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10 Dec 2007 : Column 312W—continued
Health Services: Armed Forces
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the potential numbers of (a) serving and (b) veteran services personnel who (i) are eligible for and (ii) have received priority for treatment in the NHS in each of the last three years. [170210]
Mr. Bradshaw: The recent extension of long-standing arrangements for priority treatment for war pensioners to all veterans, for service-related conditions, does not affect the current arrangements for serving military personnel to get accelerated access to the national health service in certain circumstances.
There are about 4.8 million veterans. Most veterans with service-related conditions are already receiving any health care that they need for those conditions, sometimes with priority access as war pensioners. Our view is that the extension of the priority treatment arrangements will be relevant to only a small number of veterans.
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on the (a) 10 primary care trusts with the highest concentrations of serving and veteran service personnel and (b) the NHS of the decision to give priority treatment to serving and veteran service personnel. [170213]
Mr. Bradshaw: Information is not available about which primary care trusts (PCTs) have the highest concentration of veterans. The extension of priority treatment to all veterans will not affect serving military personnel, as their arrangements for accelerated access to the national health service are not changing. As with the current arrangements for priority treatment for war pensioners, decisions about priority treatment for all veterans will be made by the relevant clinicians, and will be subject to clinical need. There should be no significant additional cost: the policy is about prioritisation of future referrals.
Health Services: EC Accession
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of migration from A8 countries on health spending per capita in each Government Office region. [167650]
Mr. Bradshaw: Funding is allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each PCTs’ share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.
The 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations are based on 2003 based long-term sub-national population projections published by the Office for National Statistics. Population projections forecast the population from a base year estimate, taking into account ageing and assumptions based on past trends about births, deaths and migration.
The Home Office recently sought information on the effect of migration from A8 countries from each regional Government office for a presentation given by the Minister for Borders and Immigration to the Migration Impacts Forum (MIF). This was based mainly on anecdotal evidence from regional sources but many regions did in fact point to the young demographic and implicit good health of recent arrivals. We will be using future meetings of the MIF to discuss and consider in more detail health issues related to migration.
Health Services: Foreigners
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the submissions to the 2004 consultation Proposals to Exclude Overseas Visitors from Eligibility to Free NHS Primary Medical Services. [169116]
Mr. Bradshaw: The responses to the 2004 consultation, ‘Proposals to Exclude Overseas Visitors from Eligibility to Free NHS Primary Medical Services’ were both extensive and inconclusive. They highlighted a range of difficult and sensitive issues.
As a result, all these issues are now being considered as part of the joint Department of Health and Home Office review of the rules governing access to the national health service by foreign nationals. The review was announced on 7 March in the Home Office publication, ‘Enforcing the Rules: A new strategy to ensure and enforce compliance with our immigration laws’.
The review is due to be completed shortly and will then be followed by a full public consultation. The responses to the 2004 consultation are being considered as part of this review, we will publish the responses to the 2004 consultation when the Review of Access to the NHS by foreign nationals goes out to public consultation in spring 2008.
Health Services: Gloucestershire
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions Stroud District Council has had with Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust on the proposal to increase primary care provision in the new settlement of Hunts Grove, with particular reference to (a) numbers of GPs and (b) dentistry provision. [171018]
Mr. Bradshaw: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) in conjunction with other local stakeholders and their strategic health authorities to make assessments of health needs and to commission services accordingly.
Therefore, this is a matter between Stroud district council and Gloucestershire PCT.
My hon. Friend may wish to approach the council or the PCT directly on this matter.
Health Services: NHS Direct
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has plans to integrate the services provided by NHS walk-in centres with NHS Direct. [166447]
Mr. Bradshaw: There are no plans nationally to integrate these services. NHS Direct offers telephone advice and refers callers to NHS walk-in centres and other local services where face-to-face contact is needed.
Health Services: Private Sector
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the levels of expenditure by private companies on primary care premises and polyclinics; and if he will make a statement. [169195]
Mr. Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. It is for primary care trusts to agree locally with providers the level of investment into primary care premises.
Health Services: Publicity
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of creating his Department's End Waiting, Change Lives brand, broken down by (a) internal and (b) external consultancy costs. [170193]
Mr. Bradshaw: The creative design cost to develop the End Waiting, Changes Lives identity was £96,691.50. The cost includes developing and testing creative routes, refining the chosen route and applying it across materials and account management.
There were no internal consultancy costs.
Health Services: Reform
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the next Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme National Advisory Conference will take place; and what steps he is taking to ensure the representation of the public and patients. [169177]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence has been asked to host the next meeting of the National Advisory Group, which was proposed in ‘Trust, Assurance and Safety’, in spring 2008. A precise date and time has yet to be arranged. The Council has been asked to ensure that at least 50, of an estimated 500, places are available to patient and the public representatives.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the final reports to Ministers from the chairpersons of each of the seven Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme work streams are required to reflect a consensus position of all chairpersons. [169186]
Mr. Bradshaw: Chairpersons of each of the seven national working groups will not be required to reflect a consensus position of all chairpersons of the seven working groups. Each chairperson has been selected for their personal expertise in a particular area and the recommendations which they make will be considered in their totality by Ministers.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what responses his Department has received as a result of the work of each of the seven Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme work streams; and what the dates were of those responses. [169187]
Mr. Bradshaw: As yet none of the working groups have reported, although we expect the Enhancing Confidence in Healthcare Professional Regulators chair to submit the report from his working group to the Department by the end of November.
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which representatives of which public and patient organisations attended each of the seven Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme work streams; when each was invited to participate; how many of these meetings each attended; what estimate he has made of the period of time between the receipt of papers for meetings and the dates of those meetings; and whether patient and public representatives have been given opportunities to make formal presentations at those meetings. [169188]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the following table.
Patient and public representatives have been asked to contribute to working groups on an equal basis to other working group members.
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