| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Computer Crime
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of computer (a) hacking (b) fraud and
23 Nov 2001 : Column: 570W
(c) theft his Department has recorded in 2000 and 2001; and on how many occasions in 2000 and 2001 computer systems in his Department have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (i) within and (ii) outside his Department. [11000]
Ms Blears: There have been no reported incidents of illegal hacking or fraud on the Department's computer systems in 2000 and 2001. In 2000 there were computer thefts with a value of £45,894, whereas the equivalent figure for the year 2001 to date is £34,263.
Lymphoedema
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what clinics exist (a) in the UK and (b) in Gloucestershire to treat lymphoedema; what resources are provided for the treatment of that disease in (a) and (b); what training doctors are given in diagnosing and treating the disease; and if he will make a statement. [11059]
Ms Blears [holding answer 29 October 2001]: Data on the number of lymphoedema clinics across the United Kingdom are not collected centrally. A lymphoedema nurse specialist, funded by Macmillan Cancer Relief, holds weekly clinics in Gloucester and Cheltenham and also provides a domiciliary service.
Lymphoedema care is mainly a nurse-led service and all breast cancer nurses will have lymphoedema management training. Doctors will receive training as part of their general medical training with further specialist training available in the charitable sector. In addition, there are a growing number of Lymphoedema specialist nurses who will have undertaken specialist nurse training which is carried out mainly in the charitable sector by organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Relief and Marie Curie Cancer Care. This is very much a nurse-led service and specialist nurses are recommended both in "Improving Outcomes Guidance" and the national cancer plan as being a vital part of the multidisciplinary team.
NICE are developing guidance on supportive care which will include guidance on the support of patients with lymphoedema.
NHS Dentistry (Wiltshire)
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability of NHS dentistry in Wiltshire. [12854]
Ms Blears: Wiltshire health authority has a dental access plan to ensure that all residents who wish to can access a national health service dentist within a reasonable time and distance. It is meeting the targets set in the plan. A dental access centre opened in Swindon in March 2000 and the health authority is planning to open a second in Chippenham in 2002.
Accident and Emergency (Staffing)
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the number of nurse practitioners in accident and emergency departments. [12862]
23 Nov 2001 : Column: 571W
Ms Blears: Reforming emergency care will provide funding of £40 million to recruit 600 additional nurses to work in accident and emergency departments. The additional nursing staff will consist of accident and emergency nurses, emergency nurse practitioners and nurse consultants in emergency care.
Anti-TNF Treatment
Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on NHS circular HSC/1999/176 with respect to the duty of health authorities to develop policies for the managed introduction of drugs in advance of a decision by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; [13173]
- (2) when the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will report on anti-TNF drugs. [13174]
(3) whether health authorities and primary care groups may fund anti-TNF drugs in advance of the decision by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence; and (a) how many and (b) which are doing so. [13175]
Ms Blears: We anticipate that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will publish its guidance on anti-TNF drugs for rheumatoid arthritis in March 2002.
Until NICE has completed its appraisal, standing guidance in health service circular 1999/176 advises national health service bodies to use their existing arrangements to determine local prescribing policies, using the publicly available evidence to inform their decision.
The extent to which the NHS funds anti-TNF drugs will vary depending on local circumstances and priorities. Information on these local assessments is not collected centrally.
Public Service Agreements
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Public Service Agreement target to improve the educational attainment of children looked after by local authorities by increasing to at least 50 per cent. by 2001 the proportion of children leaving care aged 16 or above with a GCSE or GNVQ qualification. [14948]
Jacqui Smith: Data published by the Department on 19 October 2001 showed that in year ending 31 March 2001, 37 per cent. of the 6,500 young people leaving care at age 16-plus obtained one or more GCSEs or GNVQs. This compares with 30 per cent. of care leavers in the previous year. Thirty local councils reported meeting the 50 per cent. target compared to 15 in the previous year.
The attainment figures for year ending 31 March 2001 are based on examinations sat in summer 2000 and earlier, therefore preceding many of the important Government initiatives now under way to improve attainment.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Public Service Agreement target is for 2001–02 for the proportion of children in local authority care to have three or more placements in one year. [14913]
23 Nov 2001 : Column: 572W
Jacqui Smith: The public service agreement target set following the comprehensive spending review in 1998 was:
- "Improve the continuity of care given to children looked after by local authorities by reducing to no more than 16 per cent. in all authorities the proportion of such children who have three or more placements in one year by March 2001."
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the Public Service Agreement target of a reduction in the death rate from accidents by at least 20 per cent. by 2010. [14888]
Ms Blears: Latest available data (for the three years 1998–2000) show virtually no movement in the national death rate from unintentional injury. The target was announced in the saving lives White Paper published in July 1999, so we would not yet expect to see significant progress reflected in the information currently available.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in meeting the Public Service Agreement target for reducing the national average emergency psychiatric re-admission rate by two per cent. by 2002. [14914]
Jacqui Smith: Assessment of progress is set out in the table. It shows the number of emergency psychiatric re-admissions of patients aged 16–64 within 90 days of all discharges from the care of a psychiatric specialist as a percentage of such discharges.
| 1998–99 | 1999–2000 | 2000–01 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of re-admissions within 90 days | 15,461 | 14,875 | 14,068 |
| Total number of discharges | 113,585 | 114,616 | 110,312 |
| Re-admission rate (percentage) | (14)13.6 | (14)13.0 | (14)12.8 |
Progress is being made, and the national milestone as stated in the mental health national service framework to reduce the rate of psychiatric emergency readmissions by April 2002, from 14.3 per cent. to 12.3 per cent. is on target to being achieved.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in meeting the Public Service Agreement target of reducing the per capita rate of growth in emergency admissions of people aged over 75 years to an annual average of two per cent. up to 2002–03. [14915]
Ms Blears: The rates of growth nationally of emergency admissions of people aged 75 and over since 1998–99 are:
- 1998–99 to 1999–2000: 0.62 per cent.
1999–2000 to 2000–01: 0.01 per cent.
2000–01 to 2001–02 (forecast): 0.30 per cent.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on success in meeting the Public Service Agreement target of reducing to no more
23 Nov 2001 : Column: 573W
than 16 per cent. the proportion of children in local authority care who had three or more placements in one year by 2001. [14921]
Jacqui Smith: Provisional data for the year ending 31 March 2001 indicate that 78 per cent. of local councils in England met the target of having no more than 16 per cent. of their looked after children having three or more placements in the year.
The equivalent percentage of local councils who met this target in 1999–2000 and in 1998–99 was 53 per cent. and 39 per cent. respectively.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the Public Service Agreement target of a reduction in serious accidental injury relating to admission to hospital by at least 10 per cent. by 2010. [14887]
Ms Blears: Latest available data (1998–99) show virtually no movement in serious accidental injury relating to hospital admission. The target was announced in the saving lives White Paper published in July 1999, so we could not yet expect to see progress reflected in the information currently available.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |