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19 Dec 2002 : Column 1053W—continued
Nurse Training
Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people left early from courses leading to a nursing qualification in (a) 2000 and (b) 2001. [82575]
Mr. Hutton [holding answer 25 November 2002]: 1,503 students left early from courses leading to a nursing qualification between January and December 2000, the last complete year for which information is available. A further 400 students left early from courses between January and March 2001.
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Overseas Nurse Advice Line
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department (a) has spent and (b) plans to spend next year in advertising the NHS overseas nurses advice line; and what form this advertising will take. [87469]
Mr. Hutton: The national health service overseas nurses advice line has been advertised through various means, including a press launch in September which channelled information about the line to the NHS and
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the independent sector. Articles on the NHS overseas nurses advice line have also appeared in the nursing press and the Chief Nursing Officer has highlighted the advice line in bulletins and through quarterly briefing meetings with nursing directors and primary care trust lead nurses.
A total of #2,273.62 has been spent this year on the production of cards publishing the advice line and these cards have been distributed by national organisations, including the Royal College of Nursing and Unison. In addition, the Philippine overseas employment administration also distributes the cards free of charge to their nurses and in the new year the Nursing and Midwifery Council will be issue cards to overseas representatives.
A decision on the advertising budget has yet to be decided and this will be in light of the likely future demand.
Patient Deregistration
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will ensure that GPs give written reasons why a patient is deregistered; and if he will make a statement. [86164]
Mr. Hutton: Although there is currently no legal requirement for a general practitioner (GP) to give a written reason why a patient is deregistered, the General Medical Council's guidance, Good Medical Practice, says that GPs should as far as possible give reasons for the removal. The Department fully supports this advice and the rules and procedures which allow GPs to remove patients from their lists are being reviewed as part of the process for negotiating a new general medical services contract.
Personal Medical Services
Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the contact details and objectives of the personal medical services pilot schemes in each primary care trust that were established from (a) April 2001, (b) October 2001, (c) April 2002 and (d) October 2002. [83913]
Mr. Hutton: The information requested will be placed in the Library.
Port Medical Units
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the last 12 months who came to the UK
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and resided for more than six months (a) received and (b) did not receive a medical screening on arrival at port of entry. [86742]
Ms Blears: Home Office statistics show that in 2001, the most recent year for which figures are available, 483,000 people subject to immigration control were granted leave at ports of entry in England to enter the United Kingdom for more than six months.
Long-standing policy is that any person subject to immigration control who:
- (i) mentions health or medical treatment as a reason for coming to the United Kingdom, or appears unwell; or
(ii) is seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom for six months or more and is at high risk of having been exposed to tuberculosis
Figures are not available on the number of people who meet one or both of the two criteria above, and statistics on the number of referrals to medical inspectors are not routinely collected from all ports of entry. However, four ports handled over 94 per cent. of entrants arriving in England in 2001 and seeking leave to enter the UK for six months or more. The health control units at those ports have provided the figures for referrals given in the table. In addition, for some visa nationals, medical referrals are made at the overseas post rather than the port of entry.
| Port | Entrants granted leave to enter for six months or more(57) | Referrals to medical inspectors(58) |
|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | 343,000 | 141,072 |
| Gatwick | 57,500 | 6,101 |
| Manchester | 21,500 | 2,774 |
| Dover (including Channel Tunnel) | 32,700 | 265 |
| Total for four ports | 455,000 | 150,212 |
Note:
(57) Data rounded to three significant figures.
Sources:
(58) Home Office.
(59) Health Control Units (includes a small number of referrals where entry was refused).
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical staff were employed in each port medical unit in each of the last 10 years; and how many were (a) doctors and (b) nurses. [86744]
Ms Blears: We do not routinely collect data on staff in medical units at all ports of entry in England. However, four ports handled over 94 per cent. of entrants arriving in England in 2001 and seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom for six months or more. The health control units at those ports have provided the figures in the table. These do not include figures for other support staff.
Note:
FTE—full time equivalents
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Poultry Imports
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who carries out tests for furazolidone in turkeys impounded at border inspection posts in the EU; whether such tests are conducted on all poultry imported from Brazil; how much such tests cost; how many birds for food were imported into this country from Brazil in each year since 1997; and how many tested positive for furazolidone. [87118]
Ms Blears [holding answer 16 December 2002]: The Food Standards Agency set up a testing system for nitrofurans in poultry meat from Brazil. Staff at the border inspection posts are responsible for operation of the system. All consignments of poultry meat from Brazil must be analysed. The cost of the tests varies among the laboratories which carry out the testing. The cost per sample varies from #220 to #600. We have no information on how many birds have been imported each year from Brazil since 1997. Since the testing regime was introduced in October 2002, 192 consignments have been analysed and none have tested positive for furazolidone.
Prisons (Health Needs Assessment)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the prisons that have not completed a health needs assessment. [87445]
Jacqui Smith: All prisons have completed a health needs assessment, working with their local National Health Service partners.
Prosecutions (Contaminated Blood)
Mr. Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to protect doctors in the UK from being prosecuted for prescribing contaminated blood. [86266]
Ms Blears: The Consumer Protection Act 1987 was enacted by Parliament in compliance with the United Kingdom's obligations under the EU Product Liability Directive 85/374/EEC. The Act imposes strict liability on manufacturers. All blood and blood products issued to hospitals by the National Blood Service (NBS), are classed as falling within this Act. The NBS is therefore liable, not the doctor, should a patient develop a proven transfusion transmitted infection or any other adverse outcome that can be related to the quality of the blood or component transfused. Neither is the doctor liable if he prescribes any other licensed blood product not supplied by the NBS provided it is licensed for use in the UK.
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