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Pneumococcal Vaccine
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to (a) provide and (b) promote pneumococcal vaccine for pensioners aged over 65 years; and if he will make a statement; [10104]
- (2) what plans the JCVI has to consider the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccine on elderly patients and make recommendations on its future use for NHS patients aged over 65 years; [10106]
(3) what evaluations his Department has made of the clinical effectiveness of the pneumococcal vaccine for those aged over 65 years; [10103]
(4) what estimates he has made of the (a) cost and (b) savings to the NHS if everyone aged 65 years and more were given the pneumococcal vaccine; [10105]
(5) what evaluations his Department has carried out into the cost effectiveness of administering the pneumococcal vaccine to all those aged over 65 years; [10107]
(6) what plans her Department has to submit evidence to the JCVI on the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccine for those aged 65 years and older; and if he will make a statement. [10102]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 29 October 2001]: Based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), pneumococcal vaccine is currently recommended for use in certain risk groups with certain medical conditions, which put them at higher risk of pneumococcal infection. The JCVI regularly reviews its advice and the Department also keeps the evidence base on this topic under review.
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Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for all those aged two years or older in whom pneumococcal infection is likely to be more common and/or dangerous, ie those with:
- Asplenia or severe dysfunction of the spleen
Chronic renal disease or nephrotic syndrome
Immunodeficiency or immunosuppression due to disease or treatment, including HIV infection at all stages
Chronic heart disease
Chronic lung disease
Chronic liver disease including cirrhosis
Diabetes mellitus.
The Department has not carried out a cost effectiveness study of administering the pneumococcal vaccine to all aged 65 years and over but continues to recommend the vaccine based on underlying ill health rather than age.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the clinical and cost effectiveness of implementing an age-based pneumococcal vaccine campaign; [10736]
- (2) which health authorities operate age-based pneumococcal vaccine campaigns. [10737]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 29 October 2001]: The Department has not carried out a cost effectiveness study of administering pneumococcal vaccine based on age and does not hold data on which health authorities operate age-based pneumococcal vaccine, as the Department continues to recommend the vaccine based on underlying ill health rather than age.
Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for all those aged two years or older in whom pneumococcal infection is likely to be more common and/or dangerous, ie those with:
- Asplenia or severe dysfunction of the spleen
Chronic renal disease or nephrotic syndrome
Immunodeficiency or immunosuppression due to disease or treatment, including HIV infection at all stages
Chronic heart disease
Chronic lung disease
Chronic liver disease including cirrhosis
Diabetes mellitus.
National Care Standards Commission
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist pharmacist inspectors the National Care Standards Commission plans to have in its establishment; how many will be in post from 1 April 2002; and what their role will be. [11013]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 29 October 2001]: The planned establishment for pharmacist inspectors in the National Care Standards Commission is 66. The number which will be in post at 1 April 2002 is not yet known, as invitations to transfer have not yet been issued to staff eligible to transfer from health authorities and trusts. The ministerial scheme to effect the transfer of staff (the Statutory Transfer Order) will be prepared later this year.
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The role of pharmacist inspectors in the National Care Standards Commission will continue to be to provide professional support to regulation, with the new regulator, from 1 April 2002.
Maternity Units
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities have midwife-led maternity units. [10013]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 29 October 2001]: Using a definition of midwife-led units to cover free standing units, separate units co-located with other hospital services and midwife-led areas which are part of a consultant-led unit, the following health authorities have midwife-led units:
- Trent Region:
- North Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, South Humber, Nottinghamshire, South Derbyshire, Doncaster, Sheffield and Nottingham.
- South Eastern Region:
- Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Kent, East Surrey, East Sussex, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire, North and Mid Hampshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Southampton and South West Hampshire
- South West Region:
- Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, North and East Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
- North West Region:
- South Lancashire, Morecambe Bay, St. Helens and Knowsley and Salford and Trafford.
- Northern and Yorkshire Region:
- East Riding and Hull, Northumberland, North Cumbria, Tees and Wakefield (to open February 2002).
- West Midland Region:
- Shropshire, North Staffordshire, South Staffordshire, Worcestershire Coventry, Birmingham.
- Eastern Region:
- North Essex health authority and Suffolk health authority.
- London Region:
- Kensington Chelsea and Westminster, Barking and Havering, Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, Camden and Islington, Barnet Enfield and Haringey, East London and The City, Hillingdon, Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich, Ealing Hammersmith and Hounslow, Merton Sutton and Wandsworth, Brent and Harrow, Kingston and Richmond and Croydon.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many publications were issued by his Department in each of the last four years. [11835]
Ms Blears: The Department has issued the following number of publications over the last four years:
| Number of publications issued | |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 974 |
| 1999 | 884 |
| 2000 | 1,035 |
| 2001 | (8)946 |
(8) As of 31 October 2001
Note:
These figures include documents issued as books, leaflets, circulars or in electronic format only
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NHS Dentists
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of dentists providing treatment on the national health service in each health authority in England and Wales in each of the last four years. [11872]
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Ms Blears: The number of general dental services dentists in England and Wales is shown in the table for June in each of the years 1998 to 2001 for the current health authorities.
The total number of dentists in England and Wales increased by 7 per cent. in the three years from June 1998 to June 2001. The commitment of individual dentists to the general dental services can vary.
(9) June 1998 data are not available. Cambridge and Norfolk HAs were created in April 1999 from the previous HAs: Cambridge and Huntingdon; East Norfolk; and North West Anglia. The total number of dentists in these HAs was 467 in June 1998 and 489 in June 1999.
Notes:
1. Some dentists have contracts in more than one health authority. These dentists have been counted only once, in the HA in which they hold their main contract. Dentists include principals on a HA list of dentists, and their assistants and vocational dental practitioners.
2. At 30 June 2001 there were 592 dentists working in the personal dental service (PDS) in England, of which 385 were working solely in the PDS. There are no PDS pilots in Wales.
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