Dental Services
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people saw an NHS dentist at least once in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011. [94541]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 681W
Mr Simon Burns: Information is not available in the format requested.
The number of patients seen by a national health service dentist in the previous. 24 months, in England, is available in Table 3a of the “NHS Dental Statistics for England—2011/12, First quarterly report”. Information is available at quarterly intervals from 30 June 2009 to 30 September 2011.
Note that the ‘patients seen' measure shows the number of patients who received NHS dental care in the previous 24 months: an equivalent measure covering the 12 month period is not available.
This report, published on 24 November 2011, has been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats1112q1
Dental Services: Cumbria
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS dentists required to meet demand for NHS dental care in (a) Cumbria and (b) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency. [94896]
Mr Simon Burns: Decisions about the provision of local health services, including NHS dental care services, are a matter for the local national health service.
Details on future plans for investment in NHS dental care services in the Cumbria area can be obtained from Cumbria Teaching primary care trust.
Departmental Manpower
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were on his Department’s payroll in (a) June 2010, (b) June 2011 and (c) January 2012. [94544]
Mr Simon Burns: The numbers of civil servants on the Department’s payroll for specific dates are presented in the following table.
| Full-time equivalent staff | |
Ministerial Policy Advisers
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the special advisers in his Department have declared any external employment in the last 12 months. [95443]
Mr Simon Burns: None of the special advisers has declared any external employment while working for the Department.
Procurement: Capital Bonds
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of the total value of contracts issued or to be issued by his Department in 2011-12 have required successful organisations to put up a capital bond; and if he will make a statement; [94918]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 682W
(2) which contracts his Department has tendered or will tender in 2011-12 which require successful organisations to have a capital bond of more than £5 million; which contracts have not required such a bond; and if he will make a statement. [94934]
Mr Simon Burns: The Department does not keep central records of procurements where capital bonds have been or will be required. Inquiries have been made of the directorates across the Department that have responsibility for managing contracts, and they report that they do not routinely require capital bonds, have no record of their use in 2011-12 and have no plans to use them in the remainder of this period.
Doctors: Pay
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many doctors working in clinical commissioning groups are being paid an hourly or sessional rate and also having an additional payment made either to themselves or their practice for the provision of locum cover; [95207]
(2) how many doctors working in clinical commissioning groups have had their hourly or sessional rate approved by the Treasury; [95208]
(3) whether a requirement exists for Treasury approval for any doctor working in clinical commissioning groups and receiving a payment that pro-rata would be higher than the salary of the Prime Minister; [95209]
(4) how many doctors working in clinical commissioning groups receive an hourly or sessional rate that, if paid on a full-time rate, would be higher than the salary of the Prime Minister; [95210]
(5) how many doctors working in clinical commissioning groups are being paid on (a) an hourly or (b) sessional rate. [95211]
Mr Simon Burns: Information on remuneration for doctors working for emerging clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) is not held centrally.
Once established, the governing body of a CCG will have the responsibility to determine remuneration, fees and allowances payable to employees of the CCG and to those that provide services to the CCG.
Each clinical commissioning group will have a limit on administrative spending placed upon it by the NHS Commissioning Board and it is up to each clinical commissioning group to determine how much of that envelope it spends on pay.
Eating Disorders
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of (a) anorexia and (b) bulimia were diagnosed in each region for patients of each (i) age group and (ii) sex in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011. [94504]
Paul Burstow: We have not collected the exact data requested. However, comprehensive statistics on the prevalence of eating disorders for 2007 can be found in the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey and the following tables show breakdowns of the data collected in 2007 by age, gender and Government office region for eating disorders.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 683W
20 Feb 2012 : Column 684W
| Screen positive for eating disorder in the past year, by region (1) and sex, 2007 | |||||||||||
| Percentage | |||||||||||
| Government office region | Strategic health authority | ||||||||||
| SCOFF score | North East | North West | Yorks and the Humber | East Midlands | West Midlands | East of England | London | South West | South East | South East Coast | South Central |
| (1) This table provides data for regional analysis both by Government office region (GOR) and strategic health authorities (SHAs). The first eight columns represent GORs and SHAs of the same name, while the South East GOR (column nine) is divided into South East Coast SHA and South Central SHA, shown in the final two columns. (2) The ‘two or more’ group includes those with a SCOFF score of two or more and reporting significant impact. Note: The SCOFF screening tool for eating disorders was administered to respondents as part of the self-completion section of the interview. Endorsement of two or more items represented a positive screen for eating disorder. This threshold indicates that clinical assessment for eating disorder is warranted. Source: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England, 2007 Survey. | |||||||||||
| Screen positive for eating disorder in past year, by age and sex, 2007 | ||||||||
| Percentage | ||||||||
| Age group | ||||||||
| SCOFF score | 16-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65-74 | 75+ | All |
| (1) The ‘two or more’ group includes those with a SCOFF score of two or more and reporting significant impact. Note: The SCOFF screening tool for eating disorders was administered to respondents as part of the self-completion section of the interview. Endorsement of two or more items represented a positive screen for eating disorder. This threshold indicates that clinical assessment for eating disorder is warranted. Source: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England, 2007 Survey. | ||||||||
Food Standards Agency: Expenditure
Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Food Standards Agency spent on direct commissioning of scientific research projects in the last year for which figures are available; how much of this was spent on research into anecdotal reports of food intolerance; and what steps the agency takes to ensure the (a) value for money and (b) scientific credibility of such projects before commissioning them. [94696]
Anne Milton: The overall spend by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on science and evidence gathering work in 2010-11, the last year for which figures are available, was £24.3 million. Further details on how this figure was divided between the strategic themes within the science and evidence portfolio are provided in the Annual Report of the Chief Scientist 2010-11, which can be found at:
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/csr1011.pdf
In 2010-11, £63,930 was spent on one project on reported reactions to the sweetener aspartame.
The FSA ensures value for money in science and evidence work and the scientific credibility of research prior to commissioning through:
The development and publication of the Science and Evidence Strategy for 2010 2015, offering a clear vision of how to meet the challenges of delivering safer food for the nation, supported by the annual Forward Evidence Plan;
The co-funding of research, to the value of £5.2 million in 2010-11, and partnerships with other Government Departments and funding bodies such as the Research Councils in areas of joint interest;
A tendering process, including peer review of proposals by external experts to ensure that we commission the best quality research, and within a framework on governance and use of science, on which the FSA is advised by the independent General Advisory Committee on Science; and
Close monitoring of projects by programme managers and project officers.
Austin Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health with whom the Food Standards Agency has
20 Feb 2012 : Column 685W
contracted to undertake research into anecdotal reports of intolerance to dietary intake of low calorie sweeteners; how much it has spent on that project to date; what the total expenditure is likely to be by completion; what progress has been made on the project to date; and if the agency will ensure that the data from the study are made available to the European Food Safety Agency in time to inform its review of the science in this area. [94697]
Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has commissioned Hull university to carry out the research on alleged adverse reactions to aspartame. To date £352,357 has been spent on this project.
A number of individuals who reported reactions after consuming aspartame, and of those who normally consume foods containing aspartame without reporting reactions, have been recruited. However, additional recruitment, which will increase costs, will be necessary and the FSA is currently in discussion with the contractors concerning the remaining work to complete the study.
The FSA is aware that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is reviewing aspartame and that it is very interested in this particular United Kingdom study, the FSA will inform EFSA about the expected date the results will be available.
Genito-urinary Medicine
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of how the indicators in his Public Health Outcomes Framework for sexual and reproductive health reflect the life course approach as set out in “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: transparency in outcomes, proposals for a public health outcomes framework”; and if he will make a statement. [95375]
Anne Milton: “Improving Outcomes and Supporting Transparency: a public health outcomes framework for England”, published on 23 January 2012, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, contains indicators which, when taken together, will contribute to increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities across the life course. Individual indicators within the framework may have more relevance to some age groups than others, according to evidence on where the greatest risks to health lie.
The Public Health Outcomes Framework contains indicators on reducing under-18 conceptions, on chlamydia diagnoses in the 15 to 24 age group and on reducing the number of people presenting with HIV at a late stage of infection. There is high-quality data available to measure these indicators, and all cover a range of significant risks.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans his Department has to include outcome indicators for sexual and reproductive health in its forthcoming sexual health policy document; [95369]
(2) whether he proposes that outcome indicators in the forthcoming sexual health policy document will take a life course approach as set out in “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: transparency in outcomes, proposals for a public health outcomes framework”; and if he will make a statement. [95370]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 686W
Anne Milton: The sexual health policy document will set sexual health improvement in the context of health modernisation and the proposed new commissioning arrangements. It will promote the evidence base for improving sexual health, including behaviour change and links to wider public health issues. It will not contain any additional sexual health indicators, but will instead give service commissioners the evidence and tools they need to set locally-based indicators, should they wish to do so, to improve the sexual health of their local populations.
Health
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new resources he plans to provide areas with the highest rates of (a) obesity-related and (b) alcohol-related ill health. [94503]
Anne Milton: From 2013-14 the Department intends to allocate a ring-fenced public health grant; targeted for health inequalities; to upper-tier and unitary local authorities for improving the health and wellbeing of local populations.
The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation has advised on the public health allocation formula, to inform the distribution of the public health grant across local authorities. Their recommendations will be published in the coming weeks.
It will be for local authorities to decide local spending priorities in light of their Joint Strategic Needs Assessments and joint health and wellbeing strategies.
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to review and update the indicators set out in the Public Health Outcomes Framework; and if he will make a statement. [95368]
Anne Milton: The Public Health Outcomes Framework is intended to apply for a three-year period, but with annual reviews to reflect improved data quality and technical developments and to ensure continued alignment with the national health service and adult social care frameworks.
We will continue to work closely with a wide range of stakeholders in further developing the framework, including local government, the NHS, third sector organisations, professional groups and other interested parties.
Health Services: Cumbria
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on (a) primary and (b) acute health care in (i) Cumbria, (ii) south Cumbria and (iii) Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency in each of the last 10 years. [94857]
Mr Simon Burns: Information showing the purchase of primary and secondary health care in each year since 2004-05 by primary care trusts (PCTs) in Cumbria is shown in the following table:
| £000 | ||
| Organisation | Total primary health care purchased | Total secondary health care purchased |
20 Feb 2012 : Column 687W
| Notes: 1. The lowest level of detail at which financial data are collected by the Department for statutory accounting is by PCT. Data by constituency are not held centrally. 2. In 2006, Cumbria PCT was formed following a merger of four predecessor PCTs (Carlisle and District PCT, Eden Valley PCT, West Cumbria PCT and part of Morecambe Bay PCT). Morecambe Bay PCT was split across two PCTs. It is not possible to disaggregate the figures for the part which merged to become Cumbria PCT. 3. The figures provided for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are therefore the sum of the equivalent figures in the predecessor PCTs. 4. The figures are taken from the audited summarisation schedules, from which the NHS (England) Summarised Accounts are prepared. 5. In common with many other public and private sector organisations, the Department only holds accounting data at organisation level for seven years, and therefore 2004-05 is the first year for which data can be provided. Source: 2004-05 to 2010-11 PCT audited summarisation schedules | ||
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to reduce inequalities in respect of (a) health outcomes and (b) life expectancy in Cumbria. [94898]
Anne Milton: The Government are committed to reducing health inequalities by tackling the differences in access to, and outcomes of, national health service treatment; addressing the wider, social causes of ill health and early death; and improving individual healthy lifestyles.
The public health white paper outlines a vision for a public health system that puts local authorities at its heart and announced the establishment of Public Health England. The two main principles include empowering individuals and communities to address their own health and well-being needs; and a commitment to a locally-driven system, with directors of public health and their colleagues in local authorities influencing and driving action in communities.
The Health and Social Care Bill proposes legal duties for NHS commissioners and the Secretary of State for Health around tackling inequalities. Subject to
20 Feb 2012 : Column 688W
parliamentary approval, the NHS Commissioning Board and clinical commissioning groups will each be under a duty to have regard to the need to reduce inequalities in access to, and the outcomes of, healthcare.
The Secretary of State will have a wider duty to have regard to the need to reduce inequalities relating to the health service (including both NHS and public health).
Responding to the analysis set out in the Marmot review of inequalities, Public Health England will also play a key role in tackling inequalities. From 2013-14, the Department intends to allocate a ring-fenced public health grant, targeted for health inequalities, to upper-tier and unitary local authorities for improving the health and well-being of local populations.
Within a broad strategy to tackle health inequalities across the country, the health needs of the most vulnerable people will be addressed through the Inclusion Health programme, which will focus on improving access and outcomes for vulnerable groups.
Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, Public Health England is to be created in April 2013 and will deliver the Government's vision of a strong, integrated public health service encompassing the three domains of public health: health protection, health improvement and health services.
The NHS is responsible for action to reduce health inequalities locally. Information on local plans to tackle health inequalities and progress already made in Cumbria can be obtained from NHS Cumbria.
