§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 25 May,Official Report, columns 507–8, if the funding which her Department will provide for the multidisciplinary research centre will come wholly from her existing research and development budget.
§ Dr. MawhinneyYes.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list each research project her Department currently funds in the field of primary health care, with(a) the institution in which it is based, (b) the funds provided by her Department, (c) the numbers of staff involved and (d) the start and end date.
§ 4 Dr. MawhinneyThe Department's research and development division currently funds and manages the following primary health care related research projects:
Project: Child Health Surveillance, including general practitioners' involvement
Institution: University of Kent
Total estimated cost: £330,815
Number of stuff involved:
Start date: 1 October 1990
End date: 30 September 1994
Project: Ambulatory Care Research Programme
Institution: University of Newcastle
Total estimated cost: £728,938
Number of stuff involved:
Start date: 1 January 1991
End date: 31 March 1994
Project: Randomised Controlled Trial of Coronary Risk Factor Intervention
Institution: Royal South Hampshire Hospital
Total estimated cost: £232,559
Number of stuff involved:
Start date: 1 July 1992
End date: 30 June 1993
Project: The Health Benefits of Routine Histological Examination of GP Excision Specimens
Institution: University of Leicester
418WTotal estimated cost: £42,609
Number of staff involved:
Start date: 1 June 1992
End date: 31 May 1994
Project: Evaluation of Collaborative Clinical Guidelines in Hackney General Practices
Institution: The Medical College of St. Bartholomew's
Total estimated cost: £59,794
Number of staff involved:
Start date: 1 October 1992
End date: 13 October I994
Project: Breast Cancer in Remission: Follow up by GPs
Institution: University of Oxford
Total estimated cost: £74,567
Number of stuff involved:
Start date: 1 December 1992
End date: 30 November 1994
Project: Process and Outcomes of Consultation in Primary Care
Institution: University of Wales
Total estimated cost: £37,296
Number of stuff involved:
Start date: 1 January 1993
End date: 31 December 1994
Project: Doctor Variability
Institution: RCGP Research Unit, Birmingham
Total estimated cost: £110,780
Number of stuff involved:
Start date: 1 January 1988
End date: 31 December 1995
Project: Retrieval of Patients from Long-Term Follow-up in Hospital Outpatient Departments
Institution: University of Manchester
Total estimated cost: £163,500
Number of staff involved:
Start date: 1 April 1992
End date: 31 March 1994
Project: Cross Referrals in Hospitals
Institution: University of Manchester
Total estimated cost: £70,000
Number of staff involved:
Start date: 1 January 1993
End date: 30 June 1994
Project: Specialist Outreach in General Practice
Institution: University of Manchester
Total estimated cost: £51,193
Number of stuff involved:
Start date: 1 January 1993
End date: 31 December 1993
Project: Out of Hours Care in General Practice
Institution: University of Manchester
Total estimated cost: £33,000
Number of stuff involved:
Start date: 1 January 1993
End date: 28 February 1994
Project: Death Registers and Audit of Death in General Practice
Institution: University of Newcastle
Total estimated cost: £121,157
Number of stuff involved:
Start date: 1 October 1991
End date: 31 March 1994
Project: Evaluating the Outcomes of Treatment for Menorrhagia
Institution: University of Oxford
Total estimated cost: £56,503
Number of staff involved:
Start date: 3 September 1990
End date: 31 August 1993
419WProject: Feedback of Patient Specific Morbidity Data in Asthma: a Randomised Controlled Trial in General Practice
Institution: King's College Hospital
Total estimated cost: £198,999
Number of staff involved:
Start date: 1 January 1991
End date: 31 March 1994
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 25 May,Official Report, columns 507–8, what will be the prime consideration in judging tenders for the multidisciplinary research centre.
§ Dr. MawhinneyThe prime consideration will be the extent to which the universities concerned can provide high-quality, scientific, research-based information for the Department, in the key strategic field of primary care. Of particular importance will be intentions as to leadership, clarity of management arrangements and the commitment of the university to the centre, its funding and staff. Proposals will be expected to specify how collaboration with other funders is to be achieved. A copy of the statement of requirements for the centre for research and development in primary health care will be placed in the Library. This has been sent to all vice-chancellors, a wide range of researchers and all those inquiring.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 23 April,Official Report, column 233, if she will list for each of the 13 research units currently subject to peer review (a) the date of the site visit, (b) the end date of the unit's current contract and (c) the timetable for making decisions about the future of each unit.
§ Dr. MawhinneySite visits to two of the units have already taken place. For the remaining 11 units, five site visits are taking place over the next four months. Dates for the final six site visits are to be arranged soon and are expected to be completed in March 1994.
Current contract end dates for units are on the last day of month: Contract Date Childhood Cancer Research Group August 1994 Medical Care Research Unit March 1995 Cancer Screening Evaluation Unit May 1995 National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit June 1995 Centre for Primary Care Research June 1995 Social Medicine and Health Services Research Unit July 1995 Clinical Operational Research Unit September 1995 National Institute for Social Work October 1995 Personal Social Services Research Unit October 1995 Social Policy Research Unit December 1995 Centre for Health Economics January 1996 Dartington Social Research Unit February 1996 Thomas Coram Research Unit March 1996 Decisions about the future of units will be announced once the series of site visits has been completed and following due discussion and full consideration. Earlier decisions may be required, depending on the particular circumstances of the unit.