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16 July 2008 : Column 520W—continued
Breast Cancer: Medical Treatments
Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to implement the recommendations arising from the National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit. [217807]
Ann Keen: There are no plans to implement centrally the recommendations arising from the national mastectomy and breast reconstruction audit.
However, the information from this audit will be useful for the national health service locally in considering how mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery services are provided and what action may be needed at a local level.
The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence is currently developing a clinical guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of early breast cancer. The guideline will cover surgical management and breast reconstruction. Publication of the guidance is expected in February 2009.
Car Allowances
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mileage allowance is provided to each category of entitled worker by (a) his Department and (b) the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [218481]
Ann Keen: The Department's staff who use their own motor vehicle and have insured it for business use are entitled to claim 40p per mile for the first 4,000 miles in the tax year (starting 6 April 2008) and 25p per mile for every subsequent mile claimed. If staff use their vehicles to carry official passengers they can claim an additional 4p per mile for the first passenger carried and 2p per mile for each subsequent passenger. The passengers are not entitled to claim any mileage allowance.
Where staff use a motorcycle (again having insured it for business use) they are entitled to claim 24p per mile. Staff who use a bicycle to undertake official travel are entitled to claim 20p per mile.
These rates apply to all departmental staff irrespective of grade.
For national health service staff there are recently agreed new rates for regular and standard user rates. These are available on the NHS Employers website at:
Chiropody
Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS chiropody provision. [217669]
Ann Keen: No assessment has been carried out centrally. It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local stakeholders, including practice based commissioners, local government and the public to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health and to commission services accordingly.
Chlamydia
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to raise awareness of (a) levels of chlamydia in young people and (b) chlamydia screening programmes. [218502]
Dawn Primarolo: The Department launched the “Condom Essential Wear” campaign in November 2006, to tackle sexually transmitted infections and the behaviours that contribute to their spread. This campaign particularly features chlamydia and gonorrhoea in its creative executions.
The Department is also investigating how promotional activity at a national level can support the delivery of the National Chlamydia Screening programme.
Cycling
Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) his Department and (b) his Department's non-departmental public bodies provide (i) tax-free benefits and (ii) other allowances for their staff to purchase bicycles under the Cycle to Work scheme; and if he will make a statement. [197604]
Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is currently putting in place a cycle to work scheme for its employees. The scheme will support employees in taking greener journeys, by enabling the Department to loan a cycle to an employee, for between 12 to 18 months. The same tax rules apply to benefits in kind provided to employees of Government Departments as to any other employee. The Minister will be writing, in the near future, to the non-departmental public bodies which are not in the scheme, to remind them of the scheme and positively encourage their participation.
The following table shows the current situation in each of the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies.
| Executive a gency | Tax-free benefits | Other allowances |
|
Currently covers part of the organisation. Shortly to cover fully. | ||
Dementia: Bexley
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people with dementia in Bexley who are paying for care. [218519]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Dental Services
Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have (a) started to provide NHS services and (b) ceased to provide NHS services since the inception of the new contract. [218082]
Ann Keen: This information could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
Dental Services: Greater London
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of dentists required in (a) the London borough of Bexley and (b) Greater London to meet demand for NHS dental care. [218395]
Ann Keen: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for providing or commissioning primary dental care services to reflect local needs. This is a local rather than centrally managed process. The Department has issued guidance to the local national health service on developing local dental commissioning plans. Additional support is available through the national primary care contracting team. The hon. Member may therefore wish to raise this issue locally.
Dental Services: Hampshire
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of NHS dentists required to meet demand in (a) the non-metropolitan county of Hampshire and (b) Southampton. [218079]
Ann Keen: Primary care trusts are responsible for providing or commissioning primary dental care services to reflect local needs. This is a local rather than centrally managed process, and the Department has issued guidance to the local national health service on developing local dental commissioning plans. Additional support is available through the national primary care contracting team.
The hon. Member may therefore wish to raise this matter locally.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Hampshire residents in each local authority area have accessed NHS dental treatment in each of the last five years. [218080]
Ann Keen: Information is not available in the format requested.
Under the old dental contractual arrangements, in place up to and including 31 March 2006, the number of patients registered with a national health service dentist was the measure used to monitor access to primary care dental services. However, registration information is not equivalent to the number of patients who accessed an NHS dentist, which is the measure used under the new dental contractual arrangements introduced in April 2006.
The numbers of patients registered with an NHS dentist as at 31 March for the years 1997 to 2006 are available in Annex A of the “NHS Dental Activity and
Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006”. Information is provided by strategic health authority (SHA) and by primary care trust (PCT).
This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published in August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is available on-line at:
Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced in April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to ‘registration’ is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services (‘patients seen’) over a 24-month period. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
Information on the numbers of patients seen by an NHS dentist in England, over the previous 24-month period, is available in Table CI of Annex 3 of the “NHS Dental Statistics for England: Quarter 3: 31 December 2007” report. Information is available for the 24 month periods ending 31 March 2006, 31 March 2007, 30 June 2007, 30 September 2007 and 31 December 2007. Information is provided at SHA and PCT level. This report, published in June 2008, has already been placed in the Library and on-line at:
Information on registrations and patients seen is recorded according to the location of the dental surgery. Most patients will live within the PCT/SHA area in which they receive primary care dental services but some will attend a dentist further afield. Both the above reports have been published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices in (a) the non-metropolitan county of Hampshire and (b) Southampton have stopped accepting new NHS patients in the last 12 months. [218081]
Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.
Increasing the number of patients seen within national health service dental services as a whole is now a formal priority in “The NHS in England: The Operating Framework for 2008-09”, copies of this publication have already been deposited in the Library. The Department has supported this with a substantial 11 per cent. uplift in overall allocations to primary care trusts from 1 April 2008.
Diabetes: Health Services
Mr. Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance trusts in England have a specific support plan for people with diabetes; and what guidance his Department has issued to ambulance trusts on the preliminary treatment of people with diabetes by ambulance and paramedic staff. [218758]
Ann Keen:
Responsibility for developing support plans to treat people with diabetes rests with the national health service, and it is for primary care trusts to
commission diabetes services that meet the needs of their local population. The Department has not issued any guidance to ambulance trusts on the treatment of people with diabetes.
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