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Organ Donation

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the supply of (a) kidneys and (b) other donor organs within the NHS. [106100]

Mr. Lammy: The figures are shown in the table.

Live/Cadaveric organs donated for transplant, United Kingdom, 1999–2003, by financial year

	Living donor kidneys	Cadaveric kidneys	Hearts(23)	Lungs	Livers	Pancreata	Corneas
1999–2000	302	1,460	269	265	675	33	3,637
2000–01	343	1,440	221	230	657	48	3,803
2001–02	373	1,395	187	226	641	67	3,277
2002–03(24)	358	1,441	163	234	672	83	3,358

⁽²³⁾ Includes 'domino' hearts.

⁽²⁴⁾ To 23 March 2003.

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Osteoporosis

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the awareness amongst women and girls of the risks of osteoporosis. [106634]

Jacqui Smith: The Department works closely with and provides funding through the Section 64 General Scheme to the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS). NOS is the leading body in this field and produces a range of information leaflets and offers an advice helpline. For the majority of the population, preventative measures of a balanced diet, exercise, ceasing smoking and reducing alcohol intake prove sufficient. The Government has tackled increasing awareness and the importance of adopting these public health measures in a wide variety of ways in recent years.

Overseas Medical/Dental Staff

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria dentists from (a) countries about to join the EU and (b) EU countries have to meet before being able to practise in England. [106902]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 3 April 2003]: All doctors and dentists wishing to practise in the United Kingdom must be registered with the General Medical Council and General Dental Council respectively. European Union nationals holding specified medical or dental qualifications awarded by other member states are entitled to automatic recognition in the UK on the basis of agreed minimum training requirements. Once ratified, the Accession Treaty will provide for the recognition of medical and dental qualifications awarded by the new member states on the same basis. Qualifications awarded following training begun after accession will comply with the minimum community requirements and be automatically recognised. In other cases, evidence of recent and substantial experience in the member state concerned may be required.

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what checks there are to ensure that dentists from abroad wishing to practise in England have appropriate language skills to enable them to do so. [106903]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 3 April 2003]: Overseas qualified dentists wishing to practise in the United Kingdom have to satisfy the General Dental Council that they have the necessary knowledge of English. Nationals of other European Economic Area States are exempt from this requirement and assessing their language skills is a matter for employers.

Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria doctors from (a) EU countries and (b) those countries about to join the EU have to meet before being able to practise in England. [106904]

Mr. Hutton [holding answer 3 April 2003]: All doctors and dentists wishing to practise in the United Kingdom must be registered with the General Medical Council and General Dental Council respectively. European Union nationals holding specified medical or dental qualifications awarded by other member states are entitled to automatic recognition in the UK on the basis of agreed minimum training requirements. Once ratified, the Accession Treaty will provide for the

7 Apr 2003 : Column 110W

recognition of medical and dental qualifications awarded by the new member states on the same basis. Qualifications awarded following training begun after accession will comply with the minimum Community requirements and be automatically recognised. In other cases, evidence of recent and substantial experience in the member state concerned may be required.

Prison Health Care

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the responsibilities of hospital officers in prison health care facilities. [107205]

Jacqui Smith: The role and responsibility of health care officers were considered in a report on 'Nursing in Prisons', and published in October 2000. It is available at: www.doh.gov.uk/prisonhealth

As a result of the recommendations in that report, National Occupational Standards have been developed for custodial health care. They include clinical and custodial competencies, and apply to all health care staff including health care officers.

Prisons

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the practice of automatic detoxification within prisons of patients previously stabilised in the community on substitute prescriptions has been discontinued. [106592]

Jacqui Smith: On first reception into custody, each prisoner has a general health examination/assessment, which aims to identify any current or previous drug usage and engagement with community drugs services. The decision whether, in the light of this information, to proceed with either detoxification or substitute prescribing, as a prelude to a broader based drug treatment programme, is a matter for the clinical judgement of the practitioner concerned.

The prison service's standard for clinical services for substance misusers requires all prisons which receive prisoners from court to have detoxification guidelines in place for at least one of Methadone, Lofexidine, and Dihydrocodeine. It also requires establishments to have evidence-based guidelines for maintenance prescription that are consistent with current Department of Health guidance and provides advice about the particular categories of prisoners for whom maintenance prescription is likely to be suitable.

Respiratory Diseases (Emergency Admissions)

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency admissions to acute hospitals in (a) the West Midlands (South) Strategic Health Authority area and (b) the Worcestershire Acute Hospital Trust related to respiratory diseases in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. [106493]

Mr. Lammy: The information is shown in the following table.

The table shows the number of emergency admissions where the primary diagnosis was respiratory diseases for the year 2001–02 for all acute trusts within the West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority geographical area.

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Acute Trust	In Year Admission Episodes
South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust	1,618
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust	3,353
Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust	1,303
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust	1,387
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust	4,286

Source:

Hospital Episode Statistics

Social Services/NHS Use

Mr. Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) over 65 year olds, (b) under 18 year olds and (c) 18–65 year olds used (i) social services and (ii) the NHS each day in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [106087]

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not centrally available. Information on key measures of National Health Service activity is available in the Chief Executive's Report to the NHS Statistical Supplement which is available on the Department of Health website at the following address: www.doh.gov.uk/nhsreport/statisticalsupplement.pdf

South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with (a) the West Midlands (South) Strategic Health Authority and (b) the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust on the strategies the trust will adopt to address its deficit; and if he will make a statement. [106492]

Mr. Lammy: I have had no discussions about the strategies South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust will adopt to address its deficit. It is for local strategic health authorities to monitor the strategies of the individual primary care trusts within their area.

Mr. Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust to (a) bring its annual expenditure into balance and (b) eradicate its cumulated deficit; what the latest date is which he will accept for both; and if he will make a statement. [106589]

Mr. Lammy [holding answer 1 April 2003]: This is a matter for West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority (StHA). I expect South Worcester Primary Care Trust (PCT) to bring its annual expenditure into balance. The StHA is currently agreeing a date with the PCT, by which time its cumulated deficit will be eradicated.

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