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9 Oct 2007 : Column 521W—continued
Midwives: Pay
Mr. Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress on implementing the pay rise for midwives payable in financial year 2007-08. [154476]
Ann Keen: Discussions continue between the Department, the NHS Employers organisation and the national health service unions about this year's pay award. We are hopeful the outcome from these talks will enable the award to be implemented shortly.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the implementation of the Musculoskeletal Services Framework as a method of reducing (a) long-term sickness and (b) the number of people claiming incapacity benefit. [154697]
Ann Keen: We are not aware of any discussions between departmental officials and the Department for Work and Pensions on the implementation of the musculoskeletal services framework as a method of reducing long-term sickness and the number of people claiming incapacity benefit.
The framework was published as good practice guidance and it is for local organisations to decide how best to implement it.
Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information the National Clinical and Health Outcomes Database captures on musculoskeletal system problems; and how much expenditure this covers within that category of expenditure within the National Programme Budgeting Database. [154698]
Ann Keen: The clinical and health outcomes knowledge base contains comparative data from over 700 health and local government organisations. Databases capturing information on musculoskeletal problems include:
The United Kingdom pain database;
The national spinal injuries centre medical research database,
The national joint registry;
Norfolk arthritis register;
National total hip replacement outcomes study; and
Trent and North West arthroplasty registers.
Information on the expenditure covered by these databases is not available.
Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to extend the clinical and health outcomes data collected in relation to musculoskeletal system problems (excluding trauma). [154783]
Ann Keen: We are not aware of any specific plans to extend the clinical and health outcomes data collected in relation to musculoskeletal problems.
NHS: Alcoholic Drinks
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS staff were given time off for treatment for either alcohol or drug abuse in each of the last five years. [156672]
Ann Keen: Data are not collected centrally on how many national health service staff are given time off for treatment for either alcohol or drug abuse. It is the responsibility of NHS employers to support their staff with any health related problems, ensuring that patient safety is also taken into consideration.
NHS: ICT
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the annual survey of NHS information management and technology expenditure is expected to be published. [155864]
Mr. Bradshaw: Full results and analysis from the 2006 survey were published in January 2007. A copy of the survey results has been placed in the House Library and can also be found online at:
Information from the 2007 survey is expected to be published in January 2008.
NHS: Internet
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total set-up costs were for the Our NHS, Our Future consultation website; what was the total cost to his Department of the COI Communications video presented via the website; and what ongoing costs will be incurred by his Department for the upkeep of the website. [156389]
Ann Keen: The success of the review depends on good communication and the involvement of patients, public and staff. The set-up costs of the communications website are expected to total around £6,000, and the film about £20,000. The ongoing costs of the upkeep of the website will relate to the content as it develops over the course of the review.
Organs: Donors
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps the Government are taking to increase the number of people on the organ donor register; [154268]
(2) how many people were on the organ donor register in each of the last 10 years; [154269]
(3) what proportion of families refused consent to donate relatives’ organs in the case of (a) all deaths, (b) deaths where the individual was on the organ donor register and (c) deaths where the individual was not on the organ donor register in the latest period for which figures are available. [154270]
Ann Keen: The number on the organ donor register in each of the last 10 years is shown in the following table.
| Million | ||
| Added in year | Total at end | |
Information on family refusal is only collected in the case of deceased potential heartbeating donors for whom solid organ donation was considered and whose family were approached for consent to donation.
In these cases, the overall refusal rate was 39.9 per cent. In cases whereby the potential donor was known to be on the organ donor register, the family refusal rate was 6.5 per cent. In cases where it was known that the potential donor was not on the organ donor register, the family refusal rate was 36.6 per cent.
The Department launched “Saving Lives, Valuing Donors: A Transplant Framework for England” in 2003 and the National Service Framework for Renal Services in 2004. These set out the Department’s key aims for organ and tissue transplantation over the following 10 years. Government investment in hospital-based funding has helped increase donor rates and an organ donor taskforce will report to Ministers in autumn 2007 on how organ donor rates can be further improved. Following the publication of the chief medical officer’s annual report in July, the taskforce will also examine the potential impact on organ donation of introducing an ‘opt out’ or presumed consent scheme.
Paediatrics: Foreign Workers
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many international medical graduates were excluded from applying for paediatrics because they did not have highly skilled migrant programme status on 5 February 2007. [154796]
Ann Keen: No candidates have been excluded from applying for programmes in the specialty training recruitment process because they were not on the highly skilled migrant programme on February 2007.
However the applications of applicants who do not meet the right to work criteria should only be considered if there are no suitable United Kingdom or European economic area applicants.
Paediatrics: Training
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of total training posts in paediatrics in England have been filled with junior doctors in training programmes for (a) paediatricians and (b) general practice; [154794]
(2) what proportion of paediatric training posts were unfilled on (a) 26 July and (b) 8 October 2007. [154795]
Ann Keen: The answer is as follows:
89 per cent. of posts in paediatrics have been filled as at 26 July 2007.
91 per cent. of posts in paediatrics have been filled as at 2 September 2007.
100 per cent. of posts in general practice have been filled.
The proportion of paediatric training posts that will be unfilled at 8 October 2007 is not available yet.
Peterborough and Stamford Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: Agency Nurses
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on agency nurses providing temporary cover in the Peterborough and Stamford Hospital NHS Foundation Trust area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [154762]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 8 October 2007]: Information on how much was spent on agency nurses at Peterborough hospital prior to the trust attaining foundation trust status are shown in the following table.
| Non-NHS staff (agency, etc.) (by national health service classification) salaries and wages—nursing, midwifery and health visiting | |
| Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust/Peterborough and Stamford Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | Expenditure (£) |
| Source: Trust Financial Returns 1997-98 to 2003-04 | |
Information relating to staffing costs is no longer held centrally in view of the trust achieving NHS foundation trust status from 1 April 2004. These data can be obtained by contacting the chair of the trust.
Secure Psychiatric Units
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether there is sufficient capacity in existing regional medium secure units to meet the need for such places in each region; in which regions there is an assessed shortfall; what the extent is of the shortfall in each case; and what plans are in place to address the shortfall. [156082]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Data on capacity for medium secure services are not routinely collected by the Department. The Department works to support local commissioners, as it is the responsibility of local commissioners to assess service needs in their area and plan accordingly. A capacity review of high and medium secure services was completed in January 2006 in order to inform policy on this issue and to help support commissioners. This capacity review took into consideration historical utilisation, changing legislation (e.g. draft Mental Health Bill and public protection orders), court sentencing trends, prison transfers and the needs of different patient groups (e.g. women, learning disabled men, patients with dangerous and severe personality disorder and deaf patients).
The review concluded that the need for medium secure capacity was gradually rising and robust local commissioning plans were necessary to ensure that there was strategic planning on a regional basis to deliver additional medium secure capacity in a co-ordinated way and to ensure that commissioning delivered good value for money. As at January 2006 when the review took place, there were 29 national health service medium secure units providing around 1,972 beds, with a further 1,500 beds provided by the independent sector. This has now increased and there are 32 NHS medium secure units.
The capacity review set out three projections for increases in medium secure capacity, based on variations in trends. The low projections were the lowest capacity increase likely and the high projections were the highest capacity increase likely. The medium projections were the most likely and, in subsequent discussions with stakeholders, the medium projections were thought to be reasonable. An extract from the review with a breakdown of capacity and projections by catchment areas is shown in the following tables. In total, the medium projections in the capacity review predicted an increase in capacity of 614 beds for men and 85 beds for women between 2005-06 and 2010-11, so a total of 699 beds. The NHS is on course to exceed this projected increase in capacity in medium secure services, as long as outlined local plans are followed.
The NHS have been working on local commissioning plans to ensure strategic planning on a regional basis. These local commissioning plans are under constant review by local commissioners and are updated to take account of changing local circumstances.
Extract from the capacity review showing estimated projected capacity requirements for medium secure services:
The following tables show total patient and bed numbers for 2005-06 to 2010-11 broken down by catchment group.
| Male patients | ||||
| 2005-06 | End 2010-11 | |||
| Catchment group | Baseline | Lower | Middle | Higher |
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