| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Oral Cancer
Mr. Battle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what are the annual costs to the national health service of surgery for oral cancer; and what assessment he has made of the potential savings from earlier diagnosis of oral cancer; [13768]
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 341
Mr. Malone:
Information on the annual cost of oral cancer is not available centrally. There are no plans at present to introduce set targets for reducing oral cancer morbidity or mortality rates. Dentists are trained in the early recognition of abnormalities in the mouth and will refer patients for the appropriate treatment. Oral cancer can result from excessive alcohol and tobacco consumption, the risks of which are widely publicised and recognised. The Chief Dental Officer chairs the National Advisory Group on Screening for Oral Cancer which was set up last October. The group seeks to co-ordinate various strands of work being undertaken in the field of detecting and preventing oral cancers.
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 342
Mr. Timms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure early resumption of routine and clinically urgent operations by Newham Healthcare NHS trust. [13790]
Mr. Horam:
This is a matter for the trust. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman, Rosemary Walters, for details.
Mr. Janner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many jobs have been advertised in each grade in his Department during the last three months for which records are available; and how many people have applied for each such job. [13831]
Mr. Horam:
The following posts in the Department of Health and its agencies have been advertised externally since 1 November 1995:
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 341
(2) what steps are being taken by his Department to (a) set targets for reducing oral cancer incidence and to reduce death rates from oral cancer and (b) launch an extensive nationwide public awareness campaign of oral cancer and its risks factors and a programme for dentists to aid early identification of high-risk individuals. [13807]
| Department of Health | Medicines control agency | NHS estates | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade (including professional equivalents) | Posts advertised | Number applied | Posts advertised | Number applied | Posts advertised | Number applied |
| UG2 | 1 | 24 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| UG3 | 3 | 94 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| UG5 | 2 | 90 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| UG6 | 1 | 58 | -- | -- | 6 | 258 |
| UG7 | 4 | 106 | 2 | 104 | 1 | 71 |
| NO | 5 | 104 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| SEO | -- | -- | 1 | 19 | 5 | 174 |
| HEO | -- | -- | 2 | 108 | 2 | 18 |
| EO | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 220 |
| Unit Manager | 1 | 14 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Groupworker | 6 | 83 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| AO | 7 | 377 | 4 | 58 | -- | -- |
| AA | -- | -- | 1 | 12 | -- | -- |
| PES | -- | -- | 1 | 27 | -- | -- |
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 341
City and East London Health Authority
Mr. Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the difference between the spending plans of the health service providers in City and East London and the available budget. [13789]
Mr. Horam: Health authorities and general practitioners fundholders negotiate and fund an agreed level of service provision with national health service trusts. It is for each trust to provide those services using the available resources.
Accident and Emergency Units (Doctors)
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of doctors from overseas working in the accident and emergency units of NHS hospitals. [14105]
Mr. Malone: There were 533 overseas-qualified doctors working in accident and emergency in England as at 30 September 1994.
Note: The total includes permanent paid, locums and honorary doctors, ie those in the field of academia and research.
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 342
NHS Charges
Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase NHS charges and the value of optical vouchers; and if he will make a statement. [14830]
Mr. Malone: I shall shortly lay before the House regulations to increase national health service charges in England and Wales from 1 April 1996. The prescription charge will increase by 25p, from £5.25 to £5.50 for each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed. The fees for prescription prepayment certificates will also rise by £1.30, from £27.20 to £28.50 for a four-month certificate, and by £3.60, from £74.80 to £78.40, for an annual certificate. This will result in savings for those needing more than five items in four months or 14 in one year.
Charges for elastic stockings and tights, wigs and most fabric supports supplied through the hospital service will be increased proportionately with the rise in the prescription charge.
There will be an increase in the maximum patient charge for a single course of dental treatment begun on or after 1 April 1996. Everyone under 18 will continue to receive free treatment and about 25 per cent. of adult treatments are provided free or at reduced cost. The
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 343
maximum patient charge will increase from £300 to £325. More than 99 per cent. of courses of dental treatment will not be affected by this change because fewer than three in 1,000 courses of treatment attract the maximum charge.
From 1 April 1996, the range of optical vouchers issued under the NHS optical voucher scheme will increase in value by 1 per cent. on average. The old values reflected the application of value added tax to the full cost of finished spectacles. A recent decision means that VAT should not be applied to the part of this cost which relates to dispensing the spectacles.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will lay regulations to increase charges in Scotland by the same amounts. Similar arrangements will apply in Northern Ireland.
Details of the revised charges have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the occasions on which (a) the Licensing Authority, (b) the Medicines Control Agency and its predecessor division of the DHSS and (c) the Committee on Safety of Medicines have taken legal action with respect to matters relating to the Medicines Act 1968; and what injunctions on what occasions have been sought preventing publication of any material relating to the efficacy or safety of medicines. [12977]
Mr. Malone:
This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 1995 to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce), Official Report, column 1153, if he will publish the full text of the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines to the Licensing Authority. [12979]
Mr. Malone:
Such advice is confidential. The recommendations made by the Committee on Safety of Medicines at the meeting on 13 October 1995 were published in a letter from the chairman dated 18 October 1995 which was sent to doctors and pharmacists. Copies of this letter are available in the Library.
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) under what legislative provision the opinion of the committee for proprietary medicinal products on the safety of combined oral contraceptives, which was requested on 11 October 1995, is being obtained; [12976]
Mr. Malone:
The Medicines Control Agency has an obligation to keep other member states informed of issues on the efficacy, quality and safety of medicines. In accordance with these obligations, on 11 October 1995 the MCA requested in writing that the safety of combined oral contraceptives be placed on the agenda of the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products meeting of 17 to 18 October, after important new evidence about this
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 344
issue became available. It is not normal practice to publish such documentation. The matter was not referred to the Committee for an opinion under article 12 of directive 75/319/EEC.
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if those who made arrangements on 11 October 1995 for the meeting of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on 13 October 1995 were made aware of the formal referral regarding safety concerns relating to desogestrel and gestodene to be considered by the pharmacovigilance sub-committee of the Committee on Safety of Medicines; and what factors led to the referral. [12965]
Mr. Malone:
No such referral was made to the pharmacovigilance sub-committee. I presume the hon. Member is referring to the written request made on 11 October 1995 that the Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products place the issue on the agenda of its meeting of 17-18 October. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 19 December 1995, Official Report, columns 1149-50.
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) of 19 December 1995, Official Report, column 1149, if the outside experts who attended the working group of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on 10 October and the meeting of the CSM on 13 October were informed that the proceedings were subject to the Official Secrets Act 1989. [12966]
Mr. Malone:
No. Attendees of the meeting of the Committee on Safety of Medicines on 13 October 1995 and the working group meeting of 10 October 1995 were informed that the papers and proceedings of the meetings were confidential and should not be disclosed. The papers and proceedings are subject to section 118 of the Medicines Act 1968.
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors precluded consideration between July 1995 and October 1995 of safety concerns relating to desogestrel and gestodene by the pharmacovigilence sub-committee of the Committee on Safety of Medicines. [12967]
Mr. Malone:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 19 December 1995 at column 1151.
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the licensing authority took prior to issuing the "Dear Doctor" letter of 18 October 1995 to establish the availability of oral contraceptives deemed to be suitable alternatives to those oral contraceptives which had given rise to safety concerns. [12972]
Mr. Malone:
Appropriate steps were taken. The Committee on Safety of Medicines did not advise that all women on oral contraceptives containing gestodene or desogestrel should be switched to alternative preparations immediately. In a press release issued by the Department, women taking these pills were strongly urged to continue taking them, but to see their doctor, preferably before finishing their current cycle, to discuss whether a change of pill was necessary. Women who could not visit their surgery or family planning clinic before the end of their present cycle were advised to start the next pack. Discussions regarding supply were held with
8 Feb 1996 : Column: 345
pharmaceutical companies. We are not aware of major difficulties in the supply of alternative preparations that arose as a result of the CSM's advice.
Mr. Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received relating to safety concerns on combined oral contraceptives containing desogestrel or gestodene; and what steps he has taken in response to any such expressions of concern. [12974]
Mr. Malone:
My Department has received representations from a number of sources, including doctors and other health professionals; bodies representing health professionals; members of the public; the pharmaceutical companies concerned and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, and has responded to the issues raised.
(2) if he will publish the text of the formal referral made on 11 October 1995 by the licensing authority to the committee for proprietary medicinal products; and if he will state the legal basis for that referral. [12973]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |