HC Deb 01 November 2001 vol 373 cc819-20W
Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2001,Official

Percentage of patients on in-patient waiting list over 12 months
Percentage of patients waiting over 12 months
Health authorities ranked alphabetically: August 2001 March 1997 June 1997
Avon 6.5 3.9 7.1
Barking and Havering 6.1 3.3 4.0
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey 6.9 n/a n/a
Barnsley 0.4 2.3 2.1
Bedfordshire 7.0 1.3 2.6
Berkshire 3.7 2.6 3.7
Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich 5.8 n/a n/a
Birmingham 2.0 0.1 0.3
Bradford 0.8 0.3 5.0
Brent and Harrow 6.0 4.5 6.3
Buckinghamshire 5.6 4.0 4.9

Report, column 28W, on continuing care, if he will set out for each of the last five years (a) the total number of people in each year newly meeting the eligibility criteria for continuing NHS health care and (b) the total number of people meeting the eligibility criteria. [11051]

Jacqui Smith

The available information has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if health authorities are required to comply with the judgment of Coughlanv. North Devon health authority before coming to a decision on eligibility criteria for continuing care. [10739]

Jacqui Smith:

[holding answer 29 October 2001]: We issued interim guidance on 11 August 1999 (Health Service Circular 1999/180: Local Authority Circular (99)30). This requires health and local authorities, in consultation with each other and, where appropriate, involving primary care groups, to satisfy themselves that their continuing and community care policies and eligibility criteria and other relevant procedures are in line with the Court of Appeal judgment on the Coughlan case and to take further legal advice where necessary.

Revised continuing care guidance was issued on 28 June 2001 (HSC 2001/015:LAC (2001)18) which consolidated guidance on continuing national health service health care in light of the judgment.

Mr. Burstow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements health authorities are required to put in place for the provision of independent advice for patients in NHS beds when they are asked to sign forms about continuing care. [10738]

Jacqui Smith:

[holding answer 1 November 2001]: We have already begun to establish patient advocacy and liaison services—to be operating in every national health service trust from April 2002—to provide information to patients, their families and carers when they use health services, to provide support when services do not meet user's needs and where possible to sort out problems efficiently and quickly.