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NHS Consultants
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in each health authority area in Wales were referred to hospital out-patient departments between 1990 and the last year for which figures are available to see consultants in (a) obstetrics, (b) trauma and orthopaedics, (c) ENT, (d) coronary, (e) general surgery, (f) urology, (g) opthalmology, (h) oral surgery, (i) gynaecology and (j) other specialties. [88934]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: Data are reported to the Welsh Office on the total number of referrals to NHS trusts in Wales. The totals for Wales in each of the years 1994-95 to 1998-99 are given in the following table. A breakdown of the data by health authority and specialty is not held centrally.
The total number of referrals to NHS trusts in Wales, 1994-95 to 1998-99:
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 210
| Year | Number of referrals (9) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 578,462 | |
| 1995-96 | 577,831 | |
| 1996-97 | 610,117 | |
| 1997-98 | 651,815 | |
| 1998-99 | 680,985 |
(9) Data as reported to the Welsh Office by Welsh NHS trusts. They include estimates for Powys Health Care NHS trust for 1994-95 and 1995-96.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many consultants there are in each health authority area in Wales working on (a) full-time contracts and (b) part-time contracts in (i) obstetrics, (ii) trauma and orthopaedics, (iii) ENT, (iv) coronary, (v) general surgery, (vi) urology, (vii) ophthalmology, (viii) oral surgery and (ix) gynaecology and (x) other specialties. [88936]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
Information on NHS medical and dental staff is collected annually as at 30 September. The latest available information relates to September 1997 and is given in the following table.
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 211
| Full-time | Part-time | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bro Taf | |||
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 11 | 6 | 17 |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 12 | 2 | 14 |
| ENT | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| Cardiology | 6 | 2 | 8 |
| Cardio-thoracic surgery | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| General surgery | 10 | 13 | 23 |
| Urology | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Ophthalmology | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Oral surgery | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Other specialties | 196 | 141 | 337 |
| Dyfed Powys | |||
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 6 | 11 | 17 |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| ENT | 2 | 9 | 11 |
| Cardiology | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Cardio-thoracic surgery | -- | -- | 0 |
| General surgery | 10 | 9 | 19 |
| Urology | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Ophthalmology | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| Oral surgery | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Other specialties | 115 | 40 | 155 |
| Gwent | |||
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 8 | 5 | 13 |
| ENT | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Cardiology | -- | -- | 0 |
| Cardio-thoracic surgery | -- | -- | 0 |
| General surgery | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| Urology | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Ophthalmology | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Oral surgery | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Other specialties | 114 | 32 | 146 |
| Morgannwg | |||
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| ENT | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Cardiology | 4 | -- | 4 |
| Cardio-thoracic surgery | 3 | -- | 3 |
| General surgery | 12 | 6 | 18 |
| Urology | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Ophthalmology | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Oral surgery | 4 | -- | 4 |
| Other specialties | 163 | 20 | 183 |
| North Wales | |||
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| ENT | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Cardiology | 2 | -- | 2 |
| Cardio-thoracic surgery | -- | -- | 0 |
| General surgery | 9 | 9 | 18 |
| Urology | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Ophthalmology | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| Oral surgery | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Other specialties | 147 | 33 | 180 |
| Wales(10) | |||
| Obstetrics and gynaecology | 36 | 26 | 62 |
| Trauma and orthopaedics | 39 | 22 | 61 |
| ENT | 16 | 15 | 31 |
| Cardiology | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| Cardio-thoracic surgery | 3 | 4 | 7 |
| General surgery | 51 | 35 | 86 |
| Urology | 8 | 9 | 17 |
| Ophthalmology | 20 | 14 | 34 |
| Oral surgery | 12 | 8 | 20 |
| Other specialties | 703 | 231 | 934 |
(10) A consultant working in more than one health authority area is counted in each authority in which they work but only once in the data for Wales as a whole.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 212
Hepatitis C
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing a scheme to provide financial assistance for people who contracted hepatitis C through their haemophilia treatment; over how many years the scheme would last; and how many people would be eligible for such assistance. [89035]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: In Wales, we believe there about 105 haemophiliacs who have been infected with hepatitis C through NHS treatment. We estimate that the cost for a special payment scheme for haemophiliacs would be in the region of £7m-£8m based on UK estimates.
Government policy remains that those infected with hepatitis C through NHS treatment should not receive special payments, as the same considerations would apply to patients infected with another illness or otherwise harmed as a result of medical or surgical procedure not resulting from negligence.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people with haemophilia were infected with hepatitis C through their NHS treatment before 1986; and how many are still alive. [89034]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
The information requested is not available centrally.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of financial assistance schemes for people who contracted hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in (a) Canada, (b) Ireland and (c) Italy; and if he will assess the benefits of introducing similar schemes in Wales. [89036]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
It continues to be Government policy that compensation or other financial help to particular patients or groups of patients is paid only where the NHS or individuals working in it have been at fault. We are aware of compensation schemes in other countries, but these relate to the specific policy and operational circumstances in those countries and a direct comparison would not be appropriate.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of general dental practices are linked electronically to the Dental Practice Board in each health authority area. [89037]
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 213
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
The position as of 31 March 1999, as reported by the Dental Practice Board (DPB), is that the percentage of general dental practices that are able to transmit claims (i.e. are linked) electronically to the Dental Practice Board in each health authority area are:
| Per cent. | |
|---|---|
| Gwent | 49.1 |
| Bro Taf | 49.6 |
| Dyfed Powys | 44.9 |
| North Wales | 49.2 |
| Iechyd Morgannwg | 46.9 |
This represents a figure of 48.1 per cent. for Wales as a whole. May I clarify the answer I gave my hon. Friend on 15 March 1999, Official Report, column 529. The figure of 66 per cent. quoted in my answer, based on data provided by the DPB, referred to general dental practitioners in Wales who utilised information management and technology systems at that time, of which a proportion were linked electronically to the DPB.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Win Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if local health groups will be required to make available funding for dental audit on at least the same scale as the funding which is already available. [89038]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
The new clinical governance agenda gives local health groups an important role to play in encouraging and supporting quality improvement projects. This therefore provides a mechanism for the dental profession to have equal access to funding for dental audit projects. Applications from the primary health care sector, including dentists, will be assessed by the relevant local health group, all of whom have an elected dental member. Funding will be made available on the basis of the merits of the application/business case submitted.
In addition, the Department funds a Dental Adviser post whose primary role is to encourage and support successful applications for funding from the dental profession in Wales.
Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.
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