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Beta-interferon
Dr. Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) by what means recipients of Health Service Circular 1999/101 were informed that it had been withdrawn; [88002]
- (2) if he will list the recipients of Health Service Circular 1999/101 prior to its withdrawal on 20 April; [88001]
(3) when he proposes to publish a new National Health Service circular on the use of beta-interferon in the treatment of multiple sclerosis to replace Health Service Circular 1999/101; [88191]
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(4) if the proposed health service circular on the use of beta-interferon in the treatment of multiple sclerosis will distinguish between its value in treating relapsing/ remitting multiple sclerosis and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. [88190]
Mr. Denham: Advance copies of draft Health Service Circular 1999/999, which was due to be issued on 20 April 1999 as Health Service Circular 1999/101, were sent to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the three manufacturers of beta-interferon, and the National Health Service (Regional Directors of Public Health and Regional Prescribing Leads, who were invited to forward the draft circular to health authorities).
Owing to concerns expressed by some of the recipients of the draft circular, it was not issued on 20 April. The NHS was informed of this by way of a letter from the NHS Executive's Acting Medical Director, Dr. Sheila Adam. Copies of this letter are available in the Library. I also refer my hon. Friend to the statement made in the House by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council on 22 April 1999, Official Report, columns 1055-56.
The Department plans to consult interested parties shortly on a revised draft health service circular on beta-interferon. The contents of the circular that is subsequently issued will take into account comments received during the consultation period.
Jane Griffiths:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make beta-interferon available on the NHS for progressive MS; and what funding is to be made available to health authorities for it. [88737]
Mr. Denham:
Beta-interferon may be made available on the National Health Service, but the costs of prescribing it are expected to be met within health authority allocations.
Dr. Iddon:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters he has received to date (a) in support of and (b) opposed to the proposed MLX 249 Regulation. [88004]
Ms Jowell:
We received six representations broadly supporting the proposals and 610 representations opposing some or all of the proposals during the 12 week consultation period, which ended on 31 January 1999. Since the end of the consultation period we have received several thousand more letters opposing the proposals, many of which were based on a fundamental misapprehension of the content, purpose and effect of the proposals.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate he has made of the number and value of unopened blister packs of drugs returned to dispensing chemists for the latest year for which figures are available; [88146]
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Mr. Denham:
The information requested is not available centrally.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received organs for transplant which originated from countries outside the EU in each of the last three years. [88145]
Mr. Hutton:
For the period 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1998 there were 10 transplant operations using organs which originated from countries outside the EU. Three were carried out in 1996, two in 1997 and five in 1998.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many organs for transplant were brought into the UK from EU member states; and what percentage came from living donors in the most recent year for which figures are available. [88837]
Mr. Hutton:
In 1998, 26 organs for transplant were accepted from hospitals in European Union countries outside the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Of these, 23 were suitable and subsequently transplanted.
No living donor organs were offered from abroad during 1998.
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to improve security for staff working in accident and emergency departments. [88340]
Mr. Denham:
We have initiated the biggest programme of capital investment in accident and emergency services in the history of the National Health Service (a total of £115 million in three quarters of all Accident and Emergency departments). This money should ensure that patients are treated more quickly, more effectively and with greater privacy than ever before, and create safer working conditions for staff.
Tackling violence against staff is a priority area for action. A key objective is that each local employer will, by April 2000, have systems in place to record and monitor the incidents of workplace violence and have published strategies in place to achieve a reduction.
The NHS Executive is also working on a cross-government drive to reduce the incidences of violence against staff. The campaign, which has the support of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Office, my right hon. and noble Friend the Lord Chancellor and my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General. The campaign will be backed up by national guidelines for action including prevention, prosecution, sentencing, good practice and challenging targets. The over-arching message of this campaign will be that violence against staff is unacceptable and that the Government are determined to stamp it out.
