§ 4. Mr. George Osborne (Tatton) (Con): If he will make a statement on the provision of specialist children's epilepsy nurses. 142545]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Dr. Stephen Ladyman)We do not collect this information centrally, but we understand that there are around 100 epilepsy specialist nurses supporting the treatment and management of children and adults with epilepsy. In February 2003, we published the Department of Health's epilepsy action plan, and primary care trusts are able to develop more epilepsy specialist nursing posts to support the delivery of local epilepsy services.
§ Mr. OsborneA consultant paediatrician in my local hospital, Dr. Owens, has vividly described to me the enormous benefit that specialist epilepsy nurses can bring to families with epileptic children. Yet in my area, as in many others, those specialist services do not exist. Before putting all the responsibility on primary care trusts, would the Minister listen to what Dr. Owens has to tell us—indeed, I forwarded this letter to him a month ago—
Whilst the present Government has undoubtedly increased funding for the NHS, moneys are centrally controlled and streamed into specific areas. There is not much funding reaching children's services in district general hospitals.-What more can the Minister do to bring benefits to families with epileptic children in my area?
§ Dr. LadymanFirst, there is less ring-fencing of money now than ever before. Eight-Five per cent. of the money is passed on to primary care trusts, which can make decisions about how they want to deliver epilepsy services in the best interests of local people. It is 900 ridiculous to suggest that specialist nurses—important though they are—represent the totality of the delivery of services for children with epilepsy. I would refer the hon. Gentleman's constituent to the complete and comprehensive improvement in the priority that this Government have given to epilepsy compared with our predecessors. We have the epilepsy action plan, the national service frameworks for children and long-term conditions that are being produced next year, and two sets of NICE guidelines being produced that are also of direct relevance to epilepsy.
§ Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)The lack of children's epilepsy nurses is another example of the chronic shortage of specialist children's nurses highlighted in the study by the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and has been identified as a major factor in avoidable death. It underlines how children's health does not fit into this Government's target priorities. Does the Minister acknowledge the figures from the royal colleges, which point to the fact that another 2,700 children's nurses are needed just to meet demand? Can he now tell the House the number of pre-registration children's nursing training places being made available to overcome that deficiency? Will that serious problem be addressed in the children's national service framework, when we eventually get it?
§ Dr. LadymanFirst, there are now 48,000 more nurses in the national health service as a result of the investment made by this Government. How many would there be if we were cutting expenditure on the national health service by 20 per cent? Out of those 48,000 will come a substantial number of specialist children's nurses, including those for epilepsy. If the hon. Gentleman were genuinely reflecting the views of people working in children's health, he would be saying that this Government are dramatically improving prospects for children's health in this country, and that the national service framework is going to be one of the biggest steps forward in children's health in the history of the national health service.