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4 Jul 2003 : Column 539W—continued
Head Injuries
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people suffered head injuries in (a) the UK and (b) Sefton in each year from 1993 to 2003; [124101]
- (2) what percentage of people in (a) the UK and (b) Sefton who have suffered brain injury in the past 10 years have recovered completely. [124102]
Dr. Ladyman: Data on the incidence of individual conditions is not collected centrally. Research evidence, however, suggests that around 1 million people a year suffer a head injury and, of those, around 100,000 receive an injury severe enough to require hospital treatment.
Data on treatment outcomes for individual patients is not collected centrally. Research evidence suggests that many patients never make a full recovery and are left with life long disabilities. It is estimated that there may be up to 75,000 people in that situation.
Separate information is not available for Sefton.
The national service framework on long term conditions will have a particular focus on the needs of people with neurological disease, brain and spinal injury, as well as some of the common issues faced by people with a long-term condition such as rehabilitation. It will set standards of improvement in treatment and care for people with head injury.
Hip Fractures
Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts have adopted an osteoporosis prevention strategy. [122320]
Dr. Ladyman: We do not collect information on how many primary care trusts have adopted an osteoporosis prevention strategy.
We are taking osteoporosis forward through the falls section of the national service framework for older people. This requires local health and social care systems to establish an integrated falls service by 2005. These services must include appropriate interventions and advice to prevent osteoporotic fracture.
HIV
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) deaths there were from human immunodeficiency virus and (b) new cases were diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus in each year since 1980. [122449]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested for England is shown in the table for deaths in people diagnosed as HIV infected, by year of death and new diagnoses of HIV infection, by year of diagnosis.
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| Year | Deaths in people diagnosed with HIV | New HIV diagnoses |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 0 | 27 |
| 1981 | 1 | 35 |
| 1982 | 7 | 99 |
| 1983 | 18 | 216 |
| 1984 | 48 | 836 |
| 1985 | 146 | 2,922 |
| 1986 | 292 | 2,425 |
| 1987 | 387 | 2,238 |
| 1988 | 441 | 1,758 |
| 1989 | 678 | 1,980 |
| 1990 | 801 | 2,373 |
| 1991 | 962 | 2,489 |
| 1992 | 1,117 | 2,544 |
| 1993 | 1,422 | 2,392 |
| 1994 | 1,527 | 2,363 |
| 1995 | 1,529 | 2,440 |
| 1996 | 1,308 | 2,472 |
| 1997 | 652 | 2,505 |
| 1998 | 447 | 2,612 |
| 1999 | 416 | 2,864 |
| 2000 | 424 | 3,609 |
| 2001 | 340 | 4,724 |
| 2002 | 290 | 5,037 |
Note:
Numbers, particularly for recent years, will rise as further reports are received.
Source:
Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Health Protection Agency, data to end of March 2003.
Mental Health
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2003, Official Report, column 676W, on mental health, what the ages are of the children cared for by adult mental health services in Mersey Care National Health Service Trust area. [122039]
Miss Melanie Johnson: As at 25 June 2003, the number of under 18-year-olds being treated by adult mental health services in Mersey Care National Health Service were 13 who were aged 16 years and eighteen who were aged 17 years.
Muscular Dystrophy
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of hospitals treat muscular dystrophy. [122453]
Dr. Ladyman: Information on the configuration of hospitals and the diseases that they treat is not held centrally. There is no specific treatment for any of the forms of muscular dystrophy. Physical therapy and corrective orthopaedic surgery may be needed to improve the quality of life in some cases. This treatment may be delivered in either a primary or secondary care setting depending on the clinical needs of the patient.
