§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if disablement service users are involved in assessing the effectiveness of mechanisms to address the variations in access to, and quality of, disablement services; [69169]
(2) what representations he has received about the effectiveness of mechanisms to address the variations in access to, and quality of, disablement services; [69153]
(3) what mechanisms are in place to help ensure consistent access to, and the quality of, disablement services; [69170]
(4) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of mechanisms to address the variations in access to, and quality of, disablement services; [69151]
(5) how his Department assesses the effectiveness of mechanisms to address the variations in access to, and quality of, disablement services. [69152]
§ Mr. HuttonIn carrying forward the programme of modernisation set out in our White Paper "The new NHS" we are aiming to reduce inequalities in the provision of health services, including services for disabled people, raise the quality of the services provided and involve users and carers more directly in the decisions made about those services. We have received representations from emPOWER, the charity consortium of users of prosthetics, orthotics, wheelchairs and electronic assistive 119W technologies, about improving services for disabled people. We have discussed the issues with them and will be taking their views into account in the development of policies and services for disabled people.
§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will access the benefits of establishing a disablement services national service framework to help ensure consistent access to, and quality of, disablement services; [69168]
(2) what representations he has received calling for a disablement service national service framework. [69154]
§ Mr. HuttonA rolling programme of National Service Frameworks (NSFs) was launched in April 1998. The initial programme of work is taking forward established frameworks on cancer and paediatric intensive care and developing frameworks for coronary heart disease and
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List of Health Authority and National Health Service Trust appointments which expired in 1998 and for which no appointment had been made by 1 February 1999 Region/Body Number of Chairs Number of Non-Executives Eastern Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust 0 1 Horizon NHS Trust 0 1 West Herts Community Health NHS Trust 0 1 North West Chester and Halton Community NHS Trust 1 2 Christie Hospital NHS Trust 1 2 Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHS Trust 1 2 Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Trust 0 1 Manchester Health Authority 0 1 Mancunian Community Health NHS Trust 1 1 Oldham Hospital and Community Services NHS Trust 0 2 Tameside and Glossop Community and Priority Services NHS Trust 0 1 Warrington Community NHS Trust 0 2 Wirral Hospital NHS Trust 1 1 Northern and Yorkshire Calderdale and Kirklees Health Authority 0 1 North Cumbria Health Authority 0 2 London BHB Community Healthcare NHS Trust 0 1 City and Hackney Community Services NHS Trust 0 2 Croydon Community Health NHS Trust 0 1 Enfield Community Care NHS Trust 0 1 Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 0 2 King's Healthcare NHS Trust 0 1 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 0 1 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust 0 1 North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust 0 1 Pathfinder Mental Health Services NHS Trust 0 1 Trent Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 0 1 Grantham and District Hospital NHS Trust 0 1 Leicestershire Health Authority 0 1 Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust 0 2 South East East Surrey Health Authority 0 2 South West Bath Mental Healthcare NHS Trust 0 1 Gloucestershire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 1 Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust 1 0 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust 0 1 West Midlands Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull (Teaching) Hospitals NHS Trust 0 1 Walsall Community Health NHS Trust 0 1 Total 6 45 mental health. There will usually be only one new NSF a year and the next two NSFs will be for older people (spring 2000) and diabetes (spring 2001).
The charity consortium emPOWER has asked us to consider the establishment of a disablement services NSF and we discussed this idea with them at a recent meeting. Any proposal for the establishment of a disablement services NSF will be considered alongside other proposed potential subjects for an NSF.