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10 Dec 2007 : Column 320W—continued


David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to enhance public and patient confidence in each of the seven Government Professional Health Reform Implementation Programme work streams. [169194]

Mr. Bradshaw: We are proposing an event specifically for patient and public representatives in new year 2008 once all of the working groups have met. The purpose of the event will be to present the programme as a whole to representatives and to seek their feedback. This is in addition to the continuing involvement of patient and public representatives in the working groups and the National Advisory Group meeting. We are also planning to increase the number of public and patient representatives at the next National Advisory Group meeting.

Health Services: Standards

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much additional funding his Department has provided for NHS communicators to support the End waiting, change lives campaign, broken down by financial year. [170191]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department provided each strategic health authority with an additional £50,000 during the 2007-08 financial year.

Hillingdon Hospital: Hospital Beds

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many bed spaces there were on average at Hillingdon hospital in each year since 1997. [169679]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested can be found in the following table, which shows the number of average available and occupied beds at Hillingdon hospital NHS trust since 1997 to 2006.

The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust
Total (available) Total (occupied)

1997-98

566

516

1998-99

567

498

1999-2000

573

519

2000-01

654

581

2001-02

661

585

2002-03

668

594

2003-04

539

472

2004-05

512

441

2005-06

538

433

2006-07

480

395

Source:
Department of Health form KH03

Hillingdon Primary Care Trust: Finance

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial position is of Hillingdon Primary Care Trust. [171094]

Mr. Bradshaw: The current financial position of Hillingdon Primary Care Trust (PCT) shows that at quarter two 2007-08 the PCT is forecasting a year-end breakeven position.

Hospital Wards: Closures

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many hospitals have closed wards since May 1997; and in which constituencies they are located; [170627]

(2) which hospitals have closed since May 1997, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [170628]

Mr. Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.

National health service organisations will decide locally what constitutes the best configuration of health care services and facilities for their populations, working in conjunction with clinicians, patients and other stakeholders.

In some localities, services may be provided in large centralised hospitals, while others may offer the same services in a community setting. The number, type and configuration of wards will depend on the range and extent of services to be provided.

Hospitals: Housing

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether trusts are able to rent hospital accommodation to (a) persons who are not junior doctors and (b) persons who are not health professionals. [170567]

Mr. Bradshaw: National health service trusts may carry out property transactions that are linked to their ability to carry out their functions.

In addition, NHS trusts have income generation powers under the National Health Service Act 2006 allowing them to raise additional income by marketing any spare capacity provided it does not, to any significant extent, interfere with the performance by trusts of their functions. These powers include “supplying accommodation to any person”.


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Hospitals: Parking

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance he has issued on NHS hospitals levying car parking charges on disabled parking bays; and if he will make a statement; [171867]

(2) how many NHS hospital trusts in England charge patients and visitors who are disabled badge holders for parking at their hospitals. [171887]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Department issued revised guidance to the national health service in December 2006 entitled Income Generation: Car Parking Charges—Best Practice for Implementation on the issues to be considered when setting up a car parking scheme or when reviewing existing ones, including what charges to impose and what concessions to consider. This guidance strongly encourages the NHS to be sensitive to those patients who have to use their car parks regularly, by, for instance, offering them reduced price or free car parking. The guidance also stresses the importance of considering the needs of disabled users.

There is no statistical information collected on the number of NHS trusts in England which charge disabled badge holders for parking at their hospitals. It is therefore not possible to provide this information.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in (a) England and (b) Teesside follow his Department’s guidance on providing car parking concessions for patients travelling regularly for treatment; and what steps he has taken in relation to hospitals which do not follow the guidance. [171966]

Mr. Bradshaw: There is no statistical information collected on the number of hospitals in England that provide car parking concessions for patients travelling regularly for treatment. It is therefore not possible to provide this information.

Guidance issued to the national health service in December 2006 entitled “Income Generation: Car Parking Charges—Best Practice for Implementation” strongly encourages national health service bodies to be sensitive to those patients who have to use their car parks regularly, by, for instance, offering them reduced price or free car parking. However, NHS bodies are autonomous organisations and are not statutorily obliged to implement this best practice. It is for individual NHS bodies to set the level of charges on their premises, taking account of all the relevant local factors.

Medical Equipment

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the evidential basis is for the statement on page 7 of the consultation document Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances—and related services—to Primary Care that there are indications that underlying manufacturing costs have gone down; [163866]

(2) which companies supplying products listed in Part IX of the Drug Tariff have provided information to his Department of a decline in manufacturing costs; [163867]


10 Dec 2007 : Column 322W

(3) which products were used to set the benchmark price in the proposed new pricing model for catheter, incontinence and stoma items; and when they were first listed on the Drug Tariff. [163870]

Mr. Bradshaw: About £200 million a year is spent on appliances listed in part IXA (catheter-related), part IXB (continence-related) and part IXC (stoma-related) of the Drug Tariff.

Arrangements for reimbursement of these remained largely unchanged for 20 years and information obtained through the consultation process to date indicates that efficiencies have been achieved in the manufacturing process. If this is not the case, the current consultation gives all parties the opportunity to provide evidence to the contrary.

The proposed levels of reimbursement for catheter, continence and stoma-related appliances was set by using a pricing model that is set out in annex C of the consultation document entitled “Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances—and related services—to Primary Care. Revised proposals”.

Within each subcategory, the market share for products is measured as a percentage of total annual net ingredient cost spend. To determine the pricing model benchmark price, products with very low market share are excluded—as they may not represent a valid benchmark for pricing comparison. In relation to stoma and incontinence appliances, the Department proposed that products of less than 0.1 per cent. of market share should be excluded for benchmarking purposes.

This model was applied to the 5,000 plus items that are listed in parts IXA, B and C. As proposed, these items have been classified into 228 categories. To identify the date that the items that were at the benchmark price were first listed in the Drug Tariff could be done only at disproportionate cost to the Department. Information provided during meetings and in correspondence and has been offered commercial in confidence.

Medical Records: Databases

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances a patient's wishes expressed as a section 10 opt-out from the summary care record are expected to be overridden. [168955]

Mr. Bradshaw: The Data Protection Act 1998 makes it clear that a section 10 request should only be overridden where the purpose served by processing the data is sufficiently important to warrant doing so even where it is accepted that substantial harm or distress is being caused. We do not expect there to be many, if any, circumstances where this would arise in the case of an individual who is competent to make decisions. We are, however, taking legal advice, and consulting with the Department for Children, Families and Schools, about the position in respect of those that lack competence, where all decisions should be taken in the individual's best interests.

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it will be lawful for the secondary users
10 Dec 2007 : Column 323W
database to be searched at the request of the police and for the police to be provided with the identity of individuals whose medical records contain specific information. [168956]

Mr. Bradshaw: Data from the secondary uses service will only be disclosed to the police where it is in the overriding public interest, for example to prevent, or support detection of, extremely serious crimes, where there is statutory authority, or where the courts have made an order requiring disclosure.

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who the data controller will be in respect of the information stored on the secondary users database. [169023]

Mr. Bradshaw: The data controller for information held within the secondary users service is the Department. Other organisations lawfully permitted access to data held within the secondary users service will be data controllers in common for the subset of data that they can access.

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances he may be designated the data controller in relation to personal data processed on a detailed care record. [169025]


10 Dec 2007 : Column 324W

Mr. Bradshaw: With regard to detailed care records provided as part of the national health service care records service, the Department is data controller in common with the NHS organisations providing health care to patients. Although key data controller responsibilities such as overall network and technical system security are managed through the Department's contracts, most data controller responsibilities will be discharged by local organisations. However, there may be occasions, for example due to an organisation ceasing to exist or function, where the Department is the sole data controller for the data concerned.

Midwives: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives worked in each London primary care trust on the 1 July in each of the last 10 years. [169376]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the following table.

However, midwives are employed primarily by acute trusts, so the figures shown are for all organisations which employ midwives in the London Strategic Health Authority area. The non-medical workforce census, which the figures are taken from, is collected as at 30 September.


10 Dec 2007 : Column 325W

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10 Dec 2007 : Column 328W
National health service hospital and community health services: Qualified midwifery staff in the London Strategic Health Authority area by organisation as at 30 September each specified year
Headcount
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006( 1)

London Strategic Health Authority area

3,370

3,406

3,581

3,399

3,526

3,601

3,981

3,950

4,338

4,307

Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust

RF4

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

248

244

283

284

297

292

Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust

RVL

n/a

n/a

222

206

229

260

247

242

270

243

Barts and the London NHS Trust

RNJ

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

119

150

142

131

115

Brent and Harrow HA

QAR

0

0

0

1

0

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust

RG3

94

97

89

84

87

88

90

96

109

121

Central Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust

RAU

48

57

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Chase Farm Hospital NHS Trust

RG9

135

120

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust

RQM

129

149

152

146

142

148

151

121

188

165

Croydon PCT

5K9

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

2

0

0

0

0

Ealing Hospital NHS Trust

RC3

101

80

92

110

131

65

69

88

91

45

Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust

RVR

n/a

n/a

256

242

210

232

231

220

229

225

Forest Healthcare NHS Trust

RDF

110

116

117

109

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Guys and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

RJ1

176

235

189

140

170

176

234

239

286

342

Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust

RQN

46

71

150

188

198

172

141

154

214

160

Haringey Teaching PCT

5C9

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

0

0

0

0

0

Havering Hospitals NHS Trust

RG7

141

140

132

147

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust

RAS

167

132

105

105

106

184

175

157

125

145

Hillingdon PCT

5AT

n/a

n/a

n/a

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

RQX

156

130

121

99

132

159

159

196

196

179

Kensington and Chelsea PCT

5LA

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

0

1

0

0

0

King’s College Hospital NHS Trust

RJZ

151

115

132

128

160

161

198

197

209

210

Kingston Hospital NHS Trust

RAX

156

176

177

165

157

160

162

155

172

179

London Strategic Health Authority

Q36

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

0

0

0

0

2

Mayday HealthCare NHS Trust

RJ6

157

44

200

89

111

98

99

106

102

141

Newham Community Health Services NHS Trust

RRH

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Newham University Hospital NHS Trust

RNH

115

141

157

115

125

119

119

118

146

156

North East London SHA

Q06

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

0

2

2

2

0

North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

RAP

107

111

97

96

104

100

117

127

93

87

North West London Hospitals NHS Trust

RV8

0

0

158

174

129

135

137

125

149

116

Northwick Park Hospital NHS Trust

RFZ

98

106

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust

RG2

88

109

19

52

29

26

178

99

137

157

Queen Mary’s Sidcup NHS Trust

RGZ

159

162

161

151

175

204

161

124

122

109

Redbridge Health Care NHS Trust

RG4

103

111

99

100

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Redbridge PCT

5NA

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1

1

0

0

0

Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton NHS Trust

RHG

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust

RAL

26

25

50

38

51

95

105

72

99

131

St. George’s Healthcare NHS Trust

RJ7

116

119

120

134

138

146

150

148

176

143

St. Helier NHS Trust

RAZ

156

164

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

St. Mary’s NHS Trust

RJ5

81

84

87

74

75

71

87

105

110

135

The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust

RJ2

53

99

102

111

103

114

127

106

140

143

The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

RKE

112

103

137

136

103

106

84

154

176

159

Tower Hamlets Healthcare NHS Trust

RRG

127

139

137

121

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Tower Hamlets PCT

5C4

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

117

1

1

1

1

1

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

RRV

20

30

35

52

64

67

85

94

101

134

Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone PCT

5C6

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

0

1

0

0

0

0

Wellhouse NHS Trust

RDC

135

140

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust

RFW

104

101

88

86

109

67

81

94

123

127

Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust

RGC

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

122

80

156

184

143

145

n/a = not applicable
(1) More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total workforce figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years’ figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years’ figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent., of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full-time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time.
Note:
Data are presented for NHS organisations in existence for each year.
Source:
The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census.

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