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23 Feb 2009 : Column 200W—continued
Blood: Donation
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of donated blood was used in each year since 1999. [256709]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available for the entire time period, as data for full 12 month periods have only been submitted and collated since 2005-06.
The Blood Stocks Management Scheme (BSMS) was established by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) in 2001 with the aim of understanding and improving blood inventory management across the blood supply chain. Hospitals in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland currently submit data on blood usage to the scheme. However, it is important to note that participation is voluntary, and although the majority of hospitals now submit data to the scheme this has gradually increased since its inception.
The following table shows the number of hospitals in England and North Wales providing data to the BSMS; the percentage of units transfused; and the percentage of units not transfused in each year since 2005-06:
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | |
| (1) A validated unit of red cells is one that has been processed, tested, and labelled/validated as fit for issue to hospitals. (2) Participating hospitals have only been submitting data on units transfused for a full 12 months since 2005-06. (3) Figures stated for the percentage of units transfused and not transfused are based on data submitted by hospitals compared against NHSBT figures for number of units issued. There is a small degree of duplication in submitted data due to the transfer of blood between hospitals, meaning some figures exceed 100. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant | |||
Cancer: Fuel Poverty
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information on how to avoid fuel poverty is routinely provided to cancer patients (a) during and (b) following their treatment; and if he will make a statement. [247751]
Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
Information on tackling fuel poverty is made available to all on a wide basis. This includes through the health sector who will have contact with patients including those being treated for cancer who may benefit from a range of measures, support and advice available.
The Department of Health produce a booklet annually as part of the cross-government Keep Warm Keep Well Campaign. The booklet is distributed free of charge to groups, organisations, GP surgeries, individuals and patients.
The booklet is complimented by the Keep Warm Keep Well pages on the Direct Gov website:
Chronically Sick
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for the statement that the prevalence of long-term conditions across the country correlates with a range of factors that includes age and deprivation as referred to on page 24 of his Department's White Paper, Pharmacy in England, Cm 7341, with what other factors long-term conditions have been correlated; and if he will make a statement. [255444]
Phil Hope: Evidence that the relative prevalence of long-term conditions across England is linked to age and deprivation is available from the Healthcare Commission’s local health services survey along with a number of other surveys. There is no single factor that explains prevalence, rather there are a number of factors correlated to variations in prevalence across England: age and deprivation are most significant and linked to this is socio-economic status and lifestyle choices.
Community Hospitals
Mr. Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the funding made available under the community hospitals programme (a) had and (b) had not been allocated at the latest date for which figures are available; what timetable he has set for considering further applications for funding under the programme; and if he will make a statement. [255457]
Mr. Bradshaw: We have approved funding for 28 capital schemes, which brings our commitment to £243.5 million from the community hospitals and services fund that has a total value of up to £750 million. We have recently conducted a trawl for local plans for further schemes and are currently considering the results. As a consequence, we have not set a timetable.
Continuing Care
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were in receipt of NHS continuing care in each primary care trust in England per (a) 10,000 weighted heads and (b) 10,000 unweighted heads since 31 March 2007. [255335]
Phil Hope: The requested information for each primary care trust, by 10,000 unweighted population, has been placed in the Library. We are unable to supply information, weighted with respect to population aged over 18, as the population figures are collected in five year groupings.
National Dementia Strategy
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what dates (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) his officials met HM Treasury Ministers and officials to discuss his Department’s national dementia strategy; [256785]
(2) what consideration he gave to announcing to Parliament the funding settlement for the national dementia strategy; [256789]
(3) if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department’s funding proposal for the national dementia strategy. [256797]
Phil Hope: The Department and Her Majesty’s Treasury had regular keep in touch meetings to discuss upcoming policies and discussions about the national dementia strategy which took place on an ongoing basis in the months prior to the launch of the Strategy.
Parliament was informed of the publication of the national dementia strategy on 3 February by means of a written parliamentary statement. Hon. Members were also informed that copies of the Strategy had been placed in the Vote Office, and in the Library. The Strategy itself did not refer to funding. However, the impact assessment, published on the Department’s website alongside the strategy, set out in detail the potential costs associated with different implementation options.
The Department has announced funding of £150 million to support implementation of the national dementia strategy in 2009-10 and 2010-11. An outline of indicative costs for implementing the strategy are set out in the Impact Assessment for the strategy, available of the Department’s website, although decisions on funding for future years will be made in the light of learning from the demonstrator sites and evidence gathering of the first two years. This information is contained with “Living well with dementia: A National Dementia Strategy” which has already been placed in the Library.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what timetable he has set for establishing memory clinics; how many he plans to establish; in which towns; how much each will cost; how many staff each will need; when the rollout will start; and when it will be complete. [256790]
Phil Hope: Decisions about the nature, number and funding of memory services will be made locally by primary care trusts, depending on local circumstances.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how he plans to monitor the development of models of housing to meet the needs of people with dementia and their carers. [256793]
Phil Hope: Decisions about monitoring implementation of the national dementia strategy, including the housing elements, will be taken during 2009-10 by the Older People and Dementia Programme Board.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been set aside for the public information campaign on the national dementia strategy; and when this will be rolled out. [256798]
Phil Hope: The Department has allocated initial funding of £4.5 million to raise public awareness of dementia during 2009-10 and 2010-11. In addition to this, we will look to primary care trusts to raise awareness locally.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes he plans to make to the next operating framework for dementia. [256799]
Phil Hope: The Department will make decisions about the next operating framework later in 2009.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated to the review of existing relevant information sets as part of his Department's work on dementia; and when he expects this work to be completed. [256800]
Phil Hope: The Department has allocated £1.5 million to the review of information sets. This work will be completed during 2009-10 and 2010-11.
Dementia: Care Homes
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he plans to publish guidance for care home staff on best practice in dementia care; [256784]
(2) what timetable he has set for care homes to identify a senior staff member within the home to take the lead for quality improvement in its care of people with dementia; and what funding he has allocated for the purpose. [256794]
Phil Hope: The Department will develop guidance on best practice for care home staff during 2009-10.
We will look to care homes identifying a senior member of staff to lead on dementia care as soon as possible, taking account of the priority attached to implementation of the national dementia strategy. Guidance will be issued to care homes during the course of 2009-10 on best practice in dementia care.
Dementia: Elderly
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who sits on his Department’s programme board for older people and dementia. [256791]
Phil Hope:
Representatives from Age Concern, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Help the Aged, the Local Government Association, the
Alzheimer’s Society, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, Better Government for Older People, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Care Quality Commission have been invited to serve on the Board alongside departmental officials responsible for the implementation of the national dementia strategy.
Dementia: Health Services
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he expects hospitals to identify a senior clinician to take the lead for quality improvement in dementia; and what funding he is making available for that post; [256801]
(2) when he expects hospitals to develop an explicit care pathway for the management and care of people with dementia. [256802]
Phil Hope: We will look to hospitals to identify a senior clinician to commence work on quality improvement in dementia and also to develop a care pathway for people with dementia as soon as possible, taking account of the priority attached to implementation of the national dementia strategy.
The Department has made available £150 million to fund implementation of the national dementia strategy. Decisions on funding individual objectives of the strategy will be taken locally.
Dementia: Medicine
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues on the use of anti-psychotic medication for people with dementia. [256795]
Phil Hope: The Department is currently conducting a review of the use of anti-psychotic medication and will report on its findings in spring 2009.
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department were disciplined for (a) bullying and (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years. [254086]
Mr. Bradshaw: None of the Department’s staff has been disciplined for either bullying or harassment in any of the last three years.
Departmental ICT
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Programme for IT contracts is covered by the 50 per cent. growth limit set in public procurement legislation; and what price each contract would have to reach to exceed that limit. [256555]
Mr. Bradshaw:
One of the exemptions allowing the growth of contracts under the public contracts regulations 2006 is a cap on the extended value of a contract to 50 per cent., of the value payable under the original contract. This cap is relevant where a contracting authority requires additional services which cannot for technical or economic
reasons be provided separately from another source without major inconvenience, or where services are strictly necessary to the later stages of the performance of the contract.
Use of this exemption is assessed for each national programme contract as necessary, and monitoring is undertaken to ensure the relevant amounts are not exceeded.
The value of the core national programme contracts is given at figure 6 on page 25 of the National Audit Office report ‘The National Programme for IT in the NHS: Progress since 2006’, which can be found at:
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on press and public relations work related to the Connecting for Health programme in each year since its announcement. [252331]
Mr. Bradshaw: Information requested is shown in the following table.
| Financial year | Expenditure (£) |
| (1) 1 April to 31 December 2008. Note: Figures relate to externally contracted services (exclusive of VAT) and exclude staff costs. | |
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