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Waiting Times
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to achieve a reduction in waiting times. [102270]
Mr. Denham: We remain on track to achieve our manifesto commitment to reduce waiting lists by 100,000 from the level inherited.
NHS Personnel (Violence)
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to prevent violence against NHS personnel. [102276]
Mr. Denham: A cross-government campaign NHS zero tolerance zone was launched in October, underpinned by a national target to reduce violence against staff by 20 per cent. by 2001 and by 30 per cent. by 2003. By April 2000, all NHS trusts are required to have systems in place to record incidences of violence to staff, and also to have local reduction strategies in place.
Smoking
Mr. Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals to reduce smoking in public places. [102277]
Yvette Cooper: The Government have supported the licensed hospitality trade's Public Places Charter to increase the provision of non-smoking facilities in pubs, hotels and restaurants. The Health and Safety Commission has consulted on introducing an Approved Code of Practice on smoking in the workplace. We look forward to the Commission's conclusions.
Disablement Services
Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce a national service framework on disablement services. [102345]
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Mr. Hutton:
We have no plans to introduce a national service framework (NSF) on disablement services. The next two NSFs will be for older people, (2000), and diabetes, (2001). Ministers will consider the service area or care group for the NSF to follow diabetes against the criteria found in the document A First Class Service, which set out in detail how standards would be set, delivered and monitored.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many haemophiliacs there are infected by blood containing hepatitis C in each health authority area. [102594]
Mr. Denham:
We do not hold this information centrally for individual health authorities. We estimate that 4,000 people with haemophilia were infected with hepatitis C before blood products were virally inactivated.
Audrey Wise:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent of the practice by which organs have been removed from deceased adult patients without consent, indicating the number of institutions involved in the last five years. [102826]
Mr. Denham:
We have asked the Chief Medical Officer to conduct an investigation into the removal and retention of tissues and organs at post-mortem examination within the National Health Service. This is now under way and he will produce his report in September.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Health Services Directorate will reply to the letter dated 15 September from Mr. Trevor Mytton of the Shropshire Wheelchair Users Group regarding the Wheelchair Service and Voucher Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [102990]
Mr. Hutton:
A senior official responded to Mr. Mytton's letter of 15 September by telephone. A letter has now been sent to him.
Mr. Gray:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if membership of private health insurance schemes precludes appointment to the boards of (a) health trusts and (b) health authorities. [103065]
Mr. Denham:
No. However, to be appointed to these posts, candidates must be able to demonstrate a strong personal commitment to the National Health Service.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the elective waiting list total was for the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on (a) 1 May 1997 and (b) the latest date for which data is available; and if he will make a statement. [103305]
Mr. Denham:
Waiting list information for 1997 is available only on a quarterly and not a monthly basis. Figures are therefore not available for 1 May 1997. At 31 March 1997, there was a total of 4,245 people on the
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in-patient elective waiting list at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, and at 31 October 1999 the number of patients waiting for elective in-patient treatment was 4,262.
We are pleased to be able to commend the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for maintaining in-patient waiting list standards and for achieving their contribution to the countywide in-patient target last year. I am also delighted to learn that the Trust is on track to meet its target again this year.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress made to modernise the accident and emergency unit at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. [103306]
Ms Stuart:
We are committed to modernising and improving accident and emergency facilities for the benefit of both patients and staff. The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital National Health Service Trust has received £600,000 from the Government's accident and emergency modernisation fund for the development of an assessment unit, a decontamination facility and improved security.
The new developments are progressing well; plans for the design and development of the assessment unit are currently under discussion, and this facility is due for completion in the new financial year. New equipment has already been ordered, which can be used prior to completion within the existing facilities. Security has already been improved, and this will be extended further on completion of the assessment unit with the installation of additional CCTV cameras. A decontamination unit has also been ordered.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what pilot schemes for telemedicine and test result links between general practitioner's and hospitals he has set up in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire; and if he will make a statement. [103304]
Ms Stuart:
The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital National Health Service Trust is one of two hospitals in the country taking part in a major pilot into the use of telemedicine. The pilot aims to explore the benefits of using telemedicine, and when completed, which should be around June 2000, will report its findings to the NHS research body.
The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital has also established a test results links service, linking the hospital with local general practitioner practices. This system, which has developed into a countywide service, enables hospitals to transmit test results electronically to those GP practices involved, so providing a faster, more efficient service for the benefit of both patients and staff.
Telemedicine is a key part of the Government's plans for modernising and reconfiguring the NHS and the White Paper "The New NHS" stated our commitment to
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Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances a medical practitioner can be required to supply to a third party information given by a patient in confidence. [103741]
Ms Stuart:
A medical practitioner may only be required to pass on confidential patient information to a third party, when this requirement is imposed by legislation or a court of law.
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints he has received about the activities of the Fraud Investigation Unit of the Prescription Pricing Authority in each of the last three years. [R] [103100]
Mr. Denham
[holding answer 20 December 1999]: In the time available, the Department has been able only to check records from April 1998 to the present. In that period, the Department received letters of complaint about the Fraud Investigation Unit's activities from four individual patients, two dispensing appliance contractors and one representative body.
Mr. Oaten:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to health authorities to ensure that wheelchair voucher users are made aware of alternative providers of wheelchairs outside the NHS. [R] [103095]
Mr. Hutton
[holding answer 20 December 1999]: Health Service Guidance (96) 53 advised health authorities, National Health Service trusts and wheelchair service managers to negotiate arrangements with local wheelchair suppliers who were willing to participate in the voucher scheme. It proposed that minimum standards should reflect the supplier's ability to offer a choice of products, have demonstration stock, local showroom and repair capability, including adequate stocks of locally held spare parts. Membership of a trade association with minimum entry conditions which cover the above criteria would serve as an adequate indication of acceptability.
Mr. Andrew George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the York Economic Consortium Review of the wheelchair voucher scheme will be published; and if he will make a statement. [103662]
Mr. Hutton:
We are currently considering the report's recommendations and hope to announce my response in the near future.
"developing telemedicine to ensure specialist skills are available to all parts of the country".
The development of the NHSnet, which will be capable of connecting GP's and hospitals for the exchange of test requests and results, will enable rapid and accurate exchange of information within a modernised, more efficient NHS.
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