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Health Authority Allocations
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate (a) what the allocations would have been to each English regional health authority for 1989-90 if the same national total had been distributed on the basis
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of the 1988-89 allocations, (b) if he will estimate the difference between the figure and the actual allocation given to each region for 1989-90 and (c) if he will express (c) as a percentage of (b).Mr. Mellor : The information requested is set out in the table :
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1989-90 allocations Difference
|Main<1> Provision |Notional<2> distribution
|in line with 1988-89
|allocations<3>
|£ million |£ million |£ million |Percentage
|column (2) and (1) |column (3) and (1)
Region |(1) |(2) |(3) |(4)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |832.4 |832.6 |0.2 |0.02
Yorkshire |937.4 |939.5 |2.2 |0.23
Trent |1,147.2 |1,143.9 |-3.3 |-0.29
East Anglian |497.1 |495.6 |-1.5 |-0.30
North West Thames |912.9 |918.5 |5.6 |0.61
North East Thames |1,137.0 |1,147.3 |10.3 |0.90
South East Thames |1,018.3 |1,019.1 |0.8 |-0.08
South West Thames |843.7 |846.0 |2.3 |0.28
Wessex |699.1 |695.9 |-3.1 |-0.45
Oxford |557.6 |546.3 |-11.3 |-2.03
South Western |832.4 |828.4 |-4.0 |-0.48
West Midlands |1,340.1 |1,342.5 |2.4 |0.18
Mersey |663.8 |663.9 |0.2 |0.02
North Wester |1,140.1 |1,139.6 |-0.5 |-0.05
|-------- |-------- |-------- |--------
Total |1,2559.1 |1,2559.1 |0.0 |0.00
<1> Excludes sums earmarked e.g. Supra regional services, AIDS, breast cancer screening.
<2> Total cash 1989-90 pro rata to 1988-89 initial cash limits.
<3> Excludes earmarked sums, but includes special fund of £15 million allocated to Regions who received the lowest increases under RAWP.
Sexually-related Diseases (Children)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by sex and by age the number of children aged 16 years and under who have been examined and diagnosed for a sexually related disease during the last year (a) in the Trent regional health authority and (b) by district health authority, showing the type of disease ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Freeman : The latest available data are for Trent regional health authority in 1986 for syphilis and gonorrhoea only. These are shown in the table.
Trent Regional Health Authority
Age group-under 16 1986
|Male |Female|Total
-----------------------------------------------------------
Primary and secondary syphilis |0 |0 |0
Post-pubertal gonorrhoea |8 |27 |35
Trent RHA
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultants are currently employed by the Trent regional health authority.
Mr. Mellor : On 30 September 1987, there were 1,322 consultants in post in the Trent region, of these 657 were employed by the regional health authority. This figure includes permanent paid, honorary and locum staff.
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many : (a) speech therapists and (b) physiotherapists are currently employed by the Trent regional health authority ;
(2) how many nurses are currently employed by the Trent regional health authority ;
(3) how many midwives are currently employed by the Trent regional health authority.
Mr. Mellor : The table gives the number of staff in post in the Trent region for the groups mentioned :
|No. in post WTE
--------------------------------------------------
Speech Therapists |260
Physiotherapists |890
Nurses |35,800
Midwives |2,170
Of these only 100 (WTE) nurses are employed by
Trent regional health authority itself.
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hours are worked by junior doctors employed by the Trent regional health authority in an average (a) week and (b) month.
Mr. Mellor : We do not collect information centrally. The hon. Member should contact the chairman of Trent regional health authority for an answer to his question.
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are waiting for treatment in the following specialties in the Trent health region at the latest available date (a) orthopaedics, (b) gynaecology, (c) ear, nose and throat, (d) plastic surgery and (e) cardiothoracic surgery.
Mr. Mellor : The information requested is given in the table.
9 In-patient waiting list for selected specialties, Trent Regional Health Authority, 31 March 1988 Specialty |Number waiting --------------------------------------------------------- Traumatic and Orthopaedics |13,097 Gynaecology |8,324 Ear, Nose and Throat |8,295 Plastic Surgery |3,706 Cardiothoracic Surgery |773
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in the Trent regional health authority have 250 beds or more.
