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"National Framework for Mental Health"
Mr. Hesford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects "National Service Framework for Mental Health" to be published; and if he will make a statement. [81984]
30 Apr 1999 : Column: 280
Mr. Hutton:
An exact date has not been set for the publication of the mental health national service framework. We expect the framework to be published in the next couple of months.
Mr. Bob Russell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on his powers in relation to the decision of the former North Thames Regional Health Authority to retain a cancer centre at Colchester, and to build a new centre of excellence in the town, and the role of the Eastern Region Health Authority; [82219]
Mr. Hutton:
No decision was made by the former North Thames Regional Office of the National Health Service Executive to designate Colchester General Hospital as a cancer centre or to approve a capital investment programme.
Prior to receipt of any proposed business case, the Eastern Regional Office of the NHS Executive, in agreement with all interested parties, is conducting a review of cancer services across Suffolk and North Essex to determine the most appropriate way in which cancer services can be provided to local people.
Mr. Cummings:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how may GPs are expected to retire over the next five years in the Easington primary care group and if he will make a statement. [82299]
Mr. Denham:
The information held centrally is classified by health authority and not by primary care group, and the latest figures for County Durham Health Authority are shown in the table. My hon. Friend may wish to approach the health authority for information about the Easington primary care group.
(2) what discussions his Department has held over the possible transfer of the cancer centre in Colchester to Ipswich. [82218]
| Age group | Number |
|---|---|
| Under 30 | 2 |
| 30-39 | 119 |
| 40-49 | 123 |
| 50-59 | 65 |
| Over 60 | 7 |
| Total | 316 |
Source:
Department of Health GMP Census
Pacemakers
Ms Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Medical Devices Agency has a record of patients with pacemakers in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [82398]
Ms Jowell:
Pacemaker patient records are not held by the Medical Devices Agency. Patients implanted with pacemakers are registered with the National Pacemaker Database (NPD), using data supplied by implanting hospitals on a voluntary basis.
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In a survey conducted by the NPD in 1997, it was estimated that in 1996 approximately 94 per cent. of all pacemaker implants were recorded on the database.
Ms Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Siemens Sensolog 2033T pacemakers have been supplied by the NHS for use in England and Wales. [82402]
Ms Jowell:
The Department does not hold this information. However, the National Pacemaker Database has 377 United Kingdom patients (including implants under the National Health Service and in private practice) registered as having received a Sensolog 2033 pacemaker implant, 268 of which are for the 2033T. The suffix T refers only to the configuration of the pacemaker connector into which the pacemaker lead is attached.
Ms Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the regulations regarding the recording of patients with pacemakers. [82397]
Ms Jowell:
We have no plans to review current arrangements for the recording of patients with pacemakers. The maintenance of patient records is a matter of clinical practice and is not subject to regulation. The voluntary recording of pacemaker implants by clinicians with the National Pacemaker Database is endorsed by the British Pacing and Electrophysiology Group, the professional body for clinicians practising cardiac pacing.
Ms Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) the companies which manufacture pacemakers supplied by the NHS and which are used by patients in England and Wales, (b) the type of pacemaker supplied by the NHS and (c) the number of patients who use each type. [82403]
Ms Jowell:
Information recorded by the National Pacemaker Database indicates that the following companies have, at some time, supplied pacemakers to United Kingdom pacing centres: Medtronic, Pacesetter (St. Jude Medical), Vitatron, CPI Guidant, Biotronik, Siemens, Sultzer Intermedics, Telectronics, Sorin Biomedica, ELA, Cordis, Biotec, Medico, Implantronik, APC Medical, Paladin, Precimed, Medcor, LEM, American Optical, Coratomic, Arco, Cardiac Control Systems, Lucas, Corporel. A number of these companies no longer supply pacemakers today.
Information relating to the types and numbers of pacemakers supplied by individual manufacturers is not published because of commercial sensitivity.
Ms Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Siemens Sensolog 2033T pacemaker was withdrawn from sale; and when the Medical Devices Agency was informed of its withdrawal. [82400]
Ms Jowell:
The manufacturer last sold this pacemaker in the United Kingdom in 1994, when it was superseded by a newer model. The Medical Devices Agency was not informed as the discontinuation was for commercial reasons and not in response to any known safety concerns.
Ms Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the procedure for alerting patients who have pacemakers which are withdrawn from supply because of faults in manufacture. [82399]
30 Apr 1999 : Column: 282
Ms Jowell:
Pacemaker manufacturers are primarily responsible for issuing information to hospitals if a fault associated with any of their products is identified. If the Medical Devices Agency determines that a significant risk remains to the safety of pacemaker patients, it issues advice to clinicians at all United Kingdom pacing clinics to assist them in patient management. Clinicians are responsible for providing appropriate advice to their patients.
Ms Bridget Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Siemens Sensolog 2033T pacemakers have been referred to the Medical Devices Agency as having faults. [82401]
Ms Jowell:
Only one United Kingdom adverse incident involving the Sensolog 2033 pacemaker model (including the 2033T) has been reported to the Medical Devices Agency.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list by health authority, ranked in descending order, the number of people, and the percentage of the population served by the authority, who have been diagnosed as having (a) treatable and (b) untreatable oral cancers in the last 12 months for which figures are available; [82332]
Mr. Denham:
The table gives details of hospital treatments for conditions which are usually described as oral cancers. Information is not routinely collected on sources of referrals or their prognosis.
(2) what estimate he has made of the number of oral cancers which were identified as such by a dentist (a) at an early and treatable stage and (b) at an advanced stage, in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [82334]
| All ages | |
|---|---|
| C00 Malignant neoplasm of lip | 454 |
| C01 Malignant neoplasm of base of tongue | 606 |
| C02 Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified parts of tongue | 2,082 |
| C03 Malignant neoplasm of gum | 326 |
| C04 Malignant neoplasm of floor of mouth | 980 |
| C05 Malignant neoplasm of palate | 548 |
| C06 Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified parts of mouth | 878 |
| Total (C00-C06) | 5,874 |
Note:
Figures are provisional, no adjustments have yet been made for shortfalls (i.e. the data is ungrossed). The table shows numbers of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) by primary diagnosis and age, in NHS hospitals in England for the financial year 1997-98. An FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within a year.
Source:
Department of Health, Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)
30 Apr 1999 : Column: 283
Dental Services
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices have closed in each year since 1990 as a result of (a) retirement of the dentist and (b) the inability of the dentist to sell the practice as a going concern. [82331]
Mr. Denham: Dentists are independent contractors, and we do not therefore have information on the reasons for the closure of practices.
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