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8 Oct 2007 : Column 296W—continued


NHS Connecting for Health

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2007, Official Report, column 885W, on NHS Connecting for Health, which communications agency established the link; how much Connecting for Health has paid that agency; and which other communications agencies have had contracts with Connecting for Health, and at what value. [154652]

Mr. Bradshaw: The communications agency concerned is Good Relations. Payments made to the agency for services provided to NHS Connecting for Health from 1 April 2005, when NHS Connecting for Health came into being, to 26 September 2007, total £509,263 including VAT.

NHS Connecting for Health also holds, or has held, contacts with Fishburn Hedges, and with Porter Novelli, payments to whom, over the same period, total £2,881,595 including VAT.

NHS Connecting for Health recognises the need for clear and accurate communications with the public and other stakeholder groups, including national health service staff. A key priority for successful implementation of an effective, national information technology system—a central plank of national health service modernisation—is to ensure that the public and stakeholders are fully informed and have an awareness and understanding of the benefits. The agencies concerned were appointed to assist in this important communication process and to produce supporting materials.

The contracts have delivered value for money. Examples of outputs include videos to explain the new systems and services; exhibition stands and an outdoor exhibition trailer to support face-to-face engagement; millions of copies of associated guidance material, posters and information packs for NHS staff and patients; and implementation advice and case studies for local NHS bodies that demonstrate the value of the programme, how benefits can be realised and lessons learned from implementations.


8 Oct 2007 : Column 297W

NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement: Information Officers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press officers are employed by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. [154668]

Dawn Primarolo: The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement employs two full-time press officers.

NHS Treatment Centres: Cambridgeshire

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the development of independent sector treatment centres in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; and if he will make a statement. [154761]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is working with the national health service to review the specifications of schemes in Phase 2 of the central procurement process, including the proposed scheme for the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire area, to ensure that future schemes best meet the needs of the local NHS and are responsive to the needs of the communities in which they will operate. This exercise is ongoing and is expected to be completed in October. Once this process is complete, and all parties involved in negotiations have been informed of the outcomes, further information will be made available.

NHS Treatment Centres: Essex

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations, and from whom, have been received in support of an independent treatment centre in mid-Essex. [156493]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not keep data on the precise number of representations received on the specific issues. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has said that he expects to approve further independent sector schemes in coming months, and that they will only go forward where the local national health service supports their introduction.

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the establishment of an Independent Treatment Centre in mid-Essex; and if he will make a statement. [156527]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is working with the national health service to review the specifications of the remaining schemes in Phase 2 of the central procurement process, including the proposed scheme for Essex, to ensure that future schemes best meet the needs of the local NHS, and are responsive to the needs of the communities in which they will operate. This exercise is ongoing, and expected to be completed in October. Once this process is complete, and all parties involved in negotiations have been informed of the outcomes, further information will be made available.


8 Oct 2007 : Column 298W

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Mr. Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent establishing independent sector treatment centres. [154560]

Mr. Bradshaw: The costs of establishing Wave 1 and Phase 2 of the independent sector treatment centre programme are shown in the following table. Procurement costs cover all assessment, scoping, procurement and associated management, professional advisory and support costs.

Wave 1 and phase 2 procurement costs
£ million
Wave 1 Phase 2

2006-07

2.2

38.6

2005-06

12.4

26.5

2004-05

34.9

8

2003-04

23.4


Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the analysis his Department has undertaken into the possible effects of the independent sector treatment centre programme on NHS facilities. [155865]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has undertaken analysis of the prospective impact of proposed Phase 2 schemes, but considers that it is not reasonable to place this information in the Library at this time, because the analyses concerned are still contributing to procurement processes, the outcomes of which remain subject to ministerial decisions which have yet to be made.

NHS: Billing

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts (a) paid and (b) did not pay 95 per cent. of undisputed invoices within contract terms or 30 days where no terms have been agreed in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07; and what the total value was of those invoices in each case. [155867]

Mr. Bradshaw: This information has been placed in the Library.

NHS: DHL

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value of the capital equipment was in the 10 prime categories signed over to DHL in the NHS supply chain contract. [154650]

Mr. Bradshaw: The national health service capital spend in the 10 prime categories has not been signed over to DHL.

