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Hospital Matrons
Mr. Critchley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will re-establish the position of matron in NHS hospitals. [19902]
Mr. Sackville: The exact titles and responsibilities of senior nurses are for local decision. The title of matron may be used if appropriate. Every national health service trust is required to have a senior nurse as an executive director.
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Health Authority Allocations
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what 1995 96 cash allocation has been made to each district health authority, including fundholding GP practices within the authority's area for hospital and community health services. [20022]
Mr. Sackville: The 1995 96 recurrent allocations for resident population to district health authorities for hospital and community health services will be placed in the Library.
Hepatitis C
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department has on the number of people in England and Wales affected by hepatitis C as a result of contaminated blood prior to the introduction of screening in 1991. [20284]
Mr. Sackville: This information is not available centrally.
Food Safety
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress has been made by her Department's working group into research regarding the bacteria strain in beef which has caused deaths; [20462]
(2) if she will list the members of the committee that was set up to investigate health hazards in respect of bacterium, E coli 0157; what are the members' qualifications; when the report will be published; and if she will make a statement. [20727]
Mr. Sackville: The report of the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food on verocytotoxin- producing Escherichia coli --VTEC--will be published shortly with the Government's response to its recommendations. Details of the membership of the ACMSF and its working group on VTEC are contained in the ACMSF's annual report 1993, copies of which are in the Library.
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from doctors about the bacteria strain linked to beef responsible for deaths; and what trends there have been in the number of deaths caused. [20461]
Mr. Sackville: We have received no such representations. Information on deaths associated with verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli is not available centrally. However, available evidence does not suggest a change in the mortality associated with infection.
Clinical Grading Appeals
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances interest is payable on back pay arising from clinical grading appeals which are upheld. [20618]
Mr. Malone: Retrospective payments to national health service staff do not attract interest.
NHS Trusts
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will require all NHS trusts to display on the exterior hospital name boards the names and home telephone numbers of the chairman and chief executive. [20692]
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Mr. Malone: The provision of the names and office telephone numbers of board members and senior officers of national health service trusts is detailed as an example of good practice in the new code of openness in the NHS published in April.
Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service trusts have (a) completed contracts with purchasers for the year 1995 96 and (b) not yet completed contracts for 1995 96; and how many in the latter category are in the process of arbitration. [19880]
Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally.
NHS Pension Scheme
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take action to ensure that the fee obtained by the Paymaster General for sending private pension correspondence to NHS pensioners is paid into the NHS benevolent fund. [20677]
Bristol Royal Infirmary
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice was given by her Department to the Bristol royal infirmary on the future programme of paediatric cardiac surgery for (a) switch, (b) atrial ventricular canal, (c) ventricular septal defects and (d) tetralogy of fallow. [20508]
Mr. Sackville: A protocol covering the future performance of all complex paediatric cardiac surgery in United Bristol Healthcare trust hospitals has been agreed jointly between my Department, the Director of Public Health Medicine for the south and west region, South and West regional health authority and the UBHT pending the arrival of the newly appointed paediatric cardiac surgeon.
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department has taken to continue to monitor the success rate of paediatric cardiac surgery at the Bristol royal infirmary; and what steps she has taken to satisfy herself that the procedures are carried out correctly. [20510]
Mr. Sackville: Monitoring the results of treatment is an integral part of clinical audit and as such is the responsibility of health professionals. Audit methodology is continually improving, but there are at present no agreed national standards for paediatric cardiac surgery. Improved audit arrangements for paediatric cardiac surgery are being agreed between the United Bristol Healthcare trusts and Avon Health. In addition, my Department has just provided funding for a pilot project to assess the feasibility of establishing a national central cardiac audit database to enable cardiac surgeons and cardiologists to monitor the outcome of all cardiac interventions against agreed standards.
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action her Department recommended following the visit by Stewart Hunter, Sir Keith Ross, Sir Terence English and David Hamilton in 1992 to investigate the Bristol royal infirmary's paediatric cardiac record. [20512]
Mr. Sackville: No such visit took place.
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has received on the reasons why the Senning operation was carried out in much larger numbers
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at the Bristol royal infirmary as compared to switch operators in the 1990s and on the relative life expectancies and success rate. [20509]Mr. Sackville: These were matters of clinical judgement.
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she was informed of the record of open heart surgery on children at the Bristol royal infirmary in the 1990s. [20511]
Mr. Sackville: My Department was informed in July 1994 that there was a difference of professional opinion about the results of an audit of paediatric cardiac surgery at Bristol royal infirmary. The United Bristol Healthcare trust management was asked to resolve the matter.
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department publish (a) annual reports, (b) annual accounts, (c) the minutes of meetings, (d) the agendas of meetings and (e) registers of members' interests; and whether in each case this is (i) under a statutory requirement or (ii) voluntary. [20498]
Mr. Sackville: The information is as follows. Non departmental public bodies that:
Publish annual reports:
Under a statutory requirement:
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Voluntarily:
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work Medical Practices Committee
Public Health Laboratory Service Board
National Biological Standards Board
National Radiological Protection Board
Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education Publish annual accounts:
Under a statutory requirement:
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Public Health Laboratory Service Board
National Biological Standards Board
National Radiological Protection Board
United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Voluntarily:
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work. Publish the minutes of meetings:
Under a statutory requirement:
None.
Voluntarily:
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Publish the agendas for meetings:
Under a statutory requirement:
None.
Voluntarily:
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work
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United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health VisitingEnglish National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Publish registers of members' interests:
Under a statutory requirement:
None.
Voluntarily:
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Dr. Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department which are subject to (a) investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner, (b) scrutiny by the Audit Commission, (c) scrutiny by the National Audit Office, (d) statutory provisions for open government, (e) performance indicators and (f) provisions under the citizens charter. [20658]
Mr. Sackville: The information is as follows:
Those non-departmental public bodies that are:
Subject to investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education. Subject to scrutiny by the Audit Commission:
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office:
Public Health Laboratory Service Board
National Biological Standards Board
National Radiological Protection Board
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education. Subject to statutory provisions for open government:
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Subject to performance indicators:
Public Health Laboratory Service Board
National Biological Standards Board
National Radiological Protection Board
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.
Subject to provisions under the citizens charter:
Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education.
Fluoridation
Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the 1976 Royal College of Physicians study of fluoridation in 1976; and if she will order an inquiry as to the safety of fluoride in humans. [20797]
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Mr. Malone: The 1976 report "Fluoride, Teeth and Health", from the Royal College of Physicians of London, concluded that fluoridation is safe and effective in reducing dental caries, and recommended "fluoridation of water supplies in the United Kingdom where the fluoride level is appreciably below 1 mg per litre".
Government policy continues to be in line with this
recommendation. Water fluoridation at 1 mg per litre is considered, on the scientific evidence currently available, to be safe for humans, and is an effective way of improving oral health. The Department of Health will continue to monitor information relevant to the safety and efficacy of fluoridation of drinking water.
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