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Mr. Sayeed:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral answer of 30 March 1999, Official Report, column 844, if he will meet Dr. Niblett to discuss the number of beds in relation to demand for them at Bedford Hospital. [88184]
Mr. Denham:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State met Dr. Niblett on 11 February this year and visited the Intensive Care Unit at Bedford Hospital.
Dan Norris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to protect children from the effects of passive smoking in public places. [88214]
Ms Jowell:
The White Paper "Smoking Kills" includes a new charter on smoking in public places, agreed by the hospitality industry. We will now negotiate with the industry to work up the detail of a Charter which will ensure that all consumers, including children, are better able to choose whether to eat, drink or socialise in smoky atmospheres. The results will be monitored and we will consider the need for any further action in the light of progress.
Lorna Fitzsimons:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets he has set health care trusts for the eradication of temporary contracts; and if he will make a statement. [88392]
Mr. Denham:
National Health Service managers need the flexibility to offer temporary or short-term contracts. We want to stop the systematic use of such contracts in the National Health Service, and the National Health Service Executive has made it clear that short-term (fixed) contracts should be offered only where a post is genuinely time limited. The general presumption is that permanent contracts should be the norm.
Liz Blackman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what data are required to be collected on influenza immunisations by (a) his Department, (b) local health authorities and (c) regional health authorities; [88778]
(3) what information is collected on the coverage of the influenza vaccine (a) in risk groups and (b) for all people over 75 years of age; [88775]
(4) what targets his Department has set for increasing the percentage of people in risk groups receiving influenza vaccinations. [88777]
Ms Jowell:
No data are required to be collected but some health authorities collect the information locally. Estimates of national influenza vaccine coverage are made by analysing the General Practice Research Database by risk group and by age. Figures for 1989 to 1997 were published in Health Trends (1998; 30: 51-5), copies of which are available in the Library. Overall uptake in the
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risk groups was estimated to be about 23 per cent. and varied with age--about 44 per cent. of those over 65 years in a high risk group received vaccine in 1996-97 compared with 13 per cent. of those aged 35-49 years. Figures for the 1998-99 influenza season are not yet available. Targets are not set because of the difficulty of accurately assessing denominators for the risk groups.
Guidance for health authorities on planning for dealing with winter pressures includes the need to increase influenza immunisation uptake in the risk groups. Flu Awareness Week, launched each year at a press briefing held by the Chief Medical Officer, also aims to increase vaccine uptake.
Liz Blackman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is given by his Department to local health authorities and general practitioners about running effective influenza immunisation campaigns to target risk groups. [88772]
Ms Jowell:
Information for general practitioners and health authorities is given in the United Kingdom Health Departments' memorandum 'Immunisation against Infectious Disease' and in letters and circulars issued by the Department (most recently Professional Letter/Chief Medical Officer/98/4/PL/Chief Nursing Officer/98/6 and Health Service Circular 1998-140), copies of which are available in the Library.
Liz Blackman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what scientific evidence his Department has evaluated on the success rate of the influenza vaccine in preventing this disease. [88779]
Ms Jowell:
Influenza viruses change and different strains predominate from year to year. Each season a new vaccine is produced from strains of virus closely related to those expected to be in circulation. The effectiveness of the vaccine will depend on how well the vaccine strains match the strains of influenza that actually circulate. Effective global surveillance co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation means that in most years there is a good match.
All information on the effectiveness of influenza vaccine in preventing influenza and its complications is reviewed on a regular basis by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the expert advisory committee that advises the Government on immunisation matters.
Liz Blackman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the unit cost of an influenza vaccination. [88770]
Ms Jowell:
The list prices for vaccines are given in the British National Formulary, copies of which are available in the Library. Last season's list prices for influenza vaccine ranged from £5.08 to £5.70 a dose. Prices for the coming season have not yet been announced.
(2) what is the value of medicines returned by patients to dispensing chemists for the latest year for which figures are available. [88147]
(Staff Security)
(2) what requirements exist for general practitioners to provide data on the number of their patients vaccinated against influenza in risk groups; [88773]
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