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Dept of Health

Answer

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will increase funding for contraceptive services to ensure that (a) all methods of contraception including new methods are made available and (b) medical practitioners are able to prescribe emergency contraception in advance where appropriate; [154431] (2) how much was spent on contraceptive services in each of the last five financial years. [154432] Miss Melanie Johnson: "Shifting the Balance of Power" has allowed primary care trusts (PCTs) to have the necessary financial flexibility to provide services to best meet local needs. This includes ensuring access to the full range of methods of contraception, including emergency contraception, according to need. In addition, the Government has boosted these resources by providing an extra £1 million to help improve access to contraceptive services. The table contains family planning expenditure figures for National Health Service trusts and PCTs for the last four financial years. However, around three quarters of contraceptive care is provided by general practitioners in primary care for which expenditure figures are not available. £ _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Community based family planning NHS Trust expenditure Primary Care Trust expenditure Total expenditure 1998-99 65.9 n/a 65.9 1999-2000 70.5 n/a 70.5 2000-01 74.2 1.2 75.4 2001-02 57.8 19.9 77.6 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Note: Figures rounded to one decimal place. Sources: Annual Financial Returns of NHS Trusts, 1998-99 to 2002-03. Annual Financial Returns of Primary Care Trusts, 2000-01 to 2002-03.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

418 c601-2W;418 c621-2W; 154431;154432

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Costs Contraceptives Finance Family planning NHS Prescriptions

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk