House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 27 Feb 2002 (pt 38)

Glutaraldehyde

Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to stop the use of glutaraldehyde in hospitals in England and Wales. [35030]

Ms Blears: There are currently no plans to stop the use of glutaraldehyde in hospitals in England. National Health Service employers are already to give priority to preventing their employees being exposed to glutaraldehyde by inhalation, ingestion or skin contact under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1994.

Date Rape Drugs

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he has issued to young women with regards to the dangers of date rape drugs. [35629]

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Ms Blears: The Department funds the National Drugs Helpline to provide information, advice and support to anyone concerned about substance misuse. The helpline provides a range of information about date rape drugs, including their effects, risks and referral to local agencies that offer support. This service is free and confidential, and is open 24 hours a day.

The Department also funds Drugscope, an organisation that provides information on all aspects of drug policies and problems, including information on prevention and safety issues for people who feel that they may be affected by date rape drugs.

Child Protection

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Minister is responsible for the area child protection committees. [37775]

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Jacqui Smith: Area child protection committees are inter-agency forums for agreeing how the different services and professional groups should co-operate to safeguard children in their area. They are not statutory bodies, but are accountable for their work to their main constituent agencies. They are therefore not accountable to any Secretary of State. Each local authority with social services responsibility should take lead responsibility for the establishment and effective working of ACPCs. Local authorities are ultimately accountable to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health in respect of their social services functions.

Ambulance Staff (Physical Assaults)

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list, by regional ambulance service, the number of days off sick taken by ambulance staff following physical assaults by members of the public while on duty in (a) Q4 2000–01, (b) Q1 2001–02, (c) Q2 2001–02, (d) Q3 2001–02 and in (e) 2000–01, (f) 1999–2000, and (g) 1998–99; [35864]

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(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

Ms Blears: The Department conducted a survey of sickness absence, accidents and violence in national health service trusts in England in 1998–99. The survey found that there were approximately 65,000 violent incidents against NHS trust staff recorded each year. Figures for each individual NHS ambulance trust are shown in the table. A further survey of recorded violent incidents in 2000–01 has been conducted, and the figures are currently being analysed by the Department.

Information on levels of sickness absence resulting from violence at work is not collected centrally, but may be held at a local level by individual national health service employers. The average sickness absence rate for staff directly employed by NHS ambulance trusts in 1999 was 6.6 per cent.

Violent incidents in ambulance trusts—reported 1998–99

Region Trust name Number of violent incidents standardised to a year Rate of incidents per 1,000 staff (WTE)

Northern and Yorkshire Cleveland Ambulance NHS Trust 15 54

Northern and Yorkshire Cumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust ⁽⁴⁴⁾— ⁽⁴⁴⁾—

Northern and Yorkshire Durham County Ambulance Service NHS Trust 32 100

Northern and Yorkshire Humberside Ambulance Service NHS Trust 23 66

Northern and Yorkshire North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 7 21

Northern and Yorkshire Northumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust 52 70

Northern and Yorkshire West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Services NHS Trust 28 27

Trent Derbyshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 25 57

Trent Leicestershire Ambulance and Paramedic Services NHS Trust 34 79

Trent Lincolnshire Ambulance NHS Trust 56 101

Trent Nottinghamshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 120 221

Trent South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust 57 99

Eastern Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic NHS Trust 22 38

Eastern East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust ⁽⁴⁴⁾— ⁽⁴⁴⁾—

Eastern Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust 12 16

London London Ambulance Service 464 153

South East Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 26 60

South East Kent Ambulance NHS Trust 96 152

South East Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust 0 0

South East Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust 36 101

South East Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust 12 24

South East Sussex Ambulance Services NHS Trust 105 144

South East Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust ⁽⁴⁴⁾— ⁽⁴⁴⁾—

South West Avon Ambulance Service NHS Trust 30 85

South West Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust 93 290

South West Gloucestershire Ambulance Service NHS Trust ⁽⁴⁵⁾— ⁽⁴⁵⁾—

South West West Country Ambulance Services NHS Trust 43 47

South West Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust ⁽⁴⁴⁾— ⁽⁴⁴⁾—

West Midlands Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust ⁽⁴⁵⁾— ⁽⁴⁵⁾—

West Midlands Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 0 0

West Midlands Warwickshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust ⁽⁴⁵⁾— ⁽⁴⁵⁾—

West Midlands West Midlands Ambulance Services NHS Trust 63 60

North West Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 71 71

North West Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 56 88

North West Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS Trust 56 58

Region	Trust name	Number of violent incidents standardised to a year	Rate of incidents per 1,000 staff (WTE)
Northern and Yorkshire	Cleveland Ambulance NHS Trust	15	54
Northern and Yorkshire	Cumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust	⁽⁴⁴⁾—	⁽⁴⁴⁾—
Northern and Yorkshire	Durham County Ambulance Service NHS Trust	32	100
Northern and Yorkshire	Humberside Ambulance Service NHS Trust	23	66
Northern and Yorkshire	North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	7	21
Northern and Yorkshire	Northumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust	52	70
Northern and Yorkshire	West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Services NHS Trust	28	27
Trent	Derbyshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	25	57
Trent	Leicestershire Ambulance and Paramedic Services NHS Trust	34	79
Trent	Lincolnshire Ambulance NHS Trust	56	101
Trent	Nottinghamshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	120	221
Trent	South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust	57	99
Eastern	Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic NHS Trust	22	38
Eastern	East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust	⁽⁴⁴⁾—	⁽⁴⁴⁾—
Eastern	Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust	12	16
London	London Ambulance Service	464	153
South East	Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	26	60
South East	Kent Ambulance NHS Trust	96	152
South East	Oxfordshire Ambulance NHS Trust	0	0
South East	Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust	36	101
South East	Surrey Ambulance Service NHS Trust	12	24
South East	Sussex Ambulance Services NHS Trust	105	144
South East	Two Shires Ambulance NHS Trust	⁽⁴⁴⁾—	⁽⁴⁴⁾—
South West	Avon Ambulance Service NHS Trust	30	85
South West	Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust	93	290
South West	Gloucestershire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	⁽⁴⁵⁾—	⁽⁴⁵⁾—
South West	West Country Ambulance Services NHS Trust	43	47
South West	Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	⁽⁴⁴⁾—	⁽⁴⁴⁾—
West Midlands	Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust	⁽⁴⁵⁾—	⁽⁴⁵⁾—
West Midlands	Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	0	0
West Midlands	Warwickshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	⁽⁴⁵⁾—	⁽⁴⁵⁾—
West Midlands	West Midlands Ambulance Services NHS Trust	63	60
North West	Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust	71	71
North West	Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	56	88
North West	Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS Trust	56	58

⁽⁴⁴⁾ Indicates that there were less than five violent incidents, when standardised to a year.

⁽⁴⁵⁾ Indicates that the trust either submitted no data or the data was not comparable with other trusts.

Notes:

1. Data reported covered different time periods and have been standardised to an annual equivalent to allow comparison.

2. The figures represent all violent incidents to any staff in each ambulance trust. No figures are available for only physical assaults or for only ambulance staff on duty.

3. At the time of this collection national definitions had not yet been published. Definitions and reporting thresholds varied between trusts.

Source:

Department of Health's 1998–99 Survey of Sickness Absence, Accidents and Violence in NHS trusts