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2 Feb 2010 : Column 224W—continued
(8) with reference to the report for the Minister of State with responsibility for care services, the hon. Member for Corby (Phil Hope) on the use of antipsychotic medication for people with dementia, what progress his Department has made on giving primary care trusts the resources and mandate to commission from local specialist older people's mental health services an in-reach service that supports primary care in its work in care homes;
and how many primary care trusts commission such in-reach services; [314649]
(9) with reference to the report for the Minister of State with responsibility for care services, the hon. Member for Corby (Phil Hope) on the use of antipsychotic medication for people with dementia, what steps his Department has taken to support the Royal Colleges in developing a curriculum for the development of appropriate skills for general practitioners and others working in care homes; and whether any college has implemented such a curriculum. [314650]
Phil Hope: The Department has recently appointed a national clinical director (NCD) for dementia. The NCD for dementia will promote clinical and professional engagement in the design and management of services and ensure that clinicians, professionals and managers working in acute, community and primary care health services and social care are actively engaged in transforming dementia services and health outcomes for people with dementia and their carers. The NCD will also lead on implementing the recommendations of the review of the prescribing of anti-psychotic drugs for people with dementia.
National and local progress on addressing the conclusions of the review report will be monitored through the National Dementia Strategy Implementation Board responsible for delivery and implementation of the National Dementia Strategy.
Improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT) services are open to all those over the age of 18 with a diagnosis of mental ill health, depression or anxiety disorders, irrespective of co-morbidity. Commissioners are required to consider services for older adults as an integral element of their overall service provision. Guidance on this issue was published in October 2008 on the IAPT Commissioning Toolkit. NHS commissioners and service providers need to respond to local need and forge links with appropriate existing services for this client group.
Further work to identify how IAPT services established so far have met the needs of various client groups, including older adults, will be undertaken in the coming months as a full data review and equalities review will be concluded by the IAPT National Programme Team.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the report for the Minister of State with responsibility for care services, the hon. Member for Corby (Phil Hope) on the use of antipsychotic medication for people with dementia, what steps his Department has taken to commission further research into assessing the clinical and cost effectiveness of non-pharmacological methods of treating behavioural problems in dementia and other pharmacological approaches as an alternative to antipsychotic medication; what research projects on such matters have received funding from the NHS research budget in the last 12 months; and how much funding each such project received from that budget. [314668]
Phil Hope: The Ministerial Group on Dementia Research I have set up will assess the progress made with and help galvanise research into alternatives to antipsychotic medication. It will work to increase capacity in dementia research and help more research proposals successfully access the available funding.
The Group will hold its first meeting on 24 February 2010.
Dental Services
Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many primary care trusts are expected to meet the target of providing access to NHS dentistry to all patients who are seeking it by March 2011; [314705]
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that all primary care trusts meet the target of providing access to NHS dentistry to all patients by March 2011. [314706]
Ann Keen: The commitment to ensuring access to national health service dental care for all who actively seek it by March 2011 was made by strategic health authorities in January 2009.
The NHS is investing in new dental services and working with existing providers on better ways of working to increase access. All primary care trusts (PCTs) have delivery plans in place. Access is rising steadily. Access rose in each of the last five quarters and the latest figures show NHS dentists saw 939,000 more patients in the 24 months ending September 2009 than in the same period ending June 2008.
To support the NHS in delivering its commitment the Department has increased total central funding available to the NHS for primary care dentistry to a total of over £2 billion and set up a national dental access programme. The programme, headed by Dr. Mike Warburton, has been working closely with PCTs over the last year to support them in expanding access.
Departmental Billing
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average length of time taken by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies to pay invoices from (i) small and medium-sized enterprises and (ii) all creditors in the last 12 months. [315133]
Phil Hope: The Department and its agencies do not differentiate between small and medium-sized enterprises and other creditors. It is the intention of the Department and its agencies to pay all suppliers within 10 days of receipt of a valid invoice regardless of their size.
In December 2009, the most recent month for which figures are available, the Department paid 95.43 per cent. of valid invoices within this 10-day target.
