§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many community pharmacies in the Buckingham constituency(a) closed and (b) opened in each year since 1997. [24855]
§ Ms BlearsThe information requested is shown in the table.
Number of community pharmacies in the Buckinghamshire health authority area that opened and/or closed 1997–98 to 2000–01 Year Opened Closed 1997–98 0 0 1998–99 1 0 1999–2000 1 0 2000–01 2 2 Source:
PHS1 return
§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest percentage reduction of fees for community pharmacists for dispensing NHS prescriptions. [24708]
663W
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 8 January 2002]The fees paid to community pharmacy contractors vary according to the item prescribed. The large majority of prescriptions attract a basic dispensing fee. From July 1999 to October 2001 that fee was 97.5p per prescription dispensed. In November 2001 it was changed to 87.4p. This represents a reduction of approximately 10.4 per cent.
The basic dispensing fee is one of a number of fees and allowances by which the global sum for community pharmacies is distributed between pharmacy contractors. The global sum is the amount to be paid to contractors overall in the year in question. The global sum for 2001–02 for England and Wales is £806.6 million, an increase of 3.7 per cent. over 2000–01.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the future of pharmacy within the national health service. [25534]
§ Ms BlearsOur programme for the future of pharmacy in the national health service in England was set out in "Pharmacy in the Future—Implementing the NHS Plan" published in September 2000, a copy of which is in the Library.
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated to pharmacists for the dispensing of prescriptions; how many prescriptions were dispensed; and what was the unit cost allowed for each prescription in each year from 1992 to 2001. [25536]
§ Ms BlearsEach year, a figure (known as the global sum) is set for the remuneration to be paid to pharmacies overall in England and Wales for the national health service pharmaceutical services they provide.
The total remuneration to be paid in any given year is distributed through a system of fees and allowances, some of which relate directly to the number (and type) of prescriptions dispensed, some of which do not.
664W
Number of Buckinghamshire HA residents admitted from a waiting list where the primary operation was a heart operation or hip replacement, or where treatment was for a primary diagnosis of cancer, by time waited Time from referral for treatment to admission Data year Operation/condition Up to 3 months More than 3 months More than 6 months More than 9 months 1997–98 Diagnosis of Cancer (ICDIO COO to D48) 5,962 668 310 198 1998–99 Diagnosis of Cancer (LCD 10 COO to D48) 5,994 835 452 268 1999–2000 Diagnosis of Cancer (LCD10 COO to D48) 6,377 793 337 181 2000–01 Diagnosis of Cancer (ICD10 COO to D48) 5,595 708 281 151 1997–98 Heart operations (OPCS4 K01 to K71) 651 192 94 47 1998–99 Heart operations (OPCS4 K01 to K71) 867 354 141 57 1999–2000 Heart operations (OPCS4 K01 to K71) 888 328 103 36 2000–01 Heart operations (OPCS4 K01 to K71) 831 536 174 93 1997–98 Hip replacement (OPCS4 W37 to W39) 137 276 194 108 1998–99 Hip replacement (OPCS4 W37 to W39) 130 331 221 137 1999–2000 Hip replacement (OPCS4 W37 to W39) 163 314 210 139 2000–01 Hip replacement (OPCS4 W37 to W39) 100 361 257 161 For the years 1991–92 to 2000–01 (the latest year for which complete information is available), the table shows the global sum, the number of prescription items dispensed and the global sum expressed as an amount per prescription item.
Year Global sum (£ million) Prescription item dispensed (million) Global sum expressed as an amount per prescription items dispensed £ 1991–92 601.4 412.8 1.46 1992–93 631.1 429.4 1.47 1993–94 640.6 447.3 1.43 1994–95 655.3 462.2 1.42 1995–96 671.7 474.7 1.41 1996–97 692.7 487.9 1.42 1997–98 709.3 505.8 1.40 1998–99 730.6 518.3 1.41 1999–2000 755.1 535.7 1.41 2000–01 777.8 531.8 1.38
§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to replace the global sum approach to the payment of pharmacists for dispensing NHS prescriptions. [25537]