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1 Jul 2003 : Column 234W—continued
Nerve Agent Antidotes
Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what stocks his Department have of antidotes to nerve agents which could possibly be used in a terrorist attack; and whether there are such agents for which his Department do not have suitable stocks of antidotes. [122100]
Mr. Hutton: Of the many compounds known to be toxic to man, only a very few are amenable to treatment with specific antidotes. For all that fall into this category and have been assessed as threats, the Department of Health has acquired sufficient stocks of antidotes.
NHS Dentistry
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been done into the long term effects of people being unable to access non-urgent oral health services due to a shortage of dentists willing to treat NHS patients; and if he will make a statement. [118107]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the response given to him by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Mr. Lammy) on 11 June
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2003, Official Report, column 935W, regarding the research into the long-term effects of people being unable to access non-urgent oral health services.
The Government recognises that access to routine dental treatment can be difficult in some areas of the country. This is despite a steady increase in the number of dentists seeing national health service patients between 1997 and 2001 and an increase in the number of courses of treatment completed under NHS arrangements by two million between 1996–97 and 2001–02. Currently, around 60 per cent. of all general practice dentists offer 90 per cent. or more NHS care. Some 25 per cent. of all general practice dentists offer NHS care exclusively. Around 90 per cent. of callers to NHS Direct seeking routine dental treatment are put in touch with a dentist within locally set and nationally benchmarked distance standards.
The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill proposes the local commissioning of primary dental services by primary care trusts. It is the intention of the Bill that this will better match the provision of NHS dentistry with local oral health needs.
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent NHS dentists are expected to carry out a soft tissue examination; how long this procedure takes; and if he will make a statement. [121994]
Ms Rosie Winterton: There are three types of examination carried out in the general dental service. These are set out in the statement of dental remuneration (SDR) as follows:
- Clinical examination, advice, charting (including monitoring of periodontal status) and report.
Extensive clinical examination, advice, charting (including charting of periodontal status) and report.
Full case assessment (including full charting and report of periodontal status), treatment planning and report.
The SDR can be found on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/sdr.
The time taken for these procedures will vary according to individual patients' needs.
NHS Services (Gloucestershire)
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on NHS dentistry in Gloucestershire. [121874]
Ms Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to providing national health service dentistry for all who need and seek it. We recognise, however, that there are some areas of the country, including parts of Gloucestershire, where it is difficult to find a NHS dentist.
In the forthcoming Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, the Government proposes to legislate for far-reaching reform of NHS dental services. It is proposed that each primary care trust (PCT) be given a duty to provide or secure the provision of primary dental services in its area to the extent that it considers reasonable to do so and be given the financial resources to do this. This will give
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PCTs the flexibility to address access issues in their areas. Dentists who contract with a PCT will have a secure income in return for making a longer-term commitment to the NHS.
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the contribution of hospices in Gloucestershire to the work of the NHS. [121876]
Ms Rosie Winterton: Ministers recognise the excellent work done by all hospices in supporting people with terminal or life threatening illnesses. We also recognise the importance of improving palliative care for all patients and that is why we pledged in the NHS Cancer Plan to invest an additional £50 million per annum in specialist palliative care, including hospices, by 2004. This extra £50 million is to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and to enable the National Health Service to increase its contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of services.
A £50 million per annum central budget has been set up for specialist palliative care for 2003–04 to 2005–06. A joint NHS/voluntary sector national partnership group, charged with ensuring the £50 million is spent wisely, is assessing investment plans from the local cancer networks for the use of the central budget. Once the plans are approved, allocations will be made to networks.
Information on the contribution of hospices in Gloucestershire is available from the chief executive of the Avon Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority.
Obesity
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 3 April 2003, Official Report, column 856W, on obesity, how many obese (a) adults and (b) children there (i) were in 1998 and (ii) are expected to be in 2010. [117840]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Health Survey for England showed that in 1998, 21 per cent. of women (approximately 5,251,570) and 17 per cent. of men (approximately 4,020,500) were obese. Figures on obese children are not available for 1998. However, analyses of the Health Survey for England 2001 showed the prevalence of obesity in 1999 was 10 per cent. (approximately 63,000) at age six rising to 17 per cent. (approximately 102,000) at age 15.
The National Audit Office report "Tackling Obesity in England", published 2001, predicted that if trends continue at the present rate until 2010, the prevalence of obesity will have increased by 47 per cent. in adults between 1998 and 2010 from 19 per cent. to 28 per cent. No projections for children are available.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 25 March 2003, Official Report, column 206W, on obesity, how many children aged (a) six and (b) 15 there were in 1999; and how many of those children were diagnosed as clinically obese. [117843]
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Miss Melanie Johnson: The Census Resident Population Estimates in England showed that in 1999 there were 631,558 children aged six years old and 599,843 aged 15 years old. The Health Survey for England 2001 showed that of these 10 per cent. (approximately 63,000) of six year olds and 17 per cent. (approximately 102,000) of 15 year olds were clinically obese.
Personal Care
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what working definition of personal care is used when determining whether a patient is receiving personal care or nursing care, in order to determine eligibility for funding that care. [121880]
Dr. Ladyman: No definition of personal care is used in determining eligibility for funding care. Where a person's primary need is a health need, then the National Health Service is responsible for all their care. The NHS is also responsible for nursing care in any setting. This is defined, in section 49 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001, as "services provided by a registered nurse and involving either the provision of care or the planning, supervision or delegation of the provision of care, other than any services which, having regard to their nature and the circumstances in which they are provided, do not need to be provided by a registered nurse". Where a person needs care other than services for which the NHS is responsible, those services can be provided by a local authority on a means tested basis.
The Royal Commission on Long Term Care defined personal care as care of an intimate nature, including help with toileting and other personal needs such as bathing, dressing and undressing, and with feeding. This definition is not used in determining eligibility for funding care. Where a person's needs are primarily and substantially for health care then all their care is funded by the NHS. The NHS also funds nursing care in any setting, this is nursing care as defined by section 49 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 as "services provided by a registered nurse and involving either the provision of care or the planning, supervision or delegation of the provision of care, other than any services which, having regard to their nature and the circumstances in which they are provided, do not need to be provided by a registered nurse". Where a person needs care other than that provided by the NHS this can be provided by a local authority on a means tested basis.
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