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Dental Services
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received in response to the de-registering of patients who have not visited their dentist within the last 15 months; and if he will make a statement. [21322]
Mr. Milburn: From 1 September 1996, the registration period for both adult continuing care and child capitation was harmonised to provide patients with a period of continuing dental care for 15 months following each course of treatment. The aim of the changes was to improve value for money by focusing payments to dentists on those patients receiving active care from them.
Patients lapse from dentists' lists only if they have not seen their dentists since they registered. This is so, irrespective of the length of the registration period. Patients who attend their dentist at least every 15 months, have their registration period rolled forward automatically for another 15 months when they attend. They will notice no difference from the changes. Less regular attenders are still fully entitled to NHS dental treatment.
The changes to the registration periods were agreed with the British Dental Association (BDA) before they were implemented in September 1996. The BDA has recently changed its position, and has asked the Department to look again at the length of the registration periods.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he intends to take to encourage patients to register with their dentists before the Government regulations relating to patients who have not visited their dentist within the last 15 months are enforced. [21324]
Mr. Milburn:
Patients who attend their dentist regularly will not be affected by the change in registration period. Less regular attenders are still fully entitled to National Health Service dental treatment, and are free to register at any time with a dentist willing to accept them.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to publish his response to the conclusions of the BMA on the value of medicinal cannabis. [21047]
Ms Jowell:
We have no plans to publish the reply sent to the British Medical Association (BMA). Department of Health officials will meet representatives of the BMA in the new year to discuss their report "The therapeutic uses of cannabis".
Dr. Brand:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will prevent the sale of tobacco products by anyone younger than the minimum age at which those products may legally be purchased. [20410]
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 222
Ms Jowell:
The Government currently have no plans to do so.
Dr. Brand:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the terms of reference are for the evaluation being conducted for his Department of residential and village community provision for people with a mental handicap; who is conducting the study; how much it will cost if the work was put out to tender; and when the main findings are expected. [20411]
Mr. Boateng:
The evaluation consists of two phases. The first phase was in two parts. First, a review of literature on residential provision for people with learning disabilities. The terms of reference were
Professor Eric Emerson of Hester Adrian Research Centre, University of Manchester, successfully competed for the contract for the first phase of the research which cost £26,471. The results of the first phase were published in July 1996 and distributed to social services departments and chief executives of health authorities.
The second phase consists of two related parts. The first will look at a sample of 300 people with learning disabilities living in residential or village communities, and 300 people with learning disabilities living in small scale community-based residential services. In the second part, more detailed information will be collected on two smaller matched sub-samples of people with profound multiple learning disabilities living in residential or village communities, and small scale community-based residential services.
Analyses of the data will focus upon: (1) describing and comparing the characteristics of the people served, the types of services received, the costs of services received and the outcomes associated with the two approaches to residential provision; and (2) examining the inter-relationships between the characteristics of the people served, the types of services received, the costs of services received and the resulting outcomes within and across the two types of provision.
To avoid any undue delay in the start of the second phase of the research, and because he successfully completed the first phase, Professor Eric Emerson of the Hester Adrian Research Centre, University of Manchester, was approached on a single tender basis to take the second phase forward. Professor Martin Knapp of the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the London School of Economics is undertaking the economic aspects of the research.
The study was commissioned in December 1996 at a cost to the Department of £274,464. Main findings from the study are expected in December 1998.
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 223
Caroline Flint:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are his plans to increase the efficacy of HIV/AIDS educational initiatives to young people. [20717]
Ms Jowell:
The Department of Health has a contract with the Health Education Authority to undertake HIV/AIDS health promotion work for the general population. Most of these initiatives are currently aimed at 16 to 24-year-olds and provide information about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and how to avoid them. The Government are committed to ensuring that such work is effective, evidence-based and properly evaluated through the use of research and pre-testing.
Ministers have recently announced the establishment of a Task Group which will look at Sex and Relationships Education. It will support the continued development of sex and relationships education in schools and youth settings. The Department for Education and Employment will be fully involved.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the (a) advantages and (b) disadvantages of merging NHS trusts serving East Sussex; and if he will make a statement. [21354]
Mr. Milburn:
No proposals for the merger of National Health Service trusts within East Sussex have been received. Mergers arising from local decisions will be considered on their merits, on the basis of demonstrable benefits in health and healthcare, and savings in administration.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 15 July 1997, Official Report, columns 162-63, on long-stay facilities, if he will provide the same information for each year since 1989. [13056]
Mr. Boateng
[holding answer 5 November 1997]: The average daily number of available beds in the three main service areas where long stay provision is concentrated are set out in the tables.
"to assess the state of knowledge about effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different forms of residential accommodation for people with learning disabilities".
Secondly, an analysis of available information on the costs of village communities. The terms of reference were
"to analyse and compare any information which is readily available on the financial costs of village communities and other forms of residential provision for people with learning disabilities".
Source:
DH form KHO3 1988-89 onwards.
17 Dec 1997 : Column: 224
| Sector | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental illness | Learning disability | Other | |
| 1996-97 | 1,000 | 3,000 | 0 |
Source:
DH form KH03 1996-97.
Note:
"O" denotes "500" or less.
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