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Drugs and Alcohol (Women)
Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what specialist services are available for (a) women with children and (b) other women who are drug and alcohol misusers. [107126]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, lists of agencies offering a range of specialist services for women with children and other women who are drug and alcohol misusers are available in directories published by the Standing Conference On Drug Abuse and Alcohol Concern.
Haemorrhoid Treatment
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were treated for haemorrhoids in the NHS in 1970, 1980, 1990 and 1998. [107489]
Mr. Denham: The information available is set out in the table. It shows the number of cases treated in hospital, either as ordinary admission or day cases. Figures for each year were collected on a slightly different basis and are not therefore directly comparable.
| Year | Number | |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | England and Wales | 24,609 |
| 1980 | England | 20,100 |
| 1990-91 | England | 28,727 |
| 1997-98(4) | England | 38,133 |
(4) Figures for 1997-98 are provisional and no adjustments have been made for shortfalls in data
Sources:
1970 and 1980 Hospital Inpatient Enquiry
1990-91 and 1997-98 Hospital Episode Statistics
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Cancer Operations
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS cancer operations have been cancelled since 1 November 1999. [107491]
Yvette Cooper: We do not collect data on cancelled operations by specialty. Quarterly reports of figures for all cancelled operations in England, which arise on the day a patient was due to come into hospital, or after they have been admitted, are available in the Library.
Irish Community
Mr. McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to (a) identify and (b) address the specific health needs of the Irish community in Britain. [107585]
Yvette Cooper: The 1999 Health Survey for England focused on the health of ethnic minorities (including Irish people) and its report will be published later this year. The 2001 Census includes questions on health and will for the first time ask for and separately classify those people who describe themselves as of Irish ethnic origin. The "Saving lives--Our Healthier Nation" White Paper, published last year has inequalities in health as one of its main themes and will address the needs of all the population including Irish people.
Credit Ratings
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often the credit rating of companies supplying services to his Department is checked. [107746]
Yvette Cooper: Where companies supplying services to the Department are awarded contracts as a result of a formal tender exercise, Departmental guidelines require all such companies to be assessed as to their financial viability prior to the award. In some instances this will include a credit rating check. The Department does not, as a matter of routine, carry out financial assessments or credit rating checks either on small value contracts or on its existing suppliers except as part of another tender exercise.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the credit rating of companies seeking to tender for services provided by his Department is checked before the contract is awarded. [107744]
Yvette Cooper: Departmental guidelines require short-listed companies, seeking to tender for services provided by the Department, to be assessed for financial viability prior to the award of any contract. In some cases this will include a credit rating check.
Mouth Cancer
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating mouth cancers in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [107619]
Yvette Cooper:
This information is currently unavailable. Work is, however, under way to develop a system for collecting treatment cost data for oncology services, including mouth cancers. It is hoped that these data will become available next year.
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Mr. Brake:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies for nurses there are (a) in the NHS, (b) St. Helier Hospital and (c) for each national health trust in the country. [107927]
Mr. Denham:
The Department's "Recruitment, Retention and vacancies Survey" showed that in National Health Service trusts in England there were 16,190 whole time equivalent (wte) nursing and midwifery posts vacant on 31 March 1999. The St. Helier Trust reported a total of 70 wte vacancies. As St. Helier Hospital is part of this trust, separate figures are not available. Total vacancy figures for all trusts in England have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to his answer of 10 January 2000, Official Report, column 54W, on cervical smears (1) if he will take into account the information on the effectiveness of the Neopath/Tripath Autopap system in the USA and Europe in making his decision on introducing it in this country; [108150]
Yvette Cooper:
We welcome any new technology that would improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the cervical screening programme. However, before any technology is introduced, we must be sure that it is safe and effective, and that quality standards can be maintained.
The Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening (ACCS) held preliminary discussions on the Tripath Autopap system (previously Neopath Autopap system) as part of a wider discussion on automated screening procedures at their meeting in June 1999. The ACCS advised that further evaluation was necessary. An evaluation is underway, partly funded by the National Health Service cervical screening programme, and a report is expected later in the year. Information on the effectiveness of the system in the United States of America and Europe will be taken into account.
Decisions on the introduction of this new technology will be taken if and when it is proved to be effective.
Mr. Gardiner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of patients of Dr. Harold Shipman whose deaths were considered suspicious by the internal investigation conducted by Manchester Health Authority; and how many of these were women. [108298]
Mr. Denham:
The investigation of alleged crimes is a matter for the police.
The internal inquiry conducted by West Pennine Health Authority focused on existing monitoring arrangements available to a health authority, and not on the specific circumstances of individual cases.
14 Feb 2000 : Column: 384W
I understand that, at the time that West Pennine undertook its review of monitoring arrangements, the police were investigating the deaths of some 129 people who had been patients of Dr. Shipman, some of which were suspicious. Charges of murder were brought in respect of 15 of these patients, all of whom were women.
Dr. Harris:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 8 December 1999, Official Report, column 565W, what restrictions were placed on contractors carrying out research projects funded by his Department in 1999 in respect of them discussing their findings with journalists (a) before and (b) after publication. [108196]
Yvette Cooper:
Copies of model contracts for the Department's policy research programme and the National Health Service research and development programme are in the Library.
The Department actively encourages contractors to publish the findings of research which it has funded.
In common with most research funders, the Department actively discourages the discussion of research findings with journalists prior to adequate peer review: in many areas publication in a scientific journal is a key part of the peer review process.
No restrictions are placed on researchers after publication. Again in common with most other funders, the Department asks researchers to work closely with its press office.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of intensive care beds have been taken up with influenza and influenza-related illnesses each month for the last 10 years. [108165]
Yvette Cooper:
The information requested is not available centrally.
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new cases of tuberculosis have been recorded in the United Kingdom in the last year. [108332]
Yvette Cooper:
The total number of newly notified cases of tuberculosis in the United Kingdom in 1999 is 6,757. This figure is provisional and uncorrected. Correction usually results in a reduction in the provisional figure.
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to prevent an increase of tuberculosis in the United Kingdom. [108331]
14 Feb 2000 : Column: 385W
Yvette Cooper:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 19 October 1999, Official Report, columns 468-69W.
(2) if, for the testing and introduction of the Neopath/Tripath Autopap machine for cervical screening tests, he will prioritise areas which have particular shortages of trained staff or long delays in their cervical screening programme. [108149]
Sources:
1. Public Health Laboratory Service, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC) for England and Wales
2. CDSC(NI) for Northern Ireland
3. Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health for Scotland).
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