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10 Dec 2007 : Column 297W—continued
Up until April 2005, all care and nursing homes were required to be inspected twice yearly. From April 2005, CSCI's inspectors started using new ways of inspecting social care providers, based on the aims set out in the consultation document, “Inspecting for Better Lives”. The new inspection methodology is designed to place
the people who use social care services and their experiences at the heart of the way CSCI inspects and regulates care services.
From April 2005, CSCI has carried out key inspections for care and nursing homes at a frequency determined by the quality of the service. A key inspection is a thorough, detailed inspection, under which CSCI will assess all of the key national minimum standards. For example, a “poor” quality service will receive a minimum of two key inspections a year, an “adequate” service will receive a minimum of one key inspection a year, a “good” service will receive a minimum of one key inspection every two years, and an “excellent” service will receive a key inspection a minimum of once every three years.
CSCI also carries out “random” and “thematic” inspections, which are short, focused inspections on a specific theme or area.
The Healthcare Commission is responsible for inspecting hospitals. The Healthcare Commission checks annually that core standards are in place across each national health service trust. If inspected, a trust is required to provide evidence that standards are in place in each part of the organisation. This includes wards for older patients. About 20 per cent. of trusts are selected for a core standards inspection each year.
In addition, in February 2007, the Healthcare Commission carried out a more in-depth review of dignity and care arrangements for older patients in hospital. Twenty-three hospitals were visited and a range of observations and interviews of ward staff were undertaken. The report of the findings can be found on the Healthcare Commission website at:
Chan Wheeler
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contractual arrangements the NHS has in place to allow the Commercial Director of the NHS, Chan Wheeler, to participate in the legal actions in which he is involved in the United States of America. [169497]
Mr. Bradshaw: Mr. Channing Wheeler, Director General, Commercial Directorate, is employed by the Department. He holds a senior civil service contract and is subject to the Department's standard leave policies. Mr. Wheeler has not taken leave to participate in any legal actions since taking up appointment on 18 June 2007. There are no contractual arrangements in place between Mr. Wheeler and the national health service.
Chase Farm Hospital: Manpower
Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses and (b) doctors were relocated away from the Chase Farm hospital site by Barnet and Chase Farm NHS trust in each of the last 10 years. [169689]
Mr. Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally. Workforce planning is a matter for determination by the local national health service, as they are best placed to asses the health care needs of their local populations.
Chiropody: Greater London
Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average waiting time to see a chiropodist was in (a) Uxbridge constituency and (b) the London borough of Hillingdon in each year since 1997 for which figures are available; [171095]
(2) how many patients received chiropody treatment in (a) Uxbridge constituency and (b) the London borough of Hillingdon in each year since 1997 for which figures are available; [171096]
(3) what plans he has to improve NHS chiropody services in (a) Uxbridge and (b) the London borough of Hillingdon; [171097]
(4) what chiropody services there are in (a) Uxbridge constituency and (b) the London borough of Hillingdon. [171098]
Mr. Bradshaw: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to ensure that the services they commission meet the needs of the populations that they serve, including chiropody services.
Christmas
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas (a) cards, (b) parties and (c) decorations in each of the last five years. [171431]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department has spent the following on official Christmas cards since 2002:
| Cost (£) | |
All expenditure incurred in the purchase and postage of official Christmas cards is made in accordance with the Department’s guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in “Government Accounting”.
The Department has spent the following on Christmas trees and tree decorations:
| Cost (£) | |
The Department has not spent anything on Christmas parties in each of the last five years. Information about what agencies spend on these items is not held centrally.
Community Hospitals
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community or cottage hospitals were operating in 1980; how many were closed in each
subsequent year; and what the change was in the number of bed spaces as a result in each year. [165157]
Mr. Bradshaw: These figures are not routinely collected. We are however aware that since 1980 some small hospitals have closed and some new health premises have opened. The policy developments for community hospitals contained in the “Our health, Our care, Our say” White Paper are leading to a wider range of provision of local health and social care services and this is supported by a £750 million capital investment programme for community hospitals and services.
Dental Services
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts are operating waiting lists for patients wishing to access primary dental care. [172716]
Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally. It is for primary care trusts to make local arrangements to support patients in accessing national health service dental services.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department last conducted an assessment of the level of (a) need and (b) demand for NHS primary dental care. [172752]
Ann Keen: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for providing or commissioning primary dental care services to reflect local needs. PCTs have function within The Functions of Primary Care Trusts (Dental Public Health) (England) Regulations 2006 (SI No 2006/185) to undertake oral health surveys to assess and monitor oral health needs within their area. This is a local rather than centrally managed process. The Department has issued guidance to the local national health service on developing local dental commissioning plans. Additional support is available through the National Primary Care Contracting Team.
Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the value of the dental health care market was borne by (a) the NHS and (b) private practice in each year since 1997; and how this is calculated. [172753]
Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data on expenditure on private dentistry which would allow it to identify the total value of the dental health care market and its apportionment between the national health service and private sectors.
Departmental Consultants
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) for which of his Department’s programmes the total cost to date of employing consultants has surpassed £500,000; [170613]
(2) for which programmes his Department employs consultants at a cost of more than £100,000 per annum. [170614]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information on consultants in the format requested. To do so would attract disproportionate cost.
A new system will be introduced in April 2008 called SHOWA, which will be able to gather such information for the Department.
Departmental Cost Effectiveness
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 November 2007, Official Report, column 377WA, on Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body, if he will place in the Library a copy of the value for money delivery plan that his Department prepared as part of the comprehensive spending review. [169867]
Mr. Bradshaw: In line with the requirements on all Government departments as part of the comprehensive spending review, we will be publishing our value for money delivery agreement by the end of December, following clearance by HM Treasury.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on implementing savings under the Gershon programme; and how much was saved in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [170439]
Mr. Bradshaw: In the period up to June 2007 the Department had achieved £5,524 million towards its target of £6,470 million by March 2008.
We will be providing full details of progress up to September 2007 in our autumn performance report, which will be published in December and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what reviews have been undertaken of his Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of his Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if (a) his Department and (b) his Department's agencies will undertake a review of their compliance with data protection laws; [168089]
(2) on how many occasions in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before its transfer; what technical protections there are in his Department's computer
systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of his Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations; [168255]
(3) how many employees of each grade in his Department (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and (b) are authorised to download such data to disc; how many of his Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of (i) his Department and (ii) his Department's agencies has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of his Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases were. [168275]
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is (a) stored and (b) transported securely. [168475]
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years; [168812]
(2) how many breaches of data protection security there were in (a) his Department and (b) his Department's agencies in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach. [168828]
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds. [171418]
Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data. [169223]
Mr. Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007, Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments’ procedures will be made on completion of the review.
Departmental Orders and Regulations
Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regulations his Department has (a) made and (b) revoked in the last 12 months. [167082]
Mr. Bradshaw: In the year ending November 2007, the Department made 99 statutory instruments and revoked 28 and part of one other.
Departmental Pay
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in his Department earned a salary over £100,000 in each year since 1997. [167193]
Mr. Bradshaw: The following table presents the data for the years as requested. Figures for 1997 to 2006 are taken from departmental annual reports. The 2007 figure is taken directly from the Department’s payroll system.
| In post date (1 April each year) | Number of staff earning a salary over £100,000 on that date |
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