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HEALTH
Climate Change
Mr. Dafis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the studies (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department into the impact of climate changes on the health of the United Kingdom population. [40071]
Mr. Horam: The Department has not commissioned any research which is directly related to the impact of climate change on health. However, we are considering the findings of the climate change impacts review group which identified some possible health effects. In the light of the outcome of this consideration and on-going research we will review our programmes and research requirements.
NHS Expenditure
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average expenditure per head in (a) each health authority and (b) nationally in the last financial year. [39921]
Mr. Horam: The average per capita expenditure figures for 1996-97 will not be available centrally until the annual accounts process has been completed in early December 1996.
The figures will be placed in the Library as soon as they are available.
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Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the prescription of beta interferon; [39926]
Mr. Horam:
Executive letter (95)97 issued to health authorities in November 1995 suggested that, where it is clinically appropriate to prescribe beta interferon to treat multiple sclerosis, treatment should be initiated after assessment by hospital neurologists. The guidance was accompanied by clinical advice from the Standing Medical Advisory Committee. Decisions about prescribing in individual cases are a matter for clinical judgment.
The Department has received some representations about the implementation of EL(95)97. Where appropriate, such representations are followed up with the authorities concerned.
Mr. Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding he has made available for a national trial of beta interferon. [39927]
Mr. Malone:
A final decision on funding will be taken once a satisfactory protocol addressing the concerns on outcome measures has been developed.
Ms Abbott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women from ethnic minorities are employed by his Department and its agencies; at what grade; and what measures he has taken to encourage the (a) recruitment, (b) employment and (c) promotion of women from ethnic minorities within his Department and its agencies. [39902]
Mr. Horam:
Information showing the number of women from ethnic minorities, by grade, employed by the Department and its agencies is as follows:
(2) what representation his Department has received of guidelines EL(95)97 being disregarded. [39925]
| Grade | Ethnic minority staff |
|---|---|
| Senior Civil Servant | 4 |
| UG6 | 3 |
| UG7 | 12 |
| SEO | 9 |
| HEO | 24 |
| EO | 76 |
| AO | 187 |
| AA | 65 |
| Total | 380 |
The Department has taken the following measures to encourage women from the ethnic minorities:
Recruitment and employment: The Department and its agencies follow the Cabinet Office guidance and civil service recruitment policies and procedures which incorporate best recruitment practices.
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Promotion: Women from the ethnic minorities, like other staff, are encouraged to attend appropriate development training, giving them the opportunity to develop skills that will better prepare them for promotion opportunities.
In order to improve recruitment, employment and promotion of female staff, the Department has introduced a range of initiatives including flexible working, career breaks and subsidised child care facilities. Also available is positive action training for women from ethnic minorities and staff with disabilities.
The Department participates in the Windsor Fellowship scheme for undergraduates from ethnic minorities and encourages its ethnic minority working group, a staff reference group, which discusses issues affecting staff from the minority ethnic groups.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the average length of stay of psychiatric in-patients in each of the last five years broken down to show cases involving (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory admissions. [39993]
Mr. Burns:
The information is not available centrally.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients, by county of birth were admitted to psychiatric beds in the last year. [40132]
Mr. Burns:
Information concerning the place of birth of hospital in-patients is not collected centrally.
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 22 July, Official Report, column 112, if each NHS region uses the same principles in its arbitration process on contract settlements between NHS purchasers and providers; and what measures have been taken by the NHS Executive since March 1991 to ensure that these principles are consistent between regions. [40270]
Mr. Malone:
National health service regions are required to resolve disputes as speedily as possible in the best interests of patients and the NHS. The great variety in the circumstances in which disputes arise precludes the imposition of a narrow set of principles for their resolution.
Mr. Mills:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he made of the proposals by Birmingham and Solihull hospital trust for ambulance transport to Heartlands hospital from local villages with special reference to Meriden, Hockley Heath, Knowle Dorridge, Hamden in Arden, Cheswick green and Balsam common in the event of a medical emergency when
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making his recent statement on the provision of 24-hour accident and emergency services at Solihull hospital; and if he will make a statement; [40264]
(3) what assessment he made of the provision of bus services from remote villages to Birmingham Heartlands trust when he made his decision to merge Birmingham Heartlands hospital with Solihull hospital; and if he will make a statement. [40233]
Mr. Horam:
Provision of accident and emergency services were included in the consultation document, "Difficult Choices", which was considered when making the decision to approve the merger of Birmingham Heartlands hospital and Solihull hospital. Issues surrounding patient access were raised during consultation on the formal merger proposal.
Since the merger took place consultant cover has improved in the Solihull accident and emergency department--from 0.5 whole-time posts to two--and the number of patients treated locally at the Solihull site is increasing with plans to treat an additional 16,000 patients at the hospital in the coming year.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the mortality rate from diabetes by county of birth in the last year. [40129]
Mr. Horam:
The following table shows mortality rates for diabetes per county of residence in 1994, the latest figures available. Data by county of birth is not available centrally.
(2) what assessment he has made of Solihull health authority's proposals for 24-hour accident and emergency services; [40226]
| Area | Number of deaths | Rate (per 100,000 of population) |
|---|---|---|
| Greater London | 717 | 10 |
| Greater Manchester | 313 | 12 |
| Mersey | 144 | 10 |
| South Yorkshire | 137 | 10 |
| Tyne and Wear | 118 | 10 |
| West Midlands | 379 | 14 |
| West Yorkshire | 246 | 12 |
| Avon | 126 | 13 |
| Bedfordshire | 53 | 10 |
| Berkshire | 75 | 10 |
| Buckinghamshire | 55 | 8 |
| Cambridgeshire | 77 | 11 |
| Cheshire | 97 | 10 |
| Cleveland | 55 | 10 |
| Cornwall and Scilly Isles | 91 | 19 |
| Cumbria | 53 | 11 |
| Derbyshire | 140 | 15 |
| Devon | 126 | 12 |
| Dorset | 82 | 12 |
| Durham | 70 | 12 |
| East Sussex | 87 | 12 |
| Essex | 200 | 13 |
| Gloucestershire | 60 | 11 |
| Hampshire | 146 | 9 |
| Hereford and Worcester | 65 | 9 |
| Hertfordshire | 71 | 7 |
| Humberside | 100 | 11 |
| Isle of Wight | 16 | 13 |
| Kent | 197 | 13 |
| Lancashire | 181 | 13 |
| Leicestershire | 93 | 10 |
| Lincolnshire | 99 | 16 |
| Norfolk | 109 | 14 |
| Northamptonshire | 42 | 7 |
| Northumberland | 33 | 11 |
| North Yorkshire | 78 | 11 |
| Nottinghamshire | 159 | 15 |
| Oxfordshire | 53 | 9 |
| Shropshire | 39 | 9 |
| Somerset | 74 | 15 |
| Staffordshire | 103 | 10 |
| Suffolk | 89 | 14 |
| Surrey | 110 | 11 |
| Warwickshire | 60 | 12 |
| West Sussex | 89 | 12 |
| Wiltshire | 66 | 11 |
| Clwyd | 44 | 11 |
| Dyfed | 43 | 12 |
| Gwent | 65 | 14 |
| Gwynedd | 35 | 15 |
| Mid-Glamorgan | 69 | 13 |
| Powys | 18 | 15 |
| South Glamorgan | 33 | 8 |
| West Glamorgan | 34 | 9 |
Source:
Office of National Statistics.
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