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3 Nov 2009 : Column 920W—continued
| National health service hospital and community health services, medical staff in the obstetrics and gynaecology specialty and qualified maternity services nurses by level within specific NHS trusts as at 30 September each year | |||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Notes: 1. Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust includes the following hospitals: Barnet General hospital, Chase Farm hospital, Edgware Community hospital, Finchley Memorial hospital and Potters Bar hospital. 2. Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust includes the following hospitals: Queen Mary's hospital, Royal Free hospital, and the Royal Throat, Nose and Ear hospital. 3. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care is aware of the apparent drop in the number of midwives for this organisation in 2007. This is due to the inclusion of bank staff, which dropped to zero in 2007. The number of permanent midwives employed by the trust has remained steady in each year, at 92 in 2006, 97 in 2007 and 95 in 2008. 4. North West London Hospitals NHS Trust includes the following hospitals: Central Middlesex hospital, Northwick Park hospital and St. Mark's. 5. Workforce statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts 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 NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census, and The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census. | |||
Medical Treatments
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the merits of including societal costs and benefits within technology appraisals made by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and if he will make a statement. [297452]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have commissioned the University of York to undertake detailed research in this area. We expect the research findings to be published later in 2009-10.
Neurology: Plastic Surgery
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) the Royal Free Hospital and (b) St. Mary's, Paddington offers (i) neurosurgery and (ii) plastic surgery services; and if he will make a statement. [296591]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not held centrally. Primary care trusts are responsible for using their resources to plan, commission and develop services to meet the health needs of their local community.
NHS: Equality
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further measures his Department is considering to ensure racial equality and tolerance in the NHS. [297212]
Phil Hope: The NHS Constitution of 2009 has equality at its heart requiring national health service organisations to provide a comprehensive service, available to all irrespective of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
The newly formed NHS Equality and Diversity Council, chaired by the NHS chief executive, will champion equality in the NHS and seek assurances on future progress.
The Department will build on the work of a number of programmes with a focus on equality. Race for Health is sharing learning about race equality to the NHS, and Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care continues to generate system change. Pacesetters actively works with the NHS to innovate, identify and imbed good practice across all the equality strands for both patients and staff.
In line with the NHS Constitution, the NHS aims to attract, retain and develop the best talent from all sections of the local communities they serve. The Department continues to work with NHS Employers and the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement to promote good workforce practices and improve the career prospects of under represented staff.
Nurses: Manpower
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many district nurses are employed by (a) primary care trusts, (b) acute trusts and (c) GP practices; [297550]
(2) how many district nurses were working in (a) general practices, (b) hospitals and (c) other health settings. [297551]
Ann Keen: District nurses are employed by national health service trusts and NHS primary care trusts. They are not employed by general practices, hospitals or in any other health care setting.
The following table gives the number of district nurses employed in these two organisations as at the last work force census, 30 September 2008.
| District nurse level 1 | District nurse level 2 | |
Nutrition: Children
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is in respect of the regulation of the levels of sugar and salt contained in foods and drinks marketed at children. [296489]
Gillian Merron: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is working with the United Kingdom food and drinks industry on a voluntary basis to reformulate foods to reduce the levels of salt and sugar present in a range of foods and drinks, including those aimed at children, focusing on those foods which contribute significantly to intakes of these nutrients.
The FSA has set salt reduction targets for around 80 categories of food to be met by the food industry by 2010, and further stricter targets for 2012. In July 2009 the FSA issued a public consultation which includes draft recommendations to the food industry to reduce sugar levels and portion sizes of sugar-containing soft drinks.
The Government have regulated to limit the amounts of salt, fat and sugars served to children over the school day through the statutory school food standards (The Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food)(England) Regulations 2007, as amended). The statutory standards provide nutrient standards to be met for 14 nutrients within the food provision. To support this, the FSA developed Target Nutrient Specifications for manufactured products served as part of school lunches. These voluntary specifications cover manufactured products across 40 food categories and provide guidance for the level of salt, total fat, saturated fat, and sugars within each category that if procured would reduce these nutrients in the overall menu provision. These specifications are currently under review.
Operating Theatres: Greater London
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what percentage of time operating theatres were in use at (a) Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals, (b) the Royal Free Hospital, (c) Northwick Park Hospital and (d) Edgware Community Hospital in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [296601]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information requested is not held centrally.
Palliative Care: Finance
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated to palliative care in (a) England and (b) the West Midlands in each of the last 10 years. [297493]
Phil Hope: We do not collect information on national health service expenditure on palliative, and/or end-of- life care services centrally.
An additional £286 million revenue and capital funding is being made available over 2009-10 and 2010-11 to support the implementation of the End of Life Care Strategy. For 2010-11, this includes capital funding of £40 million for hospices. However, the majority of the funding is being allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) through the 2009-10 and 2010-11 revenue allocations, so all PCTs will receive a portion of this funding.
It is for PCTs to decide their priorities for investment locally, taking into account both local priorities and the NHS operating framework.
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