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29 Jan 2003 : Column 893W—continued
MMR
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations and restrictions apply to the import of the single (a) rubella, (b) measles and (c) mumps vaccine; and what the licensing arrangements are for each. [93419]
Ms Blears: Single rubella vaccine and single measles and mumps vaccines are licensed in the United Kingdom. However, the pharmaceutical companies that hold the UK marketing authorisations for single measles and mumps vaccines do not manufacture the products for, or market them in, this country and the vaccines being prescribed and administered are imported unlicensed medicines. Licensed single rubella vaccine is currently available in the UK. However, unlicensed rubella vaccine may also be imported on occasions when the licensed vaccine is unavailable.
An unlicensed medicine, such as a single vaccine, may only be imported in accordance with The Medicines (Standard Provisions for Licences and Certificates) Amendment Regulations 1999 No. 4. An importer must hold the appropriate Wholesale Dealer's or Wholesale Dealer's Import Licence issued by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA), and is required to notify the MCA on each occasion that they intend to import such a product. Importation may proceed unless the importer has been informed by the MCA that it objects to importation. The MCA may object and prevent importation if it has concerns about the safety or quality of the product, or if there is an equivalent licensed medicine available. The maximum quantity that may be imported per notification is defined in the regulations.
NHS (Private Sector Treatments)
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust's expenditure on NHS patients treated surgically in the private sector was between 23 December 2002 and 3 January 2003. [93253]
Mr. Lammy: Approximately £100,000 was spent by the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust on treatments for NHS patients in private hospitals in Halesowen, Droitwich and Worcester during the period.
NHS Hospitals (Tendering)
Dr. Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the private companies on the Government's register of expertise for tendering to run NHS hospitals have experience in managing emergency services; and what safeguards are in place to prevent these firms recruiting the best managers from the NHS. [93251]
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Mr. Lammy: The independent panel set up by the National Health Service Appointments Commission assessed the general ability of each private sector organisation to run a hospital trust. The expertise and experience of every organisation which tenders for a NHS franchise will be thoroughly and rigorously assessed before any contract is awarded. The Government's aim is for the best managers from either the public or private sectors to be put into franchised hospitals to help turn around their performance.
NHS Hotmail System
Chris Grayling : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the specification for the NHS hotmail system being developed by EDS. [91590]
Ms Blears: A copy of the output base specification for email and directory services has been placed in the Library.
NHS Trusts (Powers of Direction)
Ms Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what direction he has given to NHS trusts in the last three months; and if he will make a statement on his powers of direction to (a) NHS trusts and (b) foundation trusts. [88240]
Mr. Hutton: There have been no instances over the past three months where my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has used his powers of intervention to give direction to a particular trust.
As set out in A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts (paragraph 1.11), national health service trusts will not be subject to Secretary of State powers of direction.
Parking Charges (Hospitals)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospitals in England charge for parking for (a) visitors, (b) medical staff and (c) medical staff at discounted rates. [89926]
Mr. Hutton: This information is not held centrally. It is a matter for individual hospitals to decide whether or not to charge for car parking and the cost of such charges in the light of local circumstances. Where charges are introduced, patients who are eligible to claim reimbursement of travelling expenses under the hospital travel costs scheme may have the charges reimbursed.
Patients (Homelessness)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in NHS hospitals were homeless in each year between 1997–98 and 2000–01, broken down by health authority. [93371]
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Jacqui Smith [holding answer 27 January 2003]: Information on the total inpatient admissions to national health service hospitals in English health authorities for 1997–98 to 2000–01, where the address is classified as 'no fixed abode' has been placed in the Library.
Pregnant Women
Jim Dobbin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision (a) has been made and (b) is planned to support pregnant mothers engaged in (i) alcohol and (ii) substance abuse and to protect their unborn children from such abuse. [93216]
Ms Blears: Midwives provide the majority of care for pregnant mothers as well as advice and support on healthy lifestyles including alcohol and substance misuse. Specialist staff may also be attached to antenatal clinics.
The Department produces health promotion resources which are targeted at pregnant women to reduce drinking and increase awareness of risk to the unborn child, e.g., Drinking for two. A recent survey indicated that 30 per cent. of women gave up drinking during pregnancy and around 70 per cent. of those who did drink, drank less than one unit per week on average.
Specialist alcohol treatment services provide support and treatment for people with more serious alcohol problems, including pregnant women. There are around 475 specialist alcohol treatment services in England, providing treatment worth approximately £95 million per year.
Obstetric and substance misuse services exist throughout the country. The Department of Health's Drug Misuse and Dependence—Guidelines on Clinical Management (Clinical Guidelines) recommends different approaches to deliver care to pregnant drug misusers, such as specialist midwives, or drug dependence staff attached to the antenatal clinic. The type of service in each area will depend on local circumstances, the number of pregnant drug misusers presenting for care, expertise of the obstetric and primary care services, and availability of specialist or shared-care support. Further information is available at http://www.doh.qov.uk/druqs/pdfs/dmfull.pdf
Primary Care Trust Chair Salaries
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average salary was for chairs of primary care groups in England in the year to 31 October 2002; [93968]
- (2) what the average salary is of (a) primary care group and (b) primary care trust chairpersons in England. [93262]
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Mr. Hutton [holding answer 27 January 2003]: There are no longer any primary care groups in existence. The current average annual remuneration for primary care trust chairs is £12,600. All non-executives on PCT boards receive £5,294 per annum.
Primary Care Trusts
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the extent to which the new national health service funding formula for primary care trusts is governed by rural factors. [92902]
Mr. Hutton: The new national health service funding formula takes account of a wide range of health and socio-economic factors associated with the need for health care.
In calculating health need in rural areas the new formula takes account of the effects of access, transport and poverty.
The new formula provides a better measure of health need in all areas.
Private Health Schemes
Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 2 December 2002, Official Report, column 619W, on private health schemes, if it would interfere with the duties of an NHS body if it allowed the use of beds by private health care funded patients for operations for which there is a waiting time longer than three months for NHS patients. [93150]
Mr. Hutton: It is for national health service bodies themselves to determine whether it is permissible and appropriate to offer private patient services in the light of relevant local circumstances.
Residential Care Homes (Top-up Fees)
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards top-up fees for patients in residential care homes. [90785]
Jacqui Smith: When a local council supports individuals in care homes, it should provide and fund accommodation sufficient to meet resident's assessed needs. Residents should only contribute to care costs according to the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992 and neither they nor third parties should be asked to make top-up payments in addition to the resident's assessed contribution in order to meet assessed needs.
Furthermore, council supported residents may not top-up from their own resources for more expensive accommodation than the council would normally pay for to meet assessed need unless they have a deferred payment agreement or are subject to the 12-weeks property disregard.
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Otherwise, a resident can still opt for more expensive accommodation as long as they have a third party such as a friend or a relative who is willing make up the difference on their behalf. In order to agree a third party top-up agreement the local council needs to be satisfied that the third party has sufficient resources in order to continue to make the additional contribution on behalf of the resident.
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