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GP Budgets
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average GP budget was in (a) May 1997 and (b) in the most recent financial year for which figures are available in Shrewsbury and Atcham; and if he will make a statement. [156498]
Yvette Cooper: Information is not collected centrally in regard to individual general practitioner's budgets.
Indeed, as independent contractors, GPs do not receive budgets as such. Also, because of variations such as list size, age of patients and environmental and health factors, as well as changes to the way in which moneys are allocated, it would be difficult to produce meaningful statistics for comparative purposes.
"Feet First" Report
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the review of the "Feet First" report; and if he will make a statement. [155579]
Mr. Hutton: "Meeting the Challenge: A Strategy for the Allied Health professions", published on 15 November 2000, raises the profile of chiropody and podiatry services alongside other health professions, and we have no current plans to publish the specific review of the "Feet First" report. Its impact has been to ensure that the significance of chiropody services informs policy development. For example, there is professional chiropody/podiatry involvement in the Expert Reference Group, and sub groups of the Diabetes National Standards Framework and the Department is also working with the Society on the new Allied Health Professions consultant role and the workforce review. The review of evidence based literature
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in Feet First Review has been made available to the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists for dissemination. There will be a ministerial meeting with the Society on 30 April.
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when it was originally planned that the cobalt radiotherapy unit would be phased out at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital; when he expects the new linear accelerator unit to be treating patients at the hospital; and if he will make a statement. [156495]
Yvette Cooper: In August 2000 the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital National Health Service Trust's business case for the provision of a second linear accelerator service to replace the existing cobalt unit was approved.
The new linear accelerator is expected to begin treating patients in spring 2002, forming part of the trust's plan to improve cancer services.
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients (a) in May 1997 and (b) on the most recent date for which information is available were treated at the Royal Shrewsbury hospital in mixed sex wards; and if he will make a statement. [156500]
Yvette Cooper: Information on the number of patients treated in mixed sex wards is not collected centrally.
We have set three specific objectives to eliminate mixed sex accommodation:
- ensuring that appropriate organisational arrangements are in place to secure good standards of privacy and dignity for hospital patients;
- achieving fully the patient's charter standard for segregated washing and toilet facilities across the National Health Service; and
- providing safe facilities for patients in hospital who are mentally ill which safeguard their privacy and dignity.
Meningitis C
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of people who have received vaccination against group C meningitis in Shrewsbury and Atcham in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [156499]
Yvette Cooper: The new meningitis C vaccine became available in autumn 1999 and was introduced into the routine childhood immunisation programme given at age two, three and four months in November 1999. A 'catch-up' campaign to offer vaccine to all those under the age of 18 years not covered by the routine programme was also undertaken from that date.
Information on the number of children immunised during the catch-up campaign will be available shortly and will be published in the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre's "Communicable Disease Report". The most recent coverage figures by regional health authority for the routine meningitis C programme were
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published in the "Communicable Disease Report" (Vol.11, No. 12, 22 March 2001). In Shropshire health authority area--which includes Shrewsbury and Atcham--an estimated 1,780 children had received the vaccine through the routine programme due at two, three and four months by December 2000.
Free Dental Treatment
Mr. Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce free dental treatment for all people over 75 years of age. [157157]
Mr. Hutton: We have no plans to introduce free dental treatment for all people over 75 years of age; we believe that it is a better use of limited resources to base help with charges for NHS dentistry on the individual's ability to pay, so ensuring help is focused on those who need it most. Pensioners who get Income Support pay nothing for their dental treatment and under the National Health Service low income scheme some are entitled to free treatment, while others, who are not entitled to full remission of charges, can get partial help.
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Continence Pads
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines exist to prevent the repackaging of continence pads that have been opened after sterilisation. [R] [156658]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 2 April 2001]: Continence pads are not required to be supplied sterile. Providing basic hygiene procedures are followed; for example, hand washing; patients' health should not be compromised from splitting bulk packs of continence pads.
"Good Practice in Continence Services" introduced by PL/CMO/2OOO/2, was issued in April 2000.
Bed Numbers (Northumberland)
Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available in the National Health Service in each year since 1997 in (a) Northumberland health authority and (b) Cheviot and Wansbeck Hospital. [157293]
Mr. Hutton: Information on bed numbers is collected annually from National Health Service trusts and not by individual hospital or health authority. The table shows the average daily number of available beds in NHS trusts within Northumberland health authority.
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| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust | 230 | 211 | 199 |
| Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust | 652 | 534 | 476 |
| Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust | -- | 1,392 | 1,379 |
| North Tyneside Healthcare NHS Trust | 523 | -- | -- |
| Cheviot and Wansbeck NHS Trust | 659 | -- | -- |
| Northumberland Community Health NHS Trust | 19 | -- | -- |
| Northumberland health authority area | 2,083 | 2,137 | 2,054 |
Source:
DH form KHO3
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Mr. Ronnie Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in the number of beds in Northumberland district health authority in each year since 1997. [157295]
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Mr. Hutton: The table shows the average daily number of available beds and the change in the number of beds in National Health Service trusts within Northumberland health authority area.
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| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust | 230 | 211 | 199 |
| Northgate and Prudhoe NHS Trust | 652 | 534 | 476 |
| Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust | -- | 1,392 | 1,379 |
| North Tyneside Healthcare NHS Trust | 523 | -- | -- |
| Cheviot and Wansbeck NHS Trust | 659 | -- | -- |
| Northumberland Community Health NHS Trust | 19 | -- | -- |
| Northumberland health authority area | 2,083 | 2,137 | 2,054 |
| Change in number of beds from previous year | +54 | -83 |
Source:
DH form KHO3
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Premature Babies
Mrs. Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to prevent premature babies contracting respiratory infections which are common amongst such babies. [157231]
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Yvette Cooper: Research indicates that pre-term babies are more susceptible to severe respiratory illness than healthy full term babies. The illness is often caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), for which there is at present no active vaccine. However there is increasing use of an immune globulin, which can be given by
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injectioneach month, to try to prevent this illness in very vulnerable babies.
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