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Northern RHA Headquarters
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on repairs, maintenance and improvement of the former Northern regional health authority headquarters at Benfield road, Newcastle, since January 1986; who owns the building; when it will be vacated; and what receipts from the sale of the lease or freehold of this building will be released. [13731]
Mr. Malone: Capital expenditure on repairs, maintenance and improvement of the former Northern regional health authority headquarters at Benfield road, Newcastle since 1986 totals £896,500, mostly before 1992. The building is owned by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.
Following the move of the staff from Benfield road to Durham in Spring 1996, the building will be occupied by Newcastle and North Tyneside district health authority, and North Tyneside family health services authority--Newcastle and North Tyneside health authority from 1 April 1996--who had previously occupied four separate
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 457
buildings in Newcastle and north Tyneside. As the property will remain in use for health service accommodation, there will be no receipts for the sale of the freehold.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was given to waiting list helplines in each of the last five years. [14055]
Mr. Horam:
In 1992-93, the College of Health received £25,600 in support of the development of a national waiting list clearing house which encompassed a telephone helpline. A further £109,750 was allocated to the project in 1993-94.
Waiting times information is now available to the public on a freephone telephone link--0800 66 55 44--through the health information services which were established in 1993. For details of the funding for health information services, which is the responsibility of regional health authorities, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Cunninghame, South (Mr. Donohoe) on 25 January, Official Report, column 377.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what differences apply in relation to the options available to (a) fundholders and (b) non-fundholders when referring patients for treatment. [14063]
Mr. Malone:
The difference between fundholding and non-fundholding general practitioners is the freedom fundholders have to manage resources and directly to purchase the care they judge best on their patients' behalf.
Sir John Hannam:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will be making a statement on the content of the executive letter to the national health service in November concerning new drugs for multiple sclerosis. [14093]
Mr. Malone:
Executive letter EL(95)97 about the introduction of beta-interferon drugs for multiple sclerosis was issued on 15 November 1995. It suggested that beta-interferon should be prescribed by hospital neurologists where clinically appropriate. The guidance was accompanied by clinical advice from the Standing Medical Advisory Committee. Copies of both documents are available in the Library.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is his policy on the provision of health authority funds to hospices; and if he will make a statement; [14109]
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Mr. Horam:
As with other services, health authorities have a duty to ensure that specialist palliative care services, including hospice care, are in line with the assessed health needs of their populations. Since 1994-95, funding for specialist palliative care has been built into health authorities' general funding allocations. Those providing the care, including hospices, receive funding from health authorities according to their contracts. The level and form of financial support is a matter for local negotiation.
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of private hospitals provide full accident and emergency services. [14107]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not collected.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent guidance he has issued in respect of side-effect warnings for (a) doctor-prescribed drugs and (b) drugs bought across the counter. [14057]
Mr. Malone:
No guidelines have been issued. However all medicines have data sheets which give details of side-effect. New medicines now have patient information leaflets which also give this information, and all other medicines will have such a leaflet by 1998. Information on side-effects of medicines is also available in the "British National Formulary", which is provided free to all doctors by the Department of Health.
In addition, all health professionals are sent the bulletin from the Committee on Safety of Medicines, "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance", four times a year and the bulletin "Update" from the Chief Medical Officer, which contain information on the safe use of medicines whether they are prescribed by a doctor or brought over-the-counter. Both the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Chief Medical Officer may also send out letters of advice to health professionals on specific issues as they arise.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what duty a doctor has in relation to informing patients about the side-effects of drugs. [14058]
Mr. Malone:
Doctors have an ethical responsibility to inform patients about the treatment proposed, including the effects of prescribed medicines.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will place a copy of the review of renal services commissioned by his Department in the Library; [14562]
Mr. Horam:
We are still considering the review of renal services, including the question of publication, and intend to issue purchasing guidelines in time for the next contracting round.
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 459
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have died as a result of steroid treatment in each of the last five years. [14059]
Mr. Horam:
Deaths in England and Wales due to adrenal cortical steroids--ICD 1 E932.0--causing adverse effects in therapeutic use, as an underlying or secondary cause of death 2 :
(2) if he will set out the guidelines which has been issued to authorities regarding the prescription of interferon-beta-1b for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. [14091]
(2) what regulations or agreements cover the provision of NHS funds to assist in the running costs of hospices. [14108]
(2) what assessment he has made of the review of renal services; and if he will make a statement. [14563]
| Underlying cause | Secondary cause | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| 1989 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| 1990 | 1 | 9 | 10 |
| 1991 | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| 1992 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
(10) International Classification of diseases, 9th Revision.
(11) Does not include adverse effects from androgens and anabolic congeners (ICD E932.1) or ovarian hormones or synthetic substitutes (ICD E932.2).
Drugs Prescription
Sir John Hannam: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if a drug which has been given market authorisation to be prescribed can be prevented from being administered to patients if the national health service executive so wishes; [14094]
- (2) in what circumstances the national health service executive can restrict the prescription of a drug which has received market authorisation. [14092]
Mr. Malone: Doctors have the clinical freedom to prescribe the drugs their patients need, whether or not the product has a marketing authorisation or product licence. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has powers under the National Health Service Act 1977 to list in schedules 10 and 11 of the NHS (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992 drugs or other substances which are not to be prescribed, or which are to be prescribed only in certain circumstances, by general practitioners under the NHS. Drugs or other substances can be included in these schedules on the advice of the Advisory Committee for NHS Drugs and the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances.
Doctor Recruitment
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the amount of money paid by NHS trusts to agencies for the purpose of recruiting doctors in each year since 1985. [14106]
Mr. Malone:
This information is not available centrally. It is the responsibility of trusts at local level to decide whether or not they wish to use an employment agency for the purpose of recruiting doctors.
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 460
Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS trusts which in the past 12 months used recruitment agencies to hire doctors on short-term contracts to work in accident and emergency units. [14104]
Mr. Malone:
This information is not available centrally. It is the responsibility of trusts at local level to decide whether or not they wish to use an employment agency.
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