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2 Nov 2009 : Column 702W—continued
This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements introduced on 1 April 2006.
Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes any previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counts the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
These published figures do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of dentists in each county in the East of England were offering treatment to new NHS patients at the latest date for which information is available. [296171]
Ann Keen: Information on the number of dentists accepting new national health service patients at any point in time is not collected centrally. Primary care trusts are responsible for monitoring the availability of primary dental care services and for maintaining information for local helplines and patient information services on where new patients may obtain NHS services.
Dental Services: Finance
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much has been allocated to support the immediate priorities identified in the Independent Review of NHS Dental Services in England in each category of funding; and if he will make a statement; [296217]
(2) when his Department expects to allocate budgets in support of the Independent Review of NHS Dental Services in England for 2010-11. [296218]
Ann Keen: Much of the work on developing and implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review of National Health Service dental services will be carried out by departmental staff within existing resources at no additional cost to the Department. In addition, we are currently tendering for specialist consultancy support for the implementation of the recommendations. We estimate this will cost up to £490,000 (excluding VAT) in this financial year (2009-10). Budget plans for 2010-11 to take effect from 1 April 2010 will be informed by this development work, but will also be subject to the ongoing monitoring of progress and requirements through the course of next year.
Departmental Aviation
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many flights within Great Britain officials of his Department took in 2008-09; and at what cost to the public purse. [296555]
Phil Hope: A total of 1,316 domestic flights within Great Britain were undertaken during 2008-09 at a cost of £239,130.08.
Derbyshire: General Practitioners and Health Centres
Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many new GP surgeries have opened in (a) Derbyshire and (b) North East Derbyshire constituency since 1997; [295943]
(2) how many one-stop primary care centres there are in (a) Derbyshire and (b) North East Derbyshire constituency. [295944]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Information on numbers of new general practitioner (GP) surgeries opened is not collected centrally.
Data on one-stop primary care centres were not collected by local authority areas but by primary care trusts (PCTs), which were reconfigured in 2006. The number of one-stop primary care centres created under the NHS Plan target for the new Derbyshire PCT is 11. This includes a new GP health centre opened in Ilkeston as part of the Government's policy to have a new GP health centre in every PCT, open from 8 am to 8 pm, 365 days a year, which patients can attend on a walk-in basis or by appointment. Patients can register with the centres if they find this convenient or use the service while remaining registered at their existing practice.
Drugs: Exports
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the extent of the practice of parallel exporting of pharmaceuticals. [297306]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) on 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 735W.
Drugs: Misuse
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use were recorded in England in each of the last five years. [296892]
Phil Hope: The information is shown in the following table:
| Activity in English national health service hospitals and English national health service commissioned activity in the independent sector, data years 2004-05 to 2008-09 | |
| Finished admission episodes | |
| Note: These figures include admissions for alcohol-induced mental health conditions. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care. | |
Drugs: Rehabilitation
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria the National Drug Treatment Agency uses to make its assessment of whether a person leaving treatment is drug-free; and whether such assessments take account of the use of alcohol. [296664]
Gillian Merron: Data on individuals in structured drug treatment are collected by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) via the national drug treatment monitoring system (NDTMS).
The NDTMS counts the number of people successfully leaving treatment each year free of their drug of dependency. This figure is made up of two categories:
'Treatment completed free of dependency (no drug use)'; and
'Treatment completed free of dependency (occasional use)'.
'Treatment completed free of dependency (no drug use)' means that in the opinion of the treating clinician, the client is not only free of dependency but is not using any other illicit drugs at all on exiting treatment.
'Treatment completed free of dependency (occasional use)' means that the client is not misusing heroin or crack, but there may be occasional use of other illicit drugs, for example, cannabis which is judged by the clinician neither to be problematic nor to require treatment.
The two categories together give the total number of clients leaving treatment free of dependency, which is one of the ways in which the NTA measures successful treatment outcomes.
