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National Institute for Clinical Excellence
Baroness Seccombe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is the total annual budget of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and what is the total remuneration of the institute's directors.[HL1501]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: According to the institute's annual report, its total funding for 2000–01 was £11,295,000. The institute is managed by a board consisting of executive directors (four) and non-executive directors (seven). The total remuneration was £422,000 which includes pension contributions.
Baroness Seccombe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Which directors of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), if any, are paid over £100,000 per annum; and whether such directors are in the full-time exclusive employment of NICE.[HL1502]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The chief executive and the clinical director are in receipt of salaries over £100,000. Both are in the full-time, exclusive employment of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Baroness Seccombe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proportion of the annual budget of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence was spent on staff, administration and accommodation costs in 2000–01.[HL1503]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: In 2000–01 the institute's accommodation costs were 11 per cent, staff costs 12 per cent and all other internal functions 12 per cent of total expenditure.
Baroness Seccombe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- By what percentage the number of staff employed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence increased between April 2000 and April 2001.[HL1504]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The institute was established on 1 April 1999. In July 1999 it had four staff; this had risen to nine staff in April 2000 and to 29 staff in April 2001. This represents a percentage increase of 222 per cent between April 2000 and April 2001, which is in line with the institute's business plan.
Baroness Seccombe asked Her Majesty's Government:
- On what grounds Chelsea and Westminster National Health Service Trust took over processing of payments to creditors by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in October 2000; and whether they are satisfied with previous and current payment standards.[HL1505]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The institute has entered into a service level agreement with Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust for provision of its financial services. This agreement followed a tendering process and replaced the institute's previous interim arrangement with Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham Health Authority.
The institute's 2000–01 annual report stated that since October 2000, 80 per cent of relevant bills were paid within the targets set out in The Better Payment Practice Code. The institute is taking steps to improve this performance.
Independent Healthcare Providers
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will publish the results of the survey carried out in October of the work undertaken by independent healthcare providers for all National Health Service trusts, health authorities and primary care trusts.[HL1312]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The survey returns from the National Health Service are being analysed by statisticians in the Department of Health. We expect to be able to share the results early in the new year.
NHS Information Network
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 13 November (WA 72):
(a) what proportion of laboratories and radiology departments will be capable of sending test results by NHSnet by April 2002; and
(b) what proportion of the total number of test results will be capable of being both sent and received by NHSnet by that date.[HL1552]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: All major suppliers of laboratory information systems and, where appropriate, Xmiddleware" messaging suppliers are now in the final stages of developments to meet the messaging requirements for laboratory results. Initial implementations have been completed, and incremental roll-out across other laboratories will be progressed over the next few months. It is expected that over 30 per cent will be implemented by April 2002. The target for radiology reports is 2003, and no data is yet available for this.
Information is currently being collated from pathology and general practitioner systems suppliers on roll-out plans. This will indicate the timescales for results being both sent and received via NHSnet.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Local implementation strategies (LIS) exist for all local health communities for information management and technology and are based around the boundaries of current health authorities. Strategic health authorities will have the responsibility for ensuring that all National Health
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: We are working with each acute hospital to identify when it expects to achieve level 3 electronic patient record (EPR). We know that currently five sites have the functionality, many more have implemented significant elements. We have also approved nine business cases for EPR implementation while there are some 62 outline business cases at various stages of the approval process.
The work being undertaken with individual trusts will show the actual progress being made against the target set in Information for Health. It will also show if that target as currently framed remains useful given developments in the NHS Plan and opportunities provided by technological innovation.
Baroness Noakes asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The national targets set in Information for Health were revised January 2001, and are contained within Building the information Core—Implementing the NHS Plan. The revised targets are as follows:
The target of 25 per cent by 31/3/03 remains quite ambitious but following the excellent progress with Project Connect in connecting general practice to the NHSnet it remains achievable.
Lord McColl of Dulwich asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Data is not available by either nursing grade or nursing group. The number of all qualified and unqualified nursing staff in England and Wales, who received a pension award before the age of 60, in each of the past five financial years 1997 to 2001 is set out as follows. The table also includes those who had reached age 50 when the pension award was made.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns asked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their response to the recommendation by the National Audit Office that the Department of Health should lead the development of a new cross-government strategy to promote the health benefits of physical activity. [HL1676]
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Government recognise that there is a need to ensure that national and local programmes to promote physical activity are
Regular physical activity has demonstrable health benefits including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality in general and of coronary heart disease mortality in particular, preventing or delaying the development of high blood pressure, helping to control weight and diabetes, reducing the risk of falls and accidents and reducing the risk of depression.
The NHS Plan, the Cancer Plan and the National Service Frameworks for Coronary Heart Disease and Older People all include action at national and local levels to increase physical activity.
The Committee of Public Accounts hearing on the National Audit Office report Tackling Obesity in England took place on 23 April 2001. Its recommendations are expected shortly and we will be considering future work on physical activity in the light of these.
Baroness Massey of Darwen asked Her Majesty's Government:
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy published its first annual report on 30 November 2001.
This is a very comprehensive report and we commend the advisory group on the valuable work it has undertaken since it was formed. We welcome the advisory group's acknowledgement of the significant progress made to date across government on implementing our Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. We recognise that, as with all long-term strategies, we must sustain our action and commitment if we are
to achieve the strategy's goals. The report contains
49 specific recommendations on potential areas for further action and we will give these our full and careful consideration. We will aim to publish a detailed response to the report by next spring.
Whether agreed local implementation strategies for information management and technology exist for all health authorities; and how and by which organisations those strategies will be taken forward once health authorities are replaced by strategic health authorities and their functions are delegated to primary care trusts.[HL1553]
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 21 November (WA152), what is the status of the target set in Information for Health of 35 per cent of all acute hospitals to have implemented a level 3 electronic patient record by 2002.[HL1597]
What progress has been made in implementing integrated primary care and community electronic patient records in health authorities; and whether they expect to meet their target of 25 per cent set in Information for Health.[HL1598]
Integrated Primary Community Electronic Patient Record 31/3/01 31/3/02 31/3/03 31/3/04 31/3/05
25 50 100
How many nursing staff on or above grade F retired in each of the past five years before completing 40 years' service and below the age of 60; and how many of the above had reached the age of 50. [HL1570]
Financial Year Nurses under age 60 Nurses aged 50 to 59
1997 5,939 4,563
1998 5,482 4,401
1999 5,035 4,156
2000 4,877 4,020
2001 4,627 4,077
What are their plans to publish a national physical activity strategy; and [HL1613]
When the Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy will publish its first annual report.[HL1751]
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