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NHS Trusts (Borrowing Costs)
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each NHS trust has paid for the cost of borrowing in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement. [149348]
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Mr. Denham: The information has been placed in the Library.
The vast majority of National Health Services trust borrowing is internal to the public sector.
Ambulance Services
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what funding is being made available to Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust and surrounding trusts to facilitate mergers with neighbouring trusts; [151569]
- (2) when he received the South East Region ambulance review; and when he made a decision on it. [151571]
Ms Stuart: No decision has yet been taken about merging ambulance trusts in the south-east.
The ambulance trusts have been reviewing the way in which ambulance services in the south-east are provided to ensure that they are delivered in a way which is consistent with the modernisation of the National Health Service and which ensures they can play a full role in the delivery of emergency and pre-hospital care. Proposals for the future of the service have been produced which will require public consultation. I will be meeting the chairs and chief executives of the ambulance trusts shortly to discuss these proposals.
Dr. Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding will be provided to Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust for paramedic training and the enhancement of skill levels of paramedics. [151570]
Ms Stuart: Funding for paramedic training, both new recruits and refresher training for qualified paramedics, is incorporated in the total budget for providing emergency ambulance services. For 2000-01 the total budget for Oxfordshire Ambulance National Health Service Trust was £10 million.
General Surgery Waiting Lists
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been waiting for general surgery in (a) England, (b) the Southend, West parliamentary constituency and (c) South Essex health authority area for eight weeks or more in (i) 1999-2000 and (ii) 2000-01. [151254]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is in the tables.
| Quarter | Total | Less than 3 months | More than 3 months | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 1 | 201,533 | 107,259 | 94,274 |
| 1999-2000 | 2 | 202,349 | 109,929 | 92,420 |
| 1999-2000 | 3 | 208,965 | 112,089 | 96,876 |
| 1999-2000 | 4 | 194,010 | 101,192 | 92,818 |
| 2000-01 | 1 | 191,216 | 98,605 | 92,611 |
| 2000-01 | 2 | 187,977 | 100,376 | 87,601 |
| 2000-01 | 3 | 189,203 | 101,525 | 87,678 |
Source:
KH07 quarterly return
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| Quarter | Total | Less than 3 months | More than 3 months | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 1 | 2,039 | 1,115 | 924 |
| 1999-2000 | 2 | 2,075 | 1,102 | 973 |
| 1999-2000 | 3 | 2,252 | 1,270 | 982 |
| 1999-2000 | 4 | 2,214 | 990 | 1,224 |
| 2000-01 | 1 | 2,129 | 1,029 | 1,100 |
| 2000-01 | 2 | 2,160 | 1,153 | 1,007 |
| 2000-01 | 3 | 2,391 | 1,340 | 1,051 |
Source:
QF01 quarterly return
Data are not available on the number of people waiting longer than eight weeks. Data are collected in time-bands of three months. The Department does not collect data by parliamentary constituencies, so data has been given on England and South Essex health authority.
Expenditure
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage of gross domestic product that Britain spent on health expenditure was in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement. [151525]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 27 February 2001]: Table one shows gross National Health Service expenditure for the United Kingdom as a percentage of gross domestic product from 1979-80 to 2003-04. This shows that, based on latest forecasts, public expenditure on health as a percentage of GDP is set to rise to 6.6 per cent. by 2003-04.
The Department does not produce figures for expenditure on private healthcare. According to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) data, private healthcare represents about 1 per cent. of GDP. Table two shows total healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP from 1979-99, using information from OECD. The OECD does not produce forecast data, but assuming that private healthcare spend as a proportion of GDP remains stable at around 1 per cent., then this percentage will rise to 7.6 per cent. by 2003-04.
Notes:
1. Figures are based on UK gross NHS expenditure date and GDP data produced by HMT.
2. Figures for years 1999-2000 to 2003-04 are subject to change.
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| Year | Total healthcare expenditure as a percentage of GDP |
|---|---|
| 1979 | 5.3 |
| 1980 | 5.7 |
| 1981 | 6.0 |
| 1982 | 5.8 |
| 1983 | 6.0 |
| 1984 | 6.0 |
| 1985 | 5.9 |
| 1986 | 5.9 |
| 1987 | 6.0 |
| 1988 | 5.9 |
| 1989 | 5.9 |
| 1990 | 6.0 |
| 1991 | 6.4 |
| 1992 | 6.9 |
| 1993 | 6.9 |
| 1994 | 7.0 |
| 1995 | 7.0 |
| 1996 | 7.0 |
| 1997 | 6.7 |
| 1998 | 6.7 |
| 1999 | 7.0 |
Notes:
1. Information is produced by calendar year.
2. OECD does not produce forecast information.
Source:
OECD health databank 2000
Patient Referrals
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health since the publication of the NHS Plan in July 2000, how many health trusts have refused to accept referrals from adjacent primary care groups. [151008]
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Mr. Denham: Details on referrals that are not accepted by National Health Service Trusts are not collected centrally and are a matter for local commissioners and the National Health Service Trust concerned.
Medical Mistakes
Mr. David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the adverse events in NHS hospitals involving the use of (a) an anaesthetic and (b) nitrous oxide in (i) 1998, (ii) 1999 and (iii) 2000; [151604]
- (2) if he will list adverse events in NHS hospitals involving (a) erroneous intrathecal injections that should have been given intravenously, (b) erroneous intravenous injections that should have been given intrathecally and (c) other injection errors in (i) 1998, (ii) 1999 and (iii) 2000. [151605]
Ms Stuart [holding answer 27 February 2001]: The information requested is not currently collected centrally.
An expert group, which Ministers asked the Chief Medical Officer to chair, has examined how the National Health Service could more effectively learn from and prevent adverse events in health care. The group's report, "An Organisation with a Memory" was published last year and is available at: www.doh.gov.uk/orgmemreport.
Ministers agreed all 10 recommendations, including the four key categories of serious recurring adverse events initially identified for action. The NHS Plan includes the establishment of a national reporting system for adverse events as a key initiative intended to help protect patients and improve health care.
Detailed proposals are now being developed to establish a national reporting system, which we aim to establish by the end of 2001.
Staff Numbers
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses and (b) ancillary workers there were in each year from 1979 to 1997; and if he will make a statement. [151526]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 27 February 2001]: The data requested are in the tables.
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(16) Headcount data not available for these years.
Notes:
Figures are rounded to the nearest ten. Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts. Figures exclude agency staff. A new classification of the non-medical workforce was introduced in 1995. Information based on this classification is not directly comparable with earlier years. Decrease in learners due to transition from traditional learners to Project 2000 students from 1990.
Source:
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census
Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
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| Year | Headcount |
|---|---|
| 1979 | 219,430 |
| 1980 | 220,600 |
| 1981 | 221,450 |
| 1982 | 219,160 |
| 1983 | 215,330 |
| 1984 | 198,970 |
| 1985 | 184,150 |
| 1986 | 167,580 |
| 1987 | 157,320 |
| 1988 | 148,440 |
| 1989 | 141,540 |
| 1990 | 132,650 |
| 1991 | 121,180 |
| 1992 | 110,500 |
| 1993 | 108,440 |
| 1994 | 102,790 |
Notes:
Figures are rounded to the nearest ten
Source:
Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census
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