§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health by what date the NHS and local councils will have concluded the work set out in paragraph 7.19 of the National Service Framework for Older People; and what he expects to be included in specialist residential care services. [4087]
§ Jacqui SmithWe are working with local councils, National Health Service agencies and care providers on an agreement to give greater direction to the commissioning of care for older people. This includes encouraging the development of specialist residential and nursing care services for people with dementia.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Task Force for Older People has made of delivery of the National Service Framework for older people to date. [4082]
§ Jacqui SmithThe National Taskforce for Older People has an advisory role on the implementation of policy. It gives advice on the basis of its members' expertise in the delivery of frontline services. However, it does not have an executive role to monitor performance of the National Health Service or social services against National Service Framework targets. This task is undertaken by the officials responsible for NSF implementation and the information is fed through to taskforce members to inform their discussions.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the remit, membership and reporting lines of the national implementation group for the National Service Framework for Older People are; and how the group relates to the Task Force for Older People. [4078]
§ Jacqui SmithA national implementation group for the National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People met during development of the NSF in March 2001. A group of officials from the National Health Service and social care regional offices together with departmental policy officials continues to meet regularly to plan and monitor implementation of a range of policies, including the NSF. The discussions of this group are also fed through to the members of the Older People's Taskforce.
The Taskforce for Older People has an advisory role on the implementation of policy. It gives advice on the basis of its members' experience in their delivery of frontline services, which is fed into the policy making process. It does not have an executive role to monitor performance.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extra numbers of staff required to establish the falls services described in paragraphs 6.37 and 6.38 of the National Service Framework for Older People; and what assessment he has made of the numbers of such staff(a)already trained and (b)in training. [4084]
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§ Jacqui SmithThe detailed assessment of the number and appropriate skill mix of staff teams to establish the falls service described in Standard Six of the National Service Framework for Older People will be undertaken by the National Workforce Development Board, informed by the Care Group Workforce Team for older people which will be established shortly.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out how many(a)consultants in old age medicine and (b)consultants in rehabilitation there were in each of the last three years for which figures exist; how his Department calculated its estimate of old age medicine consultants on page 139 of the National Service Framework for Older People; and what his estimate is of the number of extra rehabilitation consultants required. [4086]
§ Jacqui SmithThe number of consultants employed in old age medicine and rehabilitation are set out in the table.
There are already a number of specialist registrars, based on the Specialty Workforce Advisory Group's assessment of demand, training in old age psychiatry and geriatric medicine. The figures quoted in the National Service Framework reflect the increases that would be achieved if those trainees are employed as consultants as they complete their training. The increases are offset by estimates of the annual number of retirements
The number of extra rehabilitation consultants required will be determined by the National Workforce Development Board informed by the Care Group Workforce Team for older people.
Hospital medical consultants within the geriatric and rehabilitation medicine specialities Numbers England as at 30 September 1998 1999 2000 Geriatric medicine 710 720 770 Rehabilitation medicine 70 70 80 Notes:
Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
Source:
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the assessment working group to provide the further evidence referred to in paragraph 2.44 of the National Service Framework for Older People. [4085]
§ Jacqui SmithGuidance on the introduction of a single assessment process across health and social care promised in the National Service Framework for Older People will be published shortly.