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Phenylketonuria

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will include phenylketonuria in those prescriptions accepted for free status.

Mr. Malone: No.

GP Fundholders

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information has to be published by fundholding practices.

Mr. Malone: All general practitioners are required to publish essential information for patients about available services in practice leaflets. In addition, general practitioner fundholders' audited fundholding accounts, and their contracts with hospitals and community units, are public documents and are available on request. General practitioner fundholders also publish annual patients charter statements setting out standards achieved by hospitals with which they hold contracts and detailing the handling of any complaints received.

Chelation Therapy

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has undertaken into the effectiveness of Chelation therapy as a treatment for arteriosclerosis and other related conditions.

Mr. Malone: None.

Radiotherapy

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what record she has of people suffering from radiation damage after radiotherapy; and what plans she has to set up a national register.

Mr. Sackville: The Department does not keep records of people suffering from radiation damage after radiotherapy and we have no plans to set up a national register.

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will extend the audit of patients damaged by radiotherapy in the breast area to patients damaged in the pelvic area.

Mr. Sackville: The Department commissioned an audit of breast cases because they were all suffering from the same cancer and had similar radiotherapy. Patients who had pelvic radiotherapy had different cancers and underwent different techniques of radiotherapy. It is easier


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to detect common features between members of the first group than between members of the second. For that reason, we have commenced an audit of women exhibiting adverse effects following breast radiotherapy.

National Health Service Pay

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will show national health service pay expenditure in each year since 1990 91 and her best estimate for 1995 96, showing figures both in millions of pounds and at current prices.

Mr. Malone: The information available is shown in the table.


NHS pay expenditure 1990-91 to 1992-93              

Year         |Cash Value  |94-95 Prices             

             |(£million)  |(£million)               

----------------------------------------------------

1990-91      |11,284      |13,258                   

1991-92      |12,651      |13,983                   

1992-93      |13,750      |14,621                   

Source: Annual financial returns of regional,       

district, and special health authorities for the    

London postgraduate teaching hospitals (1990-91 to  

1992-93), NHS trusts (1991-92 and 1992-93) and      

Family Health Services Authorities (1990-91 to      

1992-93).                                           

Notes:                                              

1. The figures are based upon gross pay costs       

including employers' National Insurance and         

superannuation contributions.                       

2. 1994-95 prices have been calculated using the    

GDP deflator dated 29/6/94.                         

Care Homes

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is her intention to issue new guidance on the emergency closure of care homes under the Registered Homes Act 1984 following her evaluation of the urgent actions of Buckinghamshire county council; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Bowis: The Registered Homes Act 1984 already provides adequate procedures to enable homes to be closed if appropriate, including procedures for urgent closure by order of a JP where there appears to be serious risk to the life, health or well-being of residents.

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency closures under the Registered Homes Act 1984 have taken place in each local authority area since 1985.

Mr. Bowis: This information is not available centrally.


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