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HEALTH
Overseas Treatment
Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients received treatment abroad at the direction and expense of the NHS in (a) 2002 to date and (b) each of the last three years. [47648]
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Mr. Hutton: Under the pilot scheme to treat NHS patients overseas 181 patients received treatment overseas between 18 January and 12 April 2002.
The E112 scheme is the process through which patients may receive treatment in other European Economic Area (EEA) countries at the expense of the NHS. Applications are almost always instigated by patients rather than at the direction of the NHS. 310 applications for treatment were approved between 1 January and 12 April 2002. The figures for the last three years were as follows:
| 1999 | 860 |
| 2000 | 1100 |
| 2001 | 1140 |
All the above figures are for Great Britain and rounded to the nearest 10. They relate to applications approved during the relevant period, rather than individuals treated; some applications will have been in respect of the same individual. Moreover, some treatments approved in one year may have taken place the following year.
Websites
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 27 February, Official Report, column 1405W, concerning the Departmental website, what the reasons are for the increase in (i) hosting and maintenance charges and (ii) website development costs. [48251]
Yvette Cooper: The increase in hosting and maintenance charges for the Departmental website between 1998 and 2002 was caused by two factors:
(a) the number of databases made available increased from one at the beginning of 1998 to around sixty in 2002. Hosting for each is charged separately; and
(b) Office of Government Commerce's charging arrangements for website hosting and maintenance changed annually during the period 1998 to 2002.
(a) The increase in size of the site from 100 to over 80,000 pages in the six years since its launch, and the increase in use of the Internet as a publishing vehicle for departmental publications, has meant that the information has had to be substantially reorganised.
(b) Other changes have been made in order to meet the Office of the e-Envoy's "Guidelines for UK government websites" on Accessibility and Usability.
(c) User research and ongoing customer and stakeholder feedback has prompted redesign work to improve the site's navigational structure, the search engine and the choice of document format available.
Violent Patients
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities have implemented schemes to provide safe havens in which violent patients can be treated. [47858]
Mr. Hutton: The Department issued Health Service Circular 2000–01 "Tackling violence towards GPs and their staff" to health authorities on 28 January 2000. Health authorities were asked to audit levels of violence,
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assess risk and put appropriate plans into place which address safer working, in close consultation with local medical committees (LMCs).
A recent survey of fifty LMCs found that 22 health authorities had provided advice on how to deal with violent patients; 10 had provided secure facilities for consultation and treatment of violent patients; 4 had other successful schemes in place; and 9 health authorities and LMCs had discussions in progress.
The following health authorities have secure facilities or other schemes in place:
Health Authority areas where secure facilities are provided:
Southampton
Suffolk
South Derbyshire
Liverpool
Avon
Nottingham
North Warwickshire
Hillingdon
Camden and Islington
Hampshire & Isle of Wight
East and West Kent
Lincolnshire
Wirral
Gloucestershire
Workforce Numbers Advisory Board
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources are used to enable the work of Workforce Numbers Advisory Board to continue. [47844]
Mr. Hutton: The Workforce Numbers Advisory Board (WNAB) is part of the Department's new workforce planning structures. It plays a key role in determining future commissioning levels and engaging the NHS in planning the future workforce.
It does not have a budget but is supported by civil servants and may call upon the resources of the Department to commission work as required.
Neo-natal Units
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many positions in neo-natal units in each health authority area have been vacant for over three months. [47872]
Mr. Hutton: Information about the number of vacant positions in neo-natal units is not collected. Staff for neo-natal units comprises neonatal nurses, midwives, paediatric nurses, other nursing staff and paediatricians. Vacancy information is only available for midwives and paediatric nurses and this is shown in the table.
Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (wte).
Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the September 2000 non-medical workforce censuses (whole time equivalent).
Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest ten.
Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
* = figures where sum of staff in post and vacancies is less than 10.
Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding.
HA figures are based on Trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of healthcare.
Due to rounding calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates. Staff in post is as at 30 September 2000.
Due to organisational changes between September 2000 and March 2001 the totals for East Surrey HA and West Sussex HA may not equal previously published data.
Due to a different method of rounding, figures may not equal previously published data.
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