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Mr. Malone: This information is not available. Information on free prescriptions is collected for the numbers of prescribed items dispensed, rather than for the numbers of people to whom the prescriptions are dispensed.
NHS Sight Tests
Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population was eligible for free NHS eye examinations in each of the last 10 available years. [19002]
Mr. Malone: Before April 1989, everybody was eligible. Since that time, when universal eligibility was removed, about 40 per cent. of the population have been eligible.
Since 1 April 1989, the groups entitled to a national health service sight test have been:
children under 16
students under 19 in full-time education
people on income support or family credit and their partners holders of exemption certificate AG2
the registered blind or partially sighted
those who need certain complex lenses
diagnosed diabetics and glaucoma sufferers
close relatives aged 40 or over of diagnosed glaucoma sufferers Since 1 April 1995, people receiving disability working allowance are also eligible to receive free NHS sight tests.
Pharmaceutical Industry
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 4 April, Official Report , column 1039 , about the pharmaceutical industry, when she expects the report on the contribution of the pharmaceutical industry to the United Kingdom economy will be (a) completed by the Office of Health Economics and (b) submitted to her Department; and what proportion of the cost of this study is being contributed by (i) the United Kingdom pharmaceutical industry and (ii) her Department. [19401]
Mr. Malone: The paper has been prepared by the Office of Health Economics in consultation with Government economists, and was discussed by the pharmaceutical industry strategy working group, which includes senior Government officials. The Office of Health Economics will meet all costs, and hope to publish the paper in May.
Peto Institute
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how the current funding for the British Peto institute was calculated; [19516]
(2) what proposals she has to offer temporary assistance to the British Peto fund; [19518]
(3) what assessments she has made of the work of the British Peto institute; [19517]
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(4) how much public funding in the current financial year has been provided to the Peto institute in the west midlands; and if the outreach services provided by the Peto institute in Britain is recognised in its funding. [19515]Mr. Bowis: The Department of Health does not currently provide funding to the Foundation for Conductive Education in Birmingham, although funding has been provided in the past. It is open to the foundation to apply for funding under the Department's section 64 scheme, but no application has been received.
It is also open to the foundation to seek funding from health authorities, local authorities and other public bodies for services provided. The Department for Education funded an assessment of the Foundation's work with children by the University of Birmingham, which was published in 1993.
In September last year, I visited the Peto institute in Budapest to see for myself the work being undertaken. I was also able to discuss this with the Hungarian Minister of Health.
Psychiatric Disorders
Mr. Grocott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if she will list the numbers and proportion of people broken down into age bands admitted to NHS hospitals by psychiatric disorders in each year since 1970 until the most recent date available on a consistent basis. [19519]
Mr. Bowis: Information on admissions to national health service hospitals by age group and age-specific rates per 100,000 home population for mental illness in each year since 1970 will be placed in the Library.
Infertility Treatment
Mr. Couchman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice West Kent health authority has sought from her Department in respect of the most efficacious provision of infertility diagnosis and treatment; [19531]
(2) what contacts her Department has had with West Kent health authority in respect of infertility treatment and investigation in the United Kingdom. [19530]
Mr. Sackville: The provision of infertility diagnosis and treatment locally is a matter for West Kent health authority. Guidance on infertility services has been provided by the Department of Health. As far as we are aware West Kent health authority has not sought any additional advice from the Department.
Mr. Couchman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the efficacy of one infertility treatment against another; [19533]
(2) what recent assessment her Department has made of the efficacy of provision of infertility treatments and investigation in the United Kingdom. [19532]
Mr. Sackville: Advice on the effectiveness of infertility treatments in England is available to health authorities and clinicians in two publications drawn to the attention of the national health service in 1992:
(a) The effective health care bulletin, "Management of Subfertility", published for the NHS Management Executive by a consortium of Leeds and York Universities and the Research Unit of the Royal College of Physicians.
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(b) The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists publication "Infertility--Guidelines for Practice".Copies of these documents are available in the Library. Information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies funded by her Department have undertaken studies into the effectiveness of infertility treatment; and on what dates the studies were undertaken. [19480]
Mr. Sackville: The effective health care bulletin "The Management of Subfertility" contains a comprehensive list of references to published research papers, including those concerning the effectiveness of various infertility treatments. The bulletin was published for the national health service executive by a consortium of York and Leeds universities and the research unit of the Royal College of Physicians and was made available to health authorities and clinicians in 1992.
Mr. Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what advice Sunderland health authority has sought from her Department in respect of the most efficacious provision of infertility treatment and diagnosis in the last five years; [19479]
(2) what contacts her Department has had with Sunderland health authority in respect of infertility treatment and investigation in the United Kingdom in the last five years. [19478]
Mr. Sackville: The provision of infertility diagnosis and treatment locally is a matter for Sunderland district health authority. Guidance on infertility services has been provided by the Department of Health. As far as we are aware, the health authority has not sought additional advice from the Department.
Maudsley Hospital
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement concerning the future of the centre for epilepsy at Maudsley hospital. [19473]
Mr. Bowis: I was pleased to participate in the launch of the centre for epilepsy in July last year. The centre is established at the Maudsley hospital where it is expected to remain for the foreseeable future.
Departmental Staff
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each agency and the central Department for which she is responsible (a) the total hours of overtime worked for which payment has been made, (b) the total amount paid in overtime and (c) the total time in days and its monetary equivalent lost through sickness in each of the last three years. [19684]
Mr. Sackville: The total hours of overtime worked and the total amount paid in overtime in each of the last three years for the Department of Health, excluding its agencies, is shown in the table. Figures for the number of hours worked in 1992 93 are not available.
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|Overtime hours |Overtime cost of
|worked |hours worked (£)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1992-93 |- |1,372,671
1993-94 |80,764 |1,034,738
1994-95 |68,939 |795,737
The total days lost through sickness were:
1992: 38,938
1993: 50,382
The figures for 1994 are not yet available. the sickness absence data are not analysed by cost.
Asthma
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the total expenditure on general practitioner prescribed anti-asthma medication and preparations, per family health service authority, for the last year for which figures are available; [19430]
(2) what was the total number of prescriptions for the treatment of asthma, per family health service authority, for the last year for which figures are available; [19509]
(3) what was the total expenditure on general practitioner prescribed anti- asthma medication and preparations, per drug prescribed, for the last year for which figures are available. [19472]
Mr. Malone: The information will be placed in the Library.
Acute Breathing Difficulties
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of patients receiving hospital treatment for acute breathing difficulties per region, for each month from September 1994 until the last month for which figures are available. [19471]
Mr. Sackville: Acute breathing difficulties occur as a symptom of a wide range of medical conditions. Central returns do not include numbers of hospital admissions classified by symptom. Information on hospital admissions for asthma for the 1994 95 financial year is not yet available.
Dental Services
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the bleaching of teeth using peroxide-based agents by dental practitioners. [19475]
Mr. Malone: Many products used by dentists will, given their nature, be subject to specific consumer safety requirements designed to ensure that products on the market are safe and are accompanied by adequate information. Medicinal products, cosmetic products and medical devices are all--subject to certain transitional arrangements in the case of medical devices--covered by such legislation. Within this legal framework, dentists use their clinical judgment in determining appropriate treatment for their patients.
Hospital Services
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will quantify the substantial revenue savings which she expects to be released from bringing hospital services together following her announcement of 4 April. [19704]
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Mr. Malone: The revenue savings expected to be released are currently estimated at around £75 million per year.
Occupational Health
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Health if she will list the occupational health guidelines covering NHS trusts; and if she will make a statement. [19474]
Mr. Sackville: I refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply I gave him on 5 April, columns 1217 18.
Ambulances
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice is given to ambulance authorities and trusts on buying British ambulances. [19527]
Mr. Sackville: Specification and selection of ambulances is a matter for each individual trust, but it is the supplier's responsibility to ensure the specification requirements are fully met, or to indicate where they are not.
Primary Care
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the pressure on acute services in the demand for more resources resulting from the increased investments in primary care in London. [19702]
Mr. Malone: It is for local health commissions to manage the implementation of change within the available resources; assessing future service requirements and the balance between hospital, primary care and community care in their area. Changes to acute services will be paced over a number of years to ensure continuity of provision as alternative services are built up.
Residential Care
Sir David Steel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy on the sale of homes of patients who have been taken into residential care to defray costs incurred; what consideration is given to carers who were long-term residents in such houses; and what assistance is given to carers who find themselves with no alternative accommodation or funds. [19525]
Mr. Bowis: In the assessment of charges for residential accommodation, local authorities do not have powers to force the sale of property without first seeking a court order. Under the local authority charging regulations, local authorities are required to ignore the value of property if the resident's spouse or a relative who is over 60 or under 16 or ill still lives there. They also have discretion to ignore the value in other circumstances, for example where a long-term carer or elderly companion still occupies the property. This discretion has been highlighted in guidance issued by both the Department of Health and the Scottish Office.
Mixed Sex Wards
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of hospital wards are of mixed sex; and if she will make a statement. [17983]
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Mr. Sackville: This information is not available.
NHS and the public
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to publish the information collected from the chairman of health authorities as a result of the letter sent to them and published in her Department's press release of 21 January 1994 entitled, "Is the NHS listening to the public?--Mawhinney asks health authorities for answers"; and if she will make a statement. [18932]
Mr. Malone: My right hon. Friend the then Minister for Health announced the results of his letter of 12 January 1994 to chairmen of district health authorities at a national conference for national health staff on 13 April 1994. Copies of the Minister's speech and a good practice booklet, "Involving Local People", which drew on survey findings, were issued to all district health authorities, family health services authorities, NHS trusts and community health councils on 13 May 1994. Copies of both documents are available in the Library.
Community Care Social Services
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS beds are being blocked by the Isle of Wight community care social services decisions for a period in excess of five days. [18805]
Mr. Bowis: This information is not available centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of the Isle of Wight health authority for details.
Hospital Developments (Tenders)
Ms Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria have been issued to hospital trusts regarding the assessment of bids from groups of companies for development of new hospitals through the private finance initiative. [19694]
Mr. Sackville: There is general guidance on the appraisal of proposals and assessment of tenders for hospital developments in the national health service executive's capital investment manual and in the NHS estates guidance CONCODE. The specific criteria used for individual schemes are decided locally. Copies of these documents are available in the Library.
St. Bartholomew's and Guy's Hospitals
Mrs. Beckett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the service to patients provided at present by (a) St. Bartholomew's hospital and (b) Guy's hospital. [19711]
Mr. Malone: St. Bartholomew's hospital provides in-patient, out- patient and day-case services in the following specialities: Pain Relief
Dialysis Unit
General Medicine
General Surgery
Haematology Clinical
Ophthalmology
Paediatrics
Renal
Trauma and Orthopaedic
Cancer Services
Endocrinology
ENT
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GUMS/AIDS/HIVNephrology/Renal
Oral Maxillo Facial Surgery
Plastic Surgery
Specialised Immunology
Urology
Cardiac Services
Gastroenterology
Dermatology
Gynaecology
Neurosciences
Orthodontics
Regional Amputee Unit
Thoracic Medicine
Over time, the services will be relocated on a single Whitechapel site.
Guy's hospital currently provides the following in-patient, out-patient and day-case services:
Accident and Emergency
Trauma and Orthopaedics
Paediatrics
Gynaecology
Dermatology
Gastroenterology
Oral and Maxillo Facial
Surgery
Urology
Paediatric Surgery
Paediatric
Renal
Genetics Centre
Dental
General Medicine
Geriatrics
Anaesthetics
ENT
GUM
Palliative Care
Lithotripsy
Cardiac
Cancer
Neurology, including Neurophysiology
General Surgery
Intensive Care
Obstetrics
Clinical Haematology
Diabetes and Endocrinology
Ophthalmology
Rheumatology
Neonatology
Foetal Medicine and Cardiology
Plastic Surgery
Over time, the main site for acute specialist services will be at St. Thomas' hospital with Guy's developing as a local hospital and academic centre.
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