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Diseases
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely change over the next 10 years in the incidence of cases of (a) MRSA, (b) TB and (c) Hepatitis C; and what action is he taking to deal with such changes. [105424]
Yvette Cooper
[holding answer 20 January 2000]: MRSA is the antibiotic resistant form of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium which is carried harmlessly on the skin by at least a third of the population. About 80 per cent. of people who acquire MRSA similarly carry it harmlessly on the skin and do not suffer from any infection. Action is in
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hand to improve the surveillance of MRSA and also the prevention and control of hospital acquired infection, including MRSA. The extent to which this work will impact on the cases of incidence over the next 10 years is unpredictable.
Official notifications of tuberculosis gradually fell to an all time low of 5,086 in England and Wales in 1987 from about 50,000 cases a year in the 1950s. Since the early 1990s there have been overall small year on year increases in total notified cases which are continuing. Provisional notifications for 1998 were just over 6,000. While some of this may be due to better ascertainment of cases, it has occurred against the backdrop of a worldwide resurgence of this disease that will, inevitably, continue to have some impact on tuberculosis in the United Kingdom through travel and immigration.
We are working to minimise the effect of worldwide developments and have taken steps to strengthen the surveillance, prevention and control of tuberculosis, including drug resistant tuberculosis.
The incidence of hepatitis C infection is not known as the virus is usually acquired without symptoms. Currently, the most frequent route of transmission of hepatitis C is through sharing of blood-contaminated equipment by injecting drug misusers. Preliminary evidence suggests that the prevalence of hepatitis C infection in newer injectors may be lower than in the past. We are continuing to promote harm minimisation measures to try to accelerate any downward trend.
However, there is likely to be an increase in the diagnosis of hepatitis C in the next 10 years as individuals who have carried the virus for some time are identified through wider testing of groups who have been at risk. Improved treatments are becoming available to help prevent progression to serious liver disease.
Mr. Livsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will (a) give the annual budget of the National Radiological Protection Board during each of the last
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three years and (b) list the source and amount of every payment to the board which exceeded five per cent. of its income in any one year. [105583]
Yvette Cooper:
The annual budget of the National Radiological Protection Board during each of the last three years was:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | 15.2 |
| 1997-98 | 14.6 |
| 1998-99 | 13.7 |
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| 1996-97 | |
| DH Revenue and Capital Grant | 6,413 |
| DETR (DoE) | 1,530 |
| CEC(33) | 1,070 |
| 1997-98 | |
| DH Revenue and Capital Grant | 6,303 |
| DETR | 2,720 |
| CEC | 860 |
| 1998-99 | |
| DH Revenue and Capital Grant | 6,187 |
| DETR | 680 |
| CEC | 930 |
(33) Commission of the European Community
Dentistry
Mr. Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons for the declining number of registrations with NHS dentists; and if he will make a statement. [104722]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 20 January 2000]: The decline in the recorded number of registrations since December 1993 is due to a variety of reasons, including improved systems which remove duplicate registrations, the change in the adult registration period from 24 to 15 months, and some dentists withdrawing from the General Dental Service or reducing their level of commitment to the National Health Service. There will also be some patients who may choose not to register with a dentist, but seek dental treatment only when a problem occurs. The establishment of Dental Access Centres in various parts of the country, announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister last September, will enable people not registered with a dentist but who want to see one, to access high quality NHS care. The Government are committed to ensuring that, within two years, anyone wanting to see a NHS dentist would be able to do so by ringing NHS Direct.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the White Paper on NHS Dentistry. [106721]
Mr. Hutton:
The National Health Service dental strategy will be published shortly.
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Mr. Burns:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his reply of 13 January 2000, Official Report, columns 233-34W, on the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust, how many people in the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust area were waiting 12 months or more for treatment on the latest date for which information is available; and what has been the total number of patients waiting for hospital treatment in the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust area for the last two months for which figures are available. [106033]
Mr. Denham:
The information requested is given in the table.
| Month | Total waiting | Number waiting over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| October | 9,372 | 1,024 |
| November | 9,483 | 1,042 |
Source:
Monthly Waiting List Returns
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 13 January 2000, Official Report, column 234W, how many people in the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust area were, on 30 November 1999, waiting over 18 months for treatment, and for how long over 18 months each such patient was waiting; for what reasons such patients were waiting for more than 18 months; and if all these patients have now been treated. [106034]
Mr. Denham: We are committed to ensuring that no patient has to wait more than 18 months for treatment. However, the last published figures for waiting times, for November 1999, show that at the end of November 1999, 14 patients waited over 18 months for treatment at Mid-Essex Hospital Services National Health Services Trust.
Information about individual patients waiting over 18 months is not collected centrally.
Pay Settlement (North-West Lancashire)
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the budget for the North West Lancashire Health Authority for 2000-01 to take account of the latest pay settlement for doctors and nurses. [106168]
Mr. Denham: The 2000-01 unified allocation for North West Lancashire Health Authority is £345.28 million, which represents a cash increase of £21.95 million (6.79 per cent.).
The overall allocation will help fund the increased pay bill and other costs, such as health improvement programmes and reducing waiting lists. However, it is for health authorities, in partnership with National Health Service trusts, primary care groups, local authorities and the local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health and modernising services. The significant additional resources available will aid them in this process.
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Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress of the PFI project for the New Lymington Community Hospital. [105585]
Mr. Denham:
Negotiations between Southampton Community Health Services National Health Service Trust and its private sector partner on the proposed private finance initiative scheme for a new community hospital for Lymington are continuing.
Mrs. Spelman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason he has introduced digital hearing aids on a pilot basis; and when he plans to extend their availability nationally. [106122]
Mr. Hutton:
In order to introduce digital hearing aid technology into the National Health Service, hearing aid departments will need new equipment, professionals will need different skills and revised procedures will be required to prescribe digital hearing aids to patients. Such changes will need to be introduced in an integrated way. The pilots will last for two years, after which we will make decisions about extending their availability nationally.
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