| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
28 Feb 2003 : Column 767W—continued
Food Labelling
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to change food labelling regulations. [98838]
Ms Blears: Labelling regulations are agreed at European Union level. The Food Standards Agency is pressing for a number of important changes in EU labelling rules. Its top priorities, which are based on consumer research and consultation, are to achieve more extensive, clearer country of origin labelling, clear nutrition labelling on all foods and tighter controls on use of health claims.
28 Feb 2003 : Column 768W
Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Food Standards Agency's recommendations for the compulsory labelling of the nutritional content of food; and which foods would be covered if such proposals were enacted. [98839]
Ms Blears: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommends that manufacturers provide full nutrition information on all pre-packaged foods to allow consumers to make fully informed choices about the nutritional value of the foods they buy. The FSA is pressing to make this recommendation a legal requirement through changes to the current European Union rules on nutrition labelling.
Contrary to reports in the press the FSA has not recommended introducing legislation requiring the nutritional content of food and drink to be given on menus.
Heart Choice Scheme
Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation he has made of the Heart Choice Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [97317]
Ms Blears: Evaluation of the heart choice scheme is being informed by the independent patient choice trustees at a national level through a survey of patient views and with information from patient care advisers in each cardiac centre.
The early indications from the first six months of the scheme are that the initiative is popular with patients, with just under half of those eligible choosing to be treated elsewhere. Patients and their carers have particularly welcomed the continuity, advice and support of patient care advisers. These reforms, combined with substantial investment, are making a dramatic impact, improving patient experience and bringing a rapid reduction in waiting times for heart surgery.
Heart Disease
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been provided to primary care trusts on collaborative commissioning for specialist heart services. [99440]
Ms Blears: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local community and preparing plans for health improvement, reflecting the diversity of local needs.
Arrangements for shared or collaborative commissioning of services, including specialist heart services, are being made locally between PCTs.
Mrs. Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets have been set to increase the use of new medical devices used in percutaneous coronary interventions. [99441]
Ms Blears: No targets have been set for the use of new medical devices in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). The National Institute for Clinical Excellence published guidance in May 2000 on the use of plain stents in PCI and is currently evaluating the appropriate use of drug eluting stents. Guidance on this is expected to be published later this year.
28 Feb 2003 : Column 769W
Hospital Acquired Infection
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many care homes refused to admit NHS patients due to the contraction of (a) MRSA and (b) other hospital acquired infections, in the last year for which figures are available; [98031]
- (2) what steps his Department is taking to ensure that older people are not discharged from hospital into care homes with hospital acquired infections. [98030]
Ms Blears: We are committed to tackling hospital acquired infections and have set standards to ensure that there is a managed environment that minimises the risk of infection to patients, staff and visitors. These standards are now supported by the inclusion of infection control procedures and a methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) improvement score in the national health service performance management system for 2002–03. In addition, a targeted action plan for healthcare associated infection is being developed as part of our strategy against infectious diseases, "Getting Ahead of the Curve".
Hospital acquired infections range from the serious to the trivial. Although it is good practice 1 to assess residents for risk of infection on admission an infection is not necessarily a contraindication for admission. For example, if basic good hygiene precautions are followed, individuals with MRSA are not a risk to other residents, staff or visitors and should not be excluded.
There are no centrally held statistics on care homes and the admission of patients with MRSA or other hospital acquired infections.
- 1 "Guidelines on the Control of Infection in Residential and Nursing homes"—Public Health Medicine Environmental Group 1996.
Hospital Waste Disposal
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are followed when contracting out disposal of human tissue to hospital waste disposal companies; what outside companies are used by the NHS for disposal of human tissue; what the terms of their contracts are; and for how long they have been doing work for the NHS. [99082]
Ms Blears: It is for National Health Service trusts to determine their local hospital waste contract requirements and specifications, and fulfil all statutory and legal obligations. However, a significant amount of guidance on clinical waste management and disposal is available to the NHS. The Health and Safety Commission guidance, Safe disposal of clinical waste, states:
- "Identifiable human tissue is clinical waste unless it has been rendered safe and non-infectious. After treatment, identifiable human tissue remains an offensive waste. It therefore needs to be dealt with by an authorised waste handling facility. The only appropriate treatment for identifiable human tissue is incineration."
Human tissue has to be disposed of by incineration. Not all waste disposal facilities are licensed or have the appropriate disposal technology to dispose of human tissue. Those companies who only operate alternative
28 Feb 2003 : Column 770W
non-burn technology plant and facilities are required to sub-contract human tissue clinical waste to other facilities for incineration.
Human tissue is not dealt with under a separate contract but clearly, where non-burn solutions are used for the bulk of the waste, it does require a separate logistical approach. In England, the main clinical waste disposal companies are:
| White Rose Environmental | Incineration |
| Eurocare Environmental Services Ltd | Incineration and non-burn |
| Polkacrest | Non-burn (microwaves and autoclaves) |
| BFH | Incineration |
| Grundons | Incineration |
| Viridor | Incineration |
| EDW Butler | Incineration |
| Peake | Incineration |
| Torgam | Non burn (autoclave) |
All contract terms will be individual and specific. NHS trusts are autonomous bodies and as such have local responsibility for all contracts dependent on their needs and specifications. Contracts will differ in terms of requirements and contract period. NHS Purchasing And Supply Agency are currently reviewing their total waste management contract terms and conditions.
Since the introduction of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the loss of Crown Immunity in 1991, the NHS has moved away from disposing of its own waste to contracting out that service to the private sector. The consequence of legislative changes relating to clinical waste disposal resulted in NHS owned and operated incinerators being shut down and replaced with modern large scale incinerators, provided, in the main, through joint ventures between the NHS and the private sector, or the private sector alone.
The NHS continues to handle some 8 per cent. of clinical waste disposal for England.
Morning-After Pill
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to women regarding the potential side-effects of taking the morning-after pill. [97649]
Ms Blears: Guidance about the possible side effects associated with taking the morning-after pill or emergency contraceptive, Levonelle, is routinely provided in the patient information leaflet included with this medicine. The possible side effects of Levonelle are also included in the information that is provided to health professionals, the summary of product characteristics, who are encouraged to discuss these side effects with the individual woman before treatment is provided.
Pharmacists are supplied with a 'Protocol' that contains a checklist of advice that should be given to each woman when she is given Levonelle. This protocol includes the need to inform women of the most common side effects that may occur.
28 Feb 2003 : Column 771W
Information about potential side effects of Levonelle has most recently been provided in the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) newsletter, CMO Update, which is available through the Medicines Control Agency (MCA)/CMO websites.
As with all licensed medicines, the safety of Levonelle is continuously monitored by the MCA, with independent expert advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines. In the event of any important new safety information emerging, the MCA will take action to ensure that this is accurately reflected in the product information and communicated to health professionals and women using the product.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |