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NHS Direct

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of NHS Direct calls received each day between 27 December and 12 January were from people complaining of influenza symptoms; and what percentage of these callers were instructed to go to hospital. [105679]

Ms Stuart: NHS Direct received in total 194,521 calls between 27 December and 12 January. Indications are that between 30 per cent. and 40 per cent. of calls during this period related to influenza symptoms. During this period the overall proportion of callers who were advised to attend their accident and emergency department was 6 per cent. and 2 per cent. of callers were diverted to the 999 service.

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if a person who has been instructed to go to hospital by NHS Direct and is found to have influenza is included in the official influenza figures. [105678]

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Ms Stuart: Influenza activity in England is monitored through the Royal College of General Practitioners sentinel surveillance scheme. This records the number of first visits to a general practitioner with influenza-like illness. Other respiratory illnesses prevalent at this time of year are recorded separately.

This system cannot measure the real incidence of influenza since it is restricted to those people who visit their general practitioner. Patients of the type referred to are therefore not included. This year a major campaign was run to encourage people to choose their own remedy, to consult a pharmacist and to use NHS Direct, as alternative sources of advice.

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses working for NHS Direct were, in their previous employment, working full-time in the NHS. [105672]

Ms Stuart: NHS Direct accounts nationally for 600 (whole-time equivalent) nurses, a small number against the overall size of the nursing workforce, which is 332,000 (whole-time equivalent) in England (as of 30 September 1998). Specific information, such as the previous employment of NHS Direct nurses is not collected centrally. NHS Direct has deliberately recruited nurses from a wide range of different backgrounds: hospitals, primary care, outside the NHS. Some will be from a hospital background but others will be from primary care or will have been working outside the NHS. NHS Direct has also provided opportunities for the disabled and those who had to stop working in the ward\hospital because of other injuries. Many staff who work for NHS Direct do so on a part time basis allowing them to combine working for NHS Direct with other clinical duties.

Accident and Emergency Units

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many major accident and emergency units have their full complement of consultants; and how many of these units have consultants on duty 24 hours a day. [105518]

Ms Stuart: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Influenza Vaccination

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the benefits of introducing a programme of systematic vaccination of those health care workers working with the elderly. [105637]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 January 2000]: United Kingdom Health Ministers are advised on immunisation policy by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). JCVI reviews its recommendations, including immunisation of healthcare workers, annually.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons NHS trusts were advised to vaccinate staff on the grounds of reducing absenteeism over the Millennium holiday. [105632]

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Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 January 2000]: Decisions on whether to offer routine vaccinations to staff and, if so, to which groups of staff, were taken at local level by National Health Service trusts as a part of their winter planning arrangements.

Trusts were advised through a Health Service Circular issued on 24 September 1999 to consider the possible impact of staff absence through illness at a time of exceptional pressure over the extended Millennium holiday period.

In reaching their decisions, trusts were also reminded of the possible risks associated with immunisations.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the uptake of influenza vaccine has been among (a) the over 75s, (b) the over 65s, (c) the under 5s and (d) medically vulnerable groups in the last twelve months. [105634]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 January 2000]: The most recent estimates of vaccine uptake were published in Health Trends (1998; 30: 51-55). Copies are available in the Library.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason an age limit of 75 years was chosen for a pro-active campaign of influenza vaccination among the elderly. [105639]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 January 2000]: People aged 75 and over without underlying risk conditions and not living in residential care were added to the individuals recommended for flu immunisation in 1998. This followed advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The rationale was set out in a letter from the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Nursing Officer (PL/CNO/98/4, PL/CNO/98/6), copies of which are available in the Library.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures he will take to increase the levels of influenza vaccination among (a) those aged over 75 years, (b) those aged under 5 years and (c) those with medical conditions making them particularly susceptible to influenza; [105640]

(2) what plans he has to increase the level of public awareness about the uptake of the influenza vaccine. [105633]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 January 2000]: Influenza immunisation aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality due to flu by immunising those people most likely to have a severe or complicated illness due to flu. Immunisation is, therefore recommended for all those in whom the disease is more likely to be a serious illness, that is people:

with chronic respiratory or heart disease or renal disease, diabetes and those who are immunocompromised

living in long stay residential accommodation

aged 75 and over.

In advance of this year's winter season the Department was involved in a range of activities to publicise the need for flu immunisation. GPs were reminded of the importance of flu immunisation in last August's CMO Update and about ordering Department of Health leaflets and posters on influenza and influenza immunisation.

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Research has shown that the single most important factor affecting whether an individual is immunised or not is whether the doctor or nurse recommended it.

The Chief Medical Officer launched Flu Awareness Week at a press conference in October 1999. This annual event results in widespread media coverage and gives a useful opportunity to get key messages across to the general public. Flu Awareness Week is organised by the Association for Influenza Monitoring and Surveillance (aims) who organise media based awareness work each autumn. Other organisations, such as Help the Aged, support this activity as well as producing their own leaflets for the public.

Those in the risk groups were encouraged to come forward for immunisation through placed articles in the general and women's press and through relevant representative groups. This year's "Keep Warm, Keep Well" campaign encourages older people to keep healthy this winter and included information on influenza and immunisation. Help The Aged's "Senior Line" was briefed on the importance of influenza immunisation. As part of the work on Flu Awareness Week, (aims) worked with various representative groups such as the British Lung Foundation, the British Heart Foundation, to promote awareness.

The Department will review how well these activities worked to increase awareness of influenza immunisation and will plan next winter's activities to increase uptake of vaccine on the basis of the lessons learned from this winter's activity.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doses of the vaccine for the flu are currently available. [105629]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 January 2000]: Manufacturers advise that they had over half a million doses of flu vaccine available during the week ending 16 January 2000.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what alternatives to the current influenza vaccine are available to those with an egg allergy. [105638]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 January 2000]: Flu vaccine should not be given to individuals with known anaphylactic hypersensitivity to egg products--simple allergy to egg is not a contraindication. For these small number of individuals who are also in high risk groups amantadine hydrochloride may be prescribed prophylactically by the person's doctor where it is clinically necessary.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent of regional variations in the availability of the influenza vaccine. [105630]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 18 January 2000]: None. Influenza immunisation is primarily delivered through general practice. General practitioners order vaccine direct from the manufacturers according to their requirements.

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the funding available for an influenza vaccination programme. [105631]

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Yvette Cooper [holding answer 20 January 2000]: The Department will be reviewing this winter's influenza immunisation programme before planning next winter's activity. We will consider any implications for funding the programme in the light of this review.

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