| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Biological Agents
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he has taken to prepare hospitals to deal with civilian casualties from an attack with biological agents. [12858]
Mr. Hutton: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Plans to deal with civilian casualties from a deliberate release of a biological agent have built upon guidance issued to the national health service and regional directors of public health, in 1998, entitled "Planning for major incidents". Specific guidance to help plan the NHS response "Deliberate release of Biological and Chemical agents" was sent out to regional directors of public Health in March 2000. Since 11 September, additional guidance has been sent to regional directors of public health and all health authorities to plan for mass casualty incidents and responses to chemical/biological incidents.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has sufficient stockpiles of vaccines, anti-toxin and antibiotics to protect the civilian population in the event of attack by susceptible biological agents; and if he would make a statement. [12859]
Mr. Hutton: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
12 Mar 2002 : Column 1029W
The Department of Health has extensive contingency planning in place. This includes arrangements to mitigate the effects of a terrorist act and to ensure response and recovery in conjunction with other Government Departments, the NHS and key public health agencies. Strategic stocks of vaccine and antibiotics are in place. We are securing stockpiles of anti-toxin, subject to limited availability worldwide. For security reasons, details of stocks will not be revealed.
Infectious Diseases
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make funds available to the High Security Infectious Diseases Unit in addition to those specified under the Centrally Funded Initiatives and Special Allocations allocations. [12715]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 6 November 2001]:I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
We already provide funding, based on past and current usage, to enable the high security Infectious Disease Units in London and Newcastle to remain in a state of readiness to receive and care for patients who may be suffering from highly infectious diseases.
MS Treatment (Cannabis Derivatives)
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the results of the trials of cannabis derivatives in the treatment of MS sufferers. [14800]
Ms Blears: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney) on 18 October 2001, Official Report, columns 1345–6W.
NHS Magazine
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which officials in his Department are responsible for approving the content of NHS Magazine. [15323]
Ms Blears: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
A wide range of officials approve the content of the NHS magazine depending on the particular areas the articles cover. Ministers do not see the content of the magazine prior to publication.
12 Mar 2002 : Column 1030W
Pneumococcal Vaccinations
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of older people (a) in England and (b) in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East who have benefited from (i) subsidised and (ii) free pneumococcal and flu vaccinations. [16211]
Yvette Cooper [holding answer 19 November 2001]: I apologise to my hon. Friend for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
Final monitoring figures received from flu co-ordinators nationally report that, at 31 December 2001, 5,113,556—68 per cent. of those aged 65 years and over—received their flu immunisation. For the same period, Tees health authority report that 58,202 (67.8 per cent.) received their flu immunisation.
Pneumococcal vaccine is recommended to those based on underlying ill health rather than age. The Department does not therefore hold data on the number of immunisations given by age group. Figures obtained from the Prescribing Analysis and Cost (PACT) system for the period December 2000 to November 2001 show that 486,000 prescriptions for pneumococcal vaccine were dispensed nationally and 4,800 for Tees health authority.
CT Scanners
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many CT scanners there are per million of the population for (a) Merseyside and Cheshire, (b) Greater Manchester, (c) Lancashire and south Cumbria and (d) the north-west region. [19908]
Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
The information requested can be found in the following table:
| Area | Number of CT scanners | Resident population(31) (Million) | Number of CT scanners per million population(31) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Manchester and Cheshire | 21 | 2.7 | 7.7 |
| Lancashire and south Cumbria | 8 | 1.6 | 5.0 |
| Merseyside and Cheshire | 16 | 2.3 | 7.0 |
| North west region | 45 | 6.6 | 6.8 |
| England | 285 | 50 | 5.7 |
(31) Approximate
Correspondence
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter of 17 October from the hon. Member for Aylesbury (reference POH(4)5009/19). [23276]
Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave
12 Mar 2002 : Column 1031W
my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
A reply was sent on 20 December 2001.
National Clinical Directors
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the identity and sphere of competence of each tsar working on behalf of (a) his Department and (b) the NHS. [24600]
Ms Blears: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.
The seven national clinical directors and their spheres of competence are:
- Professor Ian Philp, the National Director for Older People's Services, is responsible for leading the implementation of the national service framework for older people which sets the Government standards for the health and social care for older people in England. Professor Philp is Honorary Consultant Physician, Northern General Hospital, with responsibility for the rehabilitation of frail older people. His team won the UK Hospital Doctor of the Year Award (Older People's category) in 1998. He continues to see patients at the Northern General Hospital one day per week. His research activity is on assessing the needs of older people and their family carers. He was Scientist-in-Charge of several large European Community-funded programmes and has published widely on this topic.
Professor Mike Richards, is responsible for spearheading the development and implementation of cancer policy for the Department/NHS. Professor Richards has extensive experience in both medical oncology and palliative medicine. He was a senior lecturer and Reader in Medical Oncology before taking up the post of Professor of Palliative Medicine at Guy's and St. Thomas' in 1995.
Dr. David Colin-Thome, is responsible for primary care. Dr. Colin-Thome's key role is to aid the development of primary care within the Department and in the national health service and to contribute to implementing the primary care elements of the NHS plan. Particular areas of work within the Department are: ensuring that the policy on general practitioners who have special clinical interests is implemented, as is the delivery of national service frameworks in primary care. He was a Fellow and proposed visiting professor at Manchester University and a former director of primary care at both north-west and London regional offices. Dr. Colin-Thome continues his GP work on a part-time basis.
Professor Al Aynsley-Green, the National Clinical Director for Children is leading the work of the children's task force and the development of the children's national service framework (NSF). Professor Aynsley-Green is the Nuffield Professor of Child Health at the Institute of Child Health, University College London and a practising paediatrician at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust. He is a member of the team whose submission led to the Queen's Anniversary Prize being awarded in 2001 to the Institute of Child Health. He is also president of the Association of Professors in Paediatrics and an elected member of the Council of The Academy of Medical Sciences. He holds prestigious grants for his research in child life and health.
Professor Aidan Halligan, has a dual role as National Director of Clinical Governance for the NHS and Director of the NHS Clinical Governance Support Team, now part of the Modernisation Agency. Professor Halligan was appointed in September 1999, and led the creation of a multi-disciplinary team to work with the NHS, to support the implementation of clinical governance. Professor Halligan has valuable experience of service
12 Mar 2002 : Column 1032W
- redesign and patient centred quality improvement from his work at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Professor Halligan is Professor of Fetal-Maternal Medicine at the University of Leicester and prior to appointment was Head of Obstetrics at Leicester Royal Infirmary. He retains a clinical and research commitment and sees patients one day a week.
Professor Louis Appleby, is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manchester where he leads major research units on suicide and on post-natal mental illness. Since 1996, he has been Director of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, whose recommendations formed the basis of standard 7 of the NSF on mental health—this standard is about suicide prevention. He has been a consultant psychiatrist since 1991, working in Manchester.
Dr. Roger Boyle, is responsible for implementing the national service framework for coronary heart disease (CHD). Qualified from the London Hospital Medical College in 1972, Dr. Boyle has been a consultant cardiologist in York since 1983. He is a member of the Council of the British Cardiac Society and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the European Society of Cardiology. Dr. Boyle is a member of the external reference group that drew up the national service framework for CHD and chairman of the focus group on acute presentations as well as chairing the national task force for coronary heart disease.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |