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19 Nov 2007 : Column 600W—continued
General Practitioners: Hendon
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to (a) monitor and (b) improve access to GP appointments in Hendon; and if he will make a statement. [162991]
Mr. Bradshaw: The General Practitioner Patient Survey is the best indicator of public views on current access arrangements for GP services. The survey’s results at national, primary care trust and GP practice levels were published in July 2007. We expect PCTs to analyse their own survey results to understand local variation between their practices as well as patient needs, and have asked them to provide action plans by December for the delivery of access improvements.
General Practitioners: Manpower
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio of practising NHS general practitioners to population was in (a) Hemel Hempstead constituency, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) England in the last year for which figures are available. [164114]
Mr. Bradshaw: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of general medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) per 100,000 head of population for England, the East of England strategic health authority area and the two Hertfordshire primary care trusts.
| Number (headcount) | ||
| All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) | All practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) per 100,000 head of population | |
| Note: General medical practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars) includes GP and GP others. Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics. 2. Resident Population Estimates, Office for National Statistics. | ||
General Practitioners: Retirement
Mr. Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many single GP surgeries have closed following the retirement of the doctor in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [161918]
Mr. Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.
General Practitioners: Telephone Services
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of NHS GP surgeries in Leicester use premium rate phone lines for patient appointments; what guidance his Department provides to NHS GP surgeries on the use of premium rate phone lines for patient appointments; and if he will make a statement. [164132]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally.
East Midlands strategic health authority (SHA) reports that no general practice surgeries in Leicester use premium rate phone lines for patient appointments but that a number of surgeries do use 084 lo-call numbers.
The SHA reports that Leicester City primary care trust (PCT) is reviewing the use of 084 numbers as part of its improving access strategy. This review is taking place during November and the PCT should be in a position to report in December.
The provision of telephone services for patients and the public is a matter for the local national health service. The Department did however issue guidance in December of last year clearly setting out that patients should not be charged more than the equivalent of a local call.
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much his Department estimates GP surgeries receive in revenue from calls to 0844 revenue sharing numbers; [164453]
(2) how many GPs’ surgeries in each primary care trust area use 0844 revenue sharing telephone numbers; [164454]
(3) through what mechanism GP surgeries receive payment from calls to 0844 revenue sharing numbers. [164455]
Mr. Bradshaw [holding answer 15 November 2007]: We do not collect information centrally on the use of 084 telephone numbers.
The provision of telephone services for patients and the public is a matter for the local national health service. The Department did however issue guidance in December of last year clearly setting out that patients should not be charged more than the equivalent of a local call.
Health Services: Armed Forces
Mr. O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to ensure that there is a consistent implementation of the policy of priority treatment for armed services veterans by general practitioners and hospital clinicians; and if he will make a statement. [162362]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department sends out periodic reminders about the arrangements for priority treatment for war pensioners. Another reminder will be sent out shortly.
Hearing Aids: Waiting Lists
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for hearing aid assessments in each primary care trust in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [165088]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information on audiology assessments is shown in the following table.
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