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Community Care
Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the revenue implications of raising the threshold for community care residential means tests by (a) £2,000, (b) £5,000 and (c) £10,000. [5440]
Mr. Burns: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
AIDS-HIV
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) United Kingdom and (b) Greater London residents were registered as suffering from (i) AIDS and (ii) HIV as at the latest available date. [5506]
Mr. Horam: The number of AIDS cases and HIV reports received by the end of September 1996 for the United Kingdom and for Greater London residents are shown in the table:
| (a) United Kingdom | (b) reported as Greater London residents | |
|---|---|---|
| (i) AIDS cases | (9)13,056 | (10)7,195 |
| (ii) HIV reports | 27,945 | 16,601 |
(9) 9,279 known to have died.
(10) 4,809 known to have died.
All the data are subject to reporting delay and under-reporting and thus can change.
The HIV reports underestimate the total number of infections as these reports represent only those individuals who perceive themselves to be at risk and request a confidential named HIV test. HIV/AIDs testing services are traditionally provided on an open access basis and the total number treated in Greater London exceeds those reported as resident in Greater London.
NHS Doctors
Dr. Goodson-Wickes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what correlation he has made of statistics relating to the number of doctors needed in the NHS, relative to the number of places available in medical schools over the next 10 years. [5741]
Mr. Malone: The Government are advised by the Medical Workforce Standing Advisory Committee on the balance between future supply and demand for doctors. We have accepted the MWSAC recommendations for an additional 500 medical students by the year 2000 and funds are being provided for this through the higher education funding councils.
North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has had with the chairman of the
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North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS trust concerning the computer control and command system; and if he will make a statement. [5907]
Mr. Horam: In conjunction with the national health service executive, the chairman of North Yorkshire Ambulance Srvice national health service trust has instigated an independent review of a number of matters, including the computer control and communications system.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Merchant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to enable local social services authorities to meet the costs of the adult asylum seekers whom they are supporting following the High Court judgment on 8 October making them liable to provide such support. [6586]
Mr. Dorrell: I intend to appeal against the judgment, as do the social services authorities who were party to the case.
In the meantime I intend, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary special grant report, to make funds available to meet the reasonable costs incurred by authorities supporting asylum seekers who show entitlement to such support under that judgment. My Department will discuss the detailed arrangements with local authorities. I will lay the special grant report when that has been done.
Bovine Tissue
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which medicinal products for injection or surgical implantation using materials derived from bovine brain or lymphoid tissue were licensed under the Medicines Acts (a) in April 1985, (b) in February 1989 and (c) in November 1996. [5665]
Mr. Malone: No medicinal products for injection or implantation derived from bovine brain were licensed in the United Kingdom in February 1989 or November 1996.
Surgical catgut and some heparin preparations derived from bovine intestine, which contains lymphoid tissue were licensed in February 1989.
All catgut and heparin licensed as at November 1996, and currently marketed in the UK, comply with the European Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products guideline on minimizing the risk of transmission of agents causing spongiform encephalopathies via medicinal products.
No data are available for April 1985.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's estimate of the percentage of
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hospital wards that have adequate isolation facilities for patients suffering from Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. [5778]
Mr. Horam:
This information is not available centrally.
Mr. George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places are available in secure units in mental hospitals in (a) the Walsall area, (b) Birmingham, (c) Staffordshire, (d) Warwickshire, (e) Sandwell, (f) Dudley and (g) Worcestershire; what is the current occupancy level; and how many vacancies currently exist. [5858]
Mr. Burns:
All west midlands health authorities have access to a range of services from high secure facilities nationally through regional secure provision to more local, low secure and intensive care provision. Medium secure services are currently provided by the South Birmingham Mental Health NHS trust and the Foundation NHS trust in Staffordshire. These units provide 90 and 28 beds respectively. Occupancy levels and numbers of existing vacancies fluctuate regularly according to demand. For further information the hon. Member may wish to contact Mrs. Anne Hingley and Mr. Roy Trainor, chairmen of the two trusts.
Mr. George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of accommodation in the secure units of mental hospitals. [5857]
Mr. Burns:
This is a matter for individual health authorities who are responsible for commissioning both secure and non-secure services for mentally ill people in their area. The national health service executive regional offices recently undertook a review of management performance in purchasing comprehensive mental health services and the results were published in "A Review of Purchasing of Mental Health Services by Health Authorities in England (1996)", copies of which are available in the Library.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to review the appointment of senior officers of the North Yorkshire ambulance trust criticised by the district auditor's report into financial management in the South East Wales ambulance trust; [6219]
Mr. Horam:
Staff appointments are a matter for national health service trusts. It is the responsibility for the trust to make the necessary inquiries about the employment history of candidates.
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Mr. William O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the established guidelines in relation to the protection of people from the known effects of electric and magnetic fields as recently evaluated by the National Radiological Protection Board. [6263]
Mr. Horam:
The National Radiological Protection Board's "Documents of the NRPB--Board Statement on Restrictions on Human Exposure to Static and Time Varying Electromagnetic Fields and Radiation" volume 4 No.5, was published in 1993 and copies were placed in the Library.
Mr. O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the National Radiological Protection
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Board to report on the research projects into different aspects of the electro-magnetic field and their effects on human health; and if he will make a statement. [6264]
Mr. Horam:
The National Radiological Protection Board will publish the report on research projects into electro-magnetic fields and human health following the completion of two substantial epidemiological studies of childhood cancer which are currently under way.
Mr. William O'Brien:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance he offers to hospital trusts who are facing financial problems in the current financial year; and if he will make a statement. [6265]
Mr. Malone:
Hospital trusts receive all their income from contracts with health authorities, general practitioner fundholders and the private sector. They do not receive allocations from the Department of Health.
Notes:
Definition: Catgut consists of strands of tissues prepared from the intestinal membranes of mammals, which when formed into cords, are used in surgery as an absorbable suture.
Definition: Heparin is a preparation containing the salt of a sulphated sugar derivative present in mammalian tissues, including gut lining. It has the characteristic property of delaying the clotting of freshly shed blood. It is used as an injection to prevent blood clots.
(2) what arrangements he has made for ensuring that (a) ambulance trusts in England are made aware of district auditors' reports in Wales directly affecting senior appointments in England and (b) ambulance trusts in Wales are made aware of such reports in England; and if he will make a statement. [6220]