Health Services: Foreign Nationals
Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library how much unpaid debt was owed to the NHS for the treatment of foreign nationals from each country in the latest period for which figures are available. [94851]
Anne Milton: The Department does not hold this information.
Health Services: Greater London
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will provide strategic leadership for London's health services from April 2013; and if he will make a statement. [94897]
Mr Simon Burns: The key focus of strategic thinking in London, as elsewhere, will be the joint strategic needs assessment and joint health and well-being strategy produced by clinical commissioning groups and local authorities through Health and Well-being Boards.
In some cases where a wider geographical focus is needed, such as specialised commissioning, the NHS Commissioning Board will, working with others, provide leadership through its sub-national arrangements.
Health Services: Scotland
Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the Cabinet Secretary for Health in the Scottish Government; and when he next plans to meet the Cabinet Secretary for Health in the Scottish Government. [95158]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 689W
Mr Simon Burns: The Secretary of State for Health last met with the Cabinet Secretary for Health in the Scottish Government on 10 February 2012. No further meetings have currently been arranged.
Health Visitors: Manpower
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health visitors there were in each (a) region and (b) primary care trust in terms of (i) headcount and (ii) full-time equivalent staff in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011. [94509]
Anne Milton: Information relating to 2011 will be available from April 2012.
A table containing data for 2010 has been placed in the Library.
Hospices: Finance
Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding the Government have provided for hospices in each year since 2007. [94786]
Paul Burstow: The Department does not provide funding to adult hospices; this is the responsibility of primary care trusts. The Department has provided some capital funding support to hospices: £50 million in 2006, later increased to £54 million, most of which was allocated during 2007 to 2009, and £40 million in 2010-11.
The Department provides funding for children's hospices through the children's hospice and hospice-at-home grant scheme. Annual allocations are set out in the following table.
| £ million | |
Hospitals: Cleaning Services
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he is planning a deep clean of hospitals in 2012. [94506]
Mr Simon Burns: There are no plans to undertake a national deep clean programme in the national health service. However, trusts' strategic and operational cleaning plans should make provision for ongoing deep cleaning activity. All hospitals are required to provide a clean and safe environment for healthcare to ensure their continuing registration with the Care Quality Commission. High standards of cleanliness support continued reductions in healthcare-associated infections.
Patients rightly expect hospitals to be clean and the new patient-led inspections of wards announced by the Prime Minster in January 2012 will provide them with a voice that can be heard in any discussion about local standards of care.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 690W
Hospitals: Food
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost is of a meal provided to an in-patient in (a) NHS and (b) foundation trust acute hospitals. [94833]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested.
In 2010-11, the Department collected data from national health service trusts for the average total daily cost for the provision of all meals and beverages fed to one patient per day. This cost relates to all meals and beverages provided to a patient in a day, not the cost of a single meal. For 2010-11, the average total daily cost across NHS acute hospital trusts was £8.39, and across foundation trust acute hospitals it was £8.32. The cost is inclusive of all pay and non-pay costs, including provisions, ward issues, disposables, equipment and its maintenance.
The information has been supplied by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.
Hospitals: Private Finance Initiative
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals that pay PFI charges (a) will and (b) will not receive additional financial support in 2012-13. [94545]
Mr Simon Burns: A review has been undertaken to analyse the extent to which private finance initiative (PFI) schemes are, in themselves, a determinant to why national health service providers may not be clinically or financially viable and where additional support may be needed to address this. This work has determined, so far, that the following organisations will need some additional support to enable them to be sustainable providers of high quality health care services:
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust;
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust;
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust;
North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust;
Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
South London Healthcare NHS Trust; and
St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust.
To meet the criteria for such support, this shortlist of affected trusts will need to demonstrate that they had met four key tests:
the problems they face should be exceptional and beyond those faced by other organisations;
they must be able to show that the problems they face are historic and that they have a clear plan to manage their resources in the future;
they must show that they are delivering high levels of annual productivity savings; and
they must deliver clinically viable, high quality services, including delivering low waiting times and other performance measures.
On the basis of meeting these requirements, these trusts will have access to the national support being made available. Some of this funding will be available from 2012-13 and the trusts who will receive this during this period will be determined following the conclusions of the ongoing review on a case-by-case basis for each organisation.
