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25 Jan 2008 : Column 2293W—continued
English Language
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on English language classes for staff in the last year for which figures are available. [177484]
Mr. Bradshaw: We do not hold central records of expenditure on English language classes. A survey to gather relevant information would involve disproportionate costs. Informally, we believe that a survey would identify very little or no expenditure on such classes.
General Practitioners
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department uses to monitor patients’ access to out-of-hours general practitioner services. [180337]
Mr. Bradshaw: We do not collect this information centrally. Primary care trusts have a responsibility to ensure they provide, or secure provision of a high quality, sustainable service that meets the needs of their local population.
All out-of-hours services must be delivered to the national quality requirements, ensuring patients have access to consistently high quality and responsive care, regardless of where they live. Providers must deliver services that meet the quality requirements, as a contractual obligation. The requirements stipulate that:
patients will be guaranteed a general practitioner consultation—including a home visit if there is a clinical need;
patients are treated by the clinician best equipped to meet their needs in the most appropriate location; and
services will be regularly audited to ensure that patients are receiving quality care.
Health Professions: Barnet
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hospital doctors, (b) nurses, (c) GPs, (d) GP practice nurses, (e) nurse practitioners, (f) modern matrons, (g) community matrons and (h) NHS managers there were in Barnet in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006-07; and if he will make a statement. [177908]
Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested is held at national health service trust level only.
The table shows the data held for Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust, Barnet primary care trust and the Royal Free Hampstead NHS trust, which serve the Barnet area, and the former Barnet health authority. 1997 data is available only for the Royal Free Hampstead NHS trust, and Barnet health authority. Latest available data is for 2006.
Over 1.33 million people were employed in the NHS in England as at September 2006. Between September 1997 and 2006 the total number of NHS staff increased by over 280,000 (27 per cent.); the number of doctors and hospital dentists employed in the NHS in England increased by 35,993 (40 per cent.) to 125,612; the number of nurses employed in the NHS in England increased by 79,479 (25 per cent.) to 398,335; and the total number of qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff employed in the NHS in England increased by 38,200 (40 per cent.) to 134,498.
We are now moving away from year-on-year growth in the NHS workforce to more of a steady state where there is a closer match between demand and supply. The focus now is strengthening frontline capacity through increases in productivity and skill mix. In some cases, productivity gains may mean that fewer staff are needed to deliver the same service outcomes.
Health Services: Thames Gateway
Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what administrative arrangements have been put in place at departmental level to co-ordinate the delivery of new health care facilities and resources in the Thames Gateway growth area to meet the demands of new house building within the region. [174219]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Thames Gateway Cross Government Board, comprising several officials from a number of Government Departments, including the Department, is responsible for the co-ordination of central Government investment in the Thames Gateway growth area, including the provision of health services.
Incontinence
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends to make it his policy to consult further before making any final decision upon the details and impact of any revised option for the proposed changes to Part IX of the Drug Tariff when he considers the responses to the consultation Arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances—and related services—to Primary Care. [181987]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The latest consultation closed on 28 December 2008. Ministers have agreed that the Department can meet with industry and other relevant parties to discuss the best way to conclude this review.
No further decisions have been made.
Meat Products: Origin Marking
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2007, Official Report, columns 710-11W, on pork, what minimum level of substantial change is required in order to permit the country in which a pork product was processed to be described as the country of origin on its labelling. [181992]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: There is no definition of place of ‘last substantial transformation/change’ in European Union law. However, the Food Standards Agency suggests in its “Guidance on Country of Origin Labelling” that, for example, the transformation of pork into bacon, ham or pies should be regarded as a treatment or process resulting in a substantial change, while simply slicing, cutting and/or packing meat does not amount to such a change.
Mental Health Services: Greater London
Mr. Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget was for each mental health primary care trust within Greater London in each year since 1997. [178457]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 14 January 2008]: The information is not available in the format requested. There are no mental health primary care trusts (PCTs). Furthermore, the Department does not hold information on the budgets of PCTs. However, the following tables shows the net operating costs, which relates to the size of the PCT, of all London PCTs and the spend on secondary mental illness from 2000-01 to 2006-07.
| £000 | ||||||||
| 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | |||||
| London PCT | Net Operating costs | Spend on secondary mental illness | Net Operating costs | Spend on secondary mental illness | Net Operating costs | Spend on secondary mental illness | Net Operating costs | Spend on secondary mental illness |
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