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6 Mar 2003 : Column 1201W—continued

Mixed Sex Wards

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2003, Official

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Report, columns 679–80, on mixed sex wards, which NHS trusts in England have mixed-sex sleeping accommodation. [95378]

Mr. Hutton: We have no plans to publish the names of the trusts which have or have not met the target.

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 14 January 2003, Official Report, column 23WS.

Motor Neurone Disease

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the Government are investing in researching motor neurone disease in 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [100103]

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the member for Reading, East (Jane Griffiths) on 4 February 2003, Official Report, columns 223–24W.

MRI Scans

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of MRI scanners that are used for fewer than (a) five and (b) two days a week. [101206]

Ms Blears: Data are not collected centrally by the Department about the number of days per week that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners are operational. However, an Audit Commission report on radiology, published in July 2002, showed that almost all MRI scanners in the national health service were operated for more than eight hours per day.

A total of 705,706 MRI investigations were carried out at NHS hospitals in 2001–02 and a breakdown of this total by NHS trust is available in the following publication:

Source:

"Department of Health: Imaging & Radiodiagnostics, England, Financial Year 2001–2002. KH12 return".

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mobile MRI scanners there are (a) in the NHS and (b) in the private sector. [101209]

Ms Blears: There is one mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner that is owned by the national health service and this facility is shared between University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust. The MRI scanner on board the mobile was provided as part of the New Opportunities Fund living with cancer initiative.

There are a further 28 mobile MRI scanners that are available for hire by NHS hospitals on a contractual basis. These are owned by private sector and charitable organisations and are also offered for hire to the non-NHS sector.

Myopic Degeneration

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the

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appraisal by NICE of the treatment available for myopic degeneration which is not age-related; and if he will make a statement. [99919]

Mr. Lammy: There is currently no National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal of the treatment available for myopic degeneration. NICE is, however, carrying out an appraisal of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) as a treatment for age related macular degeneration. It has not yet published any guidance to the National Health Service on this topic. NICE prepared its final appraisal determination on PDT and circulated it to consultees on 16 January. We understand this document has been appealed against. NICE will now consider any appeals before publishing its final guidance.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether appraisal suggestions rejected by NICE for lack of evidence are considered by the Department of Health Research Programme for further research. [100545]

Ms Blears: Yes.

Information Technology

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the report commissioned by the Department to assess the capacity of the supplier market in relation to the National Programme will be published. [100932]

Ms Blears: The analysis and report to assess the capacity of the information technology supplier market in relation to supporting the national programme for IT in the national health service was commissioned by the Department as input to the ongoing procurement process for the programme. It was not intended for publication and its use is covered by the normal rules around safeguarding the privacy of commercially confidential and sensitive information.

We must consider legal advice, the stage at which the formal procurement process is at and the requirement to ensure access to relevant information is made available to all potential suppliers. Assuming that all due requirements are met, a summary of the key findings will be covered in a presentation to be made at the healthcare computing conference in Harrogate on 25 March 2003. The key points will also be subsequently made available on the Department's website.

NHS Ambulance Trusts

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance exists for NHS ambulance trusts regarding (a) procurement, (b) servicing and (c) lifespans of NHS ambulance vehicles. [99911]

Mr. Lammy: There are two types of ambulance procured by ambulance trusts: patient transport service ambulances and accident and emergency ambulances.

Both types of vehicles can be procured either by outright purchase or by leasing, depending on the individual trust's preference.

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For the outright purchase of patient transport service ambulances, the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) has a national contract in place which is due to expire on 30 June 2003. A new contract will be put in place later this year. In the meantime, PASA will help trusts by giving advice and putting in place a procurement guide. This will offer guidance on how to tender effectively for ambulances.

For the outright purchase of accident and emergency ambulances, PASA already offers assistance to trusts in the form of a procurement guide. PASA is at tender stage with a new national accident and emergency contract and hopes to have it in place by the summer.

Trusts tender on their own behalf for the lease of both patient transport service and accident and emergency ambulances. However, for trusts who do not have knowledge of European Union tendering, PASA offers advice and assistance on putting together all tender documentation and associated paperwork.

Once the new patient transport service and accident and emergency ambulance contracts are in place, PASA will introduce a new national leasing contract for both types of ambulance.

The servicing of ambulances is normally carried out by trusts themselves or by a nominated dealer. Leased vehicles can have the servicing incorporated into the lease agreement, which can be carried out by the trust or a nominated dealer. There are presently no national contracts in place for the servicing of ambulance vehicles.

The lifespan of patient transport service and accident and emergency vehicles is determined by individual trusts and is dependant on a number of factors, including operational demands and annual mileage.

On average, the majority of patient transport service ambulances have a lifespan of seven years. Accident and emergency ambulances have an average lifespan of five years.

Nursing Agencies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing agencies based overseas who provide agency nurses to the NHS subscribe to the NHS's Code of Practice in recruiting overseas nurses; and which countries these agencies are based in. [100515]

Mr. Hutton: There are two nursing recruitment agencies that are based overseas that provide healthcare professionals to the national health service that subscribe to the code of practice for NHS employers.

These agencies are based in Germany and the Republic of Ireland.

Organ Donor Register

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK are not on the NHS organ donor register. [97861]

Mr. Lammy: Currently, 10.2 million people, or 17.4 per cent., of the total United Kingdom population of 58.7 million, have registered on the national health service organ donor register.

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Overseas Nurses

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions (a) his Department and (b) the Assistant Chief Nurse Officer have had about the recruitment of nurses from South Africa; what steps his Department is taking to ensure that no nurses from South Africa are actively recruited; what mechanisms he has in place with the South African Government to ensure that such a scheme is effective; and if he will make a statement. [99759]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 3 March 2003]: Actively recruiting from South Africa is against the code of practice for National Health Service employers involved in the international recruitment of healthcare professionals. Workforce development confederations are responsible for performance managing the trusts in their area to ensure compliance with the code of practice. This is being monitored through quarterly monitoring.

Officials from the Department have met with South African officials to discuss co-operation on workforce, recruitment and other health related issues.

The Department would investigate any alleged breach of the code of practice brought to its attention by the South African Government.

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