HL Deb 04 November 2002 vol 640 cc59-61WA
Lord Clement-Jones

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they will ensure that the commitment that staff provided to primary care trust patients' forums will be accountable to local communities through the members of primary care trust patients' forums is delivered. [HL6151]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:

Staff will be provided by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health to primary care trust patients' forums to support the members of patients' forums in their work. The work programme of the staff will be set by the patients' forum members. Therefore, while staff will be employed by the commission, on a day to day basis they will be accountable to the patients' forum to which they are attached. It is for the commission to decide exactly how this dual accountability will be managed and ensured.

Lord Clement-Jones

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they expect primary care trust patients' forums to act as local one-stop shops for patients, and the public to be involved in local health issues and obtain independent help with complaints. [HL6154]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:

Patients' forums in primary care trusts will act as one-stop shops by advertising locally their presence and the services they provide in person, over the phone or over the Internet and by being based in premises that are accessible.

It will be a matter for the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health to determine the level of resources it provides to patients' forums to enable them to carry out their role.

Lord Clement-Jones

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they agree with the discussion paper by the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales that over 1,600 full-time equivalent staff will be required to enable primary care trust patients' forums to be fit for purpose in carrying out their statutory functions. [HL6226]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:

The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health's chair designate and her interim team, along with the Department of Health, are still considering potential structures for the organisation of and staffing levels for patients' forums. The Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales' paper will assist these discussions. As yet no conclusions have been reached.

Lord Clement-Jones

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many office premises they envisage being provided for primary care trust patients' forums. [HL6153]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:

It is the responsibility of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health to decide where patients' forums in England, and the staff supporting them, should best be located to enable them to discharge their functions. To assist the commission in doing so, a change assessment group is being set up for each strategic health authority area. It will comprise stakeholders such as the National Health Service, community health councils, local government and local voluntary organisations; and will consider issues such as:

  1. Mapping of how the NHS is arranged within the StHA area;
  2. Demography;
  3. Relationship between the NHS and local government;
  4. Recruitment;
  5. Independent complaints advocacy Services provision;
  6. Accommodation.

All the information above will help to inform the commission where the most appropriate accommodation will need to be located—in terms of the NHS, the nature of populations and in relation to other relevant services. It will also enable the commission to form a clear picture of the nature, type and volume of work that will need to be undertaken by the patients' forums for that area and by the staff supporting them.

£
1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02
Northern &
Yorkshire 315.1 335.2 348.5 346.9 382.9 395.4
Trent 298.8 327.3 344.4 345.1 377.2 401.5
Eastern 289.3 303.2 326.7 327.4 364.3 379.2
London 308.4 326.4 348.1 364.9 407.7 413.2
South East 298.4 316.1 343.2 340.8 373.1 421.6
South Wes 311.5 322.8 353.2 358.9 413.6 417.8
West Midlands 315.9 338.6 359.0 344.2 374.3 422.7
North West 310.8 326.2 340.5 340.3 376.2 408.2
England 306.1 324.5 345.4 346.6 383.9 408.3

Notes:

SourcesHealth authority audited accounts 1996–97 to 1998–99.

Health authority audited summarisation forms 1999–2000 to 2001–02.

Primary care trust audited summarisation schedules 2000–01 and 2001–02.

Weighted population estimates 1996–97 to 2001–02

Health authorities and primary care trusts account for their expenditure on a gross basis. This resulted in an element of expenditure being included in both health authority and primary care returns in 2000–01. The effect of this cannot be quantified. Extra disclosures in the 2001–02 summarisation forms allowed duplicated expenditure to be removed.

Regional comparisons are all based on those existing in 2001–02.

Acute services have been interpreted to cover maternity, general and acute and accident and emergency services only.