20 Feb 2012 : Column 691W
John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much additional financial support for hospitals with high PFI charges has been allocated to hospitals in (a) London and (b) other areas. [94546]
Mr Simon Burns: A review has been undertaken to analyse the extent to which private finance initiative (PFI) schemes are, in themselves, a determinant to why national health service providers may not be clinically or financially viable and where additional support may be needed to address this. This work has determined, so far, that the following organisations will need some additional support to enable them to be sustainable providers of high quality health care services:
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
South London Healthcare NHS Trust
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust
Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust
For these the amounts that may be allocated to PFI schemes in London and other areas will be determined following the conclusions of the ongoing review on a case by case basis for each organisation.
Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Overseas Visitors
Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what costs have been invoiced to foreign patients not entitled to free NHS care by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the last five years; [95581]
(2) what proportion of costs invoiced to foreign patients not entitled to free NHS care by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust have been written off in each of the last five years. [95588]
Mr Simon Burns: Trusts' accounts report total audited income from overseas patients under non-reciprocal arrangements(1), and bad debt and claims abandoned for overseas patients. As well as foreign nationals who are not ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, the data include income from, and written off debt for, UK nationals who are not ordinarily resident here.
The value of bad debt and claims abandoned for overseas patients for Hull and East Yorkshire National Health Service Trust (HEY) for 2006-07 to 2010-11 is shown in the following table.
(1) This means the amount invoiced for national health service hospital treatment to overseas patients not entitled to free NHS care.
| Financial year | Bad debts and claims abandoned in respect of overseas patients (£) |
| Source: NHS Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules | |
20 Feb 2012 : Column 692W
HEY's accounts report no income related to overseas patients in the years in question. However, HEY has informed the Department that the income has been recorded in its accounts under the private patient income heading. My right hon. Friend may wish to approach HEY for further information.
Incontinence
Mr Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS operations to insert a transobturata tape procedure or tensions-free vaginal tape procedure polypropylene mesh bladder sling to treat stress urinary incontinence in women there have been in each of the last eight years; and how many (a) adverse event reports there have been associated with such slings and (b) operations to remove such slings in the same period. [95457]
Mr Simon Burns: The information is shown in the following tables:
| Procedure | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre. Activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector | |||||
HES is unable to provide data for the years previous to 2006-07.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has received 107 incident reports since 2005 involving vaginal mesh tapes used for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) as follows:
| Adverse Incident Reports | |
In addition, the MHRA has also had six reports in 2010, and 19 in 2011, where the device is unknown but we believe they are likely to relate to vaginal tapes for SUI.
Information Centre for Health and Social Care
Grahame M. Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to change the (a) function and (b) operation of the NHS Information Centre. [94782]
Mr Simon Burns:
The Department’s consultation document “Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution” set a clear vision for the Health and Social Care Information Centre to become a focal point for
20 Feb 2012 : Column 693W
information collected from national health service and social care organisations in England. A copy has already been placed in the Library. The Information Centre will help to join up information and make health and adult social care information more accessible for patients, service users and professionals. Provisions in part 9 of the Health and Social Care Bill are designed to support and clarify the Information Centre’s role and functions.
The intention is to streamline and simplify national health and adult social care information collections within a single organisation—the Information Centre. The centre’s remit will include social care, thus creating a clearer picture of care delivered and the outcomes achieved.
Innovation
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect of value-based pricing on innovation. [95238]
Mr Simon Burns: Our plans for a new value-based pricing system for new medicines will be designed to encourage and support the development of innovative medicines that deliver significantly improved outcomes for patients and for society as a whole at a price that represents value for the national health service and for taxpayers.
The Department's impact assessment provides more detail on the possible impact of value-based pricing on innovation and is available at:
www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_122823.pdf
IVF
Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to encourage primary care trusts to adhere to the 2004 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guideline on provision of three full cycles of IVF to eligible couples in the last 12 months. [95092]
Anne Milton: Primary care trusts are fully aware of their statutory commissioning responsibilities and the need to base commissioning decisions on clinical evidence and discussions with local general practitioner commissioners, secondary care clinicians and providers. The national health service deputy chief executive, David Flory, wrote to primary care trust commissioners last year to highlight to those involved in commissioning fertility services the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence fertility guidelines, including the recommendation that up to three cycles of in vitro fertilisation are offered to eligible couples where the woman is aged between 23 and 39.
Additionally, we support Infertility Network UK, a leading patient support organisation, to develop and promote standardised access criteria and to work in partnership with commissioners to encourage good practice in the provision of fertility services.
