House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 12 May 2003 (pt 27)

Agency Nurses and Doctors

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each hospital trust in West Sussex spent on agency recruitment in (a) nurses and (b) doctors in (i) the last 12 months and (ii) for the previous five years. [107592]

Ms Blears [holding answer 7 April 2003]: Information about how much each hospital trust in West Sussex spent on agency nurses and doctors is shown in the tables.

Expenditure on non-NHS 'Nurses' by NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts in the West Sussex Region 1997–98 to 2001–02.

Trust name 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02

Brighton Health Care NHS Trust⁽¹⁶⁾ 684,226 1,825,524 2,423,597 2,530,120 3,424,800

Mid Sussex NHS Trust⁽¹⁶⁾ 50,902 138,321 308,367 335,549 821,400

Mid Sussex PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 0

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust n/a 1,136,517 2,361,955 3,612,627 5,504,034

Sussex Weald and Downs NHS Trust⁽¹⁷⁾ 161,724 176,437 1,366,393 265,287 118,643

The Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust 40,484 45,682 121,461 249,448 280,329

The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust 130,610 126,878 20,650 172,024 707,769

Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust 998,449 1,266,644 1,199,299 1,132,291 1,223,576

Worthing Priority Care Services NHS Trust ⁽¹⁷⁾ 241,619 331,753 422,350 794,023 241,238

West Sussex total 2,308,014 5,047,756 8,224,072 9,091,369 12,321,789

Expenditure on non-NHS 'Doctors' by NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts in the West Sussex Region 1997–98 to 2001–02.

Trust name 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02

Brighton Health Care NHS Trust⁽¹⁶⁾ 313,792 193,364 221,020 218,760 339,176

Mid Sussex NHS Trust ⁽¹⁶⁾ 695,739 792,400 958,106 1,071,226 1,723,626

Mid Sussex PCT n/a n/a n/a n/a 0

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust n/a 1,043,486 1,450,586 1,236,600 1,245,739

Sussex Weald and Downs NHS Trust ⁽¹⁷⁾ 127,602 145,971 167,613 706,414 1,122,924

The Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust 9,266 411 8,426 42,177 138,725

The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust 316,494 342,516 475,227 572,843 837,597

Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust 524,915 566,162 582,773 825,392 738,674

Worthing Priority Care Services NHS Trust⁽¹⁷⁾ 281,772 398,916 371,164 555,944 959,818

West Sussex total 2,269,580 3,483,226 4,234,915 5,229,356 7,106,279

Total 'nurses' and 'doctors' in West Sussex 4,577,594 8,530,982 12,458,987 14,320,725 19,428,068

Trust name	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Brighton Health Care NHS Trust⁽¹⁶⁾	684,226	1,825,524	2,423,597	2,530,120	3,424,800
Mid Sussex NHS Trust⁽¹⁶⁾	50,902	138,321	308,367	335,549	821,400
Mid Sussex PCT	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	n/a	1,136,517	2,361,955	3,612,627	5,504,034
Sussex Weald and Downs NHS Trust⁽¹⁷⁾	161,724	176,437	1,366,393	265,287	118,643
The Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	40,484	45,682	121,461	249,448	280,329
The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust	130,610	126,878	20,650	172,024	707,769
Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust	998,449	1,266,644	1,199,299	1,132,291	1,223,576
Worthing Priority Care Services NHS Trust ⁽¹⁷⁾	241,619	331,753	422,350	794,023	241,238
West Sussex total	2,308,014	5,047,756	8,224,072	9,091,369	12,321,789

Trust name	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Brighton Health Care NHS Trust⁽¹⁶⁾	313,792	193,364	221,020	218,760	339,176
Mid Sussex NHS Trust ⁽¹⁶⁾	695,739	792,400	958,106	1,071,226	1,723,626
Mid Sussex PCT	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	0
Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust	n/a	1,043,486	1,450,586	1,236,600	1,245,739
Sussex Weald and Downs NHS Trust ⁽¹⁷⁾	127,602	145,971	167,613	706,414	1,122,924
The Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	9,266	411	8,426	42,177	138,725
The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust	316,494	342,516	475,227	572,843	837,597
Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust	524,915	566,162	582,773	825,392	738,674
Worthing Priority Care Services NHS Trust⁽¹⁷⁾	281,772	398,916	371,164	555,944	959,818
West Sussex total	2,269,580	3,483,226	4,234,915	5,229,356	7,106,279
Total 'nurses' and 'doctors' in West Sussex	4,577,594	8,530,982	12,458,987	14,320,725	19,428,068

Notes:'Nurses' = Nursing, Midwifery and Heath Visiting Staff.'Doctors' = Medical Staff.

