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25 Feb 2003 : Column 536W—continued
Surgical Instruments (Sterilisation)
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled last year in England because of a failure of surgical instruments to be properly sterilised. [96052]
Ms Blears: Quarterly data are collected on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital for non-clinical reasons at the last minute (for example, on the day patients are due to arrive or after arrival in hospital or on the day of their operation) and on the day of surgery. These data are available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.doh.qov.uk/hospitalactivity/data requests.htm
These data are not broken down into the reasons for cancellation.
Teenagers
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to recognise teenagers as a separate group within the National Health Service for all purposes; and if he will make a statement. [98470]
Jacqui Smith: Current guidance acknowledges that the recognition of teenagers as a separate group is good practice.
The forthcoming national service framework for children, young people and maternity services will endorse this by promoting the need for services that are appropriate to the age and stage of development of the person receiving a service.
Tuberculosis
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of tuberculosis have been reported in (a) Lancashire and (b) the North West of England in each of the last 36 months. [96726]
Jacqui Smith: The information required to answer the question is shown in the following table.
Notes:
1. All data taken from notifications to the enhanced surveillance of tuberculosis programme organised by Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC) Colindale and run on a regional basis by CDSC North West.
2. All data are provisional.
3. Data should not be used without express permission from CDSC North West.
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Vehicle Fleets
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of vehicles each NHS trust renewed in their vehicle fleets, 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 five years. [96594]
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 2002–03.
The National Health Service has a vehicle fleet of more than 40,000 vehicles but information in the format requested is currently not available.
Viagra
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on prescribing practice for Viagra. [97097]
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Mr. Lammy: In 1999 we decided to constrain the spend on drug treatments for impotence to the approximate amount that was being spent on these treatments before the first oral treatment became available.
On 1 July 1999, regulations put into effect decisions made by the Government about the availability of drug treatments for impotence on general practitioner (GP)
prescription on the national health service. GPs can write NHS prescriptions for patients with specific clinical conditions. These conditions are set out in Health Service Circular HSC 1999/148.
Health Service Circular HSC 1999/177 provides guidance on the identification and management within specialist services of the men diagnosed to be suffering from severe distress on account of their impotence.
Viagra and other drug treatments may be made available on private prescription from GPs for those men who do not meet the conditions specified in HSC 1999/148. As prescription only medicines they are subject to the legal controls on retail sale or supply which are set out in the Medicines Act 1968. They can only be sold or supplied at registered pharmacy premises by or under the supervision of a pharmacist in accordance with a doctor's prescription and they cannot be advertised to the public. The Medicines Control Agency's Enforcement Group investigates alleged illegal activity, including supply of prescription medicines via the internet.
Victoria Climbié
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his statement on 28 January, Official
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Report, column 740, on the Victoria Climbié inquiry, if the hospital standards for children form part of the national service framework (NSF) for children; and if he will list the remaining standards to be included in the NSF, with the date for their publication. [96704]
Jacqui Smith: The first phase of the national service framework (NSF) for children, young people and maternity services will be published shortly, and will cover hospital services for children and young people.
The remaining areas to be covered in the NSF include services for disabled children, children in special circumstances, child and adolescent mental health, the health of all children and young people, medicines, maternity services and ill children which we are hoping to publish later this year.
Waiting Times (Dewsbury)
Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) average waiting times and (b) number of people waiting were for referral to (i) cancer and (ii) heart specialists in the Dewsbury area in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [98222]
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Jacqui Smith: Information on waiting times is published quarterly on the Department of Health website. This is broken down into both inpatient and outpatient waiting times by National Health Service trusts by consultant specialty. This information can be accessed at http://www.doh.qov.uk/waitinqtimes/index.htm
Waiting Times (Hull and East Riding)
David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients were seen by a doctor or consultant within one hour of their arrival at accident and emergency departments in Hull and the East Riding in each of the last three years. [92910]
Jacqui Smith: The Department does not collect data on the number of patients seen by a doctor or consultant within one hour of their arrival at accident and emergency (A&E).
The NHS Plan set a new target for accident and emergency, to reduce the maximum wait in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge to four hours by 2004. In line with this target, data on total time in accident and emergency has been collected since August 2001.
In Quarter 2, 2002–03 64 per cent. of patients in Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust spent less than four hours total time in A&E.
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NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast International Airport (Security)
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the Security Co-ordinating Committee at its meeting on 30 January endorsed the changed arrangements in relation to checkpoint 11 and checkpoint 3 at Belfast International Airport; and if he will make a statement. [99118]
Jane Kennedy: The proposal in relation to checkpoint 3 and checkpoint 11 at Belfast International Airport was endorsed by the Security Co-ordinating Committee on 30 January, subject to the outcome of a Department for Transport Cargo Inspection. It would not be appropriate to make any further comment as to the detail of the proposal.
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the distance in a straight line between (a) checkpoint 11 and checkpoint 3 and (b) Checkpoint 3 and the Airport cargo apron at Belfast International Airport. [99119]
Jane Kennedy: The distance in a straight line between checkpoint 11 and checkpoint 3 is 415 metres. Checkpoint 3 is situated right on the edge of the cargo apron.
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