| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
19 July 2007 : Column 630W—continued
Genito-urinary Medicine: Manpower
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) health professionals and (b) administrators worked in sexual health clinics during each of the last three years. [150637]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not held centrally.
Genito-urinary Medicine: Publicity
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on publicising sexual health clinics to children and young people under the age of 18 years in each of the last three years. [150641]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not held centrally.
Health Services: Private Sector
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what contracts Milton Keynes primary care trust has with private sector suppliers in 2007-08, broken down by procedure; how many procedures have been contracted for in each case; and at what cost; [150515]
(2) which procedures contracted out by Milton Keynes primary care trust to the private sector are also carried out by Milton Keynes hospital; [150516]
(3) what proportion of contracts placed with private contractors by Milton Keynes primary care trust in 2006-07 have been fulfilled, broken down by procedure; [150517]
(4) what surgery was referred by Milton Keynes primary care trust to private contractors in each of the last three financial years, broken down by procedure; [150547]
(5) to which private contractors Milton Keynes primary care trust contracts out surgical work. [150548]
Mr. Bradshaw: There is one independent sector contract, that was procured centrally through the Department, that delivers services across the Midlands, including Milton Keynes primary care trust (PCT). The treatment centres within the contract are the Reading NHS Treatment Centre, Norton NHS Treatment Centre and Blakelands NHS Treatment Centre. The provider for the contract is Capio. Information on locally procured services from independent sector providers is not held centrally.
The contract for the centres is based on total value rather than procedure numbers as this allows PCTs to vary the case mix, within contracted limits, according to changing local needs. However, the indicative total activity for the contract is 17,852 procedures.
Information held on case mix and patient discharges is shown in following tables.
| Case mix | |
| Centre | Case mix |
|
General Surgery, Urology, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Gynaecology | |
|
General Surgery, Urology, Trauma and Orthopaedics, Dermatology | |
| Procedure numbers | |||
| Financial year | Reading NHS Treatment Centre | Horton NHS Treatment Centre | Blakelands NHS Treatment Centre |
Overall utilisation for the independent sector treatment centres programme as at May 31 was 84 per cent. Individual utilisation rates and information detailing numbers of procedures can not be disclosed as this information is considered commercially sensitive in confidence. The Department is currently reviewing what information is made publicly available on phase one contracts, however no decision has yet been taken.
Health Services: Procurement
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when his Department expects to complete the update of the review of commissioning arrangements for specialised services; [150729]
(2) when he plans to set up the commissioning groups recommended under the Carter review. [150730]
Mr. Bradshaw:
The different commissioning groups recommended by Sir David Carter in his review of commissioning arrangements for specialised services
are the National Commissioning Group, the National Specialised Commissioning Group and 10 local specialised commissioning groups. These were all established on 1 April 2007.
An updated implementation plan will be posted very shortly on the Department’s website. This sets out the key milestones that have been achieved in implementing the review recommendations and the remaining challenges.
Health Services: South East Region
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters were received by (a) his Department and (b) the West Sussex primary care trust as part of the response to the fit for the future discussion document published in May 2006; who is responsible for such papers; and where the letters are stored. [150336]
Dawn Primarolo: Due to the way correspondence is recorded, this information cannot be supplied without disproportionate cost.
Health Services: Tourism
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of British nationals requiring medical treatment whilst on holiday abroad over the last five years. [150952]
Dawn Primarolo: We do not keep records about people treated outside Europe and no estimates have been made. We do know the costs of people treated under the European Union social security coordinating regulations. However the claims received from member states cover a number of different categories of people and to separate out temporary visitors could be done only at disproportionate cost.
Health Visitors: Hertfordshire
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on current levels of recruitment of (a) health visitors, (b) nursery nurses, (c) support workers and (d) midwives in Hertfordshire. [150102]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts and strategic health authorities to analyse their local situation and develop plans, in liaison with their local national health service trusts and primary care providers, to deliver high quality NHS services and take action to recruit the appropriate staff required to deliver these services. We understand that the current levels of recruitment of health visitors, nursery nurses, support workers and midwives are in line with work force plans designed to ensure that high-quality services and patient care will continue in Hertfordshire.
Health: Schools
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of schools have healthy school status. [150289]
Dawn Primarolo: As at 16 July 2007, there were 8,930 schools (40 per cent.) who had gained the full National Healthy Schools Status. We are on track to meet our next milestone, of 55 per cent. of schools with National Healthy School Status by December 2007.
Hospitals: West Sussex
Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide to the West Sussex Primary Care Trust the representations he and his Department have received in the last 12 months relating to the possible change in hospital services at Worthing and Southlands hospital. [150129]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department received approximately 155 letters relating to possible changes at the Worthing and Southlands hospital, between July 2006 and July 2007.
