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27 Oct 2009 : Column 266W—continued
| Table 3: Payments made on all clinical negligence claims closed 2004-05 to 2008-09 as at 30 August 2009 | |||
| £ | |||
| Year of closure | Damages paid | Defence costs paid | Claimant costs paid |
Mr. Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many unsuccessful clinical negligence claims were brought against the NHS in each year since 1997-98 for which figures are available; and how much unsuccessful claimants spent in (a) defence costs and (b) claimant costs in each year. [294360]
Ann Keen: The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) only records data relating to members of its; schemes, which include all primary care trusts, national health service trusts and NHS foundation trusts.
For unsuccessful claims, not all defence costs are recovered from claimants. This may be because the claimant was funded by the Legal Services Commission or if the claimant does not have the resource to pay costs. The NHSLA does not specifically record defence costs recovered from claimants and to obtain this information would be at disproportionate cost. However, as an alternative, the NHSLA have provided information on defence costs of unsuccessful claims in the following table.
Defence Costs paid on all clinical negligence claims closed 2004-05 to 2008-09 with nil damages as at 30 August 2009
| Closure | Number of claims | Defence costs paid (£) |
The NHSLA does not record data relating to claimant costs in unsuccessful cases as it does not make payment on these costs and the claimant is not obliged to disclose the information to the defendant.
NHS: Publications
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department's publication 1999-2009: A decade of excellence cost to produce; and how many copies were made. [295603]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: "1999-2009: A decade of excellence" was published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in July 2009. The cost to produce the document and number of copies made is a matter for NICE as an independent body.
NHS: Standards
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which (a) primary care trusts and (b) other NHS trusts did not meet the Care Quality Commission's (i) core standard C15a and (ii) core standard C15b in its 2008-09 annual health check. [295623]
Phil Hope: For the 2008-09 annual health check the Care Quality Commission reported that all primary care trusts were compliant with C15a and C15b.
Two national health service trusts not compliant with C15a were Manchester mental health and social care NHS trust, and South Downs health NHS trust.
Seven NHS trusts not compliant with C15b were:
Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust
Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, and
South Downs Health NHS Trust.
Nottingham University Hospital
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports he has received on allegations of misreporting of admissions to the accident and emergency department of Nottingham University Hospital; and what assessment has been made of the (a) level of misreporting and (b) reasons for such misreporting. [295401]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department is aware of this issue. Any substantiated case of misreporting is serious. All data received by the Department should be certified by national health service trusts and chief executives as accurate.
This is a matter for NHS East Midlands. We understand that it is working with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust to review reporting processes to ensure they are robust.
Nutrition
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to measure achievements under the Nutrition Action Plan against objectives. [295597]
Phil Hope: The Department is presently reviewing the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board's end of year report and will come to a decision on these issues based on the content of that report.
Premature Births: Death
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the NHS is making in reducing the number of babies who die following premature birth. [295195]
Ann Keen: Advances in technology and health care expertise have led to increasing survival rates of very premature babies over the last 20 years. Over the past decade, survival has improved dramatically for babies born at 26 weeks of gestation and above so that now over 80 per cent. survive.
The EPICure Study (led by the university of Nottingham, Department of Child Health) was established in 1995 to determine the chances of survival and later health status by following up children who were born in the United Kingdom and Ireland at less than 26 weeks gestational age during a 10-month period in that year. This is now an ongoing study, which it is hoped will not only show survival and rates of disability but also identify factors at birth, which could give an indication as to the long-term outcome for the survivors.
A new study, EPICure 2, covers all babies born in England at 26 weeks of gestation or less during 2006. This study will demonstrate how effective advances in neonatal care have been since the first study in 1995. Preliminary findings, published in May 2008, found that babies born above 24 and 25 weeks of gestation were significantly more likely to survive in 1995 compared with 2006.
Details of the EPICure studies can be found on the EPICure website:
Social Services
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adults in each age band received support under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009. [295861]
Phil Hope: Section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948 empowers local authorities to support people in residential and nursing care homes. Data on the number of adults aged 18 and over in local authority supported registered residential and nursing care is collected and published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care via the Supported Residents (SR1) return. Information is collected for the age groups 18 to 64 and 65 and over.
