Previous Section Index Home Page

14 Jan 2008 : Column 1012W—continued


Departmental Redundancy

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of redundancies in his Department in the 12 months preceding (a) 30 June 2004, (b) 30 June 2005 and (c) 30 June 2006. [175337]

Mr. Bradshaw: The requested information—organised with respect to financial years—is shown in the following table. Data for 2003-04 could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.

Compulsory (£) Voluntary (£) Total (£) Number of leavers

2004-05

18,808,078

4,334,777

23,142,855

200

2005-06

3,560,055

2,981,767

6,541,822

33


Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department (a) were disciplined and (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last five years. [163701]

Mr. Bradshaw: Central human resources (HR) records do not hold the required information before 1 August 2006 as prior to that date the HR function was devolved and information was held only locally.


14 Jan 2008 : Column 1013W

The Department of Health manages long-term absence through a standard procedure based on accepted policy. Between 1 August 2006 and 31 March 2007, seven staff were taken through the procedure because of long-term absence due to ill-health.

Three of these returned to work with no subsequent recurring absence. The other four are still absent and are at various stages of the long-term sick policy procedure.

Since 1 August 2006 no staff have had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record.

Doctors: Housing

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007, Official Report, column 714W, on doctors: housing, which elements of the consultation between 1 October and 31 January referred (a) directly and (b) indirectly to the changes to the arrangements for accommodation for junior doctors. [172007]

Ann Keen: The requirement for doctors to be resident was contained within section 10 of the Medical Act. The consultation document contained a copy of the draft order which included a repeal of section 10.

There was also a section specifically relating to the new training and supervision requirements for recently qualified practitioners. This specifically referred to the new section 10A.

The consultation document also contained an invitation for interested parties to submit comments on any issues dealt with in the draft order.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2007, Official Report, column 714W, on doctors: housing, whether the Junior Doctors Committee supported the removal of free accommodation from junior doctors. [172009]

Ann Keen: Changes to the Medical Act, which removed the statutory requirement for residence were subject to consultation. The British Medical Association were involved in the consultation process and do not appear to have objected to the proposed revisions to the Act.

Doctors: Manpower

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many and what percentage of (a) doctors and (b) nurses employed by the NHS were (i) non-UK citizens and (ii) non-EU citizens in each year since 1997; [177407]

(2) how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses were recruited by the NHS from (i) non-EU countries and (ii) African countries in each year since 1999. [177408]

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

The Information Centre for health and social care does not collect data on the nationality of doctors
14 Jan 2008 : Column 1014W
working in the national health service but does collect data on their country of qualification group. The latest information can be found at table four of the ‘NHS Hospital and Community Health Services: Medical and Dental Staff England 1996-2006’, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. No similar information is collected for nurses.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (the regulatory body for nurses, midwives and health visitors) does not collect data on the nationality of registered nurses or midwives but does record the country of qualification of new registrants. The latest information is available in the document ‘Nursing and Midwifery Council, Statistical Analysis of the Register, 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006’, which is available in the Library. Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council is not a guarantee of employment in the NHS and newly registered nurses and midwives may not be in the United Kingdom or working in the NHS.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Mr. Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for residential rehabilitation treatment for drug addicts (a) nationally and (b) in Plymouth in the most recent period for which figures are available. [177911]

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format it has been requested.

On average across England, 96 per cent. of people were able to access drug treatment in three weeks or under. Data on waiting times for substance misuse treatment for April to October 2007 show that 89 per cent. of clients entering all forms of drug treatment in Plymouth waited three weeks or under. These data are not broken down by individual types of drug treatment(1).

Latest information from Plymouth drug action team shows that 67 out of 68 referrals for 2007 up to mid December to enter residential rehabilitation treatment (including multiple presentations by the same person) commenced treatment within 21 days and the remaining one commenced treatment within 43 days.

The Department has made available £54.3 million of capital funding commencing in 2007 to support the expansion of residential based treatment services.

Eyesight: Testing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received free eye tests in each London borough in each year since 1997. [172943]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested.

The total number of sight tests paid for by the national health service are available at health authority (HA) level for 1996-97 to 2002-03 (in table 1) and at strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) level for 2003-04 to 2006-07 (table 2).

In both tables, figures are the total number of free sight tests and do not take into account individuals
14 Jan 2008 : Column 1015W
who may have had more than one sight test in the same area within the same time period.

Table 1: Total number of sight tests paid for by the NHS, by health authority, in London( 1) between 1 April and 31 March in the specified years
Thousand
1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03

London(1)

998

1,023

1,003

1,239

1,254

1,244

1,205

Barking and Havering

53

52

53

72

74

77

81

Barnet

50

51

52

63

70

(2)

(2)

Barnet, Enfield and Haringey

(2)

(2)

(2)

(2)

(2)

157

146

Bexley and Greenwich

54

57

60

74

83

(2)

(2)

Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich

(2)

(2)

(2)

(2)

(2)

146

144

Brent and Harrow

75

75

76

89

87

89

87

Bromley

37

38

39

58

61

(2)

(2)

Camden and Islington

63

57

49

58

59

58

55

Croydon

47

46

46

60

60

56

56

Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

85

85

76

97

97

97

93

East London and the City

113

122

118

129

127

121

110

Enfield and Haringey

79

80

79

94

96

(2)

(2)

Hillingdon

32

32

32

45

44

48

48

Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

37

43

40

49

54

52

52

Kingston and Richmond

33

33

34

51

52

54

53

Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

93

94

88

106

105

103

98

Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

74

76

74

96

96

88

89

Redbridge and Waltham Forest

73

80

86

98

92

96

92

(1 )London is the Government office region and is a sum of the HAs.
(2) Not applicable.
Note:
Totals may not equal the sum of component parts due to rounding.
Source:
The Information Centre for health and social care

Next Section Index Home Page

Next Section Index Home Page