| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Meningitis C
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of (a) the average cost to the NHS of treating someone with meningitis C, (b) the number of people who were treated in the last year for meningitis C by the NHS, (c) the annual cost of treatment for meningitis C by the NHS and (d) the cost of giving one vaccination for meningitis C, including (i) costs of publicising the availability of the vaccine and (ii) other costs for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [125035]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 9 June 2000]: The average cost per hospital admission for a patient with meningococcal Group C disease is estimated at £3,200. However, information on the full cost of National Health Service treatment, including post- and pre-hospital admission costs and the cost of caring for those patients with long term sequelae arising from meningococcal Group C disease, is not available.
In the year July 1998 to June 1999 there were an estimated 1,500 cases of meningococcal Group C disease in England and Wales; about 150 of these patients died.
The cost of meningococcal Group C vaccine is commercially confidential. However, at the end of the current meningococcal Group C immunisation programme we hope to be able to give an aggregate cost for the whole programme including vaccine purchase, distribution, implementation, information and publicity.
The new meningococcal Group C conjugate vaccine is already having a welcome effect on this deadly disease. Early reports show that the number of cases of meningococcal infection in those groups who have been immunised has been dramatically reduced, with a reduction on the expected number of cases of around 75 per cent. The United Kingdom is the first country in the world to benefit from this new vaccine, putting the UK in the forefront of tackling this devastating disease and signalling a great success for the NHS.
Influenza
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of (a) the average cost to the NHS of treating someone with influenza, (b) the number of people treated for influenza in the last year by the NHS, (c) the annual cost of influenza treatment by the NHS and (d) the cost of giving one vaccination for influenza, including (i) the costs of publicising the availability of the vaccine and (ii) other costs for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [125036]
19 Jun 2000 : Column: 54W
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 9 June 2000]: It is not possible to give an exact cost to the National Health Service of treating someone with influenza, as the information recorded relates solely to the cost of a hospital episode for respiratory illness, not just influenza. The latest data available, which are for 1997-98, average that cost at £1,900.
The number of admissions to NHS hospitals in England coded as influenza for the financial year 1998-99 was 2,281. This will not include all admissions due to influenza which may be categorised as, for example, respiratory illness.
There is no breakdown of costs to distinguish between flu and other respiratory illnesses and therefore cost of influenza on the NHS cannot accurately be identified.
General practitioners order their own vaccines direct from manufacturers. The cost of giving an influenza vaccination would vary from practice to practice. There are five vaccines to choose from varying in price from £3.99 to £5.70 for winter 1999-2000. On top of the vaccine price, under the personal administration scheme a GP will also receive 10.5 per cent. of the list price and around £1 for each vaccine given. Information on the costs of publicity for influenza vaccine across the NHS is not collected centrally.
Waiting Lists (Gloucestershire)
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients on NHS waiting lists in Gloucestershire have left them to be treated privately in each of the last five years for which figures are available; [125545]
- (2) how many patients in Gloucestershire died while on NHS waiting lists in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [125538]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients in Gloucestershire were on NHS waiting lists in each month during the last five years for which figures are available; [125536]
- (2) how many patients in Gloucestershire had been waiting for their operation for more than (a) six months and (b) one year in each month during the last five years for which figures are available. [125537]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is shown in the table. Gloucestershire Health Authority intend that by the end of 2000-01 no Gloucestershire resident will be waiting longer than nine months for treatment at local National Health Service trusts and no longer than 12 months at trusts elsewhere in the country.
Source:
QF01 and monthly waiting times returns
19 Jun 2000 : Column: 55W
NHS National Plan
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations prior to his recent consultation exercise he has had with (a) the Grimsby and Community Health Council and (b) the National Association of Community Health Councils concerning the future policies and operation of the National Health Service; and what part he expects them to play in his current consultation process. [125384]
Yvette Cooper: Community health councils have the statutory right to be consulted about major services changes planned for their districts. Since we took office, the North East Lincolnshire Community Health Council, which is based in Grimsby, has been consulted about two proposed trust mergers, a review of acute services in the district and the proposed closure of a hospital in a neighbouring district. In common with the rest of the population the Council has had the opportunity to provide comments on the National Health Service for consideration as we work towards our National Plan.
We are in regular contact with the National Association of Community Health Councils in England and Wales and there have been many opportunities for them to contribute to the development of policy for the National Health Service. They have submitted their views as part of the national consultation exercise.
St. George's Hospital, Tooting
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ward beds are available at St. George's Hospital, Tooting. [125986]
19 Jun 2000 : Column: 56W
Mr. Denham: Bed data for individual hospitals are not collected centrally. The data are collected annually at NHS trust level, rather than by individual hospitals or site. NHS trusts provide healthcare but may provide it at more than one site.
St. George's Hospital is part of the St. George's Hospital NHS Trust. The average daily number of available beds for the St. George's Hospital NHS Trust during the period 1998-99 was 1,037.
Primary Care Groups
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what formal channels of communication exist between primary care groups in the West Midlands and other primary care groups (a) locally, (b) regionally and (c) nationally. [125680]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 12 June 2000]: From the outset primary care groups (PCGs) have recognised the importance of working together both formally and informally.
The East Midlands is not recognised as a designated health region. However, in the West Midlands PCG chief officers and chairs, as well as board members, contribute to local working groups on clinical governance, health improvement, and commissioning as well as other functional areas. A local forum for chief executives and chairs of PCGs meet on a regular basis in Coventry.
In addition, PCG officers attend quarterly network meetings and PCG nurse board members hold bi-monthly network meetings across the West Midlands depending on availability of appropriate venues.
There are currently no formal channels of communication for PCGs at national level, but a number of networking developments have been well received. PCGs moving to primary care trust status this year have had the benefit of a national development network and I understand that PCGs in the West Midlands were part of the Northern network.
Many PCGs took up the opportunity to participate in the national primary care collaborative and one of the successful applicants from the West Midlands was Coventry East.
The National Health Service at all levels is making increasing use of e-mail and websites to facilitate communications.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has issued to primary care groups about local health information campaigns. [126102]
Mr. Denham: Primary care groups are expected to work with other local health and partner organisations to tackle local and national health priorities identified in the Health Improvement Programme. In doing so, they will need to play a full and appropriate role in local campaigns to inform and educate their local populations about health and health services.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |