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Air Pollution
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has collated on the threat to human health from emissions of (a) benzene and (b) 1,3 butadiene, (c) particulates (i) PM10 and (ii) PM2.5, (d) carbon monoxide, (e) sulphur dioxide and (f) oxides of nitrogen from road transport; and if he will make a statement. [45947]
Yvette Cooper: The Department of Health's Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) and its predecessor the Advisory Group on the Medical Aspects of Air Pollution has collated information and written subsequent reports on:
- Oxides of Nitrogen
Sulphur Dioxide, Acid Aerosols and Particulates
Health Effects of Exposures to Mixtures of Air Pollutants
Non-Biological Particles and Health
Asthma and Outdoor Air Pollution
Quantification of the Effects of Air Pollution on Health in the United Kingdom (this report covers particles, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide)
Long-term Effects of Particles on Mortality.
COMEAP has also written Handbook on Air Pollution and Health. Details of these publications are available from the Department's website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/hef/airpol/ airpolh.htm.
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The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (DEFRA) Committee, the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards (EPAQS), which has a joint DH/DEFRA Secretariat, has also written reports on:
Benzene
1, 3-Butadiene Particulates (2 reports, the latest including PM2.5 as well as PM 1 0 )
Carbon Monoxide
Sulphur Dioxide
Nitrogen Dioxide.
These reports provide support for the objectives in The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These objectives aim to reduce levels of these pollutants from all sources, including road transport.
Health Services (Barnet)
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the demands on health services in (a) Barnet and (b) Hendon of (i) the growth in population in the last 10 years and (ii) the predicted growth in population over the next 15 years; and if he will make a statement. [45823]
Mr. Hutton: It is anticipated that the overall population of Barnet will grow over the next 15 years by around 12 per cent. (ONS). Barnet Primary Care Trust is currently finalising a health improvement and modernisation plan which sets out principal areas for action over the coming years to improve the health and well being of the people of Barnet. This takes account of the needs of the local population (including population size, deprivation and other determinants of health), as well as national requirements. As well as taking forward plans for NHS modernisation, key priority area for action have identified as:
- Smoking
Health development and community development
Coronary heart disease and stroke
Cancer
Diabetes
Children
Accidents.
Mr. Hutton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
Edgware Hospital
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards the new hospital development at Edgware. [45821]
Mr. Hutton: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 26 March 2002, Official Report, column 699.
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Nurse Training
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurse training organisations were operating the new model of nurse education and training outlined in the NHS Plan by Q3 2001–02. [46283]
Mr. Hutton: A total of 54 higher education institutions had been approved by the former English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (ENB) to deliver the new pre-registration nursing programmes at diploma and/or degree level—equating to over 95 per cent. of existing organisations.
Health Inequalities
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what national targets have been developed by stakeholders to narrow the health gap (a) in childhood and (b) throughout life between socio-economic groups. [46292]
Yvette Cooper: Following the comment made in the NHS Plan, the two national health inequalities targets were announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in February 2001, and are as follows:
- (a) Starting with children under one year, by 2010 to reduce by at least 10 per cent. the gap in mortality between manual groups and the population as a whole.
- (b) Starting with health authorities, by 2010 to reduce by at least 10 per cent. the gap between the fifth of areas with the lowest life expectancy at birth and the population as a whole
Negligence Compensation
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by regional health authority, the compensation payments paid to members of the general public in response to claims of negligence upheld against the authority in (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, (d) 1999–2000 and (e) 2000–01. [46287]
Ms Blears: Regional health authorities were abolished in 1996 by the Health Authorities Act 1995. It is not therefore possible to break down figures relating to clinical negligence by regional health authority.
Overall figures for expenditure on clinical negligence are available for the following years, as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 235 |
| 1997–98 | 144 |
| 1998–99 | 221 |
| 1999–2000 | 373 |
Note:
The figure for the year 2000–2001 is not yet available.
The figures are taken from the National Audit Summarised Accounts for health authorities, NHS trusts and NHS Litigation Authority. Changes to accounting policies mean that these amounts are not directly comparable.
These figures represent all expenditure for clinical negligence which will include compensation payments and legal expenses. Figures relating specifically to compensation payments for successful clinical negligence claims against NHS bodies are not available.
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Fertility Treatment
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts provided IVF treatment on the NHS as of 1 March; how many patients have received IVF treatment in the last year; how many patients he expects to be provided with IVF treatment in the next year; and if he will make a statement. [46030]
Yvette Cooper: A baseline survey of national health service infertility provision was carried out by the Department in 1999. The report on "Survey of NHS Infertility Services 1997–98" has been published and copies are available in the Library. Information about the number of patients who have received IVF treatment in the last year will be made available shortly by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
Cancer
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to improve the cervical cancer screening programme. [45778]
Yvette Cooper: The Government are currently piloting new technologies in order to improve the cervical screening programme. These are Liquid Based Cytology (LBC) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) testing. If evaluation proves that the pilots are successful, and if recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, they will be introduced across the NHS.
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what extra major pieces of diagnostic equipment have been purchased under the Cancer Plan. [45776]
Yvette Cooper: The NHS Cancer Plan provided details of diagnostic equipment to be purchased for the NHS. This included 88 MRI scanners, 200 CT scanners and over 300 items of breast screening equipment.
Programmes to deliver this essential equipment are well under way. By March 2002, 28 new MRI scanners, 81 CT scanners and almost all of the breast screening equipment had been delivered to the NHS. The remaining equipment is due for delivery by 2004.
As well as investment in diagnostic radiology equipment, the NHS Cancer Plan makes a commitment to providing £15 million for the modernisation of 23 pathology services.
Dentistry
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines exist for NHS dentists concerning the removal of wisdom teeth. [46178]
Ms Blears: In March 2000, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued the following guidance.
- 1.1 The routine practice of prophylactic removal of pathology-free impacted third molars should be discontinued in the NHS.
- 1.2 The standard routine programme of dental care by dental practitioners and/or paraprofessional staff, need be no different, in general, for pathology free impacted third molars (those requiring no additional investigations or procedures).
- 1.3 Surgical removal of impacted third molars should be limited to patients with evidence of pathology. Such pathology includes unrestorable caries, non-treatable pulpal and/or periapical pathology, cellulitis, abcess and osteomyelitis, internal/external
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- resorption of the tooth or adjacent teeth, fracture of tooth, disease of follicle including cyst/tumour, tooth/teeth impeding surgery or reconstructive jaw surgery, and when a tooth is involved in or within the field of tumour resection.
- 1.4 Specific attention is drawn to plaque formation and pericoronitis. Plaque formation is a risk factor but is not in itself an indication for surgery. The degree to which the severity or recurrence rate of pericoronitis should influence the decision for surgical removal of a third molar remains unclear. The evidence suggests that a first episode of pericoronitis, unless particularly severe, should not be considered an indication for surgery. Second or subsequent episodes should be considered the appropriate indication for surgery.
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