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Local Pilot Schemes

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what local pilot schemes he funds in relation to (a) congestive heart failure and (b) asthma in London; and when he will receive reports on their progress. [156102]

Yvette Cooper [holding answer 29 March 2001]: The National Service Framework for coronary heart disease sets out standards and models of care for heart failure treatment which health authorities together with local stakeholders will be developing as part of the local implementation of the National Service Framework. All health authorities have addressed the issue of heart failure through their three year local delivery plans.

As part of this roll-out-local pilot schemes are being developed in London. One pilot project that will be specifically dealing with both congestive heart failure and asthma is the health networks initiative. This pilot project will look at new models of care for treating chronic illness in the Waltham Forest area of London. The project is jointly managed by the Redbridge and Waltham Forest health authority, Forest Healthcare National Health Service Trust and the Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone Primary Care Group. Congestive heart failure and asthma were chosen as the most suitable to consider for new ways of care management. The funding for this project is being provided by regional primary care money. It is hoped that the first pilot scheme will commence in June of this year. It is not clear when a report will be available.

In addition heart failure clinic pilots have been developed at the Whittington Hospital, St. George's Hospital and Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust.

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There are also a number of local pilot schemes for asthma in London which are outlined as follows:

The Bronchial Boogie Project in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham health authority. This project will provide singing and breathing tuition for young asthmatics and may include tuition with wind instruments and time with local youth rap and other bands. The project will provide professionals with an opportunity to impart general and respiratory specific health education and for the young people to teach the professionals good practice from the patients' point of view. This project is being funded through health action zone money. The report is expected in March 2002.

Free to breathe pilots have been set up by both Camden and Islington health authority and Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster health authority. Each of the pilots has been taken forward by local primary care groups. The pilots were set up last year to improve the care and treatment of patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These projects have been funded through health authority money. The Camden and Islington health authority report is currently available. The report by Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster will be completed during 2002.

Child Maltreatment

Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning "Child Maltreatment in the UK: A Study of the Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect", published by the NSPCC; and if he will make a statement. [156146]

Mr. Hutton: The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has made, and continues to make, a significant contribution in raising public awareness and understanding of the problem of child abuse.

We acknowledge the value of "Child Maltreatment in the United Kingdom". This is the first report of this most authoritative and contemporary prevalence study of child abuse and neglect. We have studied the findings of the report very carefully, and my officials have benefited from learning about the early findings of the study over the past two years. I am aware that there will be a major national conference on the implications of the report in April. We look forward to further findings that may be drawn from this study.

Computer Failures

Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice has been issued to (a) health authorities and (b) NHS trusts regulating requirements for disaster recovery strategies in the event of massive computer failure; and if he will make a statement. [156142]

Mr. Denham: The National Health Service information authority has published comprehensive guidance on information security management methods, including business continuity management, to NHS health authorities and trusts within the generic United Kingdom standard BS7799 part 1 and related NHS documentation. These are available from the authority and also online from the authority's website to all NHS staff.

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PFI Contracts

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the disposal by Hyder of its PFI contracts with George Eliot and South Warwickshire hospitals to IBA; and if he will make a statement; [156216]

(2) what PFI contracts have been awarded to IBA by South Manchester and Kettering hospitals; and if he will make a statement; [156263]

(3) if his Department has taken steps to ensure the accuracy of information published by IBA on its website regarding the awarding of NHS PFI contracts. [156264]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 30 March 2001]: IBA has been appointed preferred bidder under the Private Finance Initiative procurement process for the provision of Information Technology (IT) services at South Manchester University Hospitals National Health Service Trust and Kettering General Hospitals NHS Trust. Contracts will be signed if the trusts are satisfied that the final proposals are affordable and provide value for money solutions for the NHS.

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and South Warwickshire NHS Trust are currently taking legal and financial advice on IBA's proposal to take over the prime IT contracts which they currently hold with Hyder plc.

The accuracy of information produced by private sector companies is a matter for the companies themselves. Government bodies expect to be fully consulted about the use of information supplied by them to other parties in good faith during the course of a procurement process.

Newcastle Hospitals Trust

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what numbers of acute and intermediate beds he has agreed for the Newcastle Hospitals Trust PFI; what target date he has set for the replacement of the Northern Centre for Cancer Treatment; and when he plans to put the PFI into open advertisement for bids. [156469]

Mr. Denham: No target numbers of beds have yet been agreed for the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals Trust's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme as this is an aspect of the refinement of the outline business cases that is now being undertaken by the trust.

The scheme's business cases advocate the new Northern centre for cancer treatment being procured as one part of the overall PFI developments proposed at both the Freeman Hospital and Royal Victoria Infirmary. Subject to satisfactory progress being made in progressing the scheme, the new facilities at Freeman Hospital should be operational in 2005.

The date for placement of the advertisement will be dependent on the completion of the refinement of the outline business case.

Prescriptions

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the number of prescriptions per head of population was; and what the value of such GP prescribed

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prescriptions per head for (a) anti-depressants and (b) tranquillisers was in each of the last three years for each health authority in England. [156470]

Mr. Hutton: The information requested for 1998 and 1999 will be placed in the Library. Information for 2000 will not be available until June 2001.

Mental Health Patients

Mr. Gunnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health patients detained in hospital received ECT (a) having given informal consent in advance, (b) not having given consent but having had the matter put to a second opinion appointed doctor and (c) having given no consent and not having the matter referred to a second opinion appointed doctor between November 2000 and February 2001; and how this data compare to that for the period November 1999 to February 2000. [156671]

Mr. Hutton: The information is not available in the form requested. A survey covering the period from January 1999 to March 1999 was undertaken to provide an up to date and accurate snapshot picture of the use of electro-convulsive treatment (ECT) in England. During that period 2,800 patients received ECT treatment, 75 per cent. of ECT patients were not formally detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 and of those patients formally detained while receiving ECT treatment, 29 per cent. consented to ECT, 12 per cent. were treated as an emergency and 59 per cent. did not consent to treatment but were treated after a second opinion was obtained. The latter figure represented those patients who were unable to consent because of the serious nature of their illness. As a proportion of all ECT patients, those not consenting represented about 15 per cent.

The results of the survey are contained in the Department of Health Statistical bulletin "Electro Convulsive Therapy: Survey covering the period from January 1999 to March 1999, England", a copy of which is in the Library.

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