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15 Oct 2007 : Column 910W—continued
Clacton Hospital: Closures
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the recent local consultation to determine whether to shut the Peter Bruff Ward at Clacton hospital. [156984]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not held centrally. This is a matter for the local national health service and the East of England strategic health authority as the local headquarters of the NHS.
Contaminated Blood and Blood Products Inquiry
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has submitted evidence to the Archer inquiry into the safety of blood products; and if he will make a statement. [156814]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department is co-operating fully with the inquiry. Officials have met the inquiry team twice, on 25 April and 19 September, to hear their concerns. The evidence held by the Department is in the form of the official documents covering these issues in the years 1970-85. These documents have been prepared in line with the Freedom of Information Act and released to the inquiry team in monthly batches starting in June, and the final batch will be released this month.
Departments: Offices
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to establish regional offices of his Department; and whether they will be based on (a) strategic health authorities and (b) Government Office for the Region boundaries. [158186]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have no plans to establish regional offices of the Department.
The Department already has a public health presence which is co-located in each Government office for the region.
Following its high level review, the Department has considered options to improve our capacity and capability at a regional level; to strengthen our relationships with local authorities across their responsibilities for adult social care and improving public health.
Our proposals focus on building the capability and capacity of our presence in each Government office for the region. Our proposals do not suggest any change to the functions of strategic health authorities.
Departments: Publicity
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department’s projected spending is on advertising and promotional campaigns for (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09, broken down by cost relating to (i) television, (ii) radio and (iii) print media. [155892]
Dawn Primarolo: Figures for spend 2007-08 are as follows:
Sexual health: total campaign budget £1,177,000 (advertising expenditure only).
| Spend to date on specified channels | |
| £ | |
Further planned spend:
Radio: £230,000
Flu immunisation: total budget £879,000 (advertising expenditure only).
| Spend to date on specified channels | |
| £ | |
Further £13,000 is planned for later in the year.
Hepatitis C: total budget: £890,000 (advertising expenditure only).
| Planned spend | |
Tobacco control: £11,390,000 (advertising expenditure only).
| £ | |
Further £6,500,000 is planned for the rest of the year.
The aforementioned figures only refer to campaigns which are solely funded by the Department.
Figures for spend 2008-09 cannot be provided at this stage as budget and media allocations have not been finalised.
Departments: Reorganisation
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the basis is for the decision to put in place new arrangements for a comprehensive regional presence outlined in his Department's Capability Review and Development Plan, published on 12 September 2007; which arrangements currently exist to support the Department's regional presence; whether he anticipates the reconfiguration of strategic health authorities in support of the new arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [156808]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Following its high level review, the Department has considered options to improve our capacity and capability at a regional level; to strengthen our relationships with local authorities across their responsibilities for adult social care and improving public health.
At present the Department has a smaller presence in each Government office for the regions (GOR) than comparable Departments of State.
Our proposals focus on building the capability and capacity of our presence in each GOR. Our proposals do not suggest any change to the functions of strategic health authorities.
Departments: Temporary Employment
Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of his Department's staff were provided by agencies at the most recent date for which figures are available; and what the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest cost was per agency staff member for the most recent period for which figures are available. [156188]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department does not keep records that would provide such an analysis of agency staff. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Emergency Services: Crimes of Violence
Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people resident in Suffolk were charged with attacking emergency service workers in each of the last 10 years. [156766]
Ann Keen: This information is not collated centrally in relation to emergency workers engaged in delivery of national health service services.
General Practitioners
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written statement of 24 July 2007, Official Report, columns 52-4WS, on GP services (better access), what the scope is of Lord Darzi's work on the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF); whether his work will inform the QOF indicators which will apply in 2008-09; how Lord Darzi plans to seek views from (a) GPs, (b) other NHS staff and (c) other interested parties on his work; and if he will make a statement. [154515]
Ann Keen: The national health service Next Stage review announced on 4 July and led by Lord Darzi is addressing four challenges as set out in the terms of reference available in the Library and summarised as follows:
ensuring clinical decision making is at the heart of the NHS;
improving the quality of patient care;
delivering more accessible and convenient care, reflecting best value for money; and
ensuring services are responsive to patients and local communities.
In pursuing these issues, the review will consider the provision of primary medical services and the underpinning contractual incentives including the quality and outcomes framework. Discussions with the British Medical Association (BMA) and others about contractual matters are being taken forward in the normal way.
In the past 10 weeks Lord Darzi has met more than 1,500 patients and NHS staff to garner their views on the issues in question. He has also met the representatives of 250 stakeholder groups, including patient representative organisations, NHS trusts,
primary care trusts and strategic health authorities, as well as Royal Colleges and the voluntary sector and seen 1,400 letters and emails from individuals.
Health Services
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many urgent care networks there are in England; where they operate; and if he will make a statement. [156800]
Mr. Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. However, we have commissioned the Medical Care Research Unit at Sheffield University to investigate the operation of urgent and emergency care networks in the national health service.
Health Services: Bedfordshire
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) target levels of funding based on health needs and (b) actual level of funding received was for (i) the Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust and (ii) the Luton Primary Care Trust in each year since the trusts were established; and if he will make a statement. [155632]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: Revenue allocations were made to primary care trusts (PCT) for the first time in 2003-04. The following table show the allocations and distance from targets for Bedfordshire PCT and Luton PCT for the two allocation rounds 2003-06 and 2006-08.
| PCT name | Actual allocation (£000) | Closing distance from target (Percentage) |
| Notes: 1. 2003-04 to 2007-08 allocations were made to Bedford PCT and Bedfordshire Heartlands PCT, which merged to form Bedfordshire PCT on 1 October 2006. 2. 2003-04 to 2005-06 allocations were covered by a single resource allocation formula, which also took account of general medical services (GMS NCL) expenditure. Most GMS NCL funding was included in 2006-07 and 2007-08 allocations. 3. The distance from target (DFT) represents the actual allocation compared to the target allocation. With a DFT of -1 per cent. the actual allocation is 1 per cent. less than the target allocation. | ||
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account has been taken of (a) the number of people who have difficulties with the English language in Bedfordshire and Luton, (b) the sustainable communities growth areas, (c) the provision of (i) prescribing services, (ii) primary medical services, (iii) HIV/AIDS services for Bedfordshire and Luton and (iv) hospital and community health services, (d) the level of inward migration into Bedfordshire and Luton, (e) the weighted population for Bedfordshire and Luton, (f) the pace of change element for Bedfordshire and Luton and (g) the particular health needs of Bedfordshire and Luton when allocating funds for (A) Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust and (B) Luton Primary Care Trust; and if he will make a statement. [155926]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The formula which informed 2006-07 and 2007-08 allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) is described in “Resource allocation: weighted capitation formula (fifth edition)”.
The calculations behind 2006-07 and 2007-08 allocations, including populations, age, need, market forces factor and other adjustments, and pace of change policy are provided for the 303 PCTs to which those allocations were made in the publication entitled “2006-07 and 2007-08 PCT initial revenue resource limits”.
Both publications are available in the Library and at www.dh.gov.uk/allocations
Mrs. Dorries:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the age and accuracy of statistical information used when allocating funds for (a) Bedfordshire Primary Care
Trust and (b) Luton Primary Care Trust; and if he will make a statement. [155928]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The weighted capitation formula that is used to inform revenue allocations to primary care trusts is continuously overseen and developed by the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA).
“Resource allocation: weighted capitation formula (fifth edition)” describes the statistical information in the weighted capitation formula which informed allocations to primary care trusts in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
“Allocation of resources to English areas; individual and small area determinants of morbidity and use of healthcare resources (Sutton M, Gravelle H, Morris S, Leyland A, Windmeijer F, Dibben C, Muirhead M)”, report to the Department, further explains the statistical information used to develop need adjustments in the hospital and community health services and prescribing components of the formula.
Both publications are available in the Library and also at www.dh.gov.uk/allocations
ACRA also keep the accuracy of the information under review.
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