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7 Mar 2006 : Column 1249W—continued
NHS Staff
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much was spent on recruiting (a) nurses and (b) consultants from abroad in each (i) strategic health
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authority and (ii) Government office region in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by specialism; [53566]
(2) how many (a) nurses and (b) consultants, broken down by specialism, were recruited from abroad in each (i) strategic health authority and (ii) government office region in the last 12 months for which data is available; and what percentage of the total employed in each category these figures represent. [53567]
Mr. Byrne: Details of the amount spent on recruiting nurses and consultants from abroad and the numbers recruited, broken down by specialism in each strategic health authority and Government office region are not collected centrally.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to question 45821, tabled on 23 January, by the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight. [51718]
Mr. Byrne: A reply was given on 23 February 2006, Official Report, column 489W.
Patientline
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will examine the charges made by Patientline for telephone calls to and from hospital patients; [55610]
(2) what representations she has received on the cost of telephone calls provided by Patientline for hospital patients. [55611]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 2 March 2006]: I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made on 19 January 2006, Official Report, column 33WS.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been issued to hospital trusts on charging patients for (a) telephone calls and (b) television viewing. [55612]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 2 March 2006]: In order to make this service available, a tender exercise was undertaken and a number of companies were licensed to provide these services to the national health service.
The licence documentation contains guidance on acceptable charging strategies within the NHS.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute trusts have contracts with Patientline, broken down by region. [55899]
Jane Kennedy: Patientline currently has contracts to supply bedside televisions and telephones in 157 hospitals in 102 national health service trusts in England.
The contracts won by region are shown in the table.
| Region | Number of trusts contracted |
|---|---|
| Eastern | 9 |
| London | 20 |
| Midlands | 18 |
| Northern | 30 |
| Southern | 15 |
| South East | 10 |
| Total | 102 |
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Predictive Diallers
John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2006, Official Report, column 187W, on predictive diallers, whether any public body for which her Department is responsible uses predictive dialling. [52318]
Mr. Byrne: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Prescription Charges
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what part of her Department is responsible for establishing if a prescription charge exemption has been claimed incorrectly and for imposing appropriate penalties. [55694]
Jane Kennedy [holding answer 3 March 2006]: Since 1 April 2005, individual primary care trusts have had the responsibility for establishing whether a prescription charge has been claimed incorrectly and for imposing a penalty charge where this is deemed to be appropriate.
Prisoners
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what treatment and care is offered to prisoners with learning disabilities. [47842]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The assessment that prisoners receive on first reception into prison will provide an initial opportunity to identify those who might have a learning disability. Any follow up action will depend on the needs of the particular prisoner. From April 2006, all primary care trusts, in conjunction with the prison in their area, will be responsible for commissioning primary care services according to the particular needs of the prison population. Such arrangements should help to improve the range of treatment and care available to prisoners with learning disabilities. Prison mental health in-reach teams also have a role to play, with referral to appropriate specialists in particular cases.
Prostate Cancer
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the prostate cancer advisory group is next expected to report on its new initiatives. [56591]
Ms Rosie Winterton:
The report 'Making Progress on Prostate Cancer', published by the Department on behalf of the prostate cancer advisory group in November 2004, highlighted a number of future actions the group will take forward in tackling issues surrounding prostate cancer. These actions are in various states of development, and the group will consider publishing a further update report at an appropriate time.
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UK Prostate Link, the national prostate cancer website highlighted in the 'Making Progress on Prostate Cancer' report, was launched on 3 November 2005 and is available on its website at: http://www.prostate-link.org.uk This is the first comprehensive online source of information of its kind, and will help prostate cancer patients, their families and health professionals to find all the information they want to know about prostate cancer. The website is being jointly funded by the Department and signatories to the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action, providing a good example of joint working between the Government and stakeholders.
Rheumatology Services
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health at what locations rheumatology services are available to patients in the North and South Stoke teaching primary care trust areas. [53880]
Mr. Byrne: I am advised by Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic health authority, that North and South Stoke primary care trusts commission rheumatology services from the following locations:
School Nurses (Development)
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when her Department expects to publish an updated edition of the school nurse development pack; if she will place a copy in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [54300]
Mr. Byrne: We will be publishing this document shortly and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Sexual Health Services
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants have been provided to help patients accessing sexual health services in Guildford. [50564]
Caroline Flint: In February 2005, individual primary care trusts (PCTs), including those covering the Guildford area were notified of their choosing health revenue allocation. A separate breakdown for genitor-urinary medicine was not given. In 2006–07, £91.5 million will be allocated to PCTs for sexual health modernisation which includes funding for chlamydia screening and contraception and abortion services and a further £111.5 million will be allocated in 2007–08. In addition, a further £15 million for capital was allocated this financial year for sexual health services and a further £25 million in 2006–07 for sexual health will be allocated.
Data on spend on sexual health services in each PCT are not collected centrally.
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