| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Primary Care Groups
39. Ms Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of primary care groups. [98964]
Mr. Denham: 481 Primary Care groups have been successfully established since April 1999. 83 per cent. operate at level 2, with a devolved health authority budget of at least 30 per cent.
Tobacco Advertising
40. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is towards tobacco advertising in the United Kingdom. [98965]
Yvette Cooper: As part of our comprehensive programme against tobacco, we will implement a ban on tobacco advertising in line with Directive 98/43/EC as soon as practicable.
NHS Waiting Lists
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list medical procedures and treatments which are not included in the compilation of published NHS waiting list figures. [98616]
Mr. Denham: National Health Service waiting list statistics include all procedures for which patients are currently awaiting elective admission.
National Waiting List Helpline
Mr. Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the length of wait for a first out-patient appointment for each consultant currently supplied to the National Waiting List Helpline. [98502]
Mr. Denham: The National Waiting List Helpline is run by the College of Health, and publication of the data they collect is a matter for them.
Medical Negligence Claims
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on medical negligence claims in the years (a) 1995, (b) 1996, (c) 1997 and (d) 1998. [98749]
Ms Stuart: The information requested is given in the table. Figures for 1998-99 are not yet available. It should be noted that, due to changes in National Health Service accounting practice required by the National Audit Office over recent years, these data are not directly comparable.
23 Nov 1999 : Column: 97W
1994-95: £160 million
1995-96: £173 million
1996-97: £235 million
National Burn Care Review
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the National Burn Care Review; and when he expects it to be completed and its findings published. [99421]
Mr. Denham: The National Burn Care Review is a professionally-led review being undertaken by the British Burn Association (BBA). The Department has made a contribution towards the cost of the work and has observer status on the Review Group. The BBA expects to issue a discussion document early in the New Year.
Correspondence
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter sent to him on 3 November by the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale West, seeking guarantees on the future of cancer surgery at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. [99245]
Ms Stuart: My noble Friend the Lord Hunt of King's Heath replied to the hon. Member today.
Prostate Cancer
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to increase awareness of prostate cancer in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement; [98547]
- (2) what progress he has made in (a) reducing the incidence of prostate cancer, (b) shortening the timescale for detection and (c) shortening the timescale for quantitive analysis since May 1997; [98549]
(3) what assessment he has made of the level of prostate cancer in the United Kingdom relative to that in (a) the United States of America and (b) other European countries; and if he will make a statement. [98548]
Yvette Cooper [holding answers 22 November 1999]: We are determined to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of prostate cancer. The White Paper, 'Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation', which was published in July proposed a target to reduce the death rate from cancer in those under 75 by 20 per cent. by 2010 saving 100,000 lives.
We have already announced that by December 2000 all urgent general practitioner referrals of suspected prostate cancer should be seen by a consultant within two weeks of referral. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has commissioned guidance on cancer services on four further cancer sites over the next two years, and urological cancers (includes prostate) will be the first of these.
The Department provides information for the public, in leaflets and through health education campaigns. These encourage people to report to their GP or other health professional any persistent unusual symptoms which may indicate cancer or other disease. For example, the 'Europe Against Cancer' theme for 1998 was 'Cancer in Men' and a related leaflet included advice about symptoms that may indicate prostate cancer, including a change in urinary habits.
23 Nov 1999 : Column: 98W
| Country | Incidence 1990 estimates (3) | Mortality c. 1995 (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | 42.7 | 17.5 |
| Belgium | 40.5 | 18.6 |
| Denmark | 33.5 | 20.4 |
| Finland | 43.4 | 18.0 |
| France | 39.2 | 15.5 |
| Germany | 37.5 | 17.0 |
| Greece | 12.7 | 9.3 |
| Ireland | 31.3 | 19.6 |
| Italy | 16.3 | 11.4 |
| Luxembourg | 38.2 | 15.2 |
| Netherlands | 41.8 | 19.6 |
| Portugal | 20.6 | 17.0 |
| Spain | 18.3 | 13.9 |
| Sweden | 59.9 | 21.7 |
| United Kingdom | 30.1 | 17.1 |
| United States of America | 95.1 | 16.3 |
(3) World Age Standardised Rate per 100,000
(4) Mortality data 1995, except Belgium (1992), Denmark (1993) and Italy (1993)
Note:
The estimated rate of incidence of prostate cancer in the United Kingdom is lower than the average of all European Union countries and less than a third of that in the United States of America. However, international comparisons should be treated with caution, as there is no guarantee that like is being compared to like. Varying identification, collection and collation procedures affect the comparability of the data.
Source:
Incidence--IARC [GLOBOCAN database]
Mortality--IARC [WHO DATABANK mortality database]
Struck-off Patients
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been struck off general practitioners' registers over the last two years. [99312]
Mr. Denham: The table shows the number of patients removed from their general practitioner's list because of an act or threat of violence, the number of patients transferred at the request of the GP and the total number of patients removed from GP lists (at request of GP).
| England | 1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997 | 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of patients removed from GP lists (at request of GP)(5) | 83,275 | 84,316 |
| Of which: | ||
| Patients removed from GP lists because of act or threat of violence | 1,081 | 1,100 |
| Patients transferred at request of GP(5) | 82,194 | 83,216 |
(5) Some health authorities include notification of a patient leaving the practice area ie not all removals at GP request are involuntary
Note:
The following health authorities did not report:
1996-97: North West Anglia, East and North Hertfordshire, Bromley, Isle of Wight
1997-98: Salford and Trafford
Source:
Department of Health--GMP Census Additional Data Collection
23 Nov 1999 : Column: 99W
The Department, with the support of the profession, is presently conducting a survey into the scale of, and reasons behind, patients removals by GPs. Once the results are known, we will consider any further action that needs to be taken.
Waiting Times
Mr. Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to publish performance indicators of (a) consultants and (b) hospital departments in relation to patient waiting times for (i) first consultation and (ii) in-patient treatment. [98657]
Mr. Denham: The Department regularly publishes detailed information on waiting times for first out-patient appointments and in-patient waiting lists by National Health Service trust and consultant speciality. Information on waiting times for individual consultants is not collected centrally.
Mr. Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding assessments of waiting times to see hospital consultants. [98658]
Mr. Denham: The Department regularly receives questions on the waiting time for a first outpatient appointment. Information on first outpatient appointments is collected and published on a quarterly basis.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |