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20 Jun 2008 : Column 1232W—continued
Departmental Public Expenditure
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) with reference to page 148 of his Department's annual report 2008, what percentage of the (a) primary care trust allocations and (b) NHS Trust and FT capital budgets have already been allocated; [209138]
(2) pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2008, Official Report, columns 1672-3W, on departmental public expenditure, what capital plans his Department has agreed for 2008-09; how much was allocated for each in 2008-09; and what the indicative allocations are for (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11 for each; [209183]
(3) how much has been set aside in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 to cover the costs of the arrangements to fund the local investment plans of (i) primary care trusts, (ii) foundation trusts and (iii) NHS trusts. [209184]
Mr. Bradshaw: The amounts allowed on page 148 of Departmental Report 2008 for primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) capital expenditure and that of national health service trusts and foundation trusts (FTs) are £0.8 billion and £2.7 billion respectively.
As explained in my answer of 15 May 2008, PCTs and NHS trusts are no longer subject to the formulaic capital allocations of recent years. Under the new capital regimes established for them, capital for investment by PCTs and NHS trusts is allocated in response to plans that they submit at the start of the year, as part of their annual planning process.
The process for 2008-09 is not yet complete, as had been anticipated in the answer of 15 May 2008. It is however well advanced, with individual NHS trusts, and PCTs, plans having been checked for accuracy by SHAs and with the position across most SHA patches validated by the Department. The SHAs and Departmental officials are now broadly satisfied with the majority of the plans and should be able to approve them in the next few weeks.
As capital plans have not yet been approved, none of the capital funding identified for expenditure by PCTs or NHS Trusts in 2008-09 has so far been formally allocated. For the NHS trusts and FTs, however, approaching £1.8 billion of the cash that is spent on capital investment is provided through the cash-funding of depreciation in their revenue income. NHS trusts have had confirmation that they may invest this capital funding, which equates to about 65 per cent. of the £2.7 billion that is stated on page 148 of the Departmental Report 2008 as being available to fund capital investment by NHS trusts and FTs.
FTs are not subject to capital allocations or required to submit financial plans to the Department in the same way as PCTs and NHS trusts. Under their capital regime, the majority of their investment is funded with cash retained from their operations and any property disposals, and through borrowing from the departmentally operated FT financing facility.
Included in the £0.8 billion identified in the Departmental Report 2008 for SHAs and PCTs was a total of £0.497 billion for expenditure on PCTs, own local investment plans in 2008-09, of which £0.097 million was expected to be released through the PCTs’ own property disposals. The remaining £0.4 billion of capital resources that was to be provided by the Department had already been notified to PCTs in ‘The Operating Framework For the NHS in England 2008-09’, which was published in December 2007. This document also advised that the Department would contribute £0.48 billion towards PCTs’ local investment plans in 2009-10 and £0.565 billion in 2010-11. The £0.48 billion and £0.565 billion do not include any anticipated contribution from PCTs' property disposals. Copies of this document are available in the Library
The £2.7 billion identified in the Departmental Report 2008 for NHS trusts and FTs capital expenditure included £2.165 billion for expenditure on trusts' local capital investment plans, of which £0.159 billion was expected to be released through the trusts' own property disposals. There is no fixed split of the £2.165 billion into a budget for NHS trusts and FTs. This is because the expenditure of each of these sectors will depend on the number of trusts that achieve foundation status in the year.
The allowances for the local capital investment priorities of PCTs and NHS trusts in 2008-09 may be adjusted as part of the process referred to above of validating and signing off the plans of local NHS Trusts and PCTs.
Capital budgets to cover the local investment plans of NHS trusts and FTs in 2009-10 and 2010-11 and indicative capital allocations for NHS trusts and PCTs for those years have not yet been agreed or announced.
Diabetes: Nurses
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist diabetes nurses were employed in the NHS in each of the last five years. [212077]
Ann Keen: The information is not collected centrally.
The annual national health service workforce census does not separately identify the nurses.
The Government have supported the development of a range of specialist roles within nursing. It is for local NHS organisations to invest in training for specialist skills and to deploy specialist nurses in accordance with their local needs.
Doctors: Working Hours
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of doctors (a) working in the NHS and (b) required by the NHS to meet requirements under the Working Time Directive in each of the next five years, broken down by (i) specialism and (b) grade. [212204]
Ann Keen: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 May 2008, Official Report, columns 1541-42W.
General Practitioners
Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his policy that primary care trusts may expand existing doctors' practices in under-doctored areas by employing more general practitioners rather than creating a new practice in circumstances where the primary care trust considers that this would be the most effective means by which to increase access to general practitioners. [212951]
Mr. Bradshaw: The additional funding provided to primary care trusts (PCTs) in poorly served areas is to secure additional new primary care capacity through an open and fair transparent procurement process. This does not preclude existing general practitioner practices putting forward tenders to expand existing services and capacity that meet their local PCTs service specifications.
NHS: Training
Mr. Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many applications for income-assessed NHS student bursaries were received in each of the last five years; how many applicants were successful; and how much was paid in such bursaries; [212849]
(2) how many applications were received for non-income assessed NHS student bursaries in each of the last five years; how many applicants were successful; and how much was paid in such bursaries. [212834]
Ann Keen: The number of students for whom the NHS Student Bursaries Unit received and assessed an NHS bursary application form, the number of NHS bursary holders in training and the amount of NHS bursary paid for both income assessed bursaries and non-income assessed bursaries in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.
NHS: Working Hours
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the completion of the NHS National Workforce Projects pilots in relation to the European Working Time Directive. [212203]
Ann Keen: NHS National Workforce Projects have been commissioned by the Department to support national health service trusts with implementation of the European Working Time Directive for doctors in training and to ensure that learning from the pilots is supported and embedded into the NHS.
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings he has had with the South Central Strategic Health Authority to discuss the future of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre; and if he will make a statement. [212644]
Mr. Bradshaw: The decision about the future of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust is a matter for the local national health service.
More generally, the Department monitors and manages delivery of its key performance indicators for the NHS through strategic health authorities (SHAs), focusing on the priorities as laid out in the Operating Framework—The NHS in England: The Operating Framework for 2008-09, copies of this publication are available in the Library. Officials from the Department liaise regularly with South Central SHA to review performance against priorities.
Mr. Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of the current level of the national tariff on the finances of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. [212645]
Mr. Bradshaw: An impact analysis was undertaken prior to the publication of the national tariff for 2008-09. This analysis compared income under the 2008-09 tariff to income under the 2007-08 tariff based on 2005-06 activity levels. This indicated that the changes to the tariff in 2008-09 would be financially beneficial to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust.
Social Services: Training
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to launch the social care skills academy. [212205]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The intention is for the social care skills academy to be operational from March 2009. The process of developing the social care skills academy is being led by social care employers, facilitated and supported by the Department. An expression of interest in becoming a National Skills Academy will be submitted to the Learning and Skills Council by 15 July 2008.
Strokes
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) males and (b) females of each age group diagnosed with a transient ischaemic attack in each health authority area in each of the last five years. [210522]
Ann Keen: This information has been placed in the Library.
It should be noted that these figures are based on hospital episode statistics. Some cases of transient ischaemic attack will not be admitted into hospital and will not be counted.
Strokes: Rehabilitation
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to encourage improvements in support for people with communication disabilities following a stroke. [212304]
Ann Keen: The new National Stroke Strategy, published in December 2007, sets out 20 quality markers for the provision of high quality treatment and care for adult stroke survivors. Seven of those quality markers link directly to the kind of support and services which those who have had a stroke and their carers need in the community. These include support with communication disabilities and other high quality rehabilitation, information, advice, practical and peer support throughout the care pathway, in line with individual need. Copies of this publication are available in the Library.
In addition to the funding that has gone to primary care trusts, £105 million of central funding over three years will support implementation. This includes £45 million to local authorities (LAs) to help them develop or accelerate their existing provision of long-term support to those who live with the effects of a stroke. We expect that LAs will work with their NHS partners in this. The strategy recognises that some people who have had a stroke, including those with aphasia and other communication difficulties, will have specific support needs. We expect that LAs will use some of the new funding we have made available to meet these needs in line with local needs and priorities.
Strokes: Speech Impaired
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to increase access to communication support services for people who have suffered strokes in (a) England and (b) Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement; [212634]
(2) what NHS funding is available to help people recover from the loss of communication skills following strokes in (a) England and (b) Gloucestershire in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [212635]
Ann Keen: Information is not collected centrally for national health service funding that is available to help people recover from the loss of communication skills by people who have suffered strokes in England and Gloucestershire in each of the last five years.
The new ‘National Stroke Strategy’, published in December 2007, sets out 20 quality markers for the provision of high quality treatment and care for adult stroke survivors. Of those quality markers, seven link directly to the kind of support and services which those who have had a stroke and their carers need in the community. These include support with communication disabilities and other high quality rehabilitation, information, advice, practical and peer support throughout the care pathway, in line with individual need. Copies of the strategy are available in the Library.
In addition to the funding that has gone to primary care trusts, £105 million of central funding over three years will support implementation. This includes £45 million to local authorities (LAs) to help them develop or accelerate their existing provision of long-term support to those who live with the effects of a stroke. We expect that local authorities will work with their NHS partners in this. The strategy recognises that some people who have had a stroke, including those with aphasia and other communication difficulties, will have specific support needs. We expect that LAs will use some the new funding we have made available to meet these needs in line with local needs and priorities.
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