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Breast Implants
Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government will respond to the Health Committee's report on the provision of information on the safety of breast implants, HC 308, Session 2000–01. [6041]
Mr. Hutton: The Government's response has been provided to the Committee today and copies are available in the Library.
Prostate/Testicular Cancer
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many men were diagnosed with (a) prostate and (b) testicular cancer in (i) 1971, (ii) 1980, (iii) 1990 and (iv) 2000. [4273]
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Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Vernon Coaker, dated 18 July 2001:
- As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning the number of men diagnosed with (a) prostate cancer and (b) testicular cancer in (i) 1971, (ii) 1980, (iii) 1990 and (iv) 2000.
- The latest available figures on the number of registrations of prostate and testicular cancer in 1971, 1980, 1990 and 1997 (the most recent year for which data are available) in England are given in the table below.
| Year of diagnosis | Prostate | Testis |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 5,789 | 612 |
| 1980 | 8,440 | 826 |
| 1990 | 12,518 | 1,199 |
| 1997 | 18,201 | 1,411 |
Disability Equipment
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in response to last year's Audit Commission report 'Fully Equipped' in respect of disability equipment available through the NHS. [4345]
Jacqui Smith: Leading up to and following the publication of the Audit Commission Report "Fully Equipped" the Government have taken the following steps:
We have made available £105 million to the National Health Service for community equipment services over the years 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04. We also took account of the need for additional investment in the personal social services settlement for 2001–02 to 2003–04 to enable councils to contribute an appropriate share to the expansion and integration of these services.
The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) has commissioned a path-finding project looking at ways to modernise orthotic services in the NHS. We will be reviewing the findings in due course.
As outlined in Health Service Circular 2001–01 and Local Authority Circular (2001) 1, we made available £0.5 million in 2001–02 and £1.5 million and £2.0 million in 2002–03 and 2003–04 respectively to be invested in silicone cosmesis. The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency have undertaken a tendering exercise to make these products available on the NHS during August 2001.
During 2000, we continued the £14 million from 1999–2000 for funding invested in indoor/outdoor powered chairs and vouchers and made it recurrent. We also made some adjustments to encourage the effective operation of the service, ending the separation of the allocations for wheelchairs and for vouchers, enabling funds to be spent on either, according to users' wishes, with a voucher scheme being retained in all locations to provide choice. We hope that this greater freedom in the use of funds will help people's needs to be met as effectively as possible.
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The Department's project "Modernising NHS hearing aid services" is evaluating leading-edge digital hearing aids for NHS patients, coupled with an evaluation of associated service delivery changes. Digital hearing aids require different service delivery models as they incorporate information technology based assessment and fitting procedures. £10.75 million will be available for the 20 NHS hearing aid departments involved in the project over the two years 2000–01 and 2001–02. If the project is successful by 2003–04 we will be investing an extra £25 million in NHS hearing aid services.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into (a) waiting times and (b) the standard of provision of disability equipment services since the publication of the Audit Commission's report "Fully Equipped". [5230]
Jacqui Smith: Leading up to and following the publication of the Audit Commission report "Fully Equipped", the Department is undertaking a major piece of work as part of the NHS Plan in modernising community equipment services. The Department published guidance "Guide to Integrating Community Equipment", issued on 27 March.
The National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency have commissioned some work looking at ways to modernise orthotic services in the NHS. We will be reviewing the findings in due course.
The departmental project "Modernising NHS hearing aid services" is evaluating leading edge digital hearing aids for NHS patients, coupled with an evaluation of associated service delivery changes. Digital hearing aids require different service delivery models as they incorporate IT-based assessment and fitting procedures. £10.75 million will be available for the 20 NHS hearing aid departments involved in the project over the two years 2000–01 and 2001–02. If the project is successful by 2003–04 we will be investing an extra £25 million in NHS hearing aid services.
No research has been commissioned to date on prosthetic and wheelchair services.
Health Care (Costs)
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assumptions on the level of health care cost inflation his Department is using in respect of the financial years (a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000, (c) 2000–01, (d) 2001–02, (e) 2002–03 and (f) 2003–04. [4144]
Mr. Hutton: The level of health care cost inflation for the financial year 1998–99 was 4.0 per cent. and for 1999–2000 it was 4.5 per cent. The figures are taken from the National Health Service hospital and community health service (HCHS) pay and price inflation index. The latest year that data are available is 1999–2000.
Assumptions for future years will be made based on our inflation target and possible recommendations from the pay review bodies.
The HCHS pay and price inflation index provides an indication of inflation experienced within the NHS HCHS. It is compiled by combining pay and price inflation within the HCHS. It is a retrospective index in that it is developed from available data and therefore projections of future years are not available.
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St. George's Hospital, Tooting
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute beds there are at St. George's Hospital, Tooting. [4530]
Mr. Hutton: In the financial year 1999–2000, St. George's Healthcare National Health Service Trust had 767 average daily number of acute beds in wards open overnight.
Figures are taken from the annual Korner return KH03—"Bed availability and occupancy" England 1999–2000.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated for the present financial year to (a) St George's Hospital, Tooting, and (b) Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth health authority. [4879]
Mr. Hutton: Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth health authority's allocation for 2001–02 is £498.646 million. This represents an increase of £42.445 million or 9.3 per cent. over the allocation for the previous financial year.
Revenue funding is not allocated directly to national health service trusts. Trusts receive their income by way of service agreements with health authorities. However, St. George's NHS Trust has received capital allocations of £6.400 million in 2001–02. This includes £0.675 million for the Local Capital Modernisation Fund and £1.152 million for "action on" programmes for orthopaedics and ear, nose and throat.
Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated at St. George's hospital, Tooting, in 2000. [4880]
Mr. Hutton: The number of admissions to St George's National Health Service Trust in the year 1999–2000 was 66,121.
This information is extracted from the Hospital Episode Statistics system, which contains details of patients admitted to and treated in NHS hospitals in England. Some individuals may be treated more than once.
Chiropodists
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the role of chiropodists in the NHS, with particular reference to their screening for diabetes. [4281]
Jacqui Smith: We have published the Allied Health Professions Strategy, which highlights the role of chiropodists/podiatrists. Chiropodists are an integral part of the Government patient-focused policy programme, particularly in relation to older people and diabetes, which are part of the National Service Framework programme.
Chiropodists/podiatrists are valued members of the national health service work force; they play a key role in detecting indications of diabetes, eg foot ulcers. However, there are also screening methods which can pick up indications of diabetes or those at risk of developing it, before such signs become apparent.
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Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on access to chiropody services in the (a) NHS and (b) independent sector. [4280]
Jacqui Smith: Information about patient contacts with the chiropody service in England is collected on Department of Health return KT23 and published each year. The latest publication "Chiropody services: summary information for 1999–2000, England" is in the Library. The Department does not collect data on the independent sector.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of proposals to regulate chiropodists in the non-state registered sector. [4868]
Mr. Hutton: The new Health Professions Council will determine arrangements for the admission to the register. The council will have a duty to consult and involve those likely to be affected by its proposals.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the representation of private chiropodists on the NPC, indicating if private chiropodists will be allowed to select their own representative. [4925]
Mr. Hutton: The new Health Professions Council has one professional member from each of the professions, including Chiropody, currently regulated by the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine. There is no specific provision for non-state registered chiropodists to be represented on the new council. However the new council will have a duty to consult and involve those likely to be affected by its proposals.
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the competency tests proposed for private chiropodists; and for what reason those tests will not be applied to all chiropodists. [4926]
Mr. Hutton: The new council will be responsible for determining competency tests required for registration. The tests will apply to all professions including chiropodists. The new council will have a duty to consult and involve those likely to be affected about the standards of proficiency it requires for registration.
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