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Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus
20. Mr. Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make it compulsory for methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus to be included on death certificates in cases where it is likely to have been a cause of death. [72396]
Ms Jowell: No. Doctors are required to complete the medical certificate of cause of death to the best of their knowledge. It is not always clear if Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus has been a cause of death or contributed to it, but if the certifying doctor considers it was, this should be recorded on the certificate.
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to assist hospitals to prevent incidents of MRSA. [73344]
Ms Jowell: The Department has a wide range of activity underway to improve the control of hospital infections including methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus. Details are given in the section "Infection Control" in the Government response to "The House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology Report: Resistance to Antibiotics and Other Antimicrobial Agents CM4172", which was published on 17 December 1998, copies of which are available in the Library. A Health Service Circular will soon be issued asking the National Health Service to strengthen measures to prevent and control antibiotic resistant infections.
Long-term Care
22. Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he proposes to take to improve the provision of long-term care; and if he will make a statement. [72398]
Mr. Hutton:
The Government have set in hand a number of initiatives to improve the provision of long-term care--including those set out in the White Paper "Modernising Social Services"--and the Carers Strategy published on 8 February. The Royal Commission which we set up to look at long term care for older people published its report on 1 March. The Government are carefully considering its recommendations.
2 Mar 1999 : Column: 669
23. Ms Beverley Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in developing the work of the women's unit. [72399]
Ms Jowell:
We recently announced an important new programme of work for the Women's Unit. Priorities include integrating the women's perspective into policies, addressing the needs of teenage girls and examining women's incomes over their lifetime. Combined with a major new Listening to Women consultation exercise launched last week, these initiatives will help to ensure that government works better for women and therefore better for everyone.
24. Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of Viagra prescriptions in the forthcoming financial year. [72400]
Mr. Denham:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced on 21 January the start of a public consultation on substantive policy proposals about the treatment of impotence on the National Health Service. The cost of Viagra prescriptions in the forthcoming financial year will be affected by the implementation of any decision we make on our proposals following consultation. Those proposals, if implemented, would, we estimate, reflect the current level of annual expenditure on drug treatments for impotence (including Viagra), an estimated £10-12 million.
25. Mr. Crausby:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for public consultation prior to introducing fluoride into the public water supply. [72401]
Ms Jowell:
We consider that there should be more wide-ranging consultations than are required under current legislation. Details will be included in a policy statement on oral health and fluoridation in the Public Health White Paper which we plan to publish in the spring.
26. Mr. Dalyell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the World Health Organisation relating to malnutrition. [72402]
Ms Jowell:
The Department of Health has had no discussions with the World Health Organisation on the subject of malnutrition.
28. Mr. Borrow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to support and promote the work of carers. [72404]
Mr. Hutton:
Our National Carers' Strategy, published on 8 February, describes a substantial new policy package to help carers. We have announced a new special grant, totalling £140 million over the next three years, to enable local authorities to provide a wider range of services to help carers to take a break from their caring responsibilities. We will also be bringing forward legislation, when Parliamentary time allows, to ensure that
2 Mar 1999 : Column: 670
local authorities are able to address carers' wishes and needs more directly. Our strategy includes special measures to help young carers and increased help and support for the parents of disabled children. Copies of the strategy report are available in the Library.
30. Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the chairman of the West Surrey health authority on the local funding of NHS pay awards. [72406]
The Chief Executive of the National Health Service Executive wrote to all trust and health authority Chief Executives on 1 February 1999 setting out our response to the Pay Review Body reports, the funding of pay awards, plans for modernising the pay system and other steps being taken to improve recruitment and retention in nursing.
Detailed allocations to health authorities will be made shortly.
33. Mrs. Brinton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement concerning the inquiry into the East Anglian Ambulance NHS trust. [72409]
Mr. Hutton:
The report was published today and copies are available in the Library.
34. Mr. Mullin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the shortage of GPs in Sunderland; and if he will make a statement. [72410]
Mr. Denham:
Hon. Members have kept me informed about general practitioner recruitment and retention in Sunderland. The health authority has already undertaken a number of measures to support existing GPs and has successfully introduced a Career Start Scheme. We look forward to receiving the health authority's proposals for a Personal Medical Services Pilot aimed at improving recruitment.
35. Mr. Woolas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the allocation of resources for 1999-2000 to the West Pennine Health Authority. [72411]
Mr. Denham:
We are not aware of any recent representations about the resource allocations for 1999-2000 to the West Pennine Health Authority.
36. Jacqui Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions his Department is taking to help in reducing the number of unwanted teenage pregnancies. [72412]
Ms Jowell:
On 31 July, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister asked the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) to work with other Departments building on the work undertaken
2 Mar 1999 : Column: 671
by this Department to develop an integrated strategy to cut rates of teenage parenthood, particularly under-age parenthood, towards the European average and to propose better solutions to combat the risk of social exclusion for vulnerable teenage parents and their children. The SEU has consulted widely to develop its recommendations. It will be reporting shortly.
Fiona Mactaggart:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will report on progress with modernising NHS accident and emergency facilities. [72381]
Mr. Hutton:
I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Sawford) today, Official Report, column 865.
Maria Eagle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports he has received on the impact on the level of blood donations of the recent National Blood Service campaign to recruit more donors. [72403]
Mr. Hutton:
The country's centrally held blood stocks have risen nearly threefold since the National Blood Authority's advertising campaign started on 5 January. Compared with January last year there has been an average increase of 3 per cent. in the number of donations collected daily, a 25 per cent. increase in new donors giving blood and an increase of almost 100 per cent. in new donors on the register.
Mr. Breed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning the working hours of (a) nurses and (b) other NHS staff. [72376]
Mr. Denham:
Discussions have taken place with representatives of National Health Service staff about the best ways to implement the Working Time Regulations and agreements have been made in the General Whitley Council and with the British Medical Association. The Government believe these Regulations are important because they protect NHS staff from the risks of long hours, and therefore lead to better patient care.
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