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26 Feb 2009 : Column 1024W—continued


The means test used for disabled facilities grants works on the same principle as the tests used for many other means-tested benefits including housing benefit. The test includes as expenditure a range of standard allowances and premiums based on housing benefit and income support regulations. This model not only ensures that the grant goes to those least able to contribute to the cost of the works but also to help ensure that applicants are treated consistently. The Department does not hold records of individuals’ contributions. The following link provides greater detail on the means test.

Epilepsy

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of dedicated epilepsy nurses in neurology departments. [258682]


26 Feb 2009 : Column 1025W

Ann Keen: We have made no assessment of the provision of dedicated epilepsy nurses. Local trusts are responsible for the skill mix of their work force, including the provision of specialist nurses for patients with epilepsy. They are best placed to assess the health needs of their local health community and must have the freedom to deploy staff in ways appropriate for local conditions.

Eyesight: Pensioners

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in York received free NHS eye tests in each of the last 10 years. [257840]

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows the numbers of national health service (NHS) sight test claims processed for persons aged 60 and over in North Yorkshire health authority (HA), York and Selby primary care trust (PCT) and North Yorkshire and York PCT in the relevant financial years.

North Yorkshire HA York and Selby PCT North Yorkshire and York PCT

1999-2000

52,072

n/a

n/a

2000-01

61,787

n/a

n/a

2001-02

68,855

n/a

n/a

2002-03

70,278

n/a

n/a

2003-04

n/a

26,254

n/a

2004-05

n/a

26,619

n/a

2005-06

n/a

25,057

n/a

2006-07

n/a

n/a

(1)

2007-08

n/a

n/a

88,428

n/a = Not applicable. (1)( )Validated information at a PCT level is not available for 2006-07. Notes: 1. The three columns in the table represent each organisation in place that included York over the time period. The geographical areas covered by each organisation listed below vary in size which makes it not possible to have a comparable time series over the full period. 2. Patients aged 60 and over only became eligible for NHS sight tests from April 1999. Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Health and Social Care Information Centre: Empty Property

Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) the Health and Social Care Information Centre, (b) NHS Connecting for Health, (c) NHS Estates and (d) the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency is in 2008-09. [258518]

Mr. Bradshaw: The empty property annual business rates as recorded on e-PIMS for Financial Year 2008-09 are:

£

Health and Social Care Information Centre

8,085

NHS Connecting for Health

15,000

NHS Estates

90,000

NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

0

Total

113,085


26 Feb 2009 : Column 1026W

Health Centres: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP-led health centres have been procured in Enfield to date. [256778]

Mr. Bradshaw: Enfield primary care trust is currently procuring a general practitioner (GP)-led health centre in Edmonton. The primary care trust aims to sign the contract by the end of March 2009.

Health Services: Domestic Violence

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that primary care trusts fund specialised voluntary sector support for women who experience violence. [256371]

Ann Keen: It is for local commissioners to commission services according to local needs. The Department has taken integrated measures to prevent and eliminate domestic violence, including making significant progress in the early identification of, and intervention with, domestic violence victims.

We are currently developing a violence and abuse prevention framework, that includes evidence-based interventions and prevention measures from early childhood. It will focus on early interventions to reduce the risk of all forms of interpersonal violence and abuse, and will provide supportive toolkits, protocols, care pathways and commissioning guidance.

Health Services: Nutrition

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce incidences of vitamin D deficiency. [257556]

Dawn Primarolo: It is the responsibility of the national health service to deal with incidences of vitamin D deficiency in their local area as this is a direct health care matter. The Department recommends a daily supplement of vitamin D to all pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, infants, young children, older people and those who do not expose their skin to sunlight who are particularly at risk of deficiency. The Department is developing an information leaflet to reiterate the importance of vitamin D to all health professionals and supports the provision of vitamin supplements under the Healthy Start scheme.

Health Services: Per Capita Costs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the average annual cost of (a) training and (b) employing a (i) nurse, (ii) midwife, (iii) school nurse and (iv) health visitor. [256506]

Ann Keen: The national benchmark price for pre-registration training for both degree and diploma nursing students in the financial year 2007-08 was £6,816 outside London, and the average benchmark price for London was £7,260.

The national benchmark price for pre-registration training for both degree and diploma midwifery students in the financial year 2007-08 was £7,838 outside London, and the average benchmark price for London was £8,348.


26 Feb 2009 : Column 1027W

In addition to tuition costs, nursing and midwifery trainees are entitled to either a bursary or salary support funding. The average bursary paid for degree students in 2007-08 was £2,672 outside London and £3,225 in London. The average bursary paid for diploma students in 2007-08 was £6,372 outside London and £7,443 in London.

Students may be entitled to other payments such as allowances for dependant children and the cost of national health service employees seconded on to nursing and midwifery training programmes will include a proportion of their salary costs.

Information on the average annual costs of training a school nurse and a health visitor is not held centrally.

The average (mean) annual costs of employing a nurse, midwife, school nurse and health visitor, are presented the following table. These figures are for 2008-09.

Average annual costs of employing nursing staff , 2008-09
Staff group( 1) Average annual employment cost( 2,3,4) (£)

All qualified nurses

38,900

Midwife

43,200

School nurse

37,200

Health visitor

41,000

(1) NB: These staff groups are all types of qualified nurses.
(2)Average, mean, earnings for these staff groups in April to June 2008 sourced from NHS Information Centre’s (IC) Quarterly Earnings Survey.
(3) Average, mean, earnings then adjusted for 2008-09 pay settlement of 2.75 per cent. plus an estimate of employers’ ‘on-costs’ for pensions and national insurance contributions to produce average annual employment cost.
(4) Figures presented are rounded to the nearest £100 as per NHS IC convention.

Health Services: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) GPs, (b) hospital doctors, (c) community nurses and (d) hospital nurses are employed in NHS establishments and GP surgeries in City of York constituency. [257977]

Ann Keen: The following table shows selected staff in specified organisations in York area, as at 30 September 2007.


26 Feb 2009 : Column 1028W
Total specified organisations Total headcount

General practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)

663

Practice nurses

392

Hospital doctors(1)

525

All qualified nursing staff

2,921

O f which:

Qualified community nurses(2)

943

Other qualified nursing staff(3)

1,978

O f which:

North Yorkshire and York PCT

GPs (excluding retainers and registrars)

663

Practice nurses

392

Hospital doctors(1)

132

All qualified nursing staff

1,577

O f which:

Qualified community nurses(2)

908

Other qualified nursing staff(3)

669

York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

General practitioners (excluding retainers and registrars)

(4)

Practice nurses

(4)

Hospital doctors(1)

393

All qualified nursing staff

1,344

O f which:

Qualified community nurses(2)

35

Other qualified nursing staff(3)

1,309

(1 )Hospital doctors excludes medical hospital practitioners and clinical assistants. (2) Qualified community nurses are community matrons, district nurses, health visitors, school nurses, general practitioner practice nurses and other qualified nurses in the community services, community psychiatric, community learning disabilities, and school nursing areas of work. (3) Other qualified nursing are qualified nurses working in the acute, elderly and general, paediatric, maternity services, other psychiatric, other learning disabilities, and education areas of work. (4 )Not available. Notes: 1. Data not available by constituency area, the City of York constituency is contained within and served by the organisations provided here. 2. Data quality: Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 national health service (NHS) trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics. The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. The Information Centre for health and social care Non-medical Workforce Census.

Malnutrition

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients whose records are contained in the General Practice Research Database have at least one record of malnutrition (a) in total and (b) in the last year for which figures are available. [258900]

Dawn Primarolo: The General Practice Research Database (GPRD) contains records of patients recorded as suffering from malnutrition under a range of different terms, known as “Read Terms”.

The total number of patients suffering from malnutrition, as identified by these terms within the GPRD, is 1,143. The number of patients suffering from malnutrition in the last full calendar year for which data is available, 2007, is 183.

The GPRD is a sample of approximately 5 per cent. of the United Kingdom population. However, actual malnutrition rates based on the entire UK population cannot be accurately calculated without full denominator information.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the full statement his Department's spokesperson issued to the BBC in response to the story on the BBC website of 10 February 2009, entitled Malnutrition affecting three million in the UK; what further consideration his Department has given to the (a) findings and (b) recommendations contained in the report by the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, entitled Combating malnutrition: recommendations for action; and if he will make a statement. [258901]


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