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Cardiologists
Dr. Hendron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health regions in the United Kingdom have three or more consultant cardiologists; and if he will list them. [35498]
Mr. Malone: All regions in the United Kingdom have more than three consultant cardiologists.
East London and the City Health Authority
Mr. Spearing: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received other than from hon. Members concerning the adequacy of the capitation formula used for determining moneys paid to the East London and the City health authority; and what replies he has sent. [35632]
Mr. Horam: We have received a small number of representations from interested parties about the weighted capitation formula and its impact on East London and the City health authority. Our responses explain that homelessness and ethnicity, which are the two main areas of concern, are being considered as part of the continuous process of reviewing the formula.
Suicide
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what national statistics are collected on the incidence of and trends in suicide and self-harm; and if he will make a statement. [35523]
Mr. Bowis: The Office of National Statistics collects data on deaths from suicide which have been published in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys series DH2.
8 Jul 1996 : Column: 20
Data on suicide verdicts and verdicts where the cause of death was aggravated by lack of care or by self-neglect are published in the Home Office statistical bulletin, "Statistics of Deaths Reported to Coroners: England and Wales". Detailed analysis of trends and patterns in suicide have been published in a series of articles in "Population Trends", numbers 2, 35, 69, 71 and 80. The Department of Health's Public Health common data set national volumes also include trends on suicide. Information on the incidence of attempted suicide and self-harm is available for cases that result in treatment as an in-patient in hospital. The data are published in volume 2 of "Hospital Episode Statistics: England" for the years 1989-90 to 1993-94. All these publications are available in the Library.
The overall trend, which is down by 7.2 per cent. since 1990, is encouraging. The suicide rate for young men aged between 15 and 29, which had been rising since 1982, has fallen in the last years in the 15 to 19 age group and begun to plateau among 20 to 29-year-olds. The rate among people over 75 is also continuing to fall. It is not possible to derive any trends from the figures on attempted suicide and self-harm since a large and variable proportion of episodes with a diagnosis of injury and poisoning have no attributable cause.
Paediatric Doctors
Mr. Mills: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received over the recruitment of paediatrician doctors qualified for staffing children's wards in district general hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [35719]
Mr. Malone: Correspondence about the recruitment of paediatric consultants has been received from the British Paediatric Association.
I recently announced additional funding of £5.7 million in 1996-97 to provide a significant increase in training opportunities for doctors wishing to become consultants. In paediatrics, the increase for 1996-97 is 262, larger than any other specialty.
Regional postgraduate deans are expected to target the available resources on those specialties, such as paediatrics, which have seen a rapidly increasing demand for consultant manpower.
Mr. Redmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that when trusts and health authorities hold a public consultation for proposals for substantial changes in services, the results are published showing summarised views and the reasons given for decisions contrary to assessed opinion; and if he will make a statement. [35843]
Mr. Horam:
We expect health authorities to conduct their business in as open a manner as possible. The outcome of public consultation is normally discussed in open session of a health authority meeting and we would expect papers summarising health authority views and justifying their decisions to be available at the meeting.
Where a community health council contests a proposal and it is referred to Ministers for a decision, Ministers write to the council informing them of the reasons for that decision.
8 Jul 1996 : Column: 21
Mr. Mills:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes he has made to the guidelines for the assessment of viability of district general hospitals in mixed rural and urban areas. [35720]
Mr. Horam:
None. The latest guidance, "The Operation of the NHS Internal Market: Local Freedoms, National Responsibilities"--HSG(94)55--was published on 12 December 1994. A copy has been placed in the Library.
Mr. Heppell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will offer ex gratia payments to people with haemophilia who have been infected with hepatitis C through NHS treatment with contaminated blood products; [36179]
Mr. Horam:
The Government's view remains that, while they have great sympathy for those infected with Hepatitis C in this way, as no fault or negligence on the part of the national health service has been proved, we have no plans at present to make special payments. We are always ready to listen to further evidence, but the best way that the Government can help at present is to encourage research and the best treatment for those infected, as well as supporting voluntary groups with them. This we are doing.
Mr. Heppell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what money is spent annually on (a) treatment and support services for haemophiliacs infected with hepatitis C through NHS treatment with contaminated blood products, (b) research into this problem and (c) recombinant products at (i) national and (ii) regional level. [36130]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the estimated percentage, for each nation within the United Kingdom of (a) men and (b) women, aged (i) 16 to 64 years and (ii) 64 years and over, who were obese for each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement. [36048]
Mr. Horam:
The table shows the information available for England from 1991-1994. Prior to this, the data are less comprehensive, and information is available for 1980 and 1986-87 for Great Britain only. For information relating to other parts of the United Kingdom I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
8 Jul 1996 : Column: 22
(2) what plans he has for providing long-term financial help to people with haemophilia who were infected with HIV through NHS treatment using contaminated blood products. [36180]
| Percentage obese(2) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Great Britain | England | ||
| Age (years) | 16-64 | 16-64 | 65-74 | 75+ |
| Men | ||||
| 1980(3.1) | 6 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1986-87(3.2) | 8 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1991(3.3) | -- | 13 | 14 | 7 |
| 1992(3.3) | -- | 12 | 11 | 14 |
| 1993(3.3) | -- | 13 | 15 | 11 |
| 1994(3.3) | -- | 13 | 18 | 15 |
| Women | ||||
| 1980(3.1) | 8 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1986-87(3.2) | 12 | -- | -- | -- |
| 1991(3.3) | -- | 15 | 19 | 16 |
| 1992(3.3) | -- | 16 | 22 | 14 |
| 1993(3.3) | -- | 16 | 21 | 16 |
| 1994(3.3) | -- | 16 | 25 | 16 |
Note:
(2) The classification for obese has been taken as body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2.
Source:
3.1. The Heights and Weights of Adults in Great Britain.
3.2. The Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults.
3.3. Health Surveys of England, 1991 to 1994.
Organically Produced Food
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated; on the potential effects on public health of the consumption of organically produced food; and if he will make a statement. [36051]
Mr. Horam: The Department of Health has not commissioned such research.
Passive Smoking
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his letter of 17 June, what recent representations he has received on the health effects of passive smoking. [34638]
Mr. Horam: The information pack produced by Philip Morris Europe SA in conjunction with its current publicity campaign on passive smoking has been received and is being studied.
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