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Mr. Freeman : In 1986, the latest year for which we have available information, there were 37 hospitals with 250 or more average daily available beds in Trent region.
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are waiting for day treatment at hospitals in the Trent health region at the latest available date ; and what has been the percentage change in the last 12 months.
Mr. Mellor : There were 9,870 patients on the day case waiting list in Trent at March 1988. There is no comparable figure for March 1987 as day case waiting list statistics were not collected at that time.
Acute Beds (North Derbyshire)
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute beds are currently available to patients in north Derbyshire.
Mr. Freeman : In the financial year 1987-88, there were an average of 579 acute beds available daily in North Derbyshire health authority.
Health Centres (North Derbyshire)
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current number of health centres in north Derbyshire.
Mr. Freeman : The information requested is not collected centrally. I would therefore suggest that the hon. Member contact the chairman of North Derbyshire health authority for an answer to his question.
Waiting List (North Derbyshire)
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been on the waiting list in north Derbyshire for over one year.
Mr. Mellor : At March 1988, 720 patients on the in-patient waiting list in north Derbyshire had been waiting over one year. This compares with 1,280 at March 1979. Provisional figures, currently being validated, indicate that the number reduced still further in the six months to September 1988.
Cancer
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the incidence of breast cancer in women aged (a) 50 to 64 years and (b) 65 years and over in each of the last 10 years ; (2) what was the incidence of cervical cancer in women aged (a) 50 to 64 years and (b) 65 years and over in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Freeman : The information is shown in the table ; 1984 is the latest available data year.
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Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of malignant neoplasm of (a)
female breast (b) cervix uteri, and rates per 100,000 population,
ages
50-64, 65 and over, England and Wales, 1975-84.
ICD 174 (Breast ICD 180 (Cervix
Cancer)<1> Uteri)<1>
Number Rate<2> Number Rate<2>
|50-64 |65+ |50-64 |65+ |50-64 |65+ |50-64 |65+
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1975 |6,943 |9,592 |155 |223 |1,654 |1,197 |37 |28
1976 |7,146 |9,419 |160 |217 |1,604 |1,150 |36 |26
1977 |7,107 |9,779 |160 |222 |1,578 |1,200 |36 |27
1978 |7,071 |9,814 |161 |220 |1,402 |1,173 |32 |26
1979 |6,604 |9,738 |152 |216 |1,343 |1,193 |31 |26
1980 |6,928 |9,846 |161 |216 |1,347 |1,203 |31 |26
1981 |6,751 |10,132|158 |221 |1,248 |1,229 |29 |27
1982 |7,094 |10,055|166 |220 |1,218 |1,193 |29 |26
1983 |6,834 |10,174|160 |224 |1,152 |1,139 |27 |25
1984 |6,979 |10,100|163 |223 |1,124 |1,158 |26 |26
<1> International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision.
<2> Rates per 100,000 population.
Crewe DHA (Contracts)
Mrs. Dunwoody : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the names of every private company that has entered into any contract with Crewe district health authority in the past five years, with the addresses of their registered offices and the names of their directors.
Mr. Goodlad : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the names of each private company that has entered into any contract with Halton district health authority in the past five years, together with the addresses of their registered offices and the names of their directors.
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold details of such arrangements centrally. The hon. Member and my hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of the appropriate district health authority for the information.
Haemoglobinopathy
Mr. Jim Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to secure the delivery of specialist haemoglobinopathy services in districts where they are currently not on offer ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : The Department recently issued a questionnaire to all district health authorities on haemoglobinopathy services and is currently analysing the responses. The analysis will form the basis for decisions about action that might be needed centrally on these services.
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International Organisations
Mr. Galbraith : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those international organisations on which his Department is represented and the total cost of these commitments.
Mr. Mellor : Department of Health Ministers and/or officials represent the United Kingdom at the world health assembly, at meetings of the World Health Organisation's regional committee for Europe and at other meetings arranged by the WHO ; the United Kingdom's assessed contribution to the organisation's regular budget--amounting in the current financial year to £7.559 million--is paid by the Department of Health. Departmental officials also represent the United Kingdom at meetings of the European Pharmacopoeia Commission and of other committees concerned with public health and with rehabilitation organised by the Council of Europe, but whose membership comprises only some members of the Council of Europe ; the United Kingdom's contribution to the work of these committees-- amounting to £287,000 in the current financial year--is made by the Department.
Departmental Ministers and/or officials also represent the United Kingdom at meetings of a number of international organisations dealing with health and personal social service issues, to which the United Kingdom's contribution is not primarily a charge on Department of Health votes--for example, councils and working groups of the European Community, and ministerial meetings and steering groups of the Council of Europe and of the OECD.
The cost of attendance at meetings of these bodies are not separately identified.
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Competitive Tendering
Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has published guidelines or instructions regarding the costing of redundancy expenditure arising from competitive tendering.
Mr. Mellor : Yes. Most recently in executive letter EL(87)MB/1 issued in November 1987. A copy has been placed in the Library. The guidance is kept under review.
Abortion
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has yet received the final copy of the report of the study conducted by the Royal College of General Practitioners into the psychological sequelae of abortion.
Mr. Freeman : No. A large body of data is currently undergoing careful analysis. I understand the report should be available later this year.
Infant Health
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases there have been of babies who have become victims of Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Freeman : Information held centrally about Alzheimer's disease relates to those cases which received treatment in an NHS hospital. The data which are based on a 10 per cent. sample of patient discharge records, revealed no such cases in the under 15 age group. We are not aware of any cases of babies or children with Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Wray : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the effect on babies of consuming food with high levels of aluminium.
Mr. Freeman : Aluminium in the diet is not known to cause any disease in babies. In 1988 the Food and Agriculture
Organisation/World Health Organisation joint expert committee on food additives set a provisional tolerable weekly intake--PTWI--for aluminium of 7 mg per kilogram bodyweight. This figure was based on the effects on laboratory animals of very much greater intakes of aluminium compounds. The aluminium intakes of babies in the United Kingdom are well below this PTWI.
Anaemia
Ms. Ruddock : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district health authorities employ full-time specialist sickel cell anaemia and thalassaemia counsellors.
Mr. Freeman : The Department recently issued a questionnaire to all district health authorities on screening and counselling services for sickle cell and thalassaemic diseases. Although this did not ask about the employment of full-time specialist counsellors it did ask who was responsible for counselling. The replies to the questionnaire are currently being analysed.
Hospitals (Opting Out)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, under his proposals for the National Health
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Service announced on 31 January, he will make it his policy to allow the local community to have a vote prior to a hospital with more than 250 beds deciding to operate on an independent basis.Mr. Kenneth Clarke : The White Paper published on 31 January outlines plans for self-governing hospitals within the NHS. Proposals will be given local publicity but I see no merit in making management changes within the NHS subject to a vote by the residents of a particular locality.
Population Statistics
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has as to the number of persons ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom who have attained the age of 12 years.
Mr. Freeman : It is estimated that at 30 June 1987 there were 48, 380,000 persons aged 12 and over with usual residence in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Nicholas Bennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the average frequency of household removal.
Mr. Freeman : Information in the form requested is not available centrally. However my hon. Friend may find the following information relating to 1986 useful.
Percentage of Heads of Households according to length of residence at current address: Great Britain Length of residence Years |Percentage ------------------------------------------------------------ Under 1 |10 1 but under 3 |14 3 but under 5 |12 5 to 10 |22 11 to 15 |11 16 to 20 |10 21 to 30 |11 31 or more |10 Note: The information is derived from a question on length of residence of the Head of Household in the General Household Survey. (General Household Survey 1986, OPCS/SSD, Series GHS number 16, page 70, Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
AIDS
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of AIDS patients receiving treatment in London ; and which eight hospitals have the most such patients.
Mr. Mellor : We do not have information in the form requested. The total number of AIDS cases reported from district health authorities in Greater London at the end of 1988 was 1,318, of whom 671 have died. The eight health authorities which had the greatest numbers of reports were :
Riverside
Parkside
Bloomsbury
West Lambeth
Hampstead
Tower Hamlets
Wandsworth
Camberwell
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NHS (Funding)
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if Sonia Cabey, aged 18 years, from the dependency of Montserrat now in the Brompton hospital, London, awaiting heart surgery not available in the dependency, will be treated under the National Health Service ; and if he will make a statement about the funding of this case.
Mr. Mellor : Miss Cabey is being treated privately in an NHS hospital. The Monserrat Government have undertaken that the costs will be met.
Artificial Kidney Assistants
Mr. Terry Davis : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is available to his Department about vacancies for artificial kidney assistants in the National Health Service,
Mr. Mellor : We do not collect this information centrally.
Out-patients (Transport)
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals charge transport costs to patients of out-patient clinics and those patients admitted after referral by their general practitioner ; what is the average charge ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : Ambulance service transport is provided free of charge for those patients considered by a clinician to be medically unfit to travel by any other means. Patients who do not have a medical need but who have difficulty in finding other means of attending hospital may also be carried by the ambulance service but a charge may be made.
Information on the level and extent of such charges is not centrally available.
Benzodiazepines
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of new patients prescribed benzodiazepines by doctors since January 1988.
Mr. Mellor : We do not collect this information centrally.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what evidence he has on the number of road accidents caused by impaired concentration of motorists taking benzodiazepines ;
(2) what evidence he has on the number of accidents (a) in the home and (b) elsewhere caused to elderly people by taking benzodiazepines ;
(3) what evidence he has on the incidence of structural brain damage causesd by long-term use of benzodiazepines.
Mr. Mellor : We do not collect this information centrally.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he intends to undertake a national education campaign to warn young people about the dangers of benzodiazepine addiction.
Mr. Mellor : We have no such plans. Health, personal and social education in schools, backed by the work of
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drug education co-ordinators in every local education authority, covers the use and misuse of a wide range of substances, including prescribed drugs.Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of people prescribed benzodiazepines since January 1988 who have taken them for longer than the period laid down by the Committee on Safety of Medicines.
Mr. Mellor : We do not collect this information centrally.
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of chronic users of benzodiazepines in the United Kingdom ; and what percentage of these are addicted to the drug.
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold this information centrally.
Cook-Chill Food
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to introduce regulatory provisions governing the temperature at which cook-chill foods are stored and displayed by retailers and the length of time during which such products are on sale from the time that they leave the manufacturer ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke [holding answer 23 January 1989] : Proposed changes to the Food Hygiene Regulations 1970, including requirements for the temperature of retailed chilled food, have been the subject of consultations by my Department and discussions continue. The Food Labelling Regulations 1984 already require pre-packed perishable foods to carry a date of minimum durability.
Neomycin
Mr. Ashley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people are estimated to suffer burns or scalding accidents annually ; what is the best estimate of those seriously burned or scalded and likely to have been thickly sprayed with neomycin ;
(2) how many people are known to have been deafened by the use of neomycin sprays after being treated for burns or scalds ; and what is the best estimate of the number at risk of being deafened in this way ;
(3) when neomycin was first used in National Health Service hospitals in spray form ; what Government safety health checks it had received prior to that date ; for what purposes it was recommended ; and what warnings of side effects were given ;
(4) at what date neomycin was available to National Health Service hospitals ; what Government safety health checks it had received before use within the National Health Service ; for what purposes it was recommended ; and what warnings of side effects were given ; (5) what is his best estimate of the number of people known to have been deafened by neomycin used in conventional form ;
(6) when were the first research reports that neomycin could cause deafness ; who they were by ; and what action was taken by his Department to warn those using the drug ;
(7) if he will set up an inquiry to investigate (a) the number of adults and children deafened by the use of neomycin sprays to treat burns and scalds, (b) the
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possibility of identifying them, (c) the possibility of giving publicity to the fact that, in some circumstances compensation may be possible, (d) the difficulties that people deafened in this way have in getting access to medical records and (e) the effectiveness of procedures which transmit information about the side effects of drugs ;(8) what information he has as to when research first established that compounds applied to the skin could be absorbed into the bloodstream and as to what action was taken to link this information to known hazards of drugs taken intravenously ; and what action was taken by his Department to ensure that this information was known by those likely to treat burns.
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