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Air Ambulance Service
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make additional funds available to support the work of the Air Ambulance Service. [125076]
Ms Stuart: The need for helicopter air ambulance services is a matter for local health economies.
Staff Accommodation (South-East)
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 24 May 2000, Official Report, column 507W, concerning accommodation for public health care staff in south-east England, what estimates the National Housing Co-ordinator for the National Health Service has made of the provision of residential accommodation required for public health care staff in (a) the south-east region and (b) Oxfordshire. [124803]
Ms Stuart: The National Housing Co-ordinator for the National Health Service has contacted all National Health Service trusts in the south-east region of the NHS, to identify details of accommodation needs for their personnel. When this work is complete, estimates of accommodation requirements can be made, and details are expected to be available by the end of July.
This information will include the needs of the National Health Service personnel in Oxfordshire.
Hip Joints
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if metal on metal resurfacing of hip joints is available on the NHS. [124487]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 8 June 2000]: This procedure is available on the National Health Service. However, it is a relatively new and unproven procedure and as such should normally be performed as part of a controlled clinical trial. The Safety and Efficacy Register of New Interventional Procedures (SERNIP), run by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, is the mechanism for assessing new surgical procedures. SERNIP considered there was not yet sufficient information to make a full assessment of the safety and efficacy of metal on metal resurfacing of hip joints.
Mid Essex Hospital Trust
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the latest figures for the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area for (a) how many people are waiting for treatment and (b) how many have been waiting 12 months or more for treatment. [125268]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 9 June 2000]: The information is as follows:
| Month | Total waiting | Number waiting over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| April 2000 | 9,953 | 986 |
Source:
Monthly waiting list return
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Waiting Lists
Mr. Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will define the social reasons leading to a patient's temporary suspension from hospital inpatient waiting lists, in relation to the NHS Executive's inpatient waiting times data as published in the Green Book and the Yellow Book. [125468]
Mr. Denham: The social reasons for suspension referred to in the Green and Yellow Books published by the Department refer to situations where a patient is unavailable for admission because of family commitments, holidays or other reasons.
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply substantively to the question (ref. 115126) on waiting lists tabled by the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham. [125708]
Mr. Denham: I shall let the hon. Member have a reply to his earlier question as soon as possible.
Breast Implants
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice and information his Department makes available to women considering breast implants. [125464]
Mr. Denham: We will shortly be publishing an information leaflet for women considering having breast implants.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent report he has received of adverse incidents relating to silicone gel implants; and what further action he has taken as a result. [125473]
Mr. Denham: In the 12 months prior to 31 May 2000, the Medical Devices Agency (MDA) received 19 reports of adverse incidents involving silicone gel breast implants. MDA have not identified any trends which suggest there is a problem with the performance of any particular model of silicone gel breast implant. MDA continues to record and review all reports of problems with silicone gel breast implants received via the Adverse Incident Centre. This information is regularly reviewed by the Independent Review Group.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has recently received that silicone gel breast implants are causing illness. [125463]
Mr. Denham: The Department has received no new evidence recently that silicone gel breast implants are causing illness. The Independent Review Group on silicone gel breast implants continues to meet twice a year to monitor emerging scientific data on this subject. In March 2000, the Group confirmed that there was no need to revise the conclusions reached in 1998.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has been taken by his Department through the Advertising Standards Authority implant procedure, stating the possible health and safety implications of breast implants. [125470]
Mr. Denham: Our response to the Health Committee's Fifth Report on the regulation of private and other independent healthcare (Command 4540) made it clear that the powers given in the 1988 Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations are adequate to control
12 Jun 2000 : Column: 479W
advertising. We were however concerned to ensure that the information patients receive in the independent sector is of an acceptable standard.
We are addressing this in two ways. We will soon be publishing a Department of Health information leaflet for women considering breast implants. In addition, the Care Standards Bill, as drafted, will allow us to introduce regulations covering standards of information given to patients in the independent sector.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if information on the Breast Implants Register is made available to recipients of implants in (a) NHS and (b) private hospitals. [125467]
Mr. Denham: The National Breast Implant Registry produces an annual report which is available, upon request, to recipients of breast implants, regardless of whether they received their implants in a National Health Service or a private hospital.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce legislation to make registration of breast implants compulsory. [125466]
Mr. Denham: We support the collection and provision of as much information as possible and the Medical Devices Agency has increased funding of the National Breast Implant Registry to improve compliance monitoring. Any legislation would however be coercive and would invalidate the individual's consent to surgery.
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the European Commission's investigation into silicone breast implants. [125474]
Mr. Denham: It is understood that the European Commission currently plans to review breast implants taking account of the options presented in the draft report from the Scientific Technological Options Assessment Committee (STOA) of the European Parliament. The Commission intends to give a report to STOA in November 2000. It is further understood that the investigations will involve action in three areas:
- Reviewing the requirements for conformity assessment of implantable breast prostheses;
- Addressing the provision of information to patients for these products;
- Possible revision of the published standards for manufacturers of breast implants.
Mr. Denham: The total number of breast implants registered on the National Breast Implant Registry (NBIR) in each complete calendar year since 1997 is as follows:
| Year | Number of implants registered |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 14,800 |
| 1998 | 16,161 |
| 1999 | 18,173 |
Based upon compliance studies carried out by the NBIR, it is estimated that this represents about 60-70 per cent. of the breast implants used in the United Kingdom.
12 Jun 2000 : Column: 480W
Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how recipients of breast implants and doctors are informed of the reporting facility of the Adverse Incident Centre within the Medical Devices Agency. [125462]
Mr. Denham: At the beginning of each year, the Medical Devices Agency (MDA) writes to chief executives of trusts, health authorities and primary care trusts reminding them of their obligation to report adverse incidents involving medical devices, including breast implants, to the Adverse Incident Centre. MDA also encourages trusts to appoint MDA liaison officers, whose role is to co-ordinate adverse incident reporting and the dissemination of safety information about medical devices within the trust.
As the adverse incident reporting system is focused upon healthcare professionals and medical device manufacturers, MDA does not systematically inform recipients of breast implants of the system. Information on the system is however publicly available via the MDA worldwide website.
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