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether letters received by (a) his Department and (b) West Sussex primary care trust in response to the original fit for the future discussion document will be taken into account when considering responses to the consultation exercise on the reconfiguration of hospitals in West Sussex. [150337]
Dawn Primarolo: This is a matter for the national health service locally. The Department of Health expects the local NHS to take a range of factors into account when considering proposals.
Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to ensure that all adolescent girls are offered the human papilloma virus vaccination before they leave compulsory education; and if he will make a statement. [149793]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department has agreed in principle to accept the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that human papilloma virus vaccines should be introduced routinely for girls aged around 12-13 years, subject to independent peer review of the cost benefit analysis. Details of the programme will be finalised in the coming months, following further advice from the JCVI and discussions with the national health service on the implementation of the programme. The JCVI is currently considering the evidence regarding the benefits and costs of vaccinating older girls, and will provide advice on this issue in due course.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to enable self-referral to a GP for the human papilloma virus vaccine for (a) those that will not take part in the immunisation programme in the 2007-08 school year and (b) older women. [149794]
Dawn Primarolo: The new human papilloma virus vaccines offer tremendous potential to protect women as they prevent up to 70 per cent. of cervical cancers, provided it is given before youngsters become sexually active. This is because the vaccine does not, in general, protect against established human papilloma virus infection.
The priority is to directly protect young girls against their future risk of cervical cancer.
General practitioners may exceptionally prescribe the vaccine if the clinical circumstances of a patient warrant such action.
IVF
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cycles of in-vitro fertilisation treatment were offered in (a) each regional health authority, (b) each primary care trust and (c) England in each of the last five years; [149111]
(2) what principal criteria are used to determine the availability of in-vitro fertilisation treatment in each primary care trust. [149112]
Dawn Primarolo: We do not currently collect this information on a routine basis. Clinical criteria for the provision of fertility services, including in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), are set out in the guideline on the assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems published in 2004 by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. We are aware that most primary care trusts are providing at least one cycle of IVF and we are working with the patient support organisation Infertility Network UK to help primary care trusts share best practice in the provision of fertility services and engage with fertility patients in the planning and prioritisation of services.
IVF: Costs
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change in the cost of in-vitro fertilisation in the NHS in the last 10 years. [149271]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 10 July 2007, Official Report, column 1449W.
Maternity Services: Admissions
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the grounds are for a maternity unit to be required to close temporarily to admissions for safety reasons. [150275]
Ann Keen: Demand for beds in maternity units is by its very nature unpredictable. There are various factors that influence the decision to close a maternity unit for a period of time, including staff and bed availability and the number of women and complexity of care needed. It is important that in circumstances where a unit considers or actually does close, systems and guidelines are in place to ensure pregnant women continue to have access to alternative maternity services and safe provision of care.
Maternity Services: Intensive Care
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many neonatal intensive care cots there were in each NHS trust in each of the last five years; [148388]
(2) how many (a) neonatal intensive cots and (b) special care cots in each trust were not being used due to lack of staff in each of the last five years; [148390]
(3) how many neonatal units were closed to admissions for a period during each of the last five years; and how long each such unit was closed for; [148391]
(4) what the average occupancy rate for intensive care cots was in each NHS trust in each of the last five years. [148392]
Ann Keen: There were 1,543 cots in England in 2001-02; 1,551 in 2002-03; 1,491 in 2003-04; 1,523 in 2004-05 and 1,688 in 2005-06. The number of cots in each national health service trust in each year has been placed in the Library. Statistics on when and for how long units were closed and where babies may have had to travel in the absence of a local bed are not available. The average occupancy rate of neonatal intensive care cots remains steady at 73-75 per cent.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter of 12 June 2007 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire about pay for nurses. [150763]
Ann Keen: The letter from the hon. Member was answered on 13 July 2007.
Mental Health Services
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what choices are being offered to mental health service users. [148733]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Department launched “Our Choices in Mental Health” in November 2006 and this sets out four points in the care pathway where mental health service users and carers value choice. This document also provides positive practice examples of how this is now being offered.
life choices, where people manage their own care to the extent with which they are comfortable, and maintain their normal lives as far as is possible;
a choice of mental health services contacts other than a general practitioner being the only port of call for service users and carers during an episode of mental illness;
a choice in when and where an assessment of mental illness is carried out; and
a choice of care options so that service users and carers have a range of suitable care options to choose from, information about each option and support to make these decisions.
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review mental health services; and if he will make a statement. [149848]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The “National Service Framework for Mental Health” (NSF) was published in 1999, setting out a comprehensive vision for mental health care in England and outlining a 10 year programme of work in an area that was previously neglected.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |