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St. Bartholomew's Hospital
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has made to the report of the King's Fund Institute on the future of St. Bartholomew's hospital. [3749]
Mr. Malone: None. It will be considered, with other options put forward, by Sir Ronald Grierson's team, which is looking at ways of making the best use of the Smithfield site.
Medical Records
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to investigate the extent of access to patients' medical records, computer and written, in hospitals and general practice by non-authorised persons. [3766]
Mr. Horam: Protection of medical records is the responsibility of the organisation which holds them. Breach of confidentiality is a disciplinary matter. Guidance has been issued to national health service organisations drawing their attention to the laws which protect patient confidentiality, the most recent being, for computer records, the NHS top level security policy 1992. Further guidance affecting both computer and manual records is to be published shortly.
Down's Syndrome
Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue instructions to health authorities and consultants working for the national health service that no treatment is to be denied to patients on the grounds that they have Down's Syndrome. [3525]
Mr. Horam: National health service treatment is available to everyone on the basis of clinical need. The Department of Health issued guidance in 1992 on health services for people with learning disabilities (mental handicap), HSG(92)42, which made it clear that people with learning disabilities have the same rights of access to NHS services as everyone else.
Long-term Care
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to introduce equivalent disregard in respect of long-term domiciliary care subject to those proposed for long-term care in residential and nursing care homes. [3772]
5 Dec 1995 : Column: 196
Mr. Bowis: None. It would not be directly relevant to domiciliary care.
Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whom he has consulted and whom he intends to consult on the operation of the long-term care package announced in the Budget; [3993]
(2) if he will list the representations his Department has received over the long-term care package announced in the Budget; and if he will list those (a) organisations and (b) individuals which he intends to retain as consultants on the operation of the scheme. [3996]
Mr. Bowis: I have received no representations on these matters following the Budget statement. The consultation will be as announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Further details will be given in due course.
Hospital Meal Times
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department gives to health authorities and trusts regarding making the times of meals for patients in hospital approximate to normal domestic times; what representations he has had on this matter; and if he will make a statement. [4011]
Mr. Horam: The Department's recently issued "Nutrition Guidelines for Hospital Caterers" commends Patients Association advice that meals should be served at times which reflect the normal eating patterns of the majority of patients and should be eaten in a relaxed and unhurried atmosphere. Availability of food should be adjusted, where necessary, to allow for patients' day treatments, post-operative hunger or lack of appetite, and where admission is made outside ward meal times. The period between the last meal of the day and the following breakfast should not normally exceed 14 hours and a supper drink and snack should also be available, where appropriate.
Reproductive Health and Population Policies, Republic of Ireland
Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) assessment of and (b) contributions to his Department he has made regarding the public consultations about reproductive health and population policies currently taking place in the Republic of Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [3990.]
Heart and Lung Disease
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) male and (b) female deaths from (i) lung cancer (ICD 162), (ii) heart disease (ICD 410-414) and (iii) chronic obstructive lung disease (ICD 490-492) occurred in each region in 1993. [3980]
Mr. Horam: The information is shown in the table.
| Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus and lung (ICD 162) | Ischaemic heart disease (ICD 410-414) | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ICD 490-496) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional health authority | Males | Females | Males | Females | Males | Females |
| Northern | 1,722 | 948 | 5,444 | 4,790 | 1,193 | 902 |
| Yorkshire | 1,588 | 851 | 6,165 | 5,243 | 1,300 | 950 |
| Trent | 2,210 | 988 | 7,822 | 6,303 | 1,640 | 1,038 |
| East Anglian | 790 | 377 | 3,160 | 2,513 | 599 | 317 |
| North-west Thames | 1,163 | 643 | 4,168 | 3,531 | 972 | 613 |
| North-east Thames | 1,474 | 763 | 5,087 | 4,272 | 1,206 | 671 |
| South-east Thames | 1,546 | 852 | 5,332 | 4,769 | 1,314 | 772 |
| South-west Thames | 1,125 | 601 | 4,060 | 3,625 | 959 | 623 |
| Wessex | 1,153 | 559 | 4,916 | 3,914 | 927 | 561 |
| Oxford | 864 | 435 | 2,941 | 2,416 | 703 | 405 |
| South Western | 1,200 | 632 | 5,512 | 4,486 | 1,070 | 587 |
| West Midlands | 2,235 | 970 | 8,272 | 6,734 | 1,896 | 1,140 |
| Mersey | 1,196 | 678 | 3,947 | 3,475 | 880 | 695 |
| North Western | 1,955 | 1,004 | 7,059 | 6,246 | 1,711 | 1,355 |
| Wales | 1,390 | 624 | 5,260 | 4,429 | 1,089 | 704 |
(9) International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision.
5 Dec 1995 : Column: 197
General Practice Locums
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 28 November 1995, Official Report, column 614, on NHS staff if he will provide comparable information on general practitioner locums. [4289]
Mr. Malone: The information is not available.
Physiotherapy
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce legislation to grant a charter to the physiotherapist profession. [2432]
Mr. Bowis: The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy was incorporated by royal charter in 1920.
Medial and Surgical Posts
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the current structure of medical and surgical posts. [2557]
Mr. Malone: The main hospital career grades are consultant, associate specialist and staff grade. Other career grades are clinical assistant and hospital practitioner.
The training grades are pre-registration house officer, senior house officer and, for doctors in higher specialist training, registrar and senior registrar. The new specialist registrar grade, which replaces the existing registrar and senior registrar grades, is being launched in December 1995 in the specialties of general surgery and radiology, and from April 1996 in all other specialties.
Private Finance Initiative
Ms Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 28 November, Official Report, column 608, on the support of local clinicians for the provision of clinical or clinical support services by PFI partners, if he will list the clinicians who will be consulted; what criteria he will use to judge the support of local clinicians; how he will determine that he has
5 Dec 1995 : Column: 198
gained local clinician's support; if he will consult the local British Medical Association and other professional associations; and if he will make a statement. [4113]
Mr. Horam: Gaining staff support, including the support of clinicians, for any proposal for capital development is the responsibility of trust management. This is true whether the development is to be procured through the private finance initiative, or is to be publicly funded. The capital investment manual, copies of which are available in the Library, emphasises the need to involve staff, including clinicians, in the process of developing a business case for capital investment. The full benefits of capital investment can be realised only through the co-operation of staff, and evidence that this will be forthcoming is one of the factors the NHS executive considers before giving its approval for a capital development.
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