§ Angela SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the budget for each health
NHS chiropody staff by grade1 Headcount and whole time equivalent: at 30 September Number WTE 1994 1995 1996 1994 1995 1996 Chiropody 664 698 716 593.6 619.0 628.3 Chiropodists 632 664 680 564.5 588.4 595.7 Area 6 8 8 6.0 8.0 8.0 Chief 57 59 66 55.7 57.7 64.4 Senior 555 573 583 490.0 499.9 501.9 Basic/general 14 24 23 12.8 22.8 21.4 Footcare assistant 32 34 36 29.1 30.7 32.6 1 Chiropody staff directly employed by the NHS in Scotland. The figures do not include any privately employed chiropodists who may be engaged by the NHS on a sessional basis. Source:
National Manpower Statistics from payroll ISD Scotland Adhoc ref. 97/9541.
74Wauthority or health board allocated for spending on chiropody and podiatry services in (a) 1997–98,(b)1996–97 and (c) 1995–96; [15372]
(2) what was the NHS expenditure on NHS chiropody and podiatry in (a) 1996–97, (b) 1995–96 and (c)1994–05. [15373]
§ Mr. GalbraithHealth Boards are not given specific budgets for spending on chiropody and podiatric services. Resources for these services are met from within Health Boards' general revenue allocations and will reflect their assessment of need.
The majority of chiropodists employed by the NHS in Scotland are engaged in Community Health Services. The costs are not identifiable separately in financial returns. However, information on hospital expenditure is collected centrally and the data, covering both chiropody and podiatry, are in the following table:
Year £000 1994–95 1,360 1995–96 1,813 1996–97 2,342
§ Angela SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list those health authorities which have notified his Department of(a) reductions or increases in chiropody services in 1996–97 relative to 1995–96 and (b) planned reductions or increases in chiropody services in 1998–99; [15374]
(2) what are the staffing and personnel figures for all NHS grades and whole-time equivalent staff for chiropody and podiatry for (a) 1996–97, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1994–95. [15362]
§ Mr. GalbraithHealth Boards are not required to notify the Department of changes in activity in particular services. Although the Department wishes to see health authorities and GP fundholders provide the full range of NHS services including chiropody, detailed planning decision on levels of provision are taken locally according to the needs of the population served.
Information available on changes in chiropody services relates to the number of chiropody and podiatry staff employed by the NHS in Scotland. This information is shown in the following table:
75W
§ Angela SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the guidelines that are issued and health needs assessments that health authorities undertake to ensure the availability of chiropody and podiatry services to meet the needs of the local population. [15361]
§ Mr. GalbraithHealth Boards are responsible for undertaking local needs assessments and for providing chiropody services to meet the needs of their local populations within available resources.
§ Angela SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) face to face contacts and (b) initial contacts there were with NHS chiropody and podiatry staff in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1995–96 and (iii) 1994–95. [15360]
§ Mr. GalbraithThe total number of contacts with NHS chiropody and podiatry services, including hospital and community-based services and services provided by voluntary organisations acting on behalf of the NHS, is shown in the following table:
NHS in Scotland—Chiropody and podiatry contacts: year ending 31 December Number 1994 1,731,715 1995 1,986,911 1996 1,944,630 There were 43,696 new patients seen by hospital chiropody services during 1996. Information on other contacts is not readily available.