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Allergies
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce a national framework for the provision of paediatric allergy services. [130996]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 17 July 2000]: We are taking forward the National Service Framework (NSF) programme with the development of one new NSF per year. We will consider the proposed service area or care group for the next NSF against the criteria set out in "A First Class Service", as well as the priorities and targets identified in the National Plan.
Prostate Cancer
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many prostate-specific antigen blood tests were performed in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000; [130743]
- (2) how many new biopsy-proven cases of prostate cancer there were in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000. [130750]
Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not currently available. The latest available figures of registrations of prostate cancer for 1991-1996. Figures for 1994-1996 are provisional.
| Year | Number | (1)Rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 14,313 | 49.7 |
| 1992 | 15,823 | 54.8 |
| 1993 | 17,210 | 59.1 |
| 1994 | 19,200 | 65.6 |
| 1995 | 18,400 | 62.3 |
| 1996 | 18,900 | 63.5 |
(1) Rates are directly age-standardised to the European population
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) radical prostatectomy surgeries, (b) external beam radiation therapy courses and (c) radioactive seed implants (brachytherapy) for prostate cancer were performed in (i) 1997-98, (ii) 1998-99 and (iii) 1999-2000. [130748]
Yvette Cooper: The number of episodes where either a prostatectomy or radiotherapy for prostate cancer was performed, in NHS hospitals in England for 1997-98 to 1998-99 are shown in the table. Data for 1999-2000 are not yet available.
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| Diagnosis/operation | 1997-98 | 1998-99 |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Malignant neoplasm of prostate C61 (ICD10) with open excision of prostate M61 (OPCS 4R), or endorscopic resection of outlet of male bladder M65 (OPCS 4R). | 6.468 | 6,366 |
| (b) Malignant neoplasm of prostate C61 (ICD10) with Radiotherapy session Z51.0 (ICD10) | 5.125 | 6,345 |
(1) An FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year.
Notes:
Figures for 1997-98 are grossed for both coverage and unknown/invalid clinical data, but the figures for 1998-99 are ungrossed (i.e. no adjustments have as yet been made for shortfalls in data).
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for (a) a body scan and (b) a bone scan following prostate cancer diagnosis. [132722]
Mr. Denham: This information is not collected centrally.
Coronary Heart Disease
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) men and (b) women were treated for coronary heart disease during the last 12 months. [130767]
Yvette Cooper: The number of admissions for coronary heart disease to National Health Service Trusts in England, by gender, for the financial year 1998-99, is shown in the table.
| Admissions | |
|---|---|
| Male | 186,585 |
| Female | 99,918 |
| Sex not specified | 103 |
| Total | 286,606 |
Meat Inspections
Mr. Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which other EU countries are supportive of a meat inspection regime based upon risk analysis. [131100]
Ms Stuart: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that at recent European Commission Working Group meetings on veterinary legislation, all European Union member states have expressed support for the Commission's initiative to fundamentally review ante- and post-mortem inspection procedures in slaughterhouses. All member states were of the view that the current meat inspection system should be re-assessed on the basis of risk. However, there were varying degrees of support for the extent to which it would be possible to move away from the present levels of official supervision and for plant operators to take responsibility for post-mortem inspection. Subsequent bilateral meetings between Food Standards Agency officials and representatives from the veterinary
26 Jul 2000 : Column: 621W
authorities in France and the Netherlands have shown these countries to be very supportive of a risk-based approach to both official controls and meat inspection procedures.
Mr. Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the possibility of introducing the hazard analysis and critical control point system into the meat hygiene service. [131810]
Ms Stuart [holding answer 21 July 2000]: Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a food safety management system which places responsibility for the production of safe food on food business operators. HACCP is widely regarded as the most effective approach to preventing food safety problems but is not currently a mandatory requirement in the meat slaughtering sector. The European Commission's proposals for new food safety hygiene rules, presented by Commissioner Byrne at the Agriculture Council on 17 July, would extend HACCP-based controls to all food production, including meat slaughtering. We welcome these proposals and the opportunity they give to modernise official controls and meat inspection procedures. The new legislation is expected to take at least two years to negotiate, with a further interim phase needed for full implementation. I am advised that the Food Standards Agency will be consulting widely on the Commission's proposals in developing the United Kingdom's negotiating position.
In the meantime, the meat industry is being encouraged to adopt HACCP on a voluntary basis. In a survey in 1999 about 54 per cent. of red meat (full throughput) slaughterhouses and 71 per cent. of white meat (full throughput) slaughterhouses in Great Britain claimed to have a full HACCP system in place.
Hospitals, Shrewsbury
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 3 July 2000, Official Report, column 39W, on the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, how many patients were treated for each of the treatments listed; and if he will make a statement. [131165]
Yvette Cooper: The information is not available in the requested format. The table relates to the numbers of operations performed at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital between 1 April 1999 and 31 March 2000.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Hip operations | 80 |
| Knee replacements | 5 |
| Hernia operations | 717 |
| Cataract operations | 1,546 |
Action is being taken specifically on both reducing waiting times for patients needing orthopaedic procedures and on improving services to them. We are also improving access to cataract services. In doing so, we will improve the volume of surgery and reduce waiting lists. A capital modernisation fund of £20 million over two years from 2000-01 will allow local services to modernise.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to visit the Copthorne South hospital buildings in Shrewsbury; and if he will make a statement. [131699]
26 Jul 2000 : Column: 622W
Yvette Cooper: Due to heavy diary commitments, there are no plans at present for the Secretary of State for Health to visit the Copthorne South hospital buildings in Shrewsbury.
Modernisation Fund
Mr. St. Aubyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list each application which he has determined for support from the Modernisation Fund, referred to in Figure 11.5 of the Departmental report, indicating the health authorities to which each application related, the amount of each application, the date of each application, the date of his decision on each application and the amount awarded thereunder, since the establishment of the fund; [129688]
- (2) if he will place in the Library a copy of each application to the Modernisation Fund, referred to in Figure 11.5 of the Departmental report, by a health authority which has been personally determined by ministers, and the reasons cited for such determination, since the establishment of the fund; [129689]
(3) if he will list each application to the Modernisation Fund, referred to in Figure 11.5 of the Departmental report, by a health authority which was (a) personally determined by ministers and (b) determined by officials, indicating in each case the amount of each application and the amount of each award, since the establishment of the fund. [129690]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 17 July 2000]: The table listing, by health authorities, the awards for the eighteen 1999-2000 Modernisation Fund budgets that were allocated via a bidding process has been placed in the Library.
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