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Suicides

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in reducing the mortality rate from suicide since his target was set. [35499]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 February 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 147W.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a date has been set to launch the suicide prevention strategy. [35506]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 February 2002]: We expect to publish a draft national suicide prevention strategy for public consultation in spring 2002, followed by the final agreed strategy around July 2002.

Patient Consultants (Waiting Times)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 6 December 2001, Official Report, column 487W, on patient consultations, what recent research his Department has carried out on the average length of patient consultation times with (a) GPs and (b) hospital consultants; and what the findings were. [24430]

Mr. Hutton: The Department has not conducted any recent research on how long general practitioners or hospital consultants currently spend on consultations.

Children's National Service Framework

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has finished the timetable for the Children's National Service Framework; and if he will make a statement. [35494]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 12 February 2002]: The first part of the Children's National Service Framework, standards for children receiving acute/ hospital care, will be published this year. The timetable for the publication of the rest of NSF has not yet been finalised.

Asbestos

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the relative health risks posed by (i) brown, (ii) blue and (iii) white varieties of asbestos. [35382]

Dr. Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.

13 Feb 2002 : Column 492W

The report of the research by HSE epidemiologists, "The Quantitative Risks of Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer in Relation to Asbestos Exposure", was published in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene on 1 December 2000. This paper evaluated the relative health risks of blue, brown and white asbestos. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Parliamentary Questions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer the written question tabled by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak on 25 October, ref. 10662. [16170]

Jacqui Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 28 November 2001, Official Report, column 973W.

Correspondence

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to provide an answer to the question from the hon. Member for Isle of Wight of 4 December 2001, Ref 20380. [35517]

Ms Blears: I replied to the hon. Member on 8 February 2002, Official Report, column 1237W.

Mrs. Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Broxbourne will receive a reply to her letters of 12 October, 16 November, 12 December 2001 and 9 January 2002, relating to her constituent, Mrs. T. Shah of Cheshunt. [26778]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 14 January 2002]: A reply was sent on 29 January 2002.

Audiology Treatment

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients aged (a) 16 to 59, (b) 60 to 75 and (c) over 75 years were waiting for (i) hearing tests and (ii) other audiology treatment by (A) hospital trust and (B) health authority in each quarter for the last three years. [28845]

Jacqui Smith: Data on waiting times for hearing tests are not collected centrally.

Data are collected on the number of out-patients waiting over 13 weeks for 'audiological medicine'. These are shown in the table. These data are not collected in age-ranges.

Audiology in-patients are treated within the ear, nose and throat specialty. Data on the number of patients specifically waiting for audiology treatment within the ENT specialty are not collected centrally.

The "Action on ENT" initiative, which has been established as part of our modernisation strategy for the NHS, is improving access to ENT and audiology services. One element of the initiative focuses specifically on audiology, with the aim of spreading best practice to all audiology departments. Audiology departments are supported to re-design the way services are provided in order to improve access and reduce waiting times.

Number of out-patients still waiting at quarter end over 13 weeks for first out-patient appointment in audiological medicine following GP referral

NameSeptember 1998December 1998March 1999June 1999September 1999December 1999
Data by trust
Barking and Dagenham PCT000000
City and Hackney PCT000000
Central Manchester PCT000000
Royal Surrey County and St. Luke's Hospitals NHS Trust1188987786825
Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust129126100132131297
Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust000000
Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust14516915014723998
Brighton Healthcare NHS Trust0024318113176
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust000000
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust333540283152
Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital NHS Trust293130722
St. Mary's NHS Trust100000
St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust22606711213077
King's College Hospital NHS Trust000000
Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust0677360
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust200001
Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust210110
Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust818174130
City and Hackney Community Services NHS Trust234101
Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust000110
Surrey Sussex healthcare NHS Trust000000
Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust000000
North West London Hospitals NHS Trust000301313
Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust00099145125
Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust000000
East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust000000

13 Feb 2002 : Column 493W

March 2000June 2000September 2000December 2000March 2001June 2001September 2001
Barking and Dagenham PCT00000159
City and Hackney PCT0000001
Central Manchester PCT0000002
Royal Surrey County and St. Luke's Hospitals NHS Trust81815263234
Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust260144192303288377435
Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust1000012
Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, University Hospital NHS Trust55134223
Brighton Healthcare NHS Trust284084571822060
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust00000233185
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust69547951318293
Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital NHS Trust31711171119104
St. Mary's NHS Trust0688683867417
St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust6714719290243377438
King's College Hospital NHS Trust1120011
Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust0203743
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust0112001
Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust0011011
Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust010140390
City and Hackney Community Services NHS Trust0122001
Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust00011369
Surrey Sussex healthcare NHS Trust00000011
Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust0000011
North West London Hospitals NHS Trust9392214222832
Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust11314113710976106120
Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust0000064
East and North Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust0141024153537

NameSeptember 1998December 1998March 1999June 1999September 1999December 1999
Data by health authority
Hillingdon HA103491004
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster HA6688821
Redbridge and Waltham Forest HA347990
Bedfordshire HA5541560
Berkshire HA025281254
Buckinghamshire HA011100
Croydon HA1361810
East Kent HA001200
West Kent HA221223
Kingston and Richmond HA002275
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham HA213166118
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth HA18287236199255186
East Surrey HA7168117
West Surrey HA978173506923
East Sussex, Brighton and Hove HA1019614510555
West Sussex HA20325154023
Barking and Havering HA820443
Brent and Harrow HA11147311622
Camden and Islington HA40031313131
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow HA792343
East London and City HA4113151515
North Essex HA011114
South Essex HA000000
Manchester HA221451531920
Morecambe Bay HA001000
Salford and Trafford HA101100
Stockport HA011010
Oxfordshire HA1553686474166
Suffolk HA000110
Barnsley HA236608
North Derbyshire HA16131413146
Southern Derbyshire HA3161510148
Doncaster HA201000
Lincolnshire HA224210
Nottingham HA13614813313623990
Rotherham HA766008
Sheffield HA794956706706753956
East Lancashire HA000000
North and Mid Hampshire HA14171710311
Southampton and SW Hampshire HA0021120
Somerset HA000000
East Riding and Hull HA011000
Wakefield HA000300
Coventry HA000000
South Staffordshire HA000000
Warwickshire HA5512254
Cambridgeshire HA000400
Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshiren/an/an/an/an/an/a
Barnet, Enfield and Haringeyn/an/an/an/an/an/a
Hertfordshire HAn/an/an/an/an/an/a
Bromley, Bexley and Greenwichn/an/an/an/an/an/a

13 Feb 2002 : Column 495W

March 2000June 2000September 2000December 2000March 2001June 2001September 2001
Hillingdon HA3520223
Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster HA23638480918156
Redbridge and Waltham Forest HA167119141818
Bedfordshire HA01017118
Berkshire HA62018201016101
Buckinghamshire HA0010201
Croydon HA6950037
East Kent HA2120010
West Kent HA3111144
Kingston and Richmond HA411121111616
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham HA699134329
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth HA186263293184302433516
East Surrey HA568164922
West Surrey HA81616233233
East Sussex, Brighton and Hove HA232960471661941
West Sussex HA1322251528365
Barking and Havering HA2044456
Brent and Harrow HA17572042375047
Camden and Islington HA78476511597104143
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow HA1471191214
East London and City HA43151839401871
North Essex HA0628135
South Essex HA0004232
Manchester HA416341445
Morecambe Bay HA0000011
Salford and Trafford HA1000010
Stockport HA0000011
Oxfordshire HA6890556168884
Suffolk HA0000101
Barnsley HA12513111076
North Derbyshire HA1510151718169
Southern Derbyshire HA40011359
Doncaster HA1346322
Lincolnshire HA2000010
Nottingham HA49134223
Rotherham HA11111312141510
Sheffield HA8036626415032357157
East Lancashire HA1000001
North and Mid Hampshire HA0225548
Southampton and SW Hampshire HA1203301
Somerset HA0000010
East Riding and Hull HA0112001
Wakefield HA1121110
Coventry HA000002320
South Staffordshire HA0000010
Warwickshire HA8151216980
Cambridgeshire HA120140430
Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshiren/an/an/an/an/a7887
Barnet, Enfield and Haringeyn/an/an/an/an/a8188
Hertfordshire HAn/an/an/an/an/a3643
Bromley, Bexley and Greenwichn/an/an/an/an/a55

13 Feb 2002 : Column 497W


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