§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health in what order the General Social Care Council will register each category of care worker. [89790]
§ Jacqui SmithThe General Social Care Council will open a register of social care workers in April 2003. Professionally qualified social workers and students of social work will be the first to be registered. Heads of homes are the next priority group.
Other parts of the register will be opened at a time determined by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate the General Social Care Council has made of the number of people it will be able to register each year. [89791]
§ Jacqui SmithOnce in full operation, the General Social Care Council expects to process an average of 60,000 applications each year.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on registrations by the General Social Care Council of the requirement to undertake Criminal Record Bureau checks. [89792]
§ Jacqui SmithThere is no requirement on the General Social Care Council to undertake criminal checks to register an applicant. In December 2002 the GSCC provided the Department of Health with an assessment of the potential demand on the Criminal Records Bureau if the GSCC decided to make such checks. The result of this assessment was that theGSCC estimated their output, once fully operational, would be in the region of 5,000 applications per month.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the General Social Care Council will have access to the sex offenders' register when processing applications. [89793]
§ Jacqui SmithIf the General Social Care Council sets rules for registration that require such checks to be completed, then the Council will be granted the same access as any other registration body.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the planned dates were for each of the milestones in the procurement of an IT system for the General Social Care Council; and when each milestone was achieved. [89794]
§ Jacqui SmithThe delivery date for the provision of a social care register, supported by an information technology (IT) system, is 1 April 2003.
The planned milestones and completion dates for the procurement of an IT system for the General Social Care Council social care register are as follows: 523W
Milestone Planned date Actual date 1. Issue of Statement of Requirement 27 March 2002 27 March 2002 2. Selection of preferred bespoke system supplier 24 May 2002 24 May 2002 3. Completion of requirements scoping study 9 August 2002 23 August 2002 4. Complete availability of COTS packages 26 September 2002 26 September 2002 5. Shortlist COTS package suppliers 11 October 2002 11 October 2002 6. Receive COTS package supplier bids 28 November 2002 28 November 2002 7. Select preferred COTS package supplier 10 December 2002 10 December 2002 8. Initial customer/supplier engagement complete 20 December 2002 20 December 2002 9. Demonstration system available 16 January 2003 — 10. Initial package configuration complete 7 February 2003 — 11. User acceptance testing complete 28 February 2003 — 12. Initial user training complete 31 March 2003 — 13. Electronic social care register opened 1 April 2003 —
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements have been made to enable the General Social Care Council to check applications against the registers of the GMC, NMC and other relevant bodies. [89795]
§ Jacqui SmithThe General Social Care Council will be working with other relevant regulatory bodies on agreed protocols for the exchange of such information.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to the General Social Care Council concerning its priorities and method of working. [89796]
§ Jacqui SmithAny guidance from the Department to the General Social Care Council concerning its priorities and method of working is contained in
Number of genetically prescribed items and total number of prescription items that were dispensed in the community, 1997 to 2001 by regional office, England Million Regional office area Northern and Yorkshire Trent West Midlands North West Eastern London South East South West England 1997 Generically prescribed items 44 31 31 50 28 36 45 28 292 Total items1 70 56 55 80 50 62 77 49 500 1998 Generically prescribed items 47 33 34 53 30 38 48 31 314 Total items1 73 57 57 82 52 63 79 50 513 1999 Generically prescribed items 50 36 37 56 33 41 52 34 339 Total items1 75 59 59 84 54 65 82 52 530 2000 Generically prescribed items 56 42 41 61 39 45 59 38 381 Total items1 78 62 61 87 57 66 86 55 552 2001 Generically prescribed items 62 47 45 68 43 49 65 42 422 Total items1 83 66 65 92 61 69 91 59 587 1 The total number of prescription items includes dressings and appliances. Notes:
524W
- 1. The data are from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system from the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA) and cover prescription items dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and items personally administered.
- 2. Figures in the table have been rounded to the nearest million. Therefore the sum of the Regional Offices may not equal the England total.
the Council's management statement and financial memorandum, which was agreed with the Department in September 2002. Copies were laid in the Library. Such guidance is reflected further in the Council's business plan.