| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
25 Jun 2007 : Column 264W—continued
Midwives: Manpower
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the NHS workforce in England was represented by midwives in 2006, expressed in terms of (a) headcount and (b) whole-time equivalent. [144289]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The following table shows the proportion of the national health service work force in England represented by midwives as at September 2006 in terms of both headcount and full-time equivalent.
| NHS staff in England as at 30 September 2006 | |||||
| Headcount | Percentage of work force | Full-time equivalent | Percentage of work force | ||
| Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. 2. The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. 3. The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics. | |||||
MRSA: Conquest Hospital
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of MRSA have been detected at the Conquest hospital in East Sussex; and if she will make a statement. [144772]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The data is not available as requested. The best available information is from the mandatory methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infections surveillance that began in April 2001 and covers acute national health service trusts in England rather than individual hospitals.
The Conquest hospital is part of the East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust and the number of reported MRSA blood stream infections for that trust for the period April 2001 to December 2006 is shown in the following table.
| East Sussex hospitals NHS trust | |
| Number of reported blood stream infections (bacteraemia) | |
| Source: Health Protection Agency | |
Muscular Dystrophy
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what facilities and treatment are available for sufferers of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. [145497]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is currently aimed at controlling symptoms to maximize the quality of life. This primarily involves physiotherapy and other supportive treatments, including pharmacological interventions, physical activity, surgery and the provision of orthopaedic appliances. Appropriate respiratory support is available as the disease progresses.
The new translational research centre for neuromuscular diseases at University College London is one of six new Medical Research Council funded research centres that will translate scientific discoveries into new drugs, therapies, diagnostic tools, and methods of prevention. This will be the first such centre in the United Kingdom for the study of disabling diseases like DMD and will facilitate the rapid transfer of research knowledge to the clinical environment.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who within her Department is responsible for championing the implementation of the musculoskeletal services framework. [145847]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department's 18 weeks orthopaedics project team, led by Philippa Robinson, 18 Weeks National Implementation Director, is working to address the particular issues in orthopaedics, and to maximise the benefits of moving care closer to home. Following the publication of the musculoskeletal services framework in July 2006, the 18 week orthopaedic project is working closely with the NHS to support the implementation of the good practice set out in the musculoskeletal services framework.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts have established clinical assessment and treatment services as encouraged by the musculoskeletal services framework. [145849]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.
NHS Blood and Transplant: Birmingham
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the decision to close the National Blood Service Centre in Birmingham; and what discussions she has held with the (a) Unison and (b) Unite trade unions concerning the decision. [145429]
Caroline Flint: The National Blood Service (NBS) infrastructure is not fully adequate for modern processing and testing requirements. The testing and processing facilities require investment and modernisation which is planned as part of the NHS Blood and Transplant Service Strategy. As part of this, the NBS will consolidate blood processing and testing activity into fewer, modern, more flexible buildings. This is being led with the development of an entirely new site at Filton, Bristol, and this will allow the NBS to meet current and prospective national health service needs, effectively and efficiently.
The proposed changes will not impact upon the service to local hospitals. The centres in Birmingham will continue to provide critical services to local hospitals such as continuing to have a local blood bank to meet hospital orders for blood.
I formally met with representatives of Unison and Amicus in December 2006 to discuss the proposals by the NBS.
NHS Bodies and Premises: Inspections
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2007, Official Report, column 1198W, on NHS bodies and premises: inspections, which organisations can conduct inspections of NHS bodies and premises under her authority; and whether her Department maintains a list of all organisations which have the power to inspect NHS bodies and premises. [131878]
Andy Burnham: The Healthcare Commission, in their role as the lead inspectorate for health, co-ordinates other regulatory bodies to promote effective and proportionate inspection and regulation.
The Department does not itself maintain a list of organisations who have the power to inspect national health service bodies and premises.
The Healthcare Inspection Concordat was launched in June 2004 to promote better co-ordinated inspection and minimise the data collection burden on NHS trusts. Twenty of the key inspecting bodies in health, including the Department as an associate signatory, are formally signed up to its principles. The Healthcare Commission has been in discussion with various regulatory bodies about their becoming signatories to the concordat.
The list of the 20 signatories is available at:
NHS Commissioning
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the commitment by the Minister of State of 20 February 2007, Official Report, column 62WH, in a debate on NHS Commissioning, when the Minister of State will visit the Warrington Campus of the University of Chester. [145377]
Andy Burnham: A visit to the Warrington Campus of the University of Chester has been provisionally arranged for the morning of Friday 20 July.
NHS: Finance
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on (a) the NHS, (b) NHS hospital and community health services and (c) NHS maternity services in the 2006-07 financial year. [144288]
Andy Burnham: The information for 2006-07 will not be available until the audited accounts are published in the autumn of 2007.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2007, Official Report, column 1391W, on NHS: finance, which organisation collects data on the number of practices receiving component two of the payment. [145641]
Andy Burnham: Decisions on the payment of component two of the Directed Enhanced Service (DES) are made by primary care trusts (PCTs) following an assessment of whether practices have fulfilled the commitments in their practice-based commissioning plans. It is for PCTs to maintain data on these DES payments.
NHS: Foreign Nationals
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is issued to local NHS bodies on claiming money from foreign nationals who use NHS services. [145890]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Anyone who is not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom is subject to the provisions of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended. These require NHS bodies providing hospital services to establish whether a patient is ordinarily resident or, if not, exempt from charges under one of the exemption categories set out in the regulations. Anyone who is not exempt should be charged for any hospital treatment provided.
The charging regulations were amended in April 2004. At the same time the Department issued comprehensive revised and updated guidance to NHS trusts on implementation of the amended regulations.
NHS: Greater London
Derek Conway:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding was provided, net of Department of Health penalties and top-slicing
clawback (a) in total and (b) by head of population to each NHS care trust in London in each of the last five years. [145951]
Andy Burnham:
Table 1 shows the final revenue resource limits (RRL) for primary care trusts (PCTs) covered by London strategic health authority (SHA) for the years 2003-04 to 2005-06. For 2006-07, the provisional outturn figure has been used. The RRLs quoted take account of any adjustments made to the
initial allocations to PCTs, including top-slice and clawback, throughout the year.
Table 2 shows the 2003-04 to 2005-06 allocations per unweighted head for PCTs covered by London SHA. Table 3 shows the 2006-07 to 2007-08 revenue allocations per unweighted head for PCTs covered by London SHA. Actual allocations to PCTs are, however, informed by a weighted-capitation formula and pace of change policy.
| Table 1 | |||||
| £000 | |||||
| Revenue Resource Limit | Provisional Plan data Forecast Revenue Resource Limit | ||||
| Primary Care Trust | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
| Source: Audited London PCT summarisation forms Department of Health financial monitoring returns Financial plans for 2007-08 as subject to final validation and sign off with the national health service | |||||
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |