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HEALTH
Hospital Insulation
Mr. Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the NHS CO 2 standard of heat insulation, specified in PFI tenders for new hospital buildings, is implemented in existing and future contracts. [143163]
Mr. Denham: The National Health Service has a good track record in achieving environmental targets, and there are a number of initiatives under way to support the NHS in achieving greater energy efficiency. This is an important matter, and we do not propose to stand still. We are therefore taking the following programme of action:
We will write to all NHS trusts setting new mandatory targets for overall energy use and will be providing guidance to the NHS on how to improve its environmental performance.
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We will make existing targets for capital schemes mandatory, which means that all output specifications for private finance initiative schemes must comply with those targets.
We will include a new section on energy efficiency in the Business Case checklist, which the Department uses in assessing the quality and readiness of proposals for capital schemes.
The current British Standard for heat insulation is under review, and I have asked that my officials review the current model engineering specification in the light of this.
The revised capital investment manual will include a new section focusing on environmental issues.
A joint NHS Estates/Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions research and development project is under way to produce a building research establishment environmental assessment model for hospitals.
Repetitive Strain Injury
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of repetitive strain injury were diagnosed and treated in each year since 1995; and what estimate he has made of the total cost of treating the condition. [145004]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is not available centrally.
Hip and Knee Replacements
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hip and (b) knee replacement episodes were carried out for residents of each health authority in (i) 1996-97, (ii) 1997-98, (iii) 1998-99 and (iv) 1999-2000; and what proportion this represents of each resident population. [145861]
Mr. Denham [holding answer 16 January 2001]: The information requested has been placed in the Library.
The tables show figures for elective hip and knee replacement operations for the years 1996-97 to 1999-2000, for patients resident in England and treated in National Health Service hospitals in England, by health authority of residence. The total numbers have increased from 37,410 hip replacements and 26,725 knee replacements in 1996-97, to corresponding figures of 41,561 and 33,414 in 1999-2000, an increase of 11 per cent. and 25 per cent. respectively.
Hospital Waiting Lists (Mid Essex)
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the most recent figures for the total number of people waiting for hospital treatment in Mid Essex. [145949]
Mr. Denham: In November 2000, there were 9,050 patients waiting for inpatient treatment at Mid Essex Hospital Services National Health Service Trust.
- Source:
- Monthly waiting list returns
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Far East Prisoners of War
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the £10,000 ex-gratia payments made to former Japanese prisoners of war count towards capital for the purposes of charging for nursing and social care. [146078]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has laid regulations and is in the process of issuing guidance to councils to ensure the ex-gratia payments are completely disregarded in the assessment of people's ability to pay for nursing home and residential care.
With regard to home care and other non-residential services, the Department has recently issued similar draft guidance.
Bedford Hospital
Mr. Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to address issues arising from the undignified and disrespectful placing of bodies in the Chapel of Rest of the mortuary at Bedford Hospital. [146013]
Mr. Denham: The report of a full investigation by the Eastern Region of the National Health Service Executive will be published and placed in the Library. The Health and Safety Executive is due to visit Bedford Hospital on 18 January 2001 and the Commission for Health Improvement will include the mortuary facilities as part of its wider inspection of the hospital which will begin on 29 January 2001.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer the questions tabled by the hon. Member for Cardiff, Central for answer on 18 December 2000 on the use of gelatine in the manufacture of drug capsules. [146024]
Yvette Cooper: I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply to his questions tabled for answer on 18 December as soon as possible.
NHS Dentists
Paddy Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the number of NHS dentists who are overseas qualified dentists; and if he will make a statement. [144602]
Mr. Hutton: On 30 September 2000, there were 2,656 dentists providing General Dental Services in England who had qualified outside the United Kingdom. That is 15 per cent. of the total number of dentists providing General Dental Services.
Paddy Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the (a) proportion and (b) number of (i) adults and (ii) children who were registered with an NHS dentist in each (1) health authority and (2) county in England and Wales for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [144601]
Mr. Hutton: The information for England has been placed in the Library.
The number of patients registered with a dentist for National Health Service treatment has declined since 1993 although in the past 12 months the numbers have started to
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increase. The decline was mainly due to dentists choosing to increase their private practice, to more dentists working part-time, the reduction in the registration period since 1996 and the elimination of duplicate registrations.
Comparable data for 1991 are not available because registration was only introduced in October 1990 and the number of patients registered was still growing until 1992.
Information about Wales is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Wales.
Data are not available by county.
