure mental health facilities was in the last year for which figures are available. [85420]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Information about the average costs of beds in secure mental health facilities for 2004-05, the latest year available, is contained in the publication ‘NHS reference costs 2005’ and in the following tables, which are also available on the Department’s website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/32/28/04133228.xls and www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/32/29/04133229.xls
The information is given in the
form of national average unit costs per occupied bed day for various
different types of secure provision. Figures are given for national
health service trusts and primary care
trusts combined, and for non-NHS providers. On the basis of these costs,
we estimate total spending on secure mental health facilities in
2004-05 to be £664
million.
| National schedule of reference costs: NHS trusts and primary care trusts combined, mental health services secure unit data | ||||||
| Interquartile range of unit costs | ||||||
| Service code | Mental heath services: secure unit data | Number of occupied bed days | National average unit cost (£) | Lower quartile (£) | Upper quartile (£) | Number of data submissions |
| National schedule of non-NHS providers: contracted and commissioned combined, mental health services secure unit data | ||||||
| Interquartile range of unit costs | ||||||
| Service code | Mental heath services: secure unit data | Number of occupied bed days | National average unit cost (£) | Lower quartile (£) | Upper quartile (£) | Number of data submissions |
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources have been allocated under the well-being support programme in 2006-07, (a) broken down by primary care trust and (b) in total; what recent assessment she has made of the physical health of people with mental health problems; and if she will make a statement. [87596]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Department's 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) separately identify £211 million in 2006-07 and £342 million in 2007-08 to support the implementation of the “Choosing Health” White Paper.
For the two years covered by this allocation, a total of £14 million has been identified nationally to invest in the well-being support programmes initiative to support the implementation of the “Choosing Health” White Paper commitments. However, only a total amount to cover the implementation of the White Paper has been identified within each PCTs 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations. No breakdown of the funding by initiative is shown in the individual PCTs' allocations. It is PCTs' responsibility to decide how to use these funds. That said, the “Choosing Health” White Paper delivery plan sets out in detail the expectations of how this funding should be utilised.
As made clear in the “Choosing Health” White Paper, the Government recognises that people with poor mental health tend to experience worse physical health than the rest of the population. This is why it is supporting well-being support programmes in spearhead PCTs and through the Shift initiative. Guidance for commissioners on well-being support programmes will be published shortly.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the budget for mental illness was spent on children in the last period for which figures are available. [88027]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Information is not collected in the form requested.
Information from the 2005 child and adolescent mental services (CAMHS) mapping indicates that expenditure on CAMHS rose by 20 per cent. between the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06.
In 2004-05 the actual spend on CAMHS was £432.62 million. The predicted spend for 2005-06 was £517.96 million. In 2004-05, primary care trust share of the spend was £360 million in 2004-05 and predicted to rise to £417.96 million in 2005-06. The local authority element was £72.61 million in 2004-05 rising to £99.99 million in 2005-06.
Michael Palin Centre
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much public funding was given to the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children in each of the last five years; [88025]
(2) how many NHS patients have been treated at the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children in each of the last five years; [88031]
(3) how many children have been treated for stammering and other speech impediments in each of the last five years. [88032]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health and to commission services accordingly.
Ministerial Hospital Visits
Mr. Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS establishments Ministers in her Department have visited in Ludlow constituency in the last 12 months. [85288]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department's Ministers have not visited any national health service establishments in Ludlow constituency in the last 12 months.
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS establishments Ministers in her Department have visited in the Cotswold constituency in the last 12 months. [85427]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, visited Cirencester hospital (Cotswold primary care trust) on 25 July 2006.
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS establishments Ministers in her Department have visited in North Wiltshire constituency in the last 12 months. [85495]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department's Ministers have not visited any national health service establishments in the North Wiltshire constituency in the last 12 months.
Ministerial Offices
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times her ministerial office has been decorated in each of the last five years. [87647]
Caroline Flint: The Secretary of State for Health's ministerial office has been decorated once in 2005 in the last five years.
Ministerial Visits
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS establishments she has visited in Sussex. [88026]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Secretary of State for Health visited Mill View Hospital (Sussex Partnership National Health Service Trust) and the Royal Sussex County Hospital (Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust) on 14 July 2006.
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