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the commissioning arrangements for IVF. [95407]
20 Feb 2012 : Column 694W
Anne Milton: The Government are supporting Infertility Network UK (INUK), the leading infertility support group, to undertake a primary care trusts liaison project. The purpose of this three-year project is to gauge the extent to which commissioners are following the recommendations of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence fertility guideline and sharing good practice in their treatment of people with fertility problems. A final report from the project is due later this year.
Learning Disability: Advocacy
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of (1) best practice by local authorities for the provision of independent advocacy services for people with learning disabilities; [95141]
(2) independent advocacy services funded by local authorities in ensuring equal access to services by people with learning disabilities. [95142]
Paul Burstow: The Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government make resources available to local authorities (LAs) for them to decide how they best support people with learning disabilities. Most LAs commission independent advocacy for people with learning disabilities as part of the support and services they offer them.
The Department has however funded the development of a ‘quality mark’ scheme, whereby an advocacy umbrella organisation, “Action for Advocacy”, will carry out an assessment of the quality of advocacy offered by advocacy organisations and will award a quality mark where an organisation meets certain standards. This is an innovative scheme, developed by the sector for the sector, with the aim of recognising quality where it exists and assisting all advocacy organisations to identify quality as an important part of their work. The quality mark is a form of assessment and the organisations which have achieved this are listed on the website of “Action for Advocacy”.
LAs are required under equality legislation to ensure that a variety of measures are available to enable equal access to services. Advocacy plays an important part in this.
Malaria
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of malaria there were in each region in (a) 2010 and (b) 2011. [94385]
Anne Milton: The Health Protection Agency's (HPA) Malaria Reference Laboratory conducts enhanced surveillance of malaria in the United Kingdom. Data are collected by county and have been aggregated to approximate regions for cases in 2010 as shown in the following table. Data will not be available for 2011 until March 2012.
| 2010 malaria cases (all species) | |
20 Feb 2012 : Column 695W
Further information about malaria in the UK is published on the HPA website at:
www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/Malaria/EpidemiologicalData/
Maternity Services: Expenditure
Ms Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on maternity services in each (a) region and (b) NHS trust in (i) 2010 and (ii) 2011. [Official Report, 1 March 2012, Vol. 541, c. 1MC.] [94510]
Anne Milton: This information is not collected in the format requested. The Department collects accounting data based on commissioning, of secondary health care by financial year. Information regarding expenditure on the purchase of secondary health care relating to maternity services by strategic health authority (SHA) region and primary care trust in 2009-10 and 2010-11 is set out in the following tables.
| Table 1: Expenditure on the purchase of secondary health care relating to maternity services by SHA region | ||
| £000 | ||
| Region | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| Source: 2009-10 and 2010-11 PCT Audited Summarisation Schedules | ||
| Table 2: Expenditure on the purchase of secondary health care relating to maternity services by primary care trust (PCT) | ||
| £000 | ||
| Organisation | 2009-10 purchase of secondary health care: Maternity | 2010-11 purchase of secondary health care: Maternity |
20 Feb 2012 : Column 696W
20 Feb 2012 : Column 697W
20 Feb 2012 : Column 698W
| (1) In April 2010 Blackburn with Darwen PCT became Blackburn with Darwen Teaching Care Trust Plus PCT. (2) In April 2010 East and North Hertfordshire PCT and West Hertfordshire merged to become Hertfordshire PCT. Source: 2009-10 and 2010-11 PCT Audited Summarisation Schedules | ||
Mental Illness: Drugs
Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been prescribed antipsychotic drugs (a) in total and (b) while receiving treatment in hospital, by primary care trust area, in the latest period for which figures are available. [95153]
Mr Simon Burns:
Information on the number of people prescribed antipsychotic drugs while in hospital is not collected centrally. Although information is not collected on the number of people prescribed a particular medicine in primary care, data are available for the number of prescription items prescribed and subsequently dispensed. The following table provides information for antipsychotic drugs as defined by the British National
20 Feb 2012 : Column 699W
Formulary, sections 4.2.1 “Antipsychotic Drugs” and 4.2.2 “Antipsychotic depot injections”, for the latest available 12-month period.
| Prescription items for antipsychotic drugs prescribed in England and dispensed in the community in the UK, December 2010 to November 2011 | |
| Primary care trust (PCT) | Number of prescription items |
20 Feb 2012 : Column 700W
20 Feb 2012 : Column 701W
| (1) Does not include 120,792 hospital prescription items dispensed in the community, which cannot be allocated to individual PCTs. Source: Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system. | |