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7 Nov 2006 : Column 1240W—continued


Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients in each health
7 Nov 2006 : Column 1241W
trust area in the Province are waiting for (a) paediatric cardiology inpatient admission and (b) initial paediatric cardiology outpatient assessment. [99477]

Paul Goggins: The total number of children waiting for (a) paediatric cardiology in-patient admission and (b) initial paediatric cardiology out-patient assessment (first outpatient appointment) for each applicable health trust at 31 October 2006 is shown in the following table:

Children waiting for initial paediatric cardiology assessment at 31 October 2006
Total waiting for paediatric cardiology
HSS trust (a) In-patient Admission (b) Out-patient Appointment

Royal Group of Hospitals(1)

44

314

United Hospitals

82

Craigavon Area Hospital Group(2)

79

Altnagelvin Group(3)

42

Causeway

8

Ulster Community and Hospitals

76

Total

44

601

(1) Only the Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust has a paediatric cardiology inpatient service. (2) Craigavon Area Hospital Group Trust provided numbers waiting at 30 September 2006. (3) Altnagelvin Group Trust provided numbers waiting at 28 October 2006. Source: Health and Social Service Trusts.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients in each health trust area in the Province (a) had an initial paediatric cardiology outpatient assessment and (b) were admitted to hospital for paediatric cardiology in each of the last five years. [99478]

Paul Goggins: The following table shows the total number of children that had an initial paediatric cardiology outpatient assessment in each of the last five years from 2000-01 to 2005-06 for each applicable health trust.

Number of children having an initial paediatric cardiology assessment 2001-02 to 2005-06
HSS trust 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06

Royal Group of Hospitals(1)

504

517

588

613

United Hospitals

43

73

80

74

84

Craigavon Area Hospital Group(2)

109

Altnagelvin Group

51

71

75

53

81

Causeway(1)

28

22

16

25

Ulster Community and Hospitals

67

65

73

71

56

(1 )Figures not yet available for 2005-06 for Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trust and Causeway Hospitals HSS Trust could not provide figures for 2001-02. (2 )Craigavon Group Trust provided numbers waiting for 2005-06 only, as prior to March 2005 they included all paediatric cardiology in the paediatrics specialty. Source: Health and Social Service Trusts.

7 Nov 2006 : Column 1242W

The number of children admitted to hospital for paediatric cardiology is not available.

Paramilitary Activity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of levels of loyalist paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland. [99524]

Paul Goggins: As the latest IMC report confirmed, while there are some encouraging signs within loyalism that the leadership is seeking to bring paramilitary and criminal activity to an end, this is not yet reflected throughout the entire membership.

Parliamentary Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 11 October 2006, Official Report, column 786W, on parliamentary questions, which questions tabled by (a) hon. Members other than the hon. Member for Upper Bann and (b) peers have been answered on the basisof drafts prepared by the British Irish Inter-Governmental Secretariat since 5 May 2005. [96148]

Mr. Hain: It has not been possible to answer this question before the end of the current parliamentary session.

Pharmaceuticals

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the potential impact on patients in the Province of proposed changes in the pharmaceutical wholesale trade. [99307]

Paul Goggins: Pfizer have recently announced changes in their UK supply and distribution arrangements for prescription medicines effective from March 2007. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety are seeking clarification and assurances from Pfizer in relation to their plans for implementing the new arrangements in Northern Ireland. In particular the Department will be asking for assurances about the future supply and pricing of prescription medicines. Until this information is available it is not possible to make an assessment of the potential impact of the changes on patients here.

Physiotherapists

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many physiotherapy students graduated in Northern Ireland in the last academic year; how many of those graduates have been employed as NHS physiotherapists; and what the average cost is of training a physiotherapy student in Northern Ireland. [99569]

Paul Goggins: 72 physiotherapy students graduated from the University of Ulster at the end of the last academic year.

The number of those graduates who have taken up employment within the NHS is not available. However, the number of new appointees joining the HPSS at a junior physiotherapy grade for the period March 2005
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to March 2006 is 69. These joiners may include: new graduates, staff transferring from the private sector, staff from other countries or staff returning after a period of unpaid leave.

The average cost of training a physiotherapy student is currently £35,000.

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time is for an appointment with a physiotherapist in Northern Ireland. [99570]

Paul Goggins: Information on the average waiting time for an appointment with a physiotherapist is not collected centrally. However, information is collected on completed waiting times for a first out-patient appointment of an episode of care with a community physiotherapist. The total number of persons attending their first out-patient appointment, and their waiting times are shown in the table, in respect of the quarter ending 31 March 2006, the latest date for which such information is available. 18,241 persons attended their first out-patient appointment with a community physiotherapist. Of these, 921 (5 per cent.) had waited for six months or more.

Time waiting
Board area Patients attending first appointment Less than 3 months 3 to 6 months 6 months or over

Eastern

6,477

5,070

1,012

395

Northern

3,425

2,605

664

156

Southern

4,689

3,964

415

310

Western

3,650

2,997

593

60

Total

18,241

14,636

2,684

921

Source: Departmental Information return CP3.

Planning

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many outstanding planning applications there are in each municipal area in Northern Ireland; and how long on average it takes to deal with such an application. [92992]

David Cairns: The number of outstanding planning applications and average processing times per Council area are detailed in Tables A and B as follows.

Table A shows the number of outstanding planning applications by Council area at 30 September 2006.


7 Nov 2006 : Column 1244W
Table A
District council area Outstanding

Ballymena

Antrim

423

Ballymena

672

Carrickfergus

171

Larne

189

Magherafelt

828

Divisional Total

2,283

Belfast

Belfast

1,038

Castlereagh

291

Newtownabbey

336

Divisional Total

1,665

Craigavon

Armagh

1,428

Banbridge

1,031

Craigavon

690

Newry and Mourne

2,440

Divisional Total

5,589

Downpatrick

Ards

647

Down

837

Lisburn

869

North Down

458

Divisional Total

2,811

Headquarters

All Districts

352

Divisional Total

352

Londonderry

Ballymoney

330

Coleraine

672

Derry

813

Limavady

303

Moyle

258

Divisional Total

2,376

Omagh

Cookstown

872

Dungannon

1,269

Fermanagh

2,148

Omagh

1,325

Strabane

550

Divisional Total

6,164

Planning Service Total

21,240


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