Dental Services (Somerset)
Paddy Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the (a) start up costs and (b) annual running costs of the personal dentist service pilots in (i) Taunton and (ii) Yeovil; and what his estimate is of the number of people each year who will receive treatment at such centres. [144603]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is as follows:
Start-up costs (allocated) The start-up costs for this third wave dental access centre Personal Dental Service pilot scheme which has centres in Yeovil and Taunton are as follows: preparatory of £20,000 (£10,000 of this was allocated to them to work up a full proposal from their Expression of Interest); and capital of £585,000 including £85,000 for information technology capital.
Running Costs (not allocated) The revenue allocation has not yet been issued as the matter is still under discussion.
It is estimated that the number of patient to be seen annually once fully recruited to four additional dentists plus the clinical director will be 7,000 Community Dental Service (CDS) patients--based on historical CDS figures--and 8,000 new patients.
Hospital Waiting Lists (Somerset)
Paddy Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people have been on the in-patient waiting list at (a) East Somerset NHS Trust and (b) Taunton NHS Trust in each quarter since 1990-91; and how many of these people were waiting (i) more than six months, (ii) more than 12 months and (iii) more than 18 months; [144613]
- (2) what the in-patient waiting list size is at (i) East Somerset NHS Trust and (ii) Taunton NHS Trust; and how many people at each trust have been waiting (a) more than six months, (b) more than 12 months and (c) more than 18 months for an operation. [144612]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is shown in the tables. The two trusts in question did not exist prior to 1991-92, therefore no data are available.
n/a--not available
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n/a--not available
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Paddy Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been on the out-patient waiting list at (a) East Somerset NHS Trust and (b) Taunton NHS Trust for each quarter since 1990-91; and how many of these people were waiting (i) more than six months, (ii) more than 12 months and (iii) more than 18 months. [144597]
Mr. Denham: The information requested is shown in the tables, however, out-patient data are collected by number of weeks waiting, rather than months. The tables show numbers who have waited over 13 and over 26 weeks. The Department does not collect information on the total number of people waiting for out-patient appointments on any given day. Because of the high turnover of out-patient waiting lists it would not be a useful indicator to have the total number of waiting at the last day of the quarter.
| Year | Quarter | Not seen 13 to 25 weeks | Not seen 26 weeks plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 1 | 743 | 205 |
| 1995-96 | 2 | 933 | 271 |
| 1995-96 | 3 | 966 | 172 |
| 1995-96 | 4 | 738 | 191 |
| 1996-97 | 1 | 1,010 | 143 |
| 1996-97 | 2 | 1,340 | 142 |
| 1996-97 | 3 | 1,277 | 194 |
| 1996-97 | 4 | 1,058 | 210 |
| 1997-98 | 1 | 932 | 173 |
| 1997-98 | 2 | 1,473 | 155 |
| 1997-98 | 3 | 1,380 | 219 |
| 1997-98 | 4 | 1,017 | 199 |
| 1998-99 | 1 | 1,337 | 199 |
| 1998-99 | 2 | 1,649 | 363 |
| 1998-99 | 3 | 1,598 | 527 |
| 1998-99 | 4 | 1,500 | 478 |
| 1999-2000 | 1 | 1,931 | 552 |
| 1999-2000 | 2 | 2,020 | 577 |
| 1999-2000 | 3 | 1,918 | 643 |
| 1999-2000 | 4 | 1,525 | 603 |
| 2000-01 | 1 | 2,168 | 483 |
| 2000-01 | 2 | 1,287 | 256 |
Source:
QM08--waiting times quarterly return
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| Year | Quarter | Not seen 13 to 25 weeks | Not seen 26 weeks plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 1 | 664 | 277 |
| 1995-96 | 2 | 752 | 228 |
| 1995-96 | 3 | 811 | 189 |
| 1995-96 | 4 | 736 | 194 |
| 1996-97 | 1 | 305 | 20 |
| 1996-97 | 2 | 393 | 30 |
| 1996-97 | 3 | 391 | 60 |
| 1996-97 | 4 | 472 | 87 |
| 1997-98 | 1 | 511 | 146 |
| 1997-98 | 2 | 727 | 142 |
| 1997-98 | 3 | 763 | 225 |
| 1997-98 | 4 | 606 | 237 |
| 1998-99 | 1 | 653 | 210 |
| 1998-99 | 2 | 725 | 200 |
| 1998-99 | 3 | 851 | 196 |
| 1998-99 | 4 | 649 | 247 |
| 1999-2000 | 1 | 922 | 258 |
| 1999-2000 | 2 | 838 | 294 |
| 1999-2000 | 3 | 737 | 306 |
| 1999-2000 | 4 | 763 | 257 |
| 2000-01 | 1 | 971 | 295 |
| 2000-01 | 2 | 567 | 202 |
Source:
QM08--waiting times quarterly return
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