You are here: Parliament home page > Parliamentary business > Publications and Records > Hansard > Commons Debates > Commons Debates by date > Commons Debates - previous sessions > Bound Volume Hansard - Written Answers
Previous Section Index Home Page

24 Feb 2003 : Column 377W—continued

Strokes

Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research has been carried out to assess how many patients admitted to hospital as a stroke patient were admitted to the stroke unit during their stay at any time in (a) the UK, (b) England and (c) the Lancashire and Cumbria Strategic Health Authority; and if he will make a statement; [97864]

24 Feb 2003 : Column 378W

Jacqui Smith: We do not collect routinely information on stroke services at the level of detail requested in these questions. The most comprehensive source of information is the National Sentinel Stroke Audit, carried out by the Royal College of Physicians. The audit was commissioned by the National Health Service in 1998 and was last updated in 2002. The results can be found at

http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/pubs/strokeauditQl-02.pdf.

24 Feb 2003 : Column 379W

The audit contains information covering discharge arrangements, and clinical assessments including swallowing assessments and visual fields. The 2002 audit shows that 73 per cent. of trusts who participated had a stroke unit, compared to 56 per cent, three years earlier. In addition, 83 per cent, of patients receive brain imaging—the highest ever level. The audit shows that 80 per cent, of trusts that participated have a consultant physician with specialist knowledge of stroke who is formally recognised as having principal responsibility for stroke services. While it is recognised that some services need to increase their capacity, the audit notes that very significant improvements have already been made.

Our major vehicle for further improving standards for stroke services is through the older people's national service framework (NSF), which sets specific milestones for improvement by 2004 of stroke services in primary care trusts (PCTs), specialist services and general hospitals that care for people suffering from a stroke. Our document, Improvement, Expansion and Reform, which sets for the NHS a priorities and planning framework for 2003–6, makes clear that implementation of the older people's NSF is a top priority and that the 2004 milestone around specialist stroke services is a key target.

We monitor progress against the key milestones in the NSF. From the information gathered so far, we know that 83 per cent, of the hospitals who have replied now have plans to have a specialist stroke service in place by April 2004.

Under the NSF, PCTs will need to ensure that every general practice can identify and treat patients identified as being at risk of stroke because of high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation or other risk factors by April 2004. To help ensure that the treatment they receive is of a consistent standard, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence is developing guidelines for the management of hypertension in primary care. The Institute's report is expected next year.

Implementation of the NSF for older people is leading to real improvements in stroke services and making a difference to people's lives. The development of better services and improved standards in stroke care requires the right balance between national standards, provided by the NSF, national clinical guidelines and local control. It will be important to ensure that stroke care services are co-ordinated and fully integrated within a full range of other relevant local services.

Mr. Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring has taken place against the April 2002 milestone contained in Standard Five of the National

24 Feb 2003 : Column 380W

Health Service Framework for Older People, for every general hospital treating stroke patients to have a plan to introduce a specialised stroke unit by April 2004; and what proportion of hospitals have met the milestone. [94579]

Jacqui Smith: An exercise conducted in autumn 2002 concluded that 83 per cent. of hospitals have plans in place to introduce a specialist stroke service from 2004.

Tobacco Products

Mr. Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the system of licensing for sale of tobacco products by retailers. [93111]

Ms Blears: There is at present no system of licensing for retailers of tobacco products.

There is a Tobacco Enforcement Protocol (published in March 1998) aimed at assisting local authorities with regard to the enforcement legislation to prevent the sale of tobacco products to minors. The Department of Health has sponsored an initiative over the last year to improve the awareness and training of trading standards officers and enforcement officers of local authorities involved in this work. This has been done in co-operation with the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) and the Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS).

Vehicle Fleets

Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with renewal of NHS trusts' vehicle fleets on a lower emission basis, broken down by volume and percentage for each category of vehicle, type of power unit and/or type of fuel, in each of the last three years. [96593]

Ms Blears [holding answer 10 February 2003]: Reducing vehicle emissions is a key transport issue, which has been agreed as a priority across Government. Against a baseline year of 2002–03, all Departments are aiming by 31 March 2006 to reduce road transport vehicle carbon dioxide emissions by at least 10 per cent, and requiring at least 10 per cent, of all fleet cars to be alternatively fuelled.

Progress against these targets will be reported in the Sustainable Development in Government annual reports. The first full report against the Framework will be in 2003, reporting against the baseline year of 2002–2003.

The National Health Service has a vehicle fleet of more than 40,000 vehicles but information in the format requested is currently not available.