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Hospital Hygiene
Ms Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional money has been made available to West Hertfordshire NHS trust as a result of the recent report on cleanliness in hospitals. [159537]
Mr. Denham: An allocation of £150,000 was made last year to improve the patient environment at West Hertfordshire Hospitals national health service trust. A further allocation is currently being determined and will be announced shortly.
Waiting Times
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives he has introduced to ensure compatibility of waiting times between health authorities. [160069]
Mr. Denham: Our national health service plan targets will reduce the maximum waiting time for in-patient treatment to six months and for out-patient appointments to three months by 2005. The modernisation agency and the Department's regional offices are working with the NHS to significantly improve access to care and to reduce variations in waiting times in the areas with the longest waits.
Audiology Services
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the waiting times for initial hearing tests for (a) adults and (b) children. [160068]
Mr. Hutton: Information on waiting times for initial hearing tests is not collected centrally.
The "Action on Ear Nose and Throat (ENT)" initiative, which has been established as part of our modernisation strategy for the national health service, is looking at improving access to ENT and audiology services. Departments are being supported to re-design the way services are provided, in order to improve access and reduce waiting times. One element of the initiative focuses specifically on audiology, with the aim of spreading best practice to all audiology departments.
8 May 2001 : Column: 149W
Residential Care Homes (North-west)
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) private and (b) local authority residential homes in the north-west there were in the years from 1997 to date. [160089]
Mr. Hutton: The table shows the number of independent and local authority staffed residential care homes in the north-west region. Information is presented for the years 1997 to 2000.
| Year | Total number of homes | Local authority staffed homes | Independent homes(27) | Dual registered homes(28) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 3,196 | 345 | 2,570 | 281 |
| 1998 | 3,594 | 323 | 2,845 | 426 |
| 1999 | 3,599 | 309 | 2,872 | 418 |
| 2000 | 3,703 | 304 | 2,947 | 452 |
(26) The Government Office regions of north-west and Merseyside.
(27) Consists of voluntary, private and small homes.
(28) Homes that are registered to provide both residential and nursing care operated by the independent sector.
Source:
Department of Health annual return RA form A
Special Advisers
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost was of employing special advisers in his Department from 1997 to date. [160057]
Ms Stuart [holding answer 1 May 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 1 May 2001, Official Report, column 607W.
Cataract Operations
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the waiting list was for those waiting for cataract operations on the NHS in the north-west in each of the years from 1997 to date; [160088]
- (2) what the cost of a cataract operation was in the north-west in each of the years from 1997 to date. [160087]
Mr. Denham: We do not collect procedure specific waiting list information.
The cost of a cataract operation in the north-west from 1997 to date is shown in the table.
| £ mean average | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrative and admission type | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
| Day case | 621 | 620 | 570 |
| Elective inpatient | 693 | 839 | 791 |
| Non-elective inpatient | 814 | 1,317 | 1,359 |
Note:
These data relate to the financial years as stated.
8 May 2001 : Column: 150W
Refrigerants
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which premises owned and leased by his Department use (a) chlorofluorocarbons and (b) hydrochlorofluorocarbons for refrigeration and other relevant energy needs; if he will publish details of such use and the reasons for it; and what specific guidance on the use of these substances he has issued to NHS trusts. [159965]
Ms Stuart [holding answer 1 May 2001]: Of the buildings owned or leased by the Department, three of its main headquarters buildings and three of its main regional office buildings use hydrochlorofluorocarbons as refrigerant in air conditioning systems. The Department is looking at options to replace these with more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Guidance issued to the National Health Service is to ensure that they do not purchase any products that use chlorofluorocarbons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons where there are suitable alternatives.
Correspondence
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for West Chelmsford will receive a reply to his letter of 25 January concerning Mr. Heywood- Waddington of Chelmsford; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in replying. [160166]
Mr. Hutton: A reply to the hon. Gentleman's letter was sent on 2 May 2001.
I apologise for the delay in replying to his correspondence but, unfortunately, his letter did go astray within the Department. A copy of his correspondence was sought and faxed through to the Department on 1 May. New operational procedures have been introduced in the Department to ensure that this sort of delay should not happen again.
Breast Reduction Surgery
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 13 March 2001, Official Report, column 583W, on surgical treatments, when he expects the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to discuss procedures for offering breast reduction surgery following clinical recommendations and reduce the postcode lottery in this area of health care; and if he will make a statement. [160163]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 1 May 2001]: Breast reduction surgery was assessed against the criteria for proposing topics to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, and it was decided that it should not be referred at this time.
NHS Trusts (Greater London)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospital trusts cover the Greater London area. [160267]
Mr. Denham: There are 32 acute hospital national health service trusts and 37 non-acute trusts in the Greater London area effective of 1 April 2001. These are listed in the table.
8 May 2001 : Column: 151W
8 May 2001 : Column: 153W
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