The following table shows the number of adults aged 18 and over in local authority supported registered residential and nursing care as at 31 March 2007 and 2008. Information for 2009 is expected to be published in early 2010.
| Total numbers of clients aged 18 and over in receipt of local authority funded residential or nursing care in England as at 31 March | |||
| Rounded numbers | |||
| Total of all supported residents | |||
| 18 to 64 | 65 and over | Totals | |
| Source: NHS Information Centre-SR1 return, table 1. | |||
Social Services: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many social workers were recruited to work in the City of Leeds in each year since 2001. [295357]
Phil Hope: Information showing the number of whole-time equivalent social workers employed by the City of Leeds as at 30 September each year from 2001 to 2008 is shown in the following table.
| Whole-time equivalent | |
| Notes: 1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care collects and publishes data relating to the number of social workers directly employed by social services departments within councils with social services responsibilities. 2. The information supplied is the number of social workers employed by the City of Leeds social services department. This has been calculated using the same definitions as that: used for the performance indicators which formed part of the "performance assessment framework" (PAF) and was last published by the former Commission for Social Care Inspection in 2007-08. PAF has now been replaced by the national indicator set but there are no comparable equivalent indicators. 3. "Social Workers", includes team leaders/managers, assistant team managers/senior social workers, care managers, field social workers and child protection, family placement and juvenile/youth justice workers working in children's services. Councils employ social workers in other roles. These may have social work qualifications and registration with the General Social Care Council, but not be classified as "social workers with children" in the return. 4. Data on the number of staff employed by local authorities in social services departments in England are collected annually by The Information Centre for health and social care by means of form SSDS001; prior to 2005 the data were collected by the Department. 5. The data presented are for whole-time equivalent staff. 6. The latest date for which data are available is 30 September 2008; data for 30 September 2009 for England are expected to be published in spring 2010. Source: The Information Centre for health and social care | |
Swine Flu: Leeds
John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of swine influenza in Leeds West constituency. [295356]
Gillian Merron:
The Government response to the Swine Flu outbreak in Leeds West constituency has been consistent with the response in other parts of the country. National health service services in the Yorkshire
and Humber area are well prepared for a second wave of swine flu, having undergone extensive planning and testing processes, in line with the rest of the country.
People are able to access the National Pandemic Flu Service and be assessed for swine flu symptoms either by phone or by using the internet. If swine flu is confirmed, antiviral medicines are prescribed and can be collected from a number of local antiviral collection points (ACPs) by a "flu friend'. As at 22 October, there is one ACP open in Leeds; this may change in accordance with local demand.
General information on swine flu is also available through the Swine Flu information line.
Individuals with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, and parents with children under the age of one are being advised to speak to their general practitioner if they have symptoms.
Initial supplies of the Swine Flu vaccine are also scheduled to be delivered to acute trusts and primary care trusts over the next few weeks.
International Development
Burma: Human Rights
Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Burma; and if he will make a statement. [295921]
Mr. Michael Foster: Humanitarian conditions are poor throughout Burma. A third of the population (16.5 million people) lives on less than 16p a day. Malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS are serious health risks. Half of Burma's 20 million children do not complete primary school. About 140,000 Burmese refugees are sheltering in camps in Thailand, and many displaced people inside Burma live in extreme poverty. Conditions remain precarious in parts of the Irrawaddy Delta struck by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.
In response to these humanitarian needs, the Department for International Development (DFID) is increasing its programme in Burma from £12.5 million in 2008-09 to £25 million this financial year and £28 million in 2010-11. In 2008-09, DFID also provided £45 million in emergency aid following Cyclone Nargis.
UK aid for Burma is channelled through the United Nations and non-governmental organisations, not through the Burmese central government. It is monitored closely by DFID staff based in Burma. We are encouraging other donors to follow our example and expand their aid programmes in Burma.
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