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CT Scanner (Blackpool Victoria Hospital)
Mr. Dawson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide funding for an additional CT scanner at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. [12921]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 6 November 2001]: In the coming months, the Department will be drawing up and discussing the criteria for allocating a further 50 computer tomography scanners nationally, funded through the NHS Cancer Plan for 2003–04. It is hoped that a list of sites will be agreed early in the next financial year. Blackpool Victoria Hospital can apply to be considered for an additional scanner under this initiative.
Zyban
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has received in the last six months on the safety of bupropion (Zyban). [12729]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 November 2001]: Since the marketing of bupropion (Zyban) in June 2000, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has been kept informed by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the Government's independent expert scientific advisory body, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM), on matters relating to its safety.
In the last six months this has included the following CSM advice issued on 31 May 2001, the purpose of which was to minimise the risk of adverse effects especially seizures:
- (i) The dosing regimen should be amended to delay the increase in dose (from day four to day seven of treatment) in order to give more time for drug levels to stabilise.
- (ii) Existing warnings relating to the other risk factors for seizure should be strengthened to emphasise that Zyban should only be used in patients with these factors if there are compelling clinical reasons.
The CSM has continued to review the balance between the effectiveness of Zyban in helping people to stop smoking, and the health benefits that this brings, with the risk of adverse effects. This balance is considered to remain favourable. There is some indication that the latest advice issued by CSM has helped to further improve the safe use of Zyban, since the rate of reporting of suspected
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adverse reactions in the United Kingdom has decreased since then. The CSM will continue to monitor its safety record of Zyban closely.
Delayed Discharges
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what definition of a health and social care change agent is used in relation to investment in reducing delayed discharges. [12700]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 6 November 2001]: A health and social care change agent is defined as a member of the change agents team who addresses the issue of delayed discharge by practical action and advice to support local national health service and social services management. The work of the change agents is likely to cover local implementation of relevant standards of the National Service Framework for Older People, particularly including development of care trusts, where these may impact on bed blocking locally.
NHS Magazine
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many copies of the NHS Magazine are sold per issue; and how many copies are distributed free of charge. [12702]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 November 2001]: Twenty-two copies of NHS Magazine are sold to overseas and private sector subscribers per issue. The remaining 61,000 are distributed free of charge.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what involvement Ministers have in (a) writing the editorial page of the NHS Magazine and (b) sanctioning the content of articles. [12701]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 November 2001]: Ministers do not see any of the content of NHS Magazine prior to publication. Content is approved by officials in the Department.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of is of producing NHS Plan News. [12726]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 November 2001]: The average cost of producing NHS Plan News is 0.2p a copy.
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of publishing the NHS Magazine is. [12703]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 November 2001]: The average cost of publishing the NHS Magazine is 1.4p a copy.
Service Agreements
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the departmental public service agreements will be updated to reflect the commitments contained in the NHS National Plan. [12699]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 November 2001]: The Department's public service agreement already reflects the commitments contained in the NHS Plan. The public service agreement can be found at Annexe 3, page 142, of the NHS Plan.
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Ambulances
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to allow GPs to override telephone protocols when making emergency requests for ambulances. [12776]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 November 2001]: Protocols for making emergency requests for ambulances are agreed locally between general practitioners and each ambulance trust. There are no plans to override these arrangements.
All national health service ambulance trusts use call prioritisation systems. This means that calls to immediately life threatening conditions will get a quicker response. Ambulance services are required to take patients to hospitals that are identified by a doctor as urgent so that these patients arrive at hospital within 15 minutes of the arrival time specified by the doctor in 95 per cent. of cases.
Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) guidance and (b) instructions on performance levels have been given to the Isle of Wight ambulance service this year; and when, distinguishing that which is general to the ambulance services from that which is specific to the island's service. [12927]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 November 2001]: Ambulance services in England measure their performance against a number of criteria. We place a high priority on performance in responding to category A calls, those calls which may be immediately life-threatening. There is no different standard on performance levels set for the Isle of Wight. All ambulance services, including that on the Isle of Wight, were originally set a target of reaching 75 per cent. of category A calls in eight minutes by 31 March 2001.
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the target response time for non-urgent ambulance responses is; and what the average response time has been in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [12462]
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Ms Blears [holding answer 7 November 2001]: There are no nationally laid down standards for ambulance responses to patients with non-emergency illnesses and injuries.
Information on response times for all National Health Service ambulance trusts is contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin "Ambulance Services, England 2000–01". A copy is in the Library and available at www.doh.uk/public/sb0115.htm.
Mixed Sex Wards
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds were in mixed sex wards in each of the last five years. [12717]
Ms Blears [holding answer 6 November 2001]: Hospital wards are usually subdivided into bays and these are designated male or female. Depending on case mix and local need, the exact proportion of male to female bays will vary. We are therefore unable to provide information at the level of the individual ward.
The national health service is working to eliminate mixed sex accommodation. Guidance on maintaining privacy and dignity was first issued to the service in 1997 and since then NHS trusts have been working towards clear targets to promote privacy and dignity in hospital wards.
These targets include the abolition of Nightingale wards for older people and £120 million has been allocated over the next three years to make progress towards this. Schemes to modify 233 wards have already been approved to commence work this year and further schemes will begin in the next two years.
Chest Pain Clinics
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the locations of the rapid access chest pain clinics. [12724]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 6 November 2001]: The information requested is in the table.
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