Neither category includes alcohol use, as people recorded on the NDTMS are seeking help for a primary drug problem. However, alcohol misuse by primary drug misusers would be addressed during treatment and the NTA would expect that clinicians continue to address alcohol dependence as appropriate if, and when, a client is no longer drug dependent nor monitored through NDTMS. Data on people receiving treatment for primary alcohol misuse are collected by the national alcohol treatment monitoring system for the Department of Health.
Mental Health: Economic Situation
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will (a) estimate the number of NHS counsellors and (b) assess the likely demand for NHS casualty services required to deal with increases in the incidence in mental health problems arising as a result of the economic downturn. [297385]
Phil Hope: The Department has not commissioned research on the impact of the economic downturn on levels of demand for mental health services. However, we recognise that there are links between poor mental health and difficult economic circumstances. Mental health services in England are now better prepared than ever before to provide help for these people.
Since 2001-02, total planned investment in adult mental health services has increased by 50 per cent. (or £2.0 billion), putting in place the services and staff needed to transform mental health services. Total planned investment
increased from £5.530 billion in 2007-08 to £5.892 billion in 2008-09, a 6.6 per cent. increase in the amount, and 4.0 per cent. in real terms.
We also have 64 per cent. more consultant psychiatrists, 71 per cent. more clinical psychologists and 21 per cent. more mental health nurses than we had in 1997, providing better care and support for people with mental health problems. (Full-time equivalent).
Because of the National Service Framework and increased funding, we now have over 740 new community mental health teams offering home treatment, early intervention, or intensive support for people who might otherwise have been admitted to hospital.
We are also investing significantly in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme with annual funding rising to £173 million in the third year (2010-11), to train 3,600 extra therapists and treat 900,000 more people in those three years.
The talking therapy services that are already up and running under the IAPT programme have been very successful, with 73,000 people entering treatment and 1,500 more therapists being employed under the scheme.
In March 2009, a £13 million package of measures was announced to tackle the effects of the economic downturn. Employment is key to good mental health and the £13 million will strengthen the health service's links with employment services at local level, speed up the introduction of IAPT services in the areas most affected by the recession and provide better public access to information online at NHS Choices. The NHS Credit Crunch Stressline has also been established and is taking calls from people whose health is being affected by money worries.
Mental Health: Research
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on each research project relating to personality disorder among offenders in each year since 1999; and what publications resulted from research (a) commissioned and (b) funded by his Department. [296528]
Phil Hope: The costs of research in this joint development programme has been shared with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the research programme managed by the MoJ. The total Department of Health contribution to the cost of the many research projects since 2000 is £3,359,000.
Some research is still ongoing and due to deliver in 2010. Most other research projects have resulted in a considerable number of related publications in academic journals. The delivery of the Bradley Review recommendations on personality disorders in offender populations will include full consideration of the results of all this research evidence before presenting a new interdepartmental strategy for personality disorder in October 2010.
Methadone
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of a methadone prescription was in each of the last five years; and what the total cost of methadone prescriptions was in the last five years. [296973]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is shown in the following tables. The British National Formulary lists methadone in three separate sections: as a cough suppressant; as an opioid analgesic; and for the treatment of drug dependence. Data have been provided on the basis of this classification according to the preparation dispensed, not the purpose of the prescription.
| Average net ingredient cost per prescription item | |||||
| £ | |||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Total net ingredient cost | |||||
| £000 | |||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Source: Prescription Cost Analysis System | |||||
Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average duration of a methadone prescription for a problem drug user was in the last five years. [296974]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: These data are not collected centrally.
National clinical guidelines do not specify how long a person should be in treatment and the duration of drug treatment varies markedly according to individual need. Research shows that staying in treatment for at least 12 weeks has a lasting positive benefit in reducing the harm associated with dependence.
We also know that it is usual for drug users to go in and out of treatment several times, often over several years, before becoming drug-free.
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