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Connexions Service
Ms Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the locations of the pilot projects for the Connexions Service; and if he will make a statement. [120848]
Mr. Wicks [pursuant to his reply, 16 May 2000, c. 101W]: One of the pilot areas was inadvertently omitted. The correct response is as follows.
I am pleased to announce the extension of the Connexions Service pilots. New pilots are to be established in Lincolnshire, Durham, Hertfordshire, Central London, Oldham, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, and at the Huntercombe Youth Offenders Institution in Oxfordshire. These are additional to the pilots announced by the Secretary of State on 3 February.
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HEALTH
Vaccine Use
Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the current review into vaccine usage, including wastage, which his Department has commissioned will be completed; if he will publish its findings; what the precise terms of reference of the review are; and if the review will receive representations from manufacturers of equipment for storing vaccines. [117635]
Yvette Cooper: We are currently conducting a review into vaccine usage, including wastage.
The terms of reference of the review are:
- to examine and report on the distribution, storage and handling of vaccines in samples of mixed rural/urban areas; to determine as far as possible the extent of vaccine wastage; to consider what changes in procedures might be desirable and recommend accordingly.
We have a list of suppliers of equipment suitable for storage and transport of vaccines and if the review group is agreeable this list will be updated and added as an appendix to the code of good practice.
Hospital Waiting Times (Essex)
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had waited 26 weeks for an outpatient appointment at Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust on (a) 31 March 1997 and (b) 31 March 2000. [121459]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 10 May 2000]: The number of patients waiting over 26 weeks for a first outpatient appointment at Essex Rivers Healthcare National Health Service Trust on 31 March 1997 was 404 and for 31 December 1999 (the latest date for which figures are available) it was 1,336.
Source:
Form QM08 quarterly waiting times return
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had waited 13 weeks or more for an outpatient appointment at Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust on (a) 31 March 1997 and (b) 31 March 2000. [121458]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 10 May 2000]: The number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for a first outpatient appointment at Essex Rivers Healthcare National Health Service Trust on 31 March 1997 was 1,821 and 31 December 1999 (the latest date for which figures are available) it was 3,916.
Source:
Form QM08 quarterly waiting times return
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had been waiting (a) in total and (b) for 12 months or more for hospital treatment at Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust on (i) 31 March 1997 and (ii) 31 March 2000. [121460]
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Mr. Denham [holding answer 10 May 2000]: The information requested is shown in the table.
| 31 March 1997 | 29 February 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of patients waiting | 6,737 | 6,212 |
| Number of patients waiting over 12 months | 6 | 534 |
(9) The latest date for which figures are available
Source:
Form KH07 quarterly waiting times return
Monthly waiting times return
Man-made Insulin
Mr. Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the risks from man-made insulin; and if he will make a statement. [R] [121777]
Ms Stuart: Human (genetically engineered) insulin underwent a rigorous assessment of clinical efficacy and safety at the time of its first licensing in the United Kingdom in 1982.
Following its introduction, there was much debate about a possible loss of the warning signs of a low blood glucose with human insulin. As a result, a considerable number of scientific studies have been performed comparing animal and human insulin.
The Committee on Safety of Medicine, has reviewed the safety of human insulin on several occasions since its introduction. During the review process there has been consultation with experts in the field of diabetes as well as with the British Diabetic Association. The Committee has concluded that although some patients have experienced problems on transferring to human insulins and are better suited to animal insulins, there is no evidence of a safety problem specific to human insulin.
The Medicines Control Agency is responsible for the continuous monitoring of the safety of all licensed medicines and the safety of human insulin is therefore kept under continuous review.
Infliximab
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current prescribing status is of Infliximab as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's Disease. [122081]
Ms Stuart: A European licence was granted on 13 August 1999 for Remicade, whose active constituent is infliximab. It is licensed for the treatment of severe, active Crohn's disease in patients who have not responded despite a full and adequate course of therapy with a corticosteroid and/or an immunosuppressant; and for the treatment of fistulising Crohn's disease, in patients who have not responded despite a full and adequate course of therapy with conventional treatment.
Infliximab is not yet licensed in the United Kingdom for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
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Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated relating to the prescribing of Infliximab. [122083]
Ms Stuart: Neither the Department nor the Medical Research Council has directly commissioned any research into Infliximab.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he (a) has received and (b) intends to seek from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence regarding the prescribing of Infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's Disease. [122085]
Ms Stuart: We are considering a number of possible additional topics for appraisal by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence during the year 2000-01. An announcement will be made shortly.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what medical trials his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated relating to the efficacy of Infliximab. [122084]
Ms Stuart: The Department has not commissioned or evaluated medical trials relating to the efficacy of infliximab. Infliximab was authorised for use through the European Medicines Evaluation Agency who reviewed the available data.
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to health authorities and prescribers relating to the prescribing of Infliximab. [122082]
Ms Stuart: The Department does not normally issue guidance relating to the prescribing of individual drugs. Clinicians learn about new drugs and therapies through publications such as those from the "National Prescribing Centre", the "British National Formulary" and other professional journals.
Suicide (Asian Women)
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has undertaken into
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the reasons for the rate of suicide among Asian women aged 15 to 24 years; and what action has been taken as a result. [122445]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has not directly commissioned any research into the reasons for the rate of suicide among Asian women aged 15 to 24. However, we have supported studies undertaken by the Institute of Psychiatry in 1996 into rates of attempted suicide in Asian women in West London and 1998 about the Asian Communities knowledge of depression, suicidal ideation and attempted suicide. Following these studies educational material has been prepared for the Asian Community in four languages. The Department also supported the publication "Ethnicity: An Agenda for Mental Health" by the Royal College of Psychiatrists which included details of research into suicide and attempted suicides across cultures.
The Department has also provided the Asian Family Counselling Service with funding through the Section 64 scheme for their Nai Umeed (New Hope) project to reduce mental ill health and suicide among Asian women.
The development of strategies to reduce suicide is a major part of our programme outlined in the White Paper "Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation". The National Service framework for Mental Health sets a specific evidence-based standard for mental health and social services to prevent suicide. In addition we are bringing together the necessary expertise to work across Government to drive forward a whole range of initiatives to make progress towards achieving the targets to reduce suicides including focusing on high-risk groups, such as Asian women.
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