Departmental Travel
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the travel guidance issued to staff of each of his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies. [315024]
Phil Hope: Guidance on travel and subsistence for staff of the Department's agency is based on Chapter 8 of the Civil Service Management Code. This document is also available on the civil service website at:
The Department's non-departmental public bodies provide guidance to their staff on travel and subsistence as part of their staff codes and rules of business conduct. Details of this guidance should be sought from the individual bodies:
Alcohol Education and Research Council (AERC)
Eliot House (EH 1.4)
10-12 Allington Street
London
SW1E 5EH
Ground Floor
Blenheim House
Duncombe Street
West 1
Leeds
LSI 4PL
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA
Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE)
1st Floor
Kierran Cross
11 Strand
London
WC2N 5HR
General Social Care Council (GSCC)
Goldings House
2 Hay's Lane
London
SW1 2HB
Health Protection Agency (HPA)
7th Floor
Holborn Gate
330 High Holborn
London
WC1V 7PP
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)
21 Bloomsbury Street
London
WC1B 3HF
Finlaison House
15-17 Furnival Street
London
EC4A 1AB
4 Matthew Parker Street
London
SW1H 9NL
Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB)
Hercules House
Hercules Road
London
SE1 7DU
Health Services: Armenia
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of (a) Armenian nationals treated by the NHS and (b) UK nationals treated in Armenia under reciprocal health care obligations in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was in each such case. [314913]
Gillian Merron: In the last 12 months, there have been no patient referrals from Armenia to the United Kingdom, incurring no costs. The agreement does not provide for referrals from the United Kingdom to Armenia. Under the agreement, nationals of Armenia and the United Kingdom can access emergency state health care in each country, but no reimbursements are sought from either country for treatment provided, and so the data relating to this are not collected centrally.
Healthier Food Mark
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much his Department has spent on the Healthier Food Mark scheme; and how much it has paid to Deloitte for its evaluation of the pilot stage of that scheme; [314187]
(2) by what mechanisms he plans to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of the Healthier Food Mark scheme for the purposes of deciding whether to make use of that scheme mandatory in 2012, as referred to in the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit report on Food Matters of July 2008. [314188]
Gillian Merron: To date the Department has spent £788,000 on the Healthier Food Mark project over two years including the contract for Deloitte who have been running the extensive phase 1 pilots involving 50 organisations.
As detailed in Food Matters, the intention remains to establish the Healthier Food Mark for the public sector as a voluntary scheme until 2012. Once established, we will review how the Healthier Food Mark has been received, the level of take up across the public sector and whether it is delivering on its objectives to make public sector food healthier and more sustainable. A decision to consider the case of making the Healthier Food Mark mandatory would need to be based on the answers to any such review and a detailed impact assessment.
Home Care Services
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which constituencies the Personal Care at Home Bill engagement events will be held. [314639]
Phil Hope:
There are three stakeholder engagement events planned to accompany the Personal Care at Home consultation on regulations and guidance, which
will be enabled by the Bill. Two of these have taken place, in the City of London and Westminster, with a third due to take place in the constituency of Salford, Manchester, on 5 February 2010.
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of versions 1 to 8 of the impact assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill. [314645]
Phil Hope: Versions 1 to 8 of the impact assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill are working drafts. As such, they will not be placed in the Library, as they are part of the standard formulation of Government policy.
Hospital Wards
Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many single rooms there will be in new hospitals opening in 2010; and how many there are in hospitals which they are to replace. [312944]
Ann Keen: The Department collects data on the proportion of single rooms in new national health service hospitals opened since 2003 with a capital value of over £25 million. Information on schemes opening in 2010 is contained in the table.
Information is not collected centrally on facilities that have been replaced as a result of new hospital schemes. All schemes with a capital value over £25 million have met the Department's 2001 guidance, which stated that the proportion of single rooms in new hospital developments should aim to be 50 per cent. but should not fall below 20 per cent. and must be higher than the facilities they are replacing. The policy and design guidance for the provision of single rooms in mental health accommodation is 100 per cent.
Each trust makes an informed choice regarding the appropriate percentage of single room provision based on practical considerations such as site restrictions and affordability as well as clinical and operational limitations.
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