Myeloma
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of delays in the diagnosis of myeloma. [122027]
4 Jul 2003 : Column 541W
Miss Melanie Johnson: The NHS Cancer Plan sets out our strategy to reduce waiting times for cancer patients. A two week out-patient waiting time standard was introduced for all urgently referred cases of suspected cancer from 2000. Myeloma is included in leukaemia waiting times and in the last quarter, January-March 2003, 98.7 per cent. of all urgently referred cases of suspected leukaemia were seen within two weeks. From 2001, a maximum waiting time of one month from urgent referral to first treatment was introduced for urgently referred cases of suspected leukaemia and in the last quarter 98.6 per cent. of patients were treated within a month of referral. Data on all current cancer waiting times targets are published on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits.
Neurological Registrars
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) funded and (b) un-funded specialist neurological registrars there were in each NHS region in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available. [121622]
Mr. Hutton: The table shows the number of hospital medical staff within the registrar group in neurology by national health service region in 1997, 1998 and the latest year available, 2001.
| England at 30 September | 1997 | 1998 | 2001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 159 | 149 | 162 |
| Northern and Yorkshire | 18 | 11 | 23 |
| Trent | 15 | 15 | 12 |
| West Midlands | 8 | 10 | 15 |
| North West | 15 | 19 | 19 |
| Eastern | 12 | 8 | 15 |
| London | 77 | 72 | 60 |
| South East | 8 | 9 | 11 |
| South Western | 6 | 5 | 7 |
Source:
Department of Health medical and dental workforce census
The funding arrangements in 1997 and 1998 required Postgraduate Deans to fund 50 per cent. of the cost of a new specialist registrar (SpR) post and trusts would fund the remaining 50 per cent.
SpR posts are now funded in two ways; either through central funding (100 per cent. funding) or local funding, in which trusts either convert existing training posts or remap money into the training levy to pay for the post. This process of funding was established in 2001–02.
In 2001–02, central funding was provided to support the implementation of five additional SpR posts in neurology and eight additional posts were funded locally.
In 2003–04, central funding is being provided to support the implementation of 10 additional SpR posts in neurology. Trusts will also have the opportunity to create up to 20 locally funded SpR training opportunities.
4 Jul 2003 : Column 542W
NHS Counter Fraud Service
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls to the NHS Counter Fraud Service there were in each of the last three years; and (a) how many and (b) what percentage of calls resulted in a successful prosecution. [118776]
Mr. Hutton: The National Health Service Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (NHS CFSMS) receives numerous telephone calls. The total number of call is not recorded. Where a call indicates the possible existence of fraud or corruption within the NHS, it is referred to a counter fraud specialist for assessment. Following the assessment, and where sufficient information or evidence is provided, the matter is investigated and termed a referral. Details of the numbers of referrals received in the last three years, along with cases where fraud was found to be present, are shown in the tables.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Number of referrals | 1,646 |
| Closed cases | 1,244 |
| Cases where fraud present | 454 |
| Figures shown as percentage | 36.5 |
The presence of fraud can only be finally determined once a case has been closed and the investigation completed. Four hundred and two cases remain open and are currently under investigation or awaiting sanction. In addition to the 454 cases where fraud was found to be present, fraud was found not to be present in a further 790 cases.
The sanctions available to CFSMS where fraud has been proven are the criminal prosecution and the civil and disciplinary sanction. The figures for the last three years are shown in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Cases where fraud present | 454 |
| Cases where sanction sought | 358 |
| Figures shown as percentage | 78.85 |
| Cases where sanction applied | 330 |
| Figures shown as percentage | 92.17 |
Sanctions have not been sought in 105 cases where fraud was found to be present. It may not be in the public interest to progress an investigation to the sanction stage for evidential, cost or for medical reasons.
Criminal prosecution and civil and disciplinary action are only part of the sanction process. The CFSMS also seek to recover, wherever possible, moneys that have been fraudulently obtained. The figures for the last three years are shown in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Cases where sanction applied | 330 |
| Criminal prosecutions | 137 |
| Civil and disciplinary sanctions | 193 |
| Financial recoveries (£ million) | 11.7 |
4 Jul 2003 : Column 543W
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