The approximate value of NHS capital spend in the 10 prime categories managed by DHL in the NHS supply chain contract is £2 - £2.25 billion. This means that DHL has the opportunity to offer to manage this spend on behalf of individual NHS trusts and foundation trusts.


8 Oct 2007 : Column 299W

NHS: Exel Europe

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the key performance indicators contained within the master services agreement between Exel Europe Limited and the NHS Business Services Authority for the operation of the NHS supply chain will be published by or under the authority of his Department on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement. [154648]

Mr. Bradshaw: The chief executive of the NHS Business Services Authority (Nick Scholte) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question and a copy of his letter has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Finance

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the capital and revenue costs of implementing the Healthy Futures and Making it Better proposals are over the next five years itemised by primary care trust. [156507]

Ann Keen: The consultation teams for Making it Better and Healthy Futures are currently in the early stages of planning and scoping their implementation programmes and activities.

As part of the planning stage of the implementation programme, capital and revenue costs of these changes, as well as taking into account any recommendations by the Secretary of State will be reviewed.

At present the costs have not been finalised.

NHS: Procurement

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the 10 prime categories of the NHS supply chain contract are. [154651]

Mr. Bradshaw: The prime categories of the NHS supply chain contract are:


8 Oct 2007 : Column 300W

NHS: Standards

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many submissions were received during the evidence-gathering phase for the development of the Quality and Outcomes Framework for 2008-09; how many of these were received from (a) national societies, (b) patient groups, (c) pharmaceutical companies, (d) individuals, (e) primary care organisations and (f) others; and how many related to each type of disease. [156413]

Mr. Bradshaw: The team of experts appointed by NHS Employers and the British Medical Association (BMA) to inform the ongoing review and development of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) received 153 submissions in its latest round of evidence gathering. NHS Employers have announced that the breakdown of source of the submissions was as follows: national societies (27 per cent.), patient groups (25 per cent.), pharmaceutical companies (13 per cent.), individuals (15 per cent.), primary care organisations (10 per cent.), others (10 per cent.).

Any changes to the QOF depend on wider discussions between NHS Employers and the BMA about the General Medical Services contract. The advice given to the negotiating parties by the expert panel and further details of the submissions received, including the number related to each type of disease, are confidential to the negotiations.

Obesity: Peterborough

Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent assessment is of the (a) obesity and (b) smoking rate in each ward of the Peterborough city council area. [154067]

Dawn Primarolo: Estimated prevalence of obesity and smoking among adults aged 16 and over, along with associated confidence intervals are provided for the wards in the Peterborough local authority. These estimates are taken from the Synthetic Estimates of Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours and are published on the Neighbourhood Statistics website at:

These estimates are for the combined years 2000-02 and are shown in table 1 and table 2.


8 Oct 2007 : Column 301W

8 Oct 2007 : Column 302W
Table 1: Estimated prevalence of obesity among adults, by ward in the Peterborough local authority area, 2000-02
Percentage
Estimated prevalence of obesity 95 per cent. lower confidence interval 95 per cent. upper confidence interval Comparison of estimated prevalence for obesity with national estimate( 1)

Barnack

18.8

12.5

26.9

2

Bretton North

25.8

17.8

35.3

2

Bretton South

23.1

15.7

32.1

2

Central

24.7

17.1

34.1

2

Dogsthorpe

27.9

19.5

37.9

2

East

25.2

17.5

34.7

2

Eye and Thorney

26.6

18.6

36.5

2

Fletton

23.9

16.5

33.2

2

Glinton and Wittering

21.1

14.2

29.7

2

Newborough

24.1

16.6

33.6

2

North

26.6

18.5

36.3

2

Northborough

22.5

15.3

31.6

2

Orton Longueville

25.9

17.9

35.5

2

Orton Waterville

21.1

14.4

29.7

2

Orton with Hampton

20.0

13.5

28.4

2

Park

21.4

14.6

30.1

2

Paston

26.2

18.2

35.8

2

Ravensthorpe

28.1

19.5

38.1

2

Stanground Central

25.9

18.0

35.5

2

Stanground East

23.8

16.4

33.1

2

Walton

24.8

17.2

34.1

2

Werrington North

22.2

15.2

31.2

2

Werrington South

22.9

15.8

31.9

2

West

19.6

13.2

27.8

2


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