§ Mr. JenkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact his Department's policies have had on(a) dealing with sickness rates and (b) promoting health in Tamworth constituency since 1997. [185837]
§ Dr. LadymanThe Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts932W of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the Tamworth constituency.
For example:
Inpatient and outpatient waits
In June 2002, there were 261 people in the Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth Primary Care Trust (PCT) area waiting nine months or longer for inpatient treatment, including day cases. In May 2004, no one was waiting nine months or longer.
In June 2002, there were 16 people in the Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT area waiting 21 weeks or longer. In December 2003 there were none.
Accident and emergency waits
At Burton Hospitals NHS Trust, 93.3 per cent. of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours in the quarter to March 2004. The year average is 92.8 per cent., up from 89.2 per cent, in September 2002.
At Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust, 92.4 per cent. of patients were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours in the quarter to March 2004. The year average is 94.3 per cent., up from 81.2 per cent. in September 2002.
Staffing
Between September 1997 and December 2003 the number of consultants at Burton Hospitals NHS Trust increased from 60 to 83. The number of nurses increased from 632 to 774 between September 1997 and September 2003.
Between September 1997 and December 2003 the number of consultants at Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust increased from 54 to 67. The number of nurses increased from 809 to 847 between September 1997 and September 2003.
Across the Burton, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT area, the number of general medical practitioners increased from 85 in September 2001 to 90 in December 2003.
Access to care
Figures for April 2004 show that all patients within Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a general practitioner within two working days and with a primary care professional within one working day.
In Burton Hospitals NHS Trust, 100 per cent. of people with suspected cancer are now seen by a specialist within two weeks of being urgently referred by their GP.
In Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust, 99.8 per cent. of people with suspected cancer are now seen by a specialist within two weeks of being urgently referred by their GP.
Between 1998 and 2001 in Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT there was a 35 per cent. decrease in the mortality rates for cardiovascular disease (Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke and related conditions) in the under 75s.
933WAllocations
From 2003–04 to 2005–06, Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT's allocation has risen by £32.2 million or 30.4 per cent.
New Capital
A new £20 million independent sector treatment centre is being created at Burton Hospital NHS Trust, which will allow extra capacity for orthopaedic and ophthalmology surgery cases across the county.
Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth PCT is on course to build the new community hospital in Lichfield, ready for the summer of 2006. The enabling works have already been completed on site and the business case has been signed off. The overall cost is around £16 million. All the services presently available to the local population will be re-provided in the new Lichfield Hospital, with the exception of day surgery, which has transferred to the Sir Robert Peel Hospital in Tamworth.
Scanners
An additional computed tomography (CT) scanner was delivered to Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust in January 2004.
An additional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner was delivered to Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust in April 2001.
A replacement CT scanner was delivered to Burton Hospitals NHS Trust in February 2001.
An additional CT scanner will be delivered to Burton Hospitals NHS Trust by December 2004.
An additional MRI scanner will be delivered to Burton Hospitals NHS Trust by December 2004.
Source of information:
Department of Health. Office of National Statistics.
Table 1: Hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS) Staff Paediatric group training grades by gender and specialty, 1997–2003, England, as at 30 September
Number (headcount) 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Paediatric group 2,648 2,720 2,838 2,936 2,875 3,049 3,258 Of which: Paediatrics 2,626 2,682 2,807 2,909 2,836 2,998 3,217 Senior house officer 1,708 1,661 1,689 1,739 1,708 1,812 1,943 Of which: Male 708 675 645 640 651 713 812 Female 1,000 986 1,044 1.099 1,057 1,099 1,131 House officer 18 26 36 43 39 51 69 Of which: Male 11 10 20 22 14 17 18 Female 7 16 16 21 25 34 51 Registrar 900 995 1,082 1,127 1,089 1,135 1,205 Of which: Male 430 455 462 456 449 471 468 Female 470 540 620 671 640 664 737 Source: Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.