⁽¹⁶⁾ Brighton Health Care NHS Trust and Mid Sussex NHS Trust merged on 1 April 2002 to form Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

⁽¹⁷⁾ Sussex Weald & Downs NHS Trust and Worthing Priority Care Services NHS Trust merged on 1 April 2002 to form West Sussex Health and Social Care NHS TrustSource:

Annual financial returns of NHS Trusts

Annual financial returns of Primary Care Trusts

12 May 2003 : Column 103W

Cardiovascular Disease

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote and facilitate (a) exercise programmes in the community and (b) other cardiovascular disease prevention initiatives. [110677]

Ms Blears: The Government is committed to reducing the death rate from coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke and related diseases in people under 75 by at least 40 per cent., to 83.8 deaths per 100,000 population, by 2010. Prevention of CHD in the population and in high-risk patients by promoting physical activity, promoting healthy eating, reducing overweight and obesity and reducing smoking can make a significant contribution to this target.

In order to inform and lead action on exercise across the National Health Service, the Department of Health, Sport England and the Countryside Agency are funding a £2.5 million programme of local exercise action pilots (LEAPs). The nine pilots, which will run for two years and are located in each of the nine English regions go live in September of this year.

The Department of Health is also working with other Government Departments to implement a sport and physical activity board, to begin raising mass participation for young people and adults, particularly women and the elderly.

The Department of Health is delivering a range of programmes and activities in line with policy commitments to promote healthy eating. Action includes the food and health action plan, the five-a-day programme and work with industry and the Food Standards Agency on salt, fat and sugar in food.

The tobacco programme of work is focussed on delivering a reduction in the number of smokers. Between April 1999 and September 2002, over 481,000 people set a quit date with the help of the NHS smoking cessation services. Among other action underway, we are:

funding tobacco control alliances across England to ensure action is taken locally;

increasing the visibility of health messages highlighting the risks of smoking, particularly second hand smoke. The European Union Directive on the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products require tobacco products to carry larger and starker health warnings on both the front and back of the packet; and

continuing the media campaign with hard hitting messages on the dangers of smoking.

Community Health Councils

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional funding he has provided to local authorities to take on responsibilities currently held by community health councils. [109071]

Mr. Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave the hon. Member for Southend West (Mr. Amess) on Thursday 3 April, Official Report, col. 853W.

12 May 2003 : Column 104W

Consultants

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to use consultants to cover 24-hour emergency access to both medical and surgical care. [111029]

Mr. Lammy: At present, consultants operate an on-call rota to cover 24-hour emergency access to both medical and surgical care.

Foetus Viability

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued on when a foetus becomes viable. [109690]

Ms Blears: The Department of Health has not issued guidance on when a fetus becomes viable. However, the British Association of Perinatal Medicine has produced a framework for practice for the management of fetuses and newborn infants at the threshold of viability. Also, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has issued guidance on issues relating to late abortion, fetal viability and registration of births and deaths.

The World Health Organisation has defined the perinatal period as commencing at 22 completed weeks of gestation. Infants born between 22 and 28 weeks gestation have been described as having "threshold viability".

Food Labelling

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 27 March 2003, Official Report, column 397W, on food labelling, for what reasons the number of informal samples of foodstuffs declined in the last 10 years; and what measures he is taking to reverse the trend. [111215]

Ms Blears [holding answer 6 May 2003]: The responsibility for the enforcement of food labelling Regulations and associated food sampling under the Food Safety Act 1990 rests with local authorities. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has raised its concerns about the decline in local authority food sampling activity and is taking forward a number of initiatives with local authorities to reverse the trend.

There appears to be no single cause for the fall in sampling. The FSA has carried out a focussed audit programme to examine local authority sampling and make recommendations. A report will be published later this year.

The FSA is already taking action to help to ensure that effective food sampling arrangements are in place in all local authorities. The FSA is working with local authorities co-ordinators of regulatory services (LACORS) to develop better co-ordination and targeting of food and feed standards sampling throughout the United Kingdom. Local authorities and public analysts are also being involved more closely in the FSA's own food surveillance activities.

The FSA is also working with LACORS and with the association of public analysts to develop a UK samples database, which will help local authorities to target their sampling programmes more effectively.

12 May 2003 : Column 105W

More emphasis has also been placed on sampling in the revised statutory code of practice, which is currently out for consultation. Under the code, local authorities are required to prepare and publish a food sampling policy and programme and make these available to food businesses and consumers. The FSA will also be providing more practical guidance on sampling for local authority enforcement officers.

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