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Confidentiality

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the safeguards in place to protect the confidentiality of personal genetic and similar information. [125731]

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Yvette Cooper: Personal genetic information held in confidence, as with other confidential information, is protected by law. Health professionals also have ethical duties imposed by their regulatory bodies and the majority of National Health Service staff have equivalent contractual obligations. The Human Genetics Commission has indicated that it will be examining the protection of genetic data as a priority in its work programme.

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he gives to health trusts on the confidentiality of patient records under the Data Protection Act 1998. [126085]

Mr. Denham: Guidance on patient confidentiality, issued by the Department to trusts in March 1996, remains relevant and in force. Consideration will be given to whether amendments or additional guidance are needed. Department officials are discussing the implications of the new Act with the Data Protection Commissioner's office.

Air Ambulance Services

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the funding of air ambulance services. [125958]

Ms Stuart: The need for helicopter air ambulance services is a matter for local health economies as the case for supporting these from public funds has not been made. Professor Jon Nicholls' report "The costs and effectiveness of helicopter emergency ambulance services", commissioned by the Department of Health, did not show benefits to justify National Health Service investment. The position will be reviewed if any further evidence is presented. A copy of this report has already been placed in the Library.

Hospital Infections

Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of death arising from hospital infection were recorded in 1999; and what estimate he has made of the number of deaths amongst patients discharged from hospital caused by infection acquired whilst in hospital in the same period. [126188]

Mr. Denham: There are no centrally held statistics on deaths caused by hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The role which any HAI might play in a patient's death is a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned.

Outpatient Appointments

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many outpatient appointments were (a) missed by patients and (b) cancelled by hospitals in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [126090]

(2) what the annual cost was to the NHS of outpatients failing to keep appointments in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [126089]

Mr. Denham: During 1999-2000, 1,454,000 patients failed to attend a first outpatient appointment following referral by their general practitioner. Data on the numbers of outpatient appointments cancelled by National Health Service trusts are not collected centrally.

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The Department does not collect data on the cost of missed outpatient appointments, but the number of appointments missed suggests that the cost to the NHS is significant.

We are committed to improving the reliability and convenience of care for all patients. This is why we are investing £40 million this year to extend the national booked admissions programme. The programme allows patients to book hospital appointments or admission dates in advance at times that are convenient to them. Pre-booking in this way leads to demonstrable improvements in the numbers of hospital appointments missed by patients and the numbers of appointments cancelled by both the patient and the hospital.

Cervical Cancer Screening

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to implement hydrolysised DNA assay testing for cervical cancer screening; and if he will make a statement; [125965]

(2) what advice he has received from the Advisory Committee on Cervical Cancer Screening on the effectiveness of hydrolysised DNA assay testing. [125966]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 14 June 2000]: The Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening (ACCS) discussed the hydrolysised DNA assay (HDA) test developed by Dr. Andrew Sincock of King's College, and funded by Quest Cancer Research, at its meeting on 26 May 2000. Three members of the committee agreed to view a demonstration of the test at King's College, with a view to reporting back to the committee when it next meets. The Chairman of the ACCS will shortly be writing to Quest to make the appropriate arrangements.

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.

By establishing the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), we have taken responsibility for helping to clarify, both for patients and professionals, which technologies are clinically and cost effective. If a technology is likely to have a significant impact on patient care or National Health Service resources, Ministers may refer the technology to NICE after consultation with leading professionals.

NHS Census

Mr. Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 12 June 2000, Official Report, column 468W, how many NHS census replies he has received to date (a) on tape and (b) by dictation over the telephone; [126184]

Mr. St. Aubyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost to public funds of the recent NHS census, including printing, distribution, posting, processing and analysis and publication of the results. [126180]

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Mr. Denham: I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Members for Worthing, West (Mr. Bottomley) and for Gosport (Mr. Viggers) on 15 June 2000, Official Report, columns 671-72W.

Sexual Health

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whom the Government have consulted on the development of a sexual health strategy for young people. [126100]

Yvette Cooper: The Integrated Sexual Health/HIV Strategy will set a programme of action on sexual and reproductive health and HIV for England, for the whole population. A wide range of stakeholders have been involved in the development of the strategy, including a written consultation with health professionals working in the field, meetings with the Royal Colleges, professional organisations and other key players. There have also been specific consultations with young people, black and ethnic minority groups and gay men and lesbian women.

A draft strategy will be issued for consultation in the autumn.

Correspondence

Mr. Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will send a substantive reply to the letter sent to him by the hon. Member for North Thanet on 18 May concerning Mrs. A. Richardson and Miss Carrie Richardson. [126328]

Mr. Hutton: I shall let the hon. Member have a reply to his letter of 18 May as soon as possible.

NHS Dentistry

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the revenue to the NHS from charges for (a) NHS dental examinations and (b) NHS dental treatments for the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [126060]

Mr. Hutton: In 1999-2000 patient charge revenue in the General Dental Service in England for (a) dental examinations was about £75 million and for (b) all dental treatments (including examinations) was £432 million. Patient charges are paid direct to the dentist, with the gross fee payable to the dentist reduced accordingly.

Dental examinations and treatments for children are free. About a quarter of adults do not pay or pay a reduced amount for their National Health Service dental care.

Opticians

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the revenue to the NHS from charges for (a) examinations and (b) prescriptions by opticians for the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [126061]

Mr. Hutton: There are no charges for National Health Service sight tests or prescriptions for spectacles. People ineligible for free NHS sight tests pay for a private test. Where children under 16 and people on low incomes are prescribed glasses they are entitled to an optical voucher

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which they may use to pay for spectacles from a basic range or put towards a more expensive pair of their own choice.

Medical Training Costs

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the total cost (a) to his Department and (b) in total of training a medical student for one year for (i) pre-clinical training and (ii) clinical training; and if he will make a statement. [126063]

Mr. Denham: The Department meets the additional costs to hospitals and general practices of supporting the clinical training of medical students from the Service Increment for Teaching (SIFT) levy. In 2000-01 the average SIFT cost per student for each of the three years of clinical training is £46,157 in London and £37,202 outside London. In allocating funding to universities, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) assumes a total resource of £5,462 per year for each full-time equivalent student studying pre-clinical medicine and £12,290 per year for each full-time equivalent student studying clinical medicine. The HEFCE's assumptions on total resource include the statutory £1,050 full-time undergraduate fee which is usually paid by the student, but may be paid by the local education authority after means-testing.

Mr. Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical students entered NHS employment and what was the cost to his Department of training those students, in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [126062]

Mr. Denham: Data on the number of students taking up employment in the National Health Service are not held centrally. However, for the year ending July 1999, the latest date for which figures are available, 3,097 students graduated from English medical schools. In 1999-2000 the Department of Health made funding available to support approximately 3,400 newly qualified doctors at a cost of £74.5 million through the medical and dental education levy.

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