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Nursing and Residential Homes
Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing and residential homes there are in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales. [3273]
Mr. Burns: At 31 March 1995, there were 16,320 local authority and registered residential care homes with four or more places, 5,540 registered residential homes with less than four places and 5,330 registered private nursing care homes in England. The numbers of homes in Scotland and in Wales are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales respectively.
Steroids
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it mandatory for warnings on the hazards associated with steroid treatment to be issued with each steroid prescription. [3057]
Mr. Malone: This is already mandatory.
Duplicate NHS Numbers
Mr. Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many duplicate NHS numbers have been issued to date; if further duplicate numbers are being issued; what progress has been made towards correcting the duplicate
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number problem and renumbering persons issued with duplicate numbers; what has been the total cost to date of the duplicate number problem; and what estimate he has made of the final cost. [3297]
Mr. Horam: National health service numbers issued by registrars of births and deaths are provisional until confirmed through health authorities on a patient's medical card.
Between 4 December 1995, when the new NHS number was introduced, and 18 October 1996, the latest date for which figures are available, 4,793 new NHS numbers were assigned by RBDs which were re-issued at a subsequent birth registration. This is approximately 1 per cent. of all registrations. Whenever an NHS number is erroneously re-issued, at least two registrations are affected; occasionally numbers have been re-issued more than once, thereby affecting three or more registrations.
Duplicate numbers continued to be issued at birth registration, but at a reduced rate. In the reply I gave the hon. Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Gapes) on 8 July, Official Report, column 14, it was confirmed that a study into the reasons for the issuing of duplicate numbers would be carried out. That study is now complete, and a copy of its final report is due to be placed in the Library shortly.
If a duplicate number is issued at birth registration, this is detected at the NHS central register. In this circumstance, the duplicated number is not used for either baby; both are issued with unique replacement NHS numbers. This also applies if more than two babies have been issued with the same number.
The cost to date to the new NHS number programme of addressing the issue of non-unique NHS numbers is £40,000; the expected final cost is £130,000.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are his Department's proposals for reductions in the budget of the public health laboratory service; and which services will be affected. [3408]
Mr. Horam:
The public health laboratory service received funding of £55.2 million directly from the Department of Health for 1996-97. As with all Government bodies, the public health laboratory service is expected to achieve efficiency savings each year, and the level of these savings is reviewed annually. Funding for 1997-98 will be notified shortly after the Chancellor's "Autumn Statement".
Mr. Barron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has for the future of the public health laboratory service; and if he will make a statement. [3419]
Mr. Horam:
I announced on 19 July that a prior options review of the public health laboratory service had recently begun, that interested parties would be invited to comment and that the review would report to Ministers in December. The period of consultation drew to a close last week, and comments from a wide range of organisations, including professional bodies, are now being analysed.
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Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the procedures are for liaison between his Department and other Government Departments with responsibilities in the area of child labour. [3683]
Mr. Burns:
The Department maintains close links with other Government Departments as part of its everyday business.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the replies which he received to his letter of 7 November to all Labour Members. [3688]
Mr. Dorrell:
The letters referred to were sent out in my capacity as a Member of Parliament and not as the Secretary of State for Health.
Dr. Twinn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the proposed new initiative to encourage better use of research evidence in the purchasing and provision of personal social services. [3971]
Mr. Burns:
The aim of this new initiative is to help local authorities improve the cost-effectiveness of social services through better use of research evidence. I am very pleased to say that contractual terms have now been agreed, and contracts are likely to be signed very shortly with Exeter university and a consortium of 12 directors of social services in the south-west of England for this jointly funded initiative, beginning in January 1997.
Dr. Goodson-Wickes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral answer of 5 November, Official Report, column 1024, what was the number of dentists in England providing NHS treatment on 30 June 1995. [4049]
Mr. Malone:
I regret that my reply, which quoted 15,927 dentists in the general dental services in England at 30 June 1995, was incorrect. That is the figure for June 1996. The correct number for June 1995 is 15,616.
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure health professionals are informed of the methods of recognising and treating attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder now employed in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement. [2504]
Mr. Burns:
It is the responsibility of professional and academic bodies to assess the evidence for the best approaches in the recognition and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This evidence is available in literature from around the world, including the United States, and is widely available in professional journals within this country.
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on use of advice issued to child psychiatrists in respect of treatment of
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hyperactivity and of the flow chart attached; what plans he has to review the efficacy of such advice; and if he will make a statement. [2505]
Mr. Burns:
None. It is for the relevant professional and academic bodies to review and evaluate evidence for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and to disseminate such information through training and through publications in professional journals and texts.
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to examine the practice among medical practitioners of giving up the use of Ritalin among children suffering from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder after 12 months' use; and if he will make a statement. [2506]
Mr. Burns:
The use of Ritalin to treat children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a matter for professional and clinical judgment and we have no plans to examine it.
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of children identified as suffering from hyperkinetic disorder; and what percentage this is of his estimate of the total number of persons suffering from this disorder. [2507]
Mr. Burns:
Information on the number of children identified as suffering from hyperkinetic disorder is not collected centrally.
Mr. Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's latest assessment of the effectiveness of dopamine-releasing agents with special reference to Ritalin, in the treatment of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder; what is his assessment of the use currently made of such treatment in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement. [2508]
Mr. Burns:
We recognise that the more severe forms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can be treated with Ritalin or other appropriate medication. Such medication should be part of a comprehensive treatment programme which may also include psychological, educational and social measures designed to stabilise children with the condition. There is a widespread view among clinicians in this country that a higher percentage of such children are treated with medication in the United States than is desirable or necessary.
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