To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Health Care Commission has made of (a) the quality of care delivered at Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre and (b) the level of patient satisfaction with the delivery of care. (130200)

As the independent inspection body for both the national health service and independent healthcare, the Healthcare Commission (HCC) is not part of the Department. Therefore, the information requested is not held centrally. However, information on the reviews of services undertaken by the HCC are available on their website at: www.healthcare commission.org.uk

All Independent Sector providers, including the Midlands Treatment Centre located in Burton, are required to achieve HCC approval before services are commenced and to meet subsequent reviews. We can confirm that the Midlands Treatment Centre did receive HCC approval for the start of services in July 2006.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the targeted case volume is for Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre; and what proportion of that volume was achieved in each year since it was set up; (130201)

The Midlands National Health Service Treatment Centre, situated in Burton, opened in July 2006. The case mix at the treatment centre continues to include ENT (ears nose and throat), general surgery, gynaecology, OMFS (face/jaw), ophthalmology, pain relief, plastics, rheumatology, trauma and orthopaedics and urology.

The Department measures independent sector treatment centre contract performance on the basis of value rather than activity. This is to allow for the variations, which can occur through substitution of activity between procedures of varying value.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what impact the Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre has had on (a) capacity and (b) waiting times in Staffordshire hospitals in each year since it was established. (130202)

The Midlands Treatment Centre, located in Burton, has been able to provide additional surgical capacity in the Staffordshire area while offering patients a wider choice of provider for their treatment.

It is also believed that the facility has helped local national health service hospitals in achieving their maximum waiting time targets. As at January 2007, no patients in the Stoke on Trent, North Staffordshire and the South Staffordshire primary care trusts were waiting in excess of 26 weeks for inpatient treatment or 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what role Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre has in training medical staff; (130203)

The Midlands National Health Service Treatment Centre, situated in Burton, provides training and supervision to its medical staff. The training includes continuing professional development, infection control, equipment and information management and technology.

Junior doctors work in the treatment centre alongside consultants as part of their training programme. The consultants remain responsible for clinical care and the training delivered as required. The agreement is that the direction and management of training of clinical trainees largely replicates current NHS training processes.

The treatment centre employs 179 staff (headcount), the majority of which were recruited from the United Kingdom.