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Hospital Waiting Lists

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is towards the suspension from hospital waiting lists of patients recovering from the first stage of a bilateral procedure. [25499]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 9 January 2002]: Patients who are recovering from the first stage of a bilateral operation should not be suspended from the waiting list but should be placed on the planned list.

Antidepressants

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the side effects of tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; and what evidence he has collated on their impact on suicidal tendencies in their users. [25436]

Ms Blears: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are effective medicines in the treatment of depression, features of which may include suicidal behaviour. It is known that

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features of depression, including suicidal behaviour, can worsen after introduction of any antidepressant prior to its beneficial effect being apparent.

As with all medicines the safety of TCAs and selective SSRIs is continually monitored by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) and the independent expert advisory body, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). The safety profiles of TCAs and SSRIs are well established and are reflected in the product information for prescribers and patients.

Reports of adverse effects, including suicidal behaviour, suspected to be associated with SSRIs and TCAs are collated by MCA/CSM through the spontaneous reporting scheme, the yellow card scheme. These data are reviewed on a regular basis.

A possible causal association between SSRIs and suicidal behaviour has been reviewed by the CSM on a number of occasions, most recently in 2001. The CSM concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to confirm a causal association between SSRIs and suicidal behaviour and advised that the issue should be kept under review.

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The product information and the British National Formulary warn that patients should be closely monitored for suicidal impulses, particularly in the early stages of treatment. An article emphasising this advice was published in the MCA/CSM drug safety bulletin "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance" in September 2000.

International Recruitment

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 8 January 2001, Official Report, column 647W, on international recruitment, by what means he monitors the results of the international recruitment and regional international recruitment co-ordinators; and if he will publish the names of the international nursing recruitment agencies who fail to adhere to his guidance. [28881]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 21 January 2002]: International recruitment is monitored by the international recruitment co-ordinators who work closely with the national

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health service employers recruiting internationally. Their role is to ensure that the code of practice is followed and that developing countries are not targeted for international recruitment by providing guidance and advice directly to NHS trusts. The director of international recruitment reviews this process monthly.

Recruitment agencies who fail to adhere to the code of practice will not be used by NHS organisations.

NHS Assets

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each three star NHS trust in England the estimated value of assets held in (a) land and (b) buildings at the latest date for which figures are available. [28671]

Ms Blears: The table shows the estimated net book value of three star national health service trust's (a) land and (b) buildings installations and fittings as at 31 March 2001.

NHS trust tangible fixed assets—net book value as at 31 March 2001£000

NHS trust code	NHS trust name	Land	Buildings, installations and fittings
RGT	Addenbrooke's NHS Trust	21,243	99,308
RDD	Basildon and Thurrock General Hospital NHS Trust	23,135	58,525
RCP	Bassetlaw Hospital and Community Health Service Trust	4,070	31,496
RMB	Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust	5,095	73,620
RMR	Blackpool Victoria Hospital NHS Trust	5,303	53,338
RAE	Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust	9,373	85,701
RGA	Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust	3,376	21,926
RCV	Central Sheffield University Hospitals NHS Trust	7,490	117,702
RFS	Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Hospital Trust	8,150	37,033
RLN	City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust	5,645	76,452
RJR	Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Trust	6,064	36,581
RA5	East Gloucestershire NHS Trust	22,507	84,159
RDU	Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust	9,900	47,757
RGB	Huddersfield Health Care Services NHS Trust	8,359	57,213
RJZ	King's College Hospital NHS Trust	21,356	108,796
RC9	Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust	6,887	35,855
RQ8	Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust	45,921	78,138
RTX	Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust	10,481	111,631
RM1	Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust	2,492	4,258
RVW	North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust	7,595	73,964
RNS	Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust	15,152	60,348
RBZ	Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust	9,172	39,126
RTF	Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust	14,619	116,072
RGN	Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust	4,454	24,064
RQW	Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust	16,000	34,386
RG2	Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust	16,813	10,432
RH8	Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare NHS Trust	21,431	94,218
RK5	Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust	6,504	41,003
RA9	South Devon Health Care NHS Trust	21,906	72,567
RTA	South Durham Health Care NHS Trust	6,558	43,184
RE9	South Tyneside Health Care NHS Trust	6,523	51,546
RTG	Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	12,313	103,241
RBA	Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust	11,448	77,073
RGR	West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust	6,400	29,101
RN1	Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust	24,010	62,879

Source:

NHS Trust Summarisation Schedules 2000–01

Hospital Performance

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of (a) the effect of under investment and (b) the poor performance of management with regard to persistently failing NHS hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [29397]

Mr. Hutton: The national health service performance ratings for acute trusts were published in September 2001. The ratings show that hospitals of a similar size perform

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differently. Variations in performance are largely down to hospital management teams. The direct effect of funding levels on performance has not been used in deciding the ratings, although maintaining financial balance is a key target.

The poorest performing, zero star trusts, have submitted performance improvement plans to the Department. These are being reviewed and will subsequently be monitored. The modernisation agency is playing a full role in this process, to bring the performance of these trusts up to a level that patients have the right to expect.

Ms Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take into account (a) social, (b) economic and (c) demographic data when assessing an NHS hospital's (i) success and (ii) failure rate. [29396]

Mr. Hutton: The national health service performance ratings for acute trusts, published in September 2001, were based on areas of performance that are under the influence of hospital managers. Where appropriate, the performance indicators used in the assessment are standardised to take into account the age and sex of patients to make meaningful comparisons between hospital trusts.

Drop-in Body Scans

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the proposal by private firms to offer drop-in body scans claiming to identify cancer and heart disease; and what (a) checks and (b) licensing a company must undergo to ensure that such a service is (i) reliable and (ii) effective. [27853]

Yvette Cooper: From 1 April this year the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) will take over from health authorities the regulation of independent health care providers under the Care Standards Act 2000. For the first time, owners and managers of independent drop-in medical services and exclusively private general practitioners offering primary care or diagnostic services to the public will be obliged to register with the NCSC, comply with regulations and meet core and service- specific national minimum standards.

Treatment and diagnostic services provided solely by registered nurses or other non-medical health professionals will not be required to register with the NCSC. However, under the Care Standards Act my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has powers to make regulations to bring services not initially regulated by the National Care Standards Commission under regulation at a future date.

Other specific legislation requires that all medical exposures to ionising radiation, such as X-rays or CT scans, whether undertaken in the national